Initially, to fill all the new orders and meet the Christmas
deadline I had to invest more money in equipment than I had planned. I was
and still am learning how to make soap. Every new recipe and every custom
order means a little more trial and error. I had to buy more molds to meet
the demand and I bought specialized molds for the custom gift baskets. Also, several botched batches meant losing precious time and
some expensive ingredients.
Since I had been buying supplies and materials a little at a time, the
total start-up expenses were spread over a much longer period than they
would have been if I had started making those purchases with the intention
to go into business. Soap making, as a business has been ideal for me. There are several reasons. First, I already have the goats milk, which is
the one ingredient that distinguishes my soap from competition in our
area. Secondly, the “off farm” supplies I need are right down the street
at the local grocery store. Next, the equipment needed can be purchased
inexpensively. For example, my scale, plastic utensils, mixers, blenders,
etc all came from Wal-Mart at prices ranging from .97 to 39.97. The molds
can be purchased as well, but for those first batches, I used old
cardboard boxes, lined with freezer paper. And lastly, I enjoy the work. It’s easy to put in a 16 hour day.
I was sure the business would come to an abrupt halt after Christmas but
that’s not been the case at all. I changed my marketing after the holidays
and started making baskets for birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and
bridal showers. I have found new suppliers for most of the products and
ingredients I use in order to add more variety and cut expenses. I also
invested in a website. The cost for a website is minimal compared to the
interest it has generated, so far. I am so fortunate to have the
twenty-first century tools to help market my “days past” products.
Now, I am constantly looking for new recipes to try and
products to add to our sales list. We’re making soaps, bath fizzies, lip
balms and several different styles of scented waxes and room fresheners. My mother has taken up candle making and supplies us with coordinating
candles at reasonable prices. I love being at home and doing so much of
what I truly enjoy. I think it must show because the response has been
overwhelming. We now have a business license and the whole family pitches
in to keep the goats cared for and the soap shop well stocked.
Not including the expense of the goats, we invested around $800 in our
soap business this year. From September of 2003 until December 31, 2003,
total sales were a little over $1700. We cleared just under $1000 during
the holiday rush. The goat herd is still our first priority and now our
“girls” are paying for way more than their hay!
