Let Your Customers and Colleagues Know That Your Membership is Current! The new 2020 Indie Business Network member badge is here! Indie Business Network members in good standing can log in and grab the code (without the watermark) for the badge for our 20th anniversary year. After you log in, choose the “Get Your Member…
It’s hard to fathom, but 2019 is nearly over, and with its conclusion comes the time for an amazing celebration for us here at the Indie Business Network. I’ll get to that in a few minutes, but first, I’m excited to reflect with genuine joy and happiness at the pleasure it has been to serve…
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Welcome to Episode 70 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Marissa Bethoney of Precious Skin Elixirs in Boxford, Massachusetts. Marissa left a decade-long career as a jeweler to create a business that allowed her to feel better about simultaneously leading a business and being a mother. As you’ll enjoy learning…
We are excited to announce the winner of IBN’s Instagram Pod Holiday Giveaway. Our theme was Holiday Wonderland. It was fun! The IBN members who participated loved it, but no one is happier than our winner, @Tuscon_Vegan, whose colorful Instagram is all about vegan product reviews and deals. She will soon have a delightful collection…
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Welcome to Episode 69 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Pam Rodgers of Stella Chroma, a nail polish brand in Richmond, Indiana. Pam started her business in 2012, and today, she manages the business while holding down a full-time job as a nurse practitioner. Since starting Stella Chroma, Pam has…
Following up on yesterday’s announcement, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health today hosted a hearing entitled, Building Consumer Confidence by Empowering FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety. You can watch the hearing, with time stamps, below. If you are new to this blog, or this issue, new cosmetics laws have been under consideration since…
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will host a hearing regarding cosmetics regulations at 10:00am ET on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. For over a decade, this blog has recounted the journey of multiple pieces of proposed legislation designed to amend cosmetics laws in the United States. This post is the latest in that series. For…
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Welcome to Episode 68 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Amber Malcom of Shabby Chick Cleaners in Duncan, Oklahoma. After being in business for just over three years, Amber has already appeared on several episodes of a popular home shopping show, entirely dismantled and re-built her business model, and is…
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Welcome to Episode 67 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Sandy Engels of The Purple Sage in Ethel, Louisiana. Sandy purchased her brand from another entrepreneur eight years ago, shortly after she discovered that her friends and family members were interested in buying the soap she had been making for…
From time to time, I receive inquiries from Indie Business Network members who have been in business for a long time and are ready to sell and move onto their next adventure. Today, I am excited to share that an organic skincare line and business is for sale: Garden of Eve Skin Care. The founder…
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Welcome to Episode 66 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Zondra Wilson of Blu Skin Care in Los Angeles, California. Zondra started her business after a career as a television news anchor. When she began to feel like something was missing, she left the broadcast world and then, as she…
One of the benefits of IBN membership is a live monthly Master Class with someone who has mastered a topic that will help you be successful in your Maker business. Our Master Classes are great opportunities to learn and grow in our supportive community, and to meet some of the people who can help you…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked to share some ideas to help you be productive when sales are slow. Of course it stinks when sales are slow, but you can turn that frown upside down and use the time to your advantage. Here are four ways to do that. 4…
Find Indie Makers has been replaced by IBN’s official Member Directory About Find Indie Makers Find Indie Makers makes it easy and fun for you to discover and buy the products of American Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. As consumer tastes shift away from the commoditized version of life that has been pushed by big business…
I am pleased to introduce the Indie Business Book Club leader for the May-June 2019 Indie Business Book Club pick: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller. You can read more about this book and how the book club works at this link. Amber is the founder and CEO…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked to share some of my best content creation ideas. This question is very frequently asked because we are bombarded today with a dizzying array of ways to connect with customers and prospects through the content we create. It’s overwhelming if you try to embrace…
I am pleased to announce the May/June 2019 Indie Business Book Club pick: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more information. We start reading the book together with a live book club meeting on…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked for my best and easiest ideas to improve the all-important About Page at your website. Your “About Page” is an opportunity to woo your prospects and draw them into what you and your brand stand for. It’s a chance to replace the tired old…
One of the benefits of IBN membership is a live monthly Master Class with someone who has mastered a topic that will help you be successful in your Maker business. Our Master Classes are great opportunities to learn and grow in our supportive community, and to meet some of the people who can make help…
If you know me at all, you know that I believe in the power of list building and email newsletter publishing. I have published a newsletter for nearly 20 years, so I know what I’m talking about. Newsletters help you generate sales. Newsletters help you drive traffic to your blog and social media pages. If…
This post is about the power of using your personal brand to represent, even embody, your marketing message. This presents a fantastic opportunity to leverage who you are personally for the benefit of your business. After all, while there are products on the market that are similar to yours, there is only one you. When…