Lightning Labels Blog

Three sisters turn beeswax into ‘balmy’ business

Lightning Labels client Sweet Bee Sisters showcases young entrepreneurs and their lip balm flagship product

In 2009, three young sisters discovered that the beeswax byproduct of the Warren family’s beekeeping business could be turned into lip balms with natural ingredients and great consistency. A decade later, the Colorado trio of Lily (18), Chloe (16) and Sophie (14) are making a big buzz in the marketplace with their flagship lip balms plus lotion bars, sugar scrubs, pet products, deodorant sprays and men’s facial care products.

Custom-labeled lip balms and corporate gift sets are growing in popularity as the sisters focus on custom projects and partnerships in addition to a thriving retail and online presence.

Extend Your Branding with Our New Extended Content Label Offering!

When labeling your products, you may be caught between competing design demands. For instance, regulations may dictate that you have to include long lists of ingredients or usage directions, which leaves you little room for branded imagery. Alternately, you may be eager to promote your website through an easy-to-use QR code link, but not want to give up the physical space it would take to put that code on a product's package.

Extended content custom labels are an exciting solution for such problems, allowing you more space to spotlight different elements of your company's brand. When labels peel back to reveal added information, you have room to address all your multiple goals and create packaging that expresses your values while catching eyes and complying with all regulations.

Randy Perkins is Lightning Labels’ Hubble Telescope

Like the Hubble Telescope, Lightning Labels Account Manager Randy Perkins can look back into the origins of the universe. Instead of space, however, his focus is the now fully-formed world of digital label printing.

Eleven years ago, when he started working at Lightning Labels, Randy witnessed the early-day evolution of a technology that today is a mainstay of the label printing business. “When I started here, we were the only company around with digital presses. Now we maintain a state-of-the-art stable of digital presses and are printing around the clock.”

He points out that the company started trends in other areas, as well.

Tips for Choosing the Right Candle Label Materials for Your Products

Putting labels on your candle products isn't just important from a branding perspective. There are safety label designs overseen by the National Candle Association. The trade group recommends that consumers limit their purchases to candles that have safety warning panels in place, underlining the fact that your brand should be including these packaging elements on all its candles labels.

When designing candle labels, the choice of candle label materials are an essential part of the process. A well-made candle label will hold up under heat, staying legible and conveying the three essential safety lessons for users: to burn their candles within sight, to not place them near combustible items and to keep kids clear of the candles.

2018 Farm Bill Will Legalize Industrial Hemp

With many states legalizing the use of cannabis products for medical use, and a smaller subset legalizing these items for adult recreational use, it is sometimes tempting for high-level media coverage to lose sight of industrial hemp. However, if your company participates in any part of the hemp supply chain, you know how vibrant and far-reaching the industry is. With the latest iteration of the Farm Bill set to legalize industrial hemp for cultivation - albeit under heavily controlled circumstances - progress in production and sale of related projects could move even more quickly in the near future.

How Will the New E-Cig FDA Regulations Affect Your Small Business?

The Food and Drug Administration released a new set of e-cig regulations in late 2018. The new rulings are designed to prevent underage consumers from using items that include nicotine. The FDA is especially keen to prevent young people from switching from e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes, due to the well documented health risks of the latter products.

The latest regulations will likely have a serious impact on your company, no matter which part of the industry you operate in. Makers, distributors and sellers of e-cigarettes and related products have received a new set of rules to operate under.

5 New Year's Resolutions to Kick Business into High Gear in 2019

Operating a small company is one of the trickiest and most fulfilling ways to make a living. As your independent business enters 2019, with lessons learned and new goals on the horizon, it pays to think in specific terms about how you want to expand your operations in the new year. Business growth in 2019 can take many forms, from expanding into new territories to capturing an increased amount of repeat business from loyal customers. The following are five potential resolutions to get your year started off in a productive way.

1. Try Out New Digital Media Types

Showcasing your products online can take a few forms, from setting up a traditional website and blog to partnering with companies and individuals.

Label Design and Packaging Trends for 2019

If your brand has spent the past few years employing an unchanging label design, it may be time to consider the new packaging trends that have sprung up and make 2019 the year for a visual makeover. Even if you have committed to a redesign relatively recently, it's worth determining the overall direction of the packaging space. Cutting-edge concepts could help your products stand out on store shelves, winning over shoppers in the new year.

The following are four labeling trends worth noting and potentially using in 2019:

1. Sustainability will sell: According to branding firm Jam&Co, consumers are interested in reducing their waste.

FDA Considering Requiring Sesame Food Allergy Warning Labels

The Food and Drug Administration requires disclosure of some common allergens on food labels. It's wise to stay aware of which ingredients are included, as failure to include an ingredient may lead to customer health risks, along with the potential fines and recalls that accompany them. This means not just memorizing the FDA's current list but also keeping an eye on the news, because new allergens are periodically added to the list of items requiring warning labels.

Recent discussions at the FDA have focused on sesame. The FDA has requested more information from industry sources about how prevalent and serious sesame allergies are in the U.

California’s Sierra Nevada Brewery hops to it to support Camp Fire rebuilding efforts

Enlists the support of 1,400 breweries nationwide to donate 100% of Resilience Butte County Proud IPA sales to Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund; “Resilience Night” fundraiser on Dec. 20 spotlights the effort

 Lightning Labels supports the cause with brewery label donations

 If you’re looking for a really good excuse to drink beer, now you have one!

In the wake of the northern California Camp Fire, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. decided to support long-term community rebuilding by brewing Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, and donating 100% of the sales to Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund to help Butte County recover.