Scentilations – A Wave of Aroma
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Scentilations does not have to go far to see their biggest competition in the 2014-15 London and District Junior Achievement competition. They meet in the same room every week at the Gyulveszi Centre on Potters Road.
Participants in this year's Tillsonburg Junior Achievement program were divided into two teams. Scentilations – A Wave of Aroma is known as Team No. 2, and their cross-room rival is The Body Boutique (Team No. 1).
"It's a friendly rivalry," said Scentilations president Claudius Dalm.
"It definitely adds a little competition to it," said Scentilations' Gant Croker. "The other group definitely has more of the second years."
"And people who have won Company of the Year, so we're going to try to take that away from them," said Dalm.
Most of Scentilations dozen members are new to Junior Achievement – a 20-week after-school entrepreneurial program for high school students – but Scentilations has a mix of ages. Clayton McCormick is in Grade 9 at Glendale HS, and Croker and Dalm are both Grade 12 students.
A high bar has been set by Bath Treats in 2012-13 and The B-Treeology in 2013-14 – back-to-back winning teams from Tillsonburg Junior Achievement.
"I think it helps us actually," said Croker. "It's sort of a vibe that we have to be the best."
"You have to try harder," Dalm nodded. "Get a better product, sell more."
The process of getting their company started – determining their product, making the product, marketing and selling it – has been a learning experience for the entire team.
"It's a roller-coaster," said Croker, noting there were some early setbacks. "But I think we've got everything together, and Junior Achievement helps you along the way."
"Our mentors are very helpful," said Dalm.
WAVE OF AROMA
Scentilations is putting out steam scent product in a variety of fragrances, including eucalyptus and lavender.
"It's a steam scent," said Croker. "You place it in your shower, or next to you bath, and you let the steam come in contact with it. It causes it to evaporate and release an aroma."
"You put it off to the side, not in the direct stream of water," said Dalm.
"The humidity slowly evaporates the puck itself and releases a scent into the air," said McCormick.
To make the product, they mix the core ingredients at their Junior Achievement meetings.
"It's really simple," said McCormick, who after taking the product home for testing, found it lasted between three to five showers.
"We can make between 100-200 pucks a night when we get together and do full production," said Croker. "To make one batch, it's about 20 minutes."
Wearing new Scentilations T-shirts, and sporting business cards at their table, marketing has helped sales, which have been great so far, said Croker.
"We went into the Down Home Christmas Craft Show (Nov. 29-30) and the sales went really well there. We sold out. So we had to sort of take a break and produce them all again."
"We've sold about 80-90 packages of four pucks," said Dalm. "They sell in a package of four for $10."
Their next big sales blitz, three weeks later on Dec. 20, at the mall downtown, targeted last-minute Christmas shoppers.
"A tougher crowd," admitted Croker.
If you are interested in learning more about Scentilations and their steam scent product, you can contact them on Twitter @scentilations, Facebook /scentilations, Instagram Scentilations, Google-Plus Steamscents ByScentilations, or email scentilations@gmail.com.
"We've had a bit of feedback," said McCormick.
"It's just starting to build up," said Croker.