Blue Dot Organics

About

Hi, my name is Lindsay and I am trying to start up a socially-responsible business, offering organic products and do-it-yourself classes on how to make soap, lotion, tea, etc.  


My Philosophy
Health. Community. Earth. 
My goals:
- support and sustain personal health, local community and the Earth through organic products and DIY classes, teaching others how to make their own body care products
- contribute to the future of our planet by using sustainable methods and organic, environmentally-friendly suppliers
- care for people rather than exploit them for capital gain, putting ethics before profits (As Confucius taught, "don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.")
- be a socially-responsible business and pave the way to a better future


My entire process is safe, including the ingredients, preparation materials, and storage containers (only glass is used; no plastic containers). 
10% of profits go to charity and customers can choose 1 charity out of 6 options.
Blue Dot Organics is a small business using as many local suppliers as possible and has a zero-landfill policy.  Even my website host, Squarespace, is powered by the wind; 100% of the energy Squarespace buys is Green-e certified renewable.  


Transparency 
There are no secrets; nothing is hidden in my business.  So when a class or product is purchased, the total price is broken down like this:
28.0% ingredients
25.0% taxes
24.5% personal profit (10% of this amount goes to charity)
12.5% office space rental
3.5% office furnishings/supplies/safety and preparation materials
3.0% payment processing
1.5% advertising
1.0% liability insurance
1.0% website host
My projected salary for the first year is $30,000 before taxes; if my business really takes off, anything made above $40,000 will be donated.


“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” 
- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space , 7