Friday, January 9, 2015

Looking Ahead to 2015

A few days ago I received this email asking if we were having troubles as a company:
I've noticed over the past year that you guys have been offering more sales than you had in the past.  I'm starting to get worried!  I worry that perhaps the sales are an indication that sales are down overall, and that the company will go out of business if things don't improve.  
We are so glad to have customers that care! Yes, we have been sending out more emails over the last year, but NO this doesn't mean that we're scrambling and close to closing our doors. In fact, it's the opposite! We're stronger than ever and have seen growth every year! There are a few reasons that we've sent out more emails in the past year:

Changes on Facebook
In years past, we were able to reach so many of our customers through Facebook. Commonly we did Facebook flash sales, contests, and other promotions that kept people involved. But with the changes that Facebook has made in the last year or so, we're lucky if 1000 people out of the 20,000 fans we have on our page see our posts. Paying to promote our posts hasn't been effective so we've re-tooled our strategies and focused more on our email newsletter system to keep people in the loop.

Growth in Our Company
We have big plans! A couple months ago we expanded our warehouse to a second building and are working on three more in the same complex. We are currently building the infrastructure to grow our business in some really exciting ways. There is SO much still that we want to do, but simply haven't had the room to do it in. Expanding our production and warehousing will allow us to add more products, build efficiencies so we can do an even higher volume. There will be production equipment we'll be investing in, we're currently working on a new order picking system with software and scanners so orders ship even more quickly than their normal same-to-next day turnaround. We can't get in to a lot of details because our big plans are going to be a surprise. Our new website was only phase 1. The sale's we've been offering keeps cash flow moving, allowing us to invest back in to our company without the need for outside investors.

Fresh Inventory
We always base our sales on current inventory levels. And with more production capabilities than in years past, we have more products to provide. We always strive to send the freshest products possible; when you order from us, the product has in most cases, been made within the last week to a month. Keeping inventory moving is key to freshness, so we may run sales from time-to-time to keep from possibly overstocking an item.

Spreading the Word
The holiday season is a great way that word is spread about our company. Through promotions in the holiday season we're able to reach new customers by word-of-mouth through gifts. So, during the holidays we run some sales. We're wrapping up the holidays and the new year, so you won't likely see storewide sales with the deep discounts we've offered over the last few months. However, we continue to come up with creative ideas for promotions and new products. Plus, we'll continue offering discounts on certain categories so you can always try something new!

Thank you to everyone for your support over the years! This Spring will mark our 8th year in business thanks to our (very!) loyal customers! We are always working to bring you the best of the best organic products and look forward to an amazing 2015!

$5 COUPON CODE: 

Bubble & Bee offers the largest line of USDA certified organic products on the market. Many customers have been willing to pay full price to support & ensure that our company will continue to be able to offer these products. Especially when considering the value of the items (with deodorants that last a long time, shower gels that can be diluted, concentrated face cream, etc.) But as the stability of our company increases and we're able to offer higher volume, we can start to afford to offer more discounts. We have always wanted to make organic approachable for everyone, no matter what kind of budget they're on. So, speaking of discounts...here's a coupon code! Use code JAN5 at checkout to save $5 off your order over $35. (Expires Monday Jan. 12 midnight MST)

3 comments:

Leslie Nyholm said...

Glad to see you taking advantage of the priority option with the USPS!

Shirley Hendricks said...

It all sounds good, Stephanie. I'm glad your company is doing so well! Wow- 8 years. Time flies when you are having fun, A?!

Anonymous said...

I didn't realise I've been following your newsletters for 8 years. I really am happy seeing entrepreneur making huge success!

Before I buy a new product, I always read the ingredient list and check the rating in EWG. If I can afford your products, I won't be doing so because you've the safest and conscience products. It would be great if you could bring down the international shipping fee. - Tess