CPSIA - Update and Testing Costs for comfycozy.com

Well, as if a small business owner has NOTHING better to do with her time than spend hours on the new CPSIA, I have just completed todays research.  Thought it would be interesting to share with you what I've done and NO, none of these things were on my "to-do list" for January 9th!

1)  Emailed Joe Pitts, my PA Congressman

2)  Emailed John Kerry - my small biz advisor suggested I ask him about effects on small businesses

3)  Read more info on CPSIA - good source for info is Fashion-Incubator site

4)  Emailed links and info to my small biz advisor at the Kutztown Small Business Development Center.  

5)  Talked to a neighbor that is also a WAHM and makes kids products.

6)  Called a  CPSC approved testing company here in PA.  More on that conversation below.  Find one in your area at the CPSC site here.  

7)  Ok, I haven't done this yet, but I will after I get some orders out and make some money, I'm going to contact my local paper.

So, more on my conversation with my new friend at the testing company.  First off, even the testing companies aren't totally clear on what the act requires and are working their way thru this as well.  Apparently, we should all be going to get a job at a testing company or open up a new one!  Since my products do use paint, he says they'll need to get tested.  Yes, even if the manufacturer of the inks has already had them tested and certified.  Now the fun question - how much will that cost Comfy Cozy,inc?  It seems that EVERY color ink will have to be tested.  Now, that may not sound so bad, until you add up all the different colors of inks I use in my designs - there's around 60!  OK, so I like to change things up, use different shades.  Get ready folks because the Comfy Cozy line of glow in the dark pillowcases is going to be down to 6 colors!  Cost of testing - PER COLOR - between $60-90!  I'm going to need to sell alot of personalized pillowcases, toddler pillows and keepsake calendars to come up with the $5000 tab on the testing. 

OK, now take a deep breath everyone.  I'm not panicking and am not going to overreact to this.  I have between February and August to get this done.  My contact thinks that the CPSC will have to revise this act to let companies do spot testing instead of every color, so long as all the paints are the "same".  Now, he isn't saying the will, just due to all the hubabaloo going on, like most of us, he foresees changes coming down the pike.  

For now, I'm going back to doing "my job" and selling some glow in the dark pillowcases, toddler pillows and keepsake calendars.  Stay tuned, superwahmz will stay on top of this issue.

Snapshot Saturday!

Saturday around here is a bit hectic. First of all, I "think" I'm going to get some work done, second, I "think" I'm going to have a relaxing morning before I work in my office, third, my children don't think I'm going to do anything but play.

Working out of your home is hectic every day, but Saturday is a tough one. I'd like to "take the day off" like normal people, but that rarely happens. I usually have Comfy Cozy® orders to ship out that could wait til Monday, but I hate to make my customers wait when it will "only take a minute" to get the labels printed and run to the Post Office.

SIDE BAR: I use a lot of "..." in my ramblings. Hope it doesn't drive you crazy!

Today's SNAPSHOTS are of my office when we have a big order to ship out. It can get a little cramped in there!

The second is of our screen printing shop. We don't use many standard colors and mix all of our own shades. Those cans back there are most of them, but not all! Every product is hand screen printed using these machines. The "screen" is the pink board you see, then the pillowcases or shirts go on the lower part . It all spins around like a merry-go-round.
Claude, one of our screen printers does a fabulous job of ensuring that our designs our printed perfectly. He's just finished printing our "Camp Friends" design and next up will be our new "Puppy Love" & "Cat Nap" pillowcases. More on the new designs later.

Well, it's now after noon, guess I'll try to take a few hours off and weed my overgrown garden!