ROAR!!!!!!!

Hi! Happy March! They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, as far as sales go, we have started March like a lion and our plan is to keep roaring throughout the month! We also ended February on a high note. As I mentioned in the last post, we were supplying the souvenirs for a sorority luncheon, so we got 200 Wands in attendees' hands and everyone seemed excited and pleased to have them. Let the money saving begin! It was also a great networking opportunity and the hope is that we will be able to make additional connections from the luncheon.

Next week we have a meeting with a young lady who does Digital Marketing Consulting: Social Media/Online Advertising/Search Engine Optimization/Websites/Strategy/Training/Tactics. We have tapped family and friends and are starting to get to the second layer of friends but we need to start to really touch the "stranger" market.. We need to get out there into the world. Don't get me wrong, we're seeing orders from people we don't know and we're starting to get e-mails from other business owners who have heard of us, so that's great, but we KNOW it's time to reach even further.

One thing we're really after is a celebrity endorsement. Who would you like to see holding Nikki's Magic Wand on a commercial or feature story? Hmmm, there are SO many great options. Nikki's Magic Wand knows no age, race or income limit so any glamour puss could do it. We will keep pushing to make those connections and if you have an "in" with a hot celeb, let us know! :)

Time for a quick flashback...
So, when we last went down memory lane, we were ready to lock down a manufacturer. Vince, the design guy, said he'd go out and get some quotes. This was great news to us because, as usual, we didn't know how we'd proceed with that. He communicated our needs (a plastic stick, with a rubber tip and a cap closure). He sent along the dimensions and some ideas for materials that could be used for the Wands. He sent out very intricate and fancy drawings to potential manufacturers and let the quotes roll in. He received two quotes from the US and two from overseas. My top choice was to have the Wands manufactured in the US. I wanted to go to the factory and cry as I watched the Wands rolling down the conveyor belt. I imagined what that would be like...watching an idea that popped into my brain actually manifested into something that could be held in your hand. So, I was eager to see what the quotes would be like. Now, let me tell you first what made up the quote. Each manufacturer gave us a quote on the mold for the Wand and cap and the per unit price once the Wands were manufactured. Well, my vision of a teary me standing in the factory in say, North Dakota (don't know why I chose N. Dakota :)), was dashed when the quotes came back. I had always heard that China was the place for small plastic production but I still held out hope. Well, the US quotes for the molds were more than 6 times the lowest quote in China. Yes, you read that right, SIX times more. It became clear very quickly that we would be manufacturing overseas. So, after we chose one overseas manufacturer over the other (the more reasonable overseas manufacturer was offering only a one cavity mold, while the one we went with was offering a four cavity mold, meaning four could be created at once, as opposed to one at a time) it was time to really get down to the business of specifications and making this thing pretty. Next time we talk, I'll tell you ALL about tip weights and UV paint.

I am going to sign off now but I do want you to know that we are going to have some fun March promotions and discounts, so stay tuned on the Facebook page and on the www.nikkismagicwand.com site. We WILL eventually put a Wand in EVERY hand!

As always, thanks for reading. You are the cat's pajamas!
Nikki