"E-tailer Spotlight" - Reviyve

E-tailer Spotlight Questionnaire – by Michelle Howard/Reviyve LLC

Michelle has a monthly product give away on Reviyve. You may go on her site at www.deadseastorebyrv.com/sweepstakes to enter. This month's give away is a bottle of their Day/Night Mineral Plumping Anti-Wrinkle Cream along with a sample pack. Winners are announced on the 15th of every month. Please go by visit Michelle, look over the products she offers, enter her product give away and if you have the time, please leave a comment for Michelle on our blog.

Michelle is a full of energy and a real go-getter. She is an inspiration to others, as she believes you can attain anything you want. Read her interview, gain insight into the woman behind Reviyve and see what a dynamo she really is.



Tell us a little about yourself and/or your business.

My name is Michelle and I reside in Westchester County, NY with my husband and my 3 children (1 is actually 21 years old) from a previous marriage. I work full time out of my home and run my business part time (after my day job hours). In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing, watching movies and attending church. My business, Reviyve LLC is primarily an e-commerce business offering personal care products on several websites, including natural skin care products and stress relief & alternative health products. My husband manages a gourmet coffee site. It is our belief that people should consume products that are close to natural as possible more often than not. In addition to our product sales, we do our best to provide quality relevant information to help people on our websites (i.e. stress management tips and techniques on our stress relief site)


How or why did you start your business?

My husband and I started our business for two reasons. One, we want to be financially independent. Second and the most important reason is because of our children. While we are thankful for our day jobs, it is not our desire to work for someone else for the rest of our lives. I have a special needs child Christopher. Christopher is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I want to ensure that my children, especially Christopher is adequately provided for should God forbid I am unable to do so. I don’t want the government to have to be responsible for being his caregiver. Christopher is the biggest reason I work so hard every day to move my business forward.

What kind of products do you carry or make?

Our natural skin care site predominantly offers a handcrafted line of Dead Sea Mineral Products, Blended Naturals (facial, bath, body, organic and anti-wrinkle), including specially assembled gift sets and gift baskets. We also offer a handcrafted line of 100% soy wax aromatherapy candles. In the near future, we will be offering Kathy Ireland’s NEW line of Dead Sea Cosmetics, Essentials which is also paraben free. KI Essentials is soon to be released and we are excited to add this product line to our collection.

Our stress relief site offers aromatherapy, magnetic therapy, personal massage, sleep help & Chi health products. We also recently became independent distributors of Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential OilsTM. This is a excellent therapeutic addition to our line of aromatherapy products.

Our gourmet coffee site offers Origins, decaffeinated, flavored and organic coffee products and gift baskets.


Do you carry handmade products? Do you make them yourself?

My skin care product line, Blended Naturals and my aromatherapy candles are both handmade. I do not manufacture my products but I am keenly aware of the ingredients put into them. I have specialty handcrafters who handle the manufacturing process for me. My job is to design all of my own labels, & packaging, as well as design my websites and market my products. I also have four blogs that I write in regularly so this does not leave me time to manufacture anything. Now, if God gives us an additional 8 hours a day, perhaps I can work something out.:)


What’s your favorite product to make or create?

Since I don’t craft my own products, I will say this. My favorites are the Brown Sugar Scrub & Combination Mask and the Organic Sugar Scrub. The Brown Sugar Scrub/Mask is also formulated with Dead Sea Minerals and does wonders for the skin. The body sugar scrub is customizable with an essential oil. Aside from the fact that I just loooove sugar, I love how silky smooth it leaves the skin.


Do you have a storefront, sell strictly on-line or both?

I sell primarily online but I also sell products offline via tradeshows, fairs, fundraisers and spa parties throughout the year.

Please list any websites and email addresses.

Natural Skin Care & Dead Sea Products:

www.deadseastorebyrv.com
email: info@deadseastorebyrv.com

Stress Relief & Alternative Health Products:
www.stressreliefbyrv.com
email: info@stressreliefbyrv.com

Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential OilsTM : https://www.youngliving.com/signup/custType.faces (Must use distributor # 1066504 to purchase as a wholesale or retail customer)

Premium Gourmet Coffee:
www.premiumcoffeebyrv.com
email: info@premiumcoffeebyrv.com


Do you sell on Etsy, Ebay, Fuzzb or Made It Myself? If you do, please list a link to your store.

No, we only sell on our own sites


Do you have a MySpace or Face Book? If you do, please list the link to your page.

Yes, www.myspace.com/reviyve


Do you Twitter? What is the url to your page?

Who doesn’t?! www.twitter.com/reviyve


Do you have a blog? Please list a link to your blog.

Yes, 4:

1. Fresh Radiant Skin: www.deadseastorebyrv.blogspot.com
(blog was recently approved to participate as a member of Total Beauty & is listed in the Blogs We ♥ Love section)

2. To Stress or Not To Stress: www.stressreliefbyrv.blogspot.com

3. Stress Helper: www.stresshelper.wordpress.com
4. Work at Home: www.10steps2success.blogspot.com

Do you work at another job?

Yes, I work Monday-Friday at a large financial firm in Manhattan - NYC


What or who inspires you?

My inspiration comes from two sources: My children and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I sometimes feel discouraged, I think about why I’m doing all of this and then I look to God for wisdom and strength to continue on.


Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

Yes, 2 actually. My company’s motto is “Care for You because there’s Only One You.” And “You’re not a human doing. You’re a human being. If you don’t like your schedule, change it. You made it and you can change it.” By Joyce Meyer


What advice would you offer to someone starting their own business?

I would say don’t just do something to make money. Be passionate about what you are doing. You can’t effectively market/sell something you don’t have an intimate relationship with, at least not for any good length of time before “looking like” a fake. Also, I advise anyone starting their own business to count the cost before starting. I don’t just mean the monetary cost either. Count the cost of how much you will need to give up to work and to educate yourself. Then once you’ve decided it’s a go, make sure to do a business plan, even if it’s a long running draft. You need something to keep you focused and on track. Lastly, hook up with others who have done and are doing what you want to do. Entrepreneur.com is an excellent site to get help and free advice from. They even offer a business plan template among other great tips, tools and empowering information. The business people on that site are also very willing to offer any help and insight they can at no charge. This site is one in which you can carry on in-depth conversations to get help with your business.

We Have A Winner!!!!

Congratulations to The Muse! You were selected as the winner of the Heaven and Earth Essentials drawing. Your wonderful products will ship out to you tomorrow. I know you will enjoy all of them.

Thanks to everyone who dropped by and read the E-tailer Spotlight on Heaven and Earth Essentials. Thank you very much to the ones who took the time to comment. If you are in the market for any lotions, soaps, oils, emu oils, candles, lip balms, pet products, etc. - be sure to visit them at www.heavenandearthessentials.com.

How to Be an E-tailer in Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes

So, you want to be an e-tailer in our sample boxes and don’t know where to start. I’ll see if I can answer some of the most asked questions.

Does it cost anything? No, there is not cost to you ever other than the cost of your samples.
Is there a minimum amount? Yes, we have a minimum of 10 samples/or full-sized items for any month you wish to participate. However, we have no maximum so if you wish to send in a large amount and spread it out over a couple of months – that’s fine with us. Just specify how you want it.

When are the samples due? Samples are due by the 15th of any month you wish to participate.

What kind of samples should I send? Send whatever you wish for the consumer to see. Send the product you like the best, what you think is your best item or a new item you wish to promote. Remember to package your item attractively to present it in the most positive light. Sometimes, first impressions are all that you get. You want to catch the consumer’s eye – ensuring they don’t forget about you. Your items should be correctly labeled and prominently display your website and company name. We want the consumer to be able to easily find you.

Can I send full-sized items? Certainly! Everyone loves receiving full-sized items. But, this is not required. You may send in any size sample that you want. Just remember that the consumer will judge your products by your sample. Make sure it is an ample enough size for them to be able to determine if they like the product.

Can I send in business cards, brochures, post cards? Yes, if you send in samples you may send in literature on your products and company. We do not accept just business cards, etc. without samples as no one wants to purchase business cards.

Should I offer a discount coupon with my product? That is entirely up to each individual. Some do, some don’t. We do not require that you do.

Do I need a banner? No. If you have one, we will proudly display it on the website and forum. If you do not, we can make you one for $10 and you can use it in any manner you want. It will be yours. However, if you don’t have one and don’t want one, that’s fine with us.

Do I need to send in some information about my items? Yes. Please send a brief description of your products/and or company. This will be displayed on the website.

Where will I be listed on the internet: You will be listed on the Snowberry Creek E-tailers in the Box page on the website, you will be listed on the past e-tailers page (when you are a past e-tailer) on the website, the Snowberry Creek forum, Snowberry Creek blog, and our myspace page. These are the places that you will have direct links posted to your website. We will advertise Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes in other places and you will benefit from this, also.
If you choose to be in the “e-tailer spotlight” or the “product showcase” on our blog, this will promote your website and products by additional links for the search engines to find. There is no charge for this service. It will be promoted on many forums. You can offer an item for a drawing to get people to visit your website and then leave a comment on the blog about one of your products. This is not required, but does help generate traffic to your site.

Who donates the mystery prize for the month? Any e-tailer that wishes to be the mystery prize donor for the month should let us know. You will be listed as the mystery prize donor – listed on the website as such and promoted on the blog and forum. You should send your “full-sized” item for the mystery prize drawing in at the same time you send your samples. We will pay for the shipping to the winner of the prize. We will announce the winner along with the donor on our forum, blog and myspace, this will add more links for the search engines.

Can I have a page on your website? Yes. We do offer sponsor pages. You may have a sponsor page for $10 per month in additional to sending in a minimum of 50 samples for the month. Business cards do not count as samples.

What can I put on my sponsor page? This is your own personal webpage. You may display anything you want on your page such as: ads, sales, pictures, promotions, etc. You may have up to 5 pictures on your page. This is a way to promote your products and website in any way you wish. The page will remain active for the month you are a sponsor. There can be more than one sponsor per month, as each sponsor will have their own page for promotion showcasing their products and website. No one has to “share” the spotlight on their page with anyone else.

We enclose a flyer asking the consumer to please visit the e-tailer’s website to see all of the products they offer. We ask them to leave feedback about the products they have received so the e-tailers know if they are pleased with the items. They may leave feedback on the forum, myspace, our blog or directly email the e-tailer.

It has never been easier to be an e-tailer. Get your products and website in the spotlight and into the hands of the consumer. We believe that the independent business owner has superior products, excellent customer service and is the backbone of America. We look forward to working with you to promote, advertise and raise the ranking of your website.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at snowberrycreek@hotmail.com, leave a post on our blog or visit our website http://www.snowberrycreek.com/. We love hearing from you!

Handcrafted Soap versus Commercially Made Soap

Today, much commercially made soap is not soap at all. They are actually harsh detergents. Detergents are less expensive and easier to manufacture than soaps. Would you buy a bar labeled as a detergent? I would not, but then many people don’t really read the label on their bars of soap. If you have read the label on your soap bar you may have seen sodium tallowate listed as one of the first ingredients. Many of you may know what sodium tallowate is. For those of you who don’t, I will tell you or you may check with your favorite search engine. Sodium tallowate is a natural result made by combining sodium hydroxide (lye) with beef tallow (beef fat). Tallow has been used in soap making for hundreds of years. Commercial soap makers use tallow due to it being inexpensive, plentiful, processes quickly and produces a hard bar. Some people say that tallow clogs pores, causes blackheads, acne, irritates eczema and is not for people with sensitive skin. The pioneers had no choice but to use tallow. Today we have many vegetable oils readily available for our use in soap making. While vegetable oils are more expensive than tallow, they produce a superior bar of soap.

Some other ingredients you may see listed on the wrapper that are not desirable in a bar of soap are:

Pentasodium penteteate is an inorganic salt used as a water softener, emulsifier and dispersing ingredient in cosmetic cleansing creams, lotions and soaps.
Tetrasodium EDTA is a synthetic preservative - can be irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes. Sodium isethionate is a synthetic detergent. It acts as a moisture absorber, surfactant and anti-static agent.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a synthetic detergent. It is an anionic surfactant, which means it reduces surface tension, making water ‘wetter’.
Trisodium etidronate is a preservative and possible skin irritant.
BHT - (butylhydroxytoluene) is a synthetic antioxidant to keep oils in the formula from going rancid. Sometimes used as a food preservative. BHT is sometimes used as a food preservative. When ingested, BHT has been implicated in tumor formation and liver enlargement in rodent tests.
Disodium phosphate is a buffering agent used to adjust pH in the soap.
PEG-6 methyl ether is a synthetic polymer made from oxirane (ethylene oxide) - used as a solvent.
Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid usually derived from tallow or lard and sometimes palm oil. Stearic acid contributes to a harder, more long-lasting bar of soap.

Much commercial soap has chemicals, fat, detergent and petroleum products. While these degreasers will cleanse your skin, they will also remove the natural oils leaving you with dry skin. Some people will say they do not want to use a soap made with lye. All soap has sodium hydroxide (lye) or it will not be soap. One difference in handcrafted soap and commercially made soaps is the fact that the handmade soap retains all of the natural glycerin. Glycerin is produced as a byproduct of the soapmaking process. The cosmetic industry uses glycerin in their products so it is removed from the soap and sold by the commercial soap manufacturers to the cosmetic industry. It is a profitable business venture for the commercial soap manufacturers but results in a less moisturizing soap and the use of harsher chemicals. Handmade soap retains all of the natural glycerin and results in a more moisturizing, superior bar of soap.
If you want to experience a “true” bar of soap with all of the natural, moisturizing ingredients– check with one of our many e-tailers that make their own soap. Soap makers have their own recipes and not all soaps are created equal (so to speak) but I have tried many of our e-tailers soaps and have not been disappointed with any of them. There are several different processes for soapmaking. We'll explore those later.

Give your skin a treat!

Here's a handy list of some of the e-tailers that create soaps:

A Woman With Scents, Candles and Woodcrafts, Country Keepsakes, Delightfully Wed, Ginger's Garden, Lathered Up, Laura's Lathers, Mrs. Sterlings, The Mom Lady, Tuxedo-Enterprises, and Uniquely Pampered.

Candles and Woocrafts has a sale posted on their website.