THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME OUT TO SEE US AT MIDSOMMARFEST. YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR WHAT WE DO IS WHY WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE DO. YOUR FEEDBACK LEADS TO NEW SCENTS, MORE OPTIONS AND OTHER IDEAS. PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO EXPAND JÖL INTO MORE THAN JUST NATURAL PERSONAL CARE AND SCENTED HOME PRODUCTS. THERE ARE ASPIRATIONS TO BE A FULL BRAND OF ITEMS FOR LIFE AND HOME. THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN IS ACQUIRING OUR FIRST REAL HOME WHERE WE CAN BRING ALL THAT WE DO UNDER ONE ROOF.
When we express our gratitude, it is very heartfelt and sincere. It is not easy to put so much of yourself out there to be critiqued by the masses. When you do something that brings even the tiniest bit of joy, or even to make one’s day a little more pleasant is a huge accomplishment. The feedback I received this past weekend boosted by confidence and inspires me to be better at what I am doing.
Choosing the path we are on, to offer quality products that perform very well and to do so inexpensively is a huge challenge. The points where we have to make calls to save a few cents here and there can miss the mark and lessen our image in your eyes. To hear that those choices we made is part of why you like us, is very warming. The truth is, the more we sell the better we become. The more we can sell means the more we can buy; and the more we buy leads to a lower price we pay. That savings we achieve can either go into improving the product or packaging without having to raise prices, or it can lead to us being able to offer other items that may make us less money yet suits our brand.
For now, we are all about what we make. Once we have that home we can offer items that compliment what we make. Simple accessories and tools that are logical additions to our offerings. Concepts are there for linens, organizers, and devices that help our products perform better. We also plan to expand our assortment with more options in more sizes and forms. We would love to introduce votive and tea light candles; travel size lotions, larger re-fill packs for room sprays and so much more.
Setting up for these festivals is a huge chore for us. To create a micro example of a typical retail space takes plenty of planning as well as labor to build it – and to tear it all down after a couple days. Being in an environment that is unpredictable which can negatively impact our products is a huge concern. This last festival, a strong wind gust caused a neighboring canopy to slam into ours, hitting us just right to jolt a display section and tossing everything onto the wet pavement. Despite taking every measure to ensure our space was secure and safe, we cannot ensure our neighbors take the same steps. The narrow bright side is that the losses were most affecting our products with the lowest costs. Many of which are packages quite well and may only need their label replaced. This is manageable in the way of dollars, but not acceptable by any means. We plan to work with the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and Star Events to make sure they are enforcing the safety rules that are already in place, and consistently auditing them throughout the event and more so when there is a chance of high winds. There are steps we are taking to minimize the risk of this happening again.
One change we are going to implement is in regards to how we display and sell the items most sensitive to humidity and temperature. Before our next event, we will place only a single testing sample for each scent with the regular selling units secured in an air tight container that can be cooled on hot days. The testing sample may be a smaller version of the actual item, much like we do for candles. This places more work on myself to retrieve those items you wish to purchase, but it will ensure that what you buy retains all its qualities.
For those that attended Andersonville Midsommarfest, please take a few moments and leave reviews of your purchases. It helps those that may shop with us online a better idea about what they can expect. We can do our best to describe each item perfectly yet your words will have a higher impact. People will trust the views of others more, and we appreciate that as well as encourage it. One area where we struggle as a business is getting the feedback we hear put into writing for others to view. We could incentivize this, but would they be honest reviews if we did?
In closing I wish to again give my thanks to all of you, whether you just browsed or came to stock up on your favorites. Your support is very much appreciated!