Reaching Your Goals

November 2014 - Nearing our goal!

Last fall (2014) I noticed that we were getting very close to our goal of shipping to every US state.  We only had a few states left!  I posted this picture on Instagram and Facebook.  Within a couple of hours my amazing customers had shared the post and we had orders from 3 of the remaining states.  

I was so excited and happy to color in 3 more states!  

It was wonderful to know that we were getting closer and closer to reaching our goal, but even MORE surprising was knowing that we had the support of our customers!  I was blown away - they cared about my little goal for my tiny business.    

March 2015 - one state left - Iowa

By March 2015 we had ONE state left.  Iowa was the last hold out to try Kiyi Kiyi products.  I had to laugh, because out of all the states the last state was one of our closest neighbor states!  

We still had a few months to our 2 year anniversary, but I was resigned about not reaching our goal. 

At the beginning of April we attended the HAMMS (Help a Minnesota Maker Succeed) event.  At that event we told many, many customers about our goal of shipping to every US state and that we were ONE state short of our goal.  Near the end of the event we met an amazingly kind customer that chose to help us reach our goal.  She asked if she could buy a soap for a friend that lived in Iowa and have us ship it to her friend.  Would that help us reach our goal?

Yes!  With her help we would reach our goal of shipping to every state!

How unusual is it to find a stranger that will go the extra mile and help you reach a goal?  

Through my small business I have discovered that it isn't that unusual.  People want to care about other people, but we don't get many opportunities in our daily life to show that we care.  

If you have a small business, whether you realize it or not, you rely on the kindness of strangers.  Customers are people that have chosen to invest their dollars and time in your business.  They choose to try your products and invest time in your business by sharing their experiences with their friends.  

I love my customers and without them I wouldn't have a business!  

Thank you to each and every one of you kind strangers friends that helped us reach our goal.  We couldn't have done it without YOU!    

April 2015 - We've shipped Kiyi Kiyi products to EVERY US state!

Shipping Mystery

"Heart Breaker"

Soap pictures!  

And now to the point of this post.  I have been shipping a lot of soap.  I have noticed something very strange.  If I send a package and it takes this route: me - St. Paul - Des Moines, Iowa.......well, apparently there is a black hole that likes to eat packages in Iowa.  Or at least hold on to them for a REALLY long time.  Now if that package takes this route: me - St. Paul - ANY WHERE ELSE but Iowa - bam! straight to the customer is less than 2 or maybe (if it's far away like Canada) 3 days.  

Why?  Why?  Why?  What does Iowa do to my packages?  

Another fun thing that happened recently:  I sent a package from me (Minnesota) to customer (Colorado).  The package went through Iowa (thank you, no) and they sent it to Colorado by way of HAWAII.  Yes, my products took a free trip across the ocean to Hawaii.  Of course, this took the package a really long time to get to its finally destination. 

 I check up on all my orders (and cry a little tear when they get way laid in Iowa) and I couldn't believe it when I saw that this package was in Hawaii.  I sent the customer a coupon for their next order to say sorry for the USPS's oopsie.

I think the USPS is great - they get my stuff around the world, but I have to wonder what is going on in Iowa?

P.S.  I have a new web site :)  Kiyi Kiyi

"Apple Orchard"