Item Review: ZZZQUIL

Item: ZZZQUIL Liquid Caps

I have recently started using this awesome new app called "influenster" - it is a unique way to connect and share opinions on products/etc through posts, reviews, surveys and more. By connecting your social media you are able to aggregate a impact score of sorts that give you a chance at winning products to review in regularly distributed boxes influenster calls "voxboxes".

My first voxbox was for ZZZQUIL, the sleep aide! I found this a little funny as I have been meaning to try it at the suggestion of my doctor. The box arrived quickly after I was notified via email that I would receive it; inside was some great information on the product and a sample pack for me to try.

While I did not get the sleep I thought I would (frankly wanted so badly!) I found the product effective on the level that it decreased tension and allowed me to relax enough to "rest" in a satisfactory manner.

All in all I would I've this product a solid 3.5/5 stars and look forward to trying it again on a more regular basis to see if its effectiveness will increase.

Disclaimer: I received the product derailed in this post in exchange for my honest/unbiased review.

5 Things to Keep in Mind: Reviews

In the age of the millennial reviews can be a catch 22 - they are often highly subjective (due to opinion or circumstances that are unique) or ill-written, thus not providing enough information to be effective; however so many rely on reviews these days to be the deciding factor when it comes to purchasing anything especially if said purchase is wholly online.

So how best to approach soliciting reviews from customers whom have made purchase? It's not an easy task, but it is by no means impossible. Here are some tidbits to keep in mind when approaching a customer for a review:

The Art of the Watermark

One of the biggest debates I have seen since I started running a business greatly steeped in the handmade artisan scene is - watermarks.

A watermark is defined as (from wikipedia):

an identifying image or pattern placed on an image or image(s)

Watermarks can vary in size, color,  transparency - basically the possibilities are nearly as infinite as the population of this lovely planet we reside on.

Wanted: Guest Post Authors!

Do you have a small business? Are you an avid hobbyist? Do you enjoy crafting? Are you particularly knowledgeable about social media? Then we NEED YOU!

We would love to have you write a guest blog post for this very blog - wouldn't that be fun? We are in our infancy but with your help we can become a big sensation! 

How To: Pricing Survey

We have heard much about pricing for so long - but as of late it has been a particularly heated discussion we have noticed across our travels of social media platforms, so we thought we would address it in a more formal/concise manner!

How do we address it you're wondering? Well with a survey! We would greatly appreciate your assistance getting these questions answered - there are not too many we promise.

The active survey period will last from May 23, 2016 to April 23, 2016 - it will still be up after that and we will ocassionally check it.

It Takes a Village

Have you ever heard the African proverb "It takes a village [to raise a child]"? The gist of the proverb being that one can not [raise a child] alone - we are not solitary creatures so we should not try to be.

I think this applies to running a small business (among other things in life) - at least it's a thought that has been running through my head as of late. While I have some overriding personal issues that may make my situation unique to a certain degree - there are many things that I share in common with my small business owner counterparts.

I struggle with making the right decision - whether it be to make a certain product, how to delegate my time and how to promote my business.

Greener Grass? That's Cute!

I'm going to get a little personal today - hope you don't mind? See, my primary motivation for striking out on my own was to control my own destiny - yeah that sounds cheesy I know but, really it is the best way to describe it. But in addition to that desire to control my own destiny, I have a disability that often complicates working a "regular" job under the direction of another - working for myself allows me to structure my day around the needs and complications of my disability while being as productive as possible.

Some think working from home is easy, working for yourself from home even easier... yes there is a great amount of flexibility when it comes to working for yourself from home, that is a definite advantage. However, in running my small business(es) from home I have realized that things aren't so starkly defined, things are no where near as simple as a yes/no choice but rather it's more like choosing the lessor of two evils (for lack of a better way of putting it).

Here is some food for thought that I have picked up over the last year and a half: