What's New at TKB Trading

My Colors are So Lovely

In April, I vended at the Handmade Soap and Cosmetics Guild (HSCG) annual trade show in Indiana.

I introduced My Lovelies, a new line of hue-intense pigments perfect for soapmakers.

I offered them in both powder and liquid forms. The powders are best for the Cold Process soapmakers, and the liquids are popular with the Melt and Pour Soapmakers. All the colors are soap-stable,...

... back in 2010. I thought I'd share that story.


Like everyone else, TKB started out in a basement.  That was way back in 1995.  Over the years, the basement expanded into a bedroom and then from a bedroom into a flat. 

We were in that flat for a long time. Van studied for her citizenship exam there. I would yell to her over the boxes "What are the three Branches of government?" or "Who are our...

2012 has been yet another year of organizing my company. I've made a lot of progress, enough that about six weeks ago I was starting to become clueless about what the next steps were, and I knew I needed to make more changes. It occurred to me that Fedex had given me a free scale and a printer to improve my shipping so maybe they would also give me free advice. I asked my rep if there was anyone...

2012 has been yet another year of organizing my company. I've made a lot of progress, enough that about six weeks ago I was starting to become clueless about what the next steps were, and I knew I needed to make more changes.

Even the SBA likes to spread the rumor: Most startup businesses "fail" within the first five years. You've heard that, right? From the web, from your well-meaning friends, from your family.

This oft-repeated platitude has no doubt discouraged 1,000's of hopeful entreprenuers from making the leap towards self-employment and for this reason I consider it a bit evil.

The nay-sayers tell you that it is...

I'm not going to say our "Big Pour" event was particularly easy to host -- it was a huge distraction from our usual daily routine and I've got lots of catching up to do.

I'm also not going to boast that it was a lucrative & smart business move -- prices were pretty low and in some cases flat out loss leaders. Next time around I'll need to shop smarter.

What I amgoing to say is that after 12 years of...

I'm not going to say our "Big Pour" event was particularly easy to host -- it was a huge distraction from our usual daily routine and I've got lots of catching up to do.

I'm also not going to boast that it was a lucrative & smart business move -- prices were pretty low and in some cases flat out loss leaders. Next time around I'll need to shop smarter.

What I amgoing to say is that after 12 years of...