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a) In short, I didn't know where to start....I just started. You have to prioritize, put one foot in front of the other and just start already. I am still learning the industry- literally every day- but I would still be back in a tiny 800 sq. ft. house wondering how I was going to pay the light bill if I didn't just pick a corner of this project and start attacking it!

b) I didn't have the benefit of mentors, though I would have given my right arm to have someone to help guide me. I now spend a decent chunk of my time doing just that, because I personally longed for it so passionately. I did join IBN (see above) fairly early and it has been a huge benefit to me. Also, I attended several Ladies Who Launch (* http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/* ) events that were great for networking and inspiration. Bella Luccè is now a member of various trade organizations (the Organic Trade Association, PETA's Compassionate Consumer program, Cosmetic Executive Women, etc.) and each one offers its own benefits, but many weren't appropriate for me in the beginning.

c) Ladies Who Launch, without a doubt. Their regional classes bring omen together to brainstorm, motivate and hold each other accountable.

d) At the end of our first six months, I had less than 20 accounts, but we were definitely growing by leaps and bounds each day. At the end of my first year, I had a very part-time assistant who helped with production, closer to 75 accounts and was moving into our first (tiny) production space.

e) Um, does every waking moment seem like overkill? Ha...because that's a pretty accurate portrayal. Though I had been casually making products for a few years as a hobby, it was a full-time venture from the moment Bella Luccè as conceived. I made products during the day while the baby napped and my preschooler was at her school. I worked on the search engine optimization and getting the word out each night after they went to bed. I sketched concepts on the park bench while they climbed the jungle gym. I returned calls while they took baths. I squeezed it in whenever I could, but it was not a casual approach and I thankfully had my parents nearby to take the kids on the occasional weekend afternoon hen I felt overwhelmed. I will always be grateful for the support they gave me in those early days.

f) See above.

Just start. Really, sometimes you have to calculate your risks, draw up a plan then just close your eyes and leap. Yes, it's overwhelming. Yes, it's scary. And that's why 99% of the population won't do it. But do you really wanna be like them, or do you want to live your dream? If I had to do it all over again, I'd be more specialized. Pick one genre of product and sell the hell out of it. Limiting your product lineup maximizes resources on all fronts: less stock to carry, fewer products to promote, smaller website, fewer photos and labels to pay for, easier to export etc. So specialize, lock in your vision like a laser and then spend every waking moment making it happen.

Great to see you here! I'll do my best to tackle these...

1. See above for some other information regarding overseas accounts that might be helpful. Some of our distributors handle their own freight via freight forwarders and other times we assist- it's their choice really. In all cases, they do have a shipping point as they warehouse our products locally. Most serious distributors have that capability and I unfortunately have no wisdom to offer regarding clients without shipping points as we've never run into that ourselves.

2. As far as I am aware, there is no centralized membership. I think that a membership to the IRDB would be worth its while for you. Thankfully, the entire EU operates under the same regulations, so if you can jump the hurdles for one country, you can jump the hurdles for all. You ill need a European representative and specific labeling. Search "EU Cosmetics Directive" in Google for more information, but that IRDB database would be your best bet. European regulations are far trickier than most and take considerably more effort and resources to satisfy.

3. See above. With respect to the "one thing", that's such a difficult question. My answer may seem silly, but it's truly the essence of any success Bella Luccè has enjoyed: I kept going. There have been days I wanted to pull the covers over my head and hide; there are days I have to leave the office and walk the park or sit in a local Starbucks because I am so overwhelmed; there are days I am so angry or panicked that I have to put myself in time-out and give myself time to process. As I am certain you are aware, owning a business is one of the most exhilarating opportunities a gal will ever have, but it's also one of the scariest. We've battled production challenges, staffing challenges, legal challenges, public perception challenges, financial challenges...you name it. Bella Luccè's biggest challenge? Me. Keeping me focused, keeping me optomstic, ensuring that I guide the ship in the right direction. There's no magic step, or product or organization that's made all the difference in the world. I just got up every day for the last 5 years, despite whatever may have happened the day before, and told myself that I was going to do everything in my power that day to kick tail and take names- for the sake of me, my family and my staff. Not to sound ego-centric but small, women-owned businesses are based heavily on us. We are critical to our success and we are very prone to underestimating the magnitude of us within our business structure. You can't surrender or everything else falls like a house of cards. Take care of you...

A warm welcome and best of luck to you! I do have my labels professionally designed and have since the beginning. Find an independent graphic designer who's looking to build their portfolio and you might be surprised at how affordable that can be. I am aware of several beauty companies who manage their own design, but I simply don't possess that skill set and the results are so much sharper when I am not at the helm of that project.

That said, I absolutely believe that professional labels and professional photographs are essential to website success. Consumers are so visual- beauty consumers especially so- and the outside of a beauty product (unfortunately) matters just as much as what's inside the jar. Don't underestimate the power of your branding and find someone who can help guide you...it doesn't have to be expensive!

Good luck with your business and squeeze those babies. Moms of ill-children are superheroes...take care.

GMP is a tricky beast, isn't she? In all honesty, I was compliant first, then registered through the VCRP program. I was worried that I'd put myself on their radar screen and an inspector would come knocking before I was ready- hence the hesitancy. However, having been thru the process and seeing how innocuous it is, I now encourage small business to get registered sooner rather than later. To date, I have not received any materials form the FDA designed to help with compliance.

I will tell you this: being cGMP compliant is not an easy task for small companies. I suggest working on serious quality-control issues first: track incoming materials closely, perform microbial assays on outgoing batches, batch number each product, etc. Some of the suggestions aren't realistic for people manufacturing within a home environment...but do all that you can. And- whatever you do- be insured to the nine's. From my recent chats with industry leaders and trade groups and my time spent lobbying in Washington in August, I am of the impression that a lot of these suggestions will soon become mandatory, not voluntary...even for small businesses. Getting compliant now rather than later will put you one step ahead of the rest!