Our friends at Rituals by Nature (RBN's Facebook) are having huge success and it is so encouraging to see their story and how it has unfolded. I personally have watched them get started and grow individually in so many ways while growing this business and expanding it. It is TAKING OFF right now and I can't help but be very excited for them and hope to somewhat ride the wave that they are creating in the small business world.
Really, it's exciting to see small businesses take off and start to grow in new successes. Two years ago, Rituals by Nature was a glimpse in Missy and Will's eyes and now they've created a line of near 20 items, I believe. It started as a base to help Missy with her eczema problem (see her Magick line). That was the beginning of their vision and how it grew. Now, they are an inspiration to all of us and especially Josh and myself (Brass Hammer Designs; aka BHD).
5 Lessons, I think that BHD can learn from RBN is:
1) Never Give Up - they pursued a solution to Missy's eczema despite not having any solutions from the pharmaceutical industries. They never gave up when they were semi-over-booked and overwhelmed by exhaustion and worry.
2) Commitment - they are committed to their product line and their customers. They want to make the best product they can and that means that they are ritualistic and precise when making the products. Saturday night this past weekend was the Super Moon, which was an extra special full moon. Part of the "ritual" of Rituals by Nature is that they make all of their base on a full moon because they believe it aids with the base's healing properties. This is a healing belief within their faith and they feel it is important for their customers that they make as much base as necessary during each full moon.
3) Ask for Help - They aren't afraid to ask people for help with defeating the challenges they face. This could be the challenge of selling their product in a booth or just asking for help putting it up or tearing it down. Their daughter helps out a lot willingly, but I'm sure that at times, they have to ask her as well.
4) Be Patient - their business didn't take off right away. Last year, they had 2-3 bookings during the summer and this year, they have 47. Granted, that is rather fast, but they had to practice patience for it to grow this quickly.
5) Network, Network, Network, Connections, Connections, Connections - Missy and Will have been diligent to tap into connections that made sense for them and have been genuinely interested in helping their business grow. Josh and I are thankful that they both are in our network as we build our business. BHD strives to make these things happen in our lives too. We've set our marketing and business plan (as posted ion Our April 25, 2012 A.D.D. Post) and plan to utilize that along with our values of using local suppliers, work with great connections like RBN, Joe Daniels at Swing This, Onalda Martinez at The Garage Massage Therapy & Body Works, and our dear friends in Maryland at Stella Kustoms. At this point, we're hopeful and realistic that our goals will take time, but excited about the possibilities that we see through other successes. Just like Buster's first boat ride, this, too, is quite a ride!
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| Rough Waters |
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| Enjoying the smoother waters & the views |
Jen Crandall
Wife/Manager
Brass Hammer Designs
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