Episode 11: Erin Pikor: Naiad Soap Arts [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this eleventh episode, you will meet Erin Pikor of Naiad Soap Arts in San Diego, California. Erin is a graphics designer by trade, and when she was laid off of her job in 2007, she decided to turn a crafty afternoon activity into a business.…

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Why I Am Closing My Business (and what’s next …)

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Coming up with a good product is the easy part, and that’s just the price of admission. These days, you need so much more than that, starting with persistence and the ability to personally sustain a high level of energy and stamina for years at a time.…

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I Heart Indies Giveaway with Gloss48!

Happy Monday! It’s a great day here at the Indie Business Network! We have teamed up this week with Gloss 48 to offer a $50 gift certificate to Gloss48 and also, $50 of sustainable, handcrafted bath and body products from our member, Alana Rivera, over at Etta + Billie. Enter to win below, and then…

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Tips For Launching or Re-Designing Your Website

It’s always exciting to launch a new website, isn’t it? Everything is fresh and new. Rather than the “new car smell,” you can sense the “new website smell” coming right through your screen, right? We smelled it last week when our member, Mary Beth Worzella of Mbeze in Wausau, Wisconsin, launched a gorgeous new site…

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An Aromatherapy Gift From Our SunRose Aromatics

Earlier this month, we received a lovely gift from one of our members. All of our members are special of course, and they all stand out for different reasons. One of the many ways SunRose Aromatics is special to us is because the company is one of the first to join the Indie Business Network…

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Episode 10: Valerie Reed: Valana Minerals [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this tenth episode, you will meet Valerie Reed of Valana Minerals in San Diego, California. Valerie is a college sociology professor by trade, and she also works her business, which she founded in 2007. She loves both teaching and mineral makeup, and has found a…

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It’s Holiday Open House Time!

Yesterday, our member Christine Laureano over at Ba6 Botanicals in Hampton Bays, New York, hosted a holiday open house. (No, it’s not too early.) Here is Christine showcasing her beautiful Ba6 Botanicals handmade products. Along with Makers throughout the area, other IBN members participated at this exclusive event, at Christine’s invitation. Judging from the pictures,…

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Indie Foodie: Muhammara Dip

I am on a double mission. Mission number one is to eat more vegetables. Mission number two is to make something savory to take to Thanksgiving dinner next week. On both counts, the recipes have to be easy and quick, and I need to be able to make them in my Nutribullet and freeze them…

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KB Shimmer Nail Polish on Fox 5 Las Vegas

Do you like glitter? Of course you do. Do you have nails? Yes again, right? What do you get when you have glitter and nails? You put them together of course, to create nail polish with glitter in it. Here is a screen shot from a recent news story where FOX5Vegas A.M. Anchor Monica Jackson…

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Scandle Candle on Korean Television [Video]

One of the many awesome things about entrepreneurship is that amazing things happen every day, many of them not specifically planned for. When our member Christine White of Scandle Candle in Addision, Texas, joined IBN back in January 2008, who would have known that her products would be sold in spas around the world? Check…

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Episode 9: Elissa Choi: BonBlissity [Podcast]

Elissa has changed the name of her business to Bonblissity. The title, text, and links in this post have been updated in recognition of this change. Welcome to Season 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this ninth episode, you will meet Elissa Choi of BonBlissity in San Pedro, California. Elissa and her husband work…

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Bloomsbury Square Opens Shared Work Space In New Jersey

As the economy continues to recover (ever so slowly), we are seeing an increase in the number of our members who are breaking ground on new warehouse locations and opening retail stores and work spaces. Today, we are thrilled to tell you that Niambi Cacchioli of Bloomsbury Square in New Jersey has made the leap…

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6 Tips to Encourage People to Support Your Kickstarter Campaign

Do you have a great business idea, but lack the funds to turn it into reality? If so, you might try crowdfunding via a site like Kickstarter. Our member over at Bramble Berry is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign, which was fully funded within twenty-four hours. As you can see, the new project…

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Formulator Sample Shop: Breaking Ground on a New Building!

We love celebrating the success of our members! Success always leads to more success, so we shout it from the rooftops every chance we get. Today, we’ve got a big one, and right here in the Indie Business Network’s adopted home state! Here’s the quick back story. Maggie Ghanem was tired of turning away smaller…

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Every Chamber of Commerce Should Have a Video Like This

Do you belong to your local chamber of commerce? While the Indie Business Network is not one of the more active members of our local chamber, we do belong and attend as many events as we can. If you are a member of your local chamber, it should not be terribly difficult to share the…

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