It was great to wander the aisles of Natural Products Expo West this weekend. Richard and I spent time with some of our current sellers (Nicobella, Eco-Me, Bag the Habit and others), met some soon-to-be Abe’s Market sellers (I’ll keep you in suspense for now), and spoke with some companies that may or may not sell on Abe’s, but they have great products and inspire me. Of the hundreds of companies I spoke with, here are are a few non-Abe’s sellers that stand out for me:

Preserve A pioneer in the natural products world, Preserve makes stylish, high performance, eco-friendly products. Using innovative methods, they turn used materials into razors, colanders, cutting boards, tableware and more. Cool concept. Great design.

Innovative Kids Books, games, puzzles and toys that help parents and kids cut through the clutter that makes up today’s over-marketed toy market.

Wow Baking Company All-natural wheat-free and gluten-free baked goods. These moist and chewy baked goods pack taste that rivals any traditional baked goods. You’d never guess them to be wheat-free and gluten free.

Vermints  All-natural mints from the Green Mountains of Vermont. Taste great. Fresh packaging with fun design. Organic, gluten-free, nut-free and kosher.

Hey there, I’m Lisa.

I’m super excited to have an opportunity to reach out to you through my Abe’s Market Blog. If you are passionate about our Earth, living natural and enjoying personal care products then you and I have a lot in common.

I adore personal care products but I’m not a fan of artificial additives and toxic ingredients that are so commonly found in basic items today.

My goal with this blog (besides making new friends) is to introduce natural alternatives to luxurious products that make you feel pretty and fabulous.

I cringe at the thought of the thousands of beautiful ladies unknowingly applying Phosphates, Chlorhexidine, gluconate, Ethanol, Hydrogen peroxide and Methyl salicylate on their lips before their dates. Yes, those are just some of the ingredients found in popular lipsticks today. It’s a scary reality.

I love lipstick but refuse to ingest these toxins.  So, I’ve found a non-toxic alternative that looks fabulous and speaks my language of love, hope and compassion.

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics is unlike most cosmetic companies available today. Their beauty philosophy is to not act like a cosmetic company but to act as a movement for humanity and to create a beautiful c a u s e. Inspired by truth, health and individual growth, each lipstick has simple mementos about freedom, joy, wisdom, voice and self-esteem. Their products are created with natural, pure ingredients like beeswax, grapeseed oil and vitamin E. It’s their dedication to the beauty world, and I am thankful for that.

My red favorite: Paint me Compassionate

Be sure to always wear with a smile. It looks good on ya!

A simple way to share the c a u s e: I like to buy two: 1 for myself and 1 for a girlfriend who is in the dark about lipstick toxins.

It isn’t about who talks the loudest, its about what they say.

I love brands with personality. I may be a bit biased but Bunny Butt Apothecary and Beekman1802 are companies that aren’t afraid to be bold and put their individualism out there for all to see. Of course, many people who be turned off by their personalities but the argument goes that better to have fewer loyal followers than shoot for the masses and have no followers.

Jones Soda and Axe Deodorant built their brands battling enormous incumbent players by growing a cult following via their remarkable personalities (turkey flavored soda and men getting tackled by woman on campus).

A common hesitation in decision making often features these two arguments: 1) No one else is doing it, we can be totally original versus 2) There must be a reason no one else is doing it, lets stick with what works.

There is more instinct than science at play when deciding how much personality to instill in a brand – but please open the personality flood gates and give your customers something to talk about.

A number of folks have contacted me in the past few days with reactions to my starting a company. For those who encouraged me, thanks for the supportive feedback. For those who questioned the wisdom of starting a company in this economy, thanks for challenging my thinking. I’m convinced that now is a great time to start a company and a great time for Abe & Dotty specifically. Here are seven reasons that are either general reasons to start a company now or specific reasons that have me encouraged about Abe & Dotty:

1) Seth Godin, among many others, is predicting that “local is the next big frontier.” While “local” refers to geography, I think the implication is broader. I think consumers want to feel more connected to their product and service providers. People want to feel a personal connection of the sort that existed for many years at the neighborhood pharmacy or bank or dry cleaner but which is largely lacking now. Supporting smaller businesses who are tangible makes consumers feel good, and it enables stories. When is the last time you bought, say, some soap from Fortune 500 Company X at Behemoth Retailer Y and went home to tell your friends about that purchase. But if you ever buy handcrafted soap made by Stay-at-Home Mom X from Local Boutique Y, wouldn’t you consider telling your friends that you just bought “some all natural soap made locally with fresh lavender, and it smells great”? While Abe & Dotty is not specifically about “local” small businesses in any particular geography, it is squarely about helping upstart, entrepreneurial, smaller businesses. And it’s about enabling stories.

2) The healthy and natural component of Abe & Dotty positions it in the “green collar” sector that President Obama sees as critical to the U.S. government economic stimulus package.

3) Even in this down economy, consumers continue to care about health, wellness and the environment and to spend money on products that support these concerns. See these interesting data points from the 2009 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey (http://www.coneinc.com/news/request.php?id=2030), conducted January 29-30, 2009:

• 44% say “MY ENVIRONMENTAL SHOPPING HABITS HAVEN’T CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE ECONOMY”
• 34% say “I AM MORE LIKELY TO BUY ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS TODAY”
• 8% say “I AM LESS LIKELY TO BUY ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS TODAY”
• 14% say “I DON’T SHOP WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND, REGARDLESS OF THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY”

4) Though institutional investment activity is relatively quiet, I’ve talked to private investors who are specifically seeking investment opportunities aside from the stock market and real estate. Though no investment is needed yet for Abe & Dotty, I’m optimistic that if and when that time comes, we’ll be an attractive option for investors.

5) There’s a vast pool of available talent in the market.

6) Advertising inventory and other brand-building tools are available at low cost.

7) It’s prudent to prepare now to be in a business leadership position when the economy improves.

So….. onward with Abe & Dotty.