Interview: Cleanin' Up With SoStinkingSweet

Interview: Cleanin' Up With SoStinkingSweet

Get a splash of color and fun at bath time with SoStinkingSweet's moisturizing fragrance soaps. I had an opportunity to interview Dee, founder of So Stinking Sweet, and here's what she had to say about her journey:

Q. What is the main site address for your business?
www.SoStinkingSweet.etsy.com
www.SoStinkingSweet.com - coming soon

Q. Tell us about the products you make and the materials you use.
I make bath and body products. All of my soaps and bath products are created with the finest, highest quality natural ingredients.

Q. How long have you been developing your craft?
I have been making soap for years for my own families personal use. It wasn't until I decided to sell my soap on etsy, that I discovered so many other products that can be made from home. So naturally I started looking into all those other home products, so I am STILL developing my craft.

Q. How did your craft evolve into a global store front?
One day my daughter and I went to Weedens, its a antique and craft mini mall. My daughter pointed out a basket of hand made soap called Hog Wash and asked why I didn't try to sell my soap. Between my daughters and my mother’s relentless pressure to sell,   I decided to try it. When it came down to it, I decided my best chance of selling would be on-line, as I didn't know how to approach other businesses about selling my soap.

Q. What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
Oh dear, this is a tuff one! I am still looking for the most effective way to promote my business. I use Project Wonderful a lot. I have done blog give a ways on other blogs and my own. Do you want my blog address, can I promote it here, lol? http://sostinkingsweet.blogspot.com/ I try to twitter as much as possible and I have a Fan Page on Facebook.

If I had to choose the one that has helped me the most. I would say U-Tube. I have been fortunate enough to have a couple of people do reviews on my store and that has brought in a lot of new customers!

Q. What mistakes have you made while building your Etsy shop that you wish someone had advised you NOT to do?
Nothing stands out in the way of a mistake to me, at least nothing has been pointed out to me,
yet. lol.

Q. Is your Etsy business a full time job or is it something you do in your spare time?
Yes, this is my full time job, but it's hard to look at it as a "job" because I enjoy it so much!

Q. What goals do you wish to accomplish within the next year for your Etsy shop?
My goal is to introduce my cold process soaps.  Right now we are in the middle of a large project here at home, a total remodel. So I don't have a suitable place to be curing a large amount of soap. So until then I make small batches of my melt and pour and am able to wrap and store safely.

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
Well you know about my soap business. Outside of that, I am married to the greatest guy ever! We have two beautiful daughters and two of the most amazing granddaughters, 4 and 2 yrs old. Those babies are my life!  In the summer,   when  I'm not in Washington visiting my grandbabies, my husband and me spend all of our free time golfing.  In the winter, we spend our evening’s home in front of the tv watching all of our favorite shows. The CSI's,  Criminal Minds, NCIS and House.

Q. Outside of Etsy, in what venues do/have you sold?
I am not selling outside of etsy yet. I did just purchase my domain and web hosting and am hoping to have my new web store up and running soon. I have sold just by word of mouth. I recently just picked up some new customers from the post office of all places! They love to sniff my packages as I bring them in. So I took some samples down for the postmasters and she passed them out to the carriers and since then they have given me a few orders.  So I should add up there in the most "effective ways to promote" word of mouth!

Q. What sets you apart from other sellers in your niche?
Oh there are so many amazing soapers out there on etsy and I love every one of them for what they bring to the soaping community,  that are above and beyond me in so many ways. I'm not sure I can say there is anything that sets me apart from them.  If I had to choose something that sets me apart, would have to be color and fun. I love color, bright fun colors. So I try to bring that to my store, keeping it light, colorful, fun along with functional.

Q. List one or more Etsy sellers which you admire? And why?
Easy one, Dianne, from Barebummbath! She is the biggest sweetheart and I admire her very much! I remember when I first started on etsy, I was struggling trying to get my business off the ground. I didn't know what to do to get noticed among all the other soapers on etsy.  I so wanted this new adventure of mine to work. I was praying from some kind of help. She came out of the blue and helped me in so many ways. I don't believe I would be as far as I am if it weren't for her. The funny thing is, she sells soap too! Yet, she took time out her life to help get my store off the ground. It takes a special kind of person to do that. I call her my angel!

I also just want to thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to be featured on your blog. It's been a pleasure to participate! Thank you!