Celebrating one year

May 1st celebrated the one year anniversary of the start of D'Lites by Dorene.  I thought I'd use this time to record some reflections of running this business:

• It's been fun! I've truly enjoyed the creativity D'Lites has brought to my life.  It's not just in the candlemaking or the choice of fragrance and color. It's been in doing cost analysis for pricing, it's been in developing marketing strategies, and it's been in learning how to manage my time with this new avenue in my life.
• It's been hard work.  I have to be honest here - I really thought that because I enjoy candles so much that my candles would be so popular people would flock to my product! Yes, I acknowledge the level of naivete I felt a year ago. Wow.
• Social media has caught me by surprise.  I really didn't do much social media work until I joined the Promotional Frenzy team on Etsy, where social media participation is a requirement.  I've learned so much about social media and how it has changed the face of marketing as we know it. 
• I've surprised myself with how my product has evolved. Starting out with container candles, I've since evolved into other candle products such as tea lights, fragrance tarts, and votives. I've evolved into other home fragrance products such as fragrance sprays and diffuser oils. I've evolved into bath and body products such as washes, lotions, and sprays.  These have been surprisingly natural outgrowths for vertical integration of my work.
• *sigh* I'm still photography challenged.  My photos have significantly improved, and I've accepted the fact that I need to ask for help in this area.
• Labels are going to be the death of me. We all understand economies of scale, but there is also a reality in economies of time. Labels do not fit in the definition of economies of time, and somewhere, somehow I hope to figure this piece out! (I envy those business who do not have to deal with this issue!)
• I can handle rejection better.  I'm learning not to take "no thank you" quite as personally as I did a year ago.

I could go on and on. But suffice it to say I'm excited about where I've been and where I'm going. 

As a special thank you for my one year anniversary celebration, I am offering you, my loyal readers, a Buy One, Get One 50% off special.  Please mention this blog posting when you call or email me or use coupon code 1YEAR when shopping my Etsy site. 

In addition, all customers throughout the months of May and June will be entered into a drawing for an additional Buy One, Get One 50% off coupon.

*50% off item must be of equal or lesser value. Offer includes sales and clearance items. Only one gift basket may be included with this offer.

Thank you so much for your support!