Welcome to our first Guest Author, Philip Woolley of Manchester, England! Philip writes about starting his soap business, Soap Deluxe, after loss of employment more than a year ago. I hope you enjoy his story and take the time to visit his website to see his very inventive soap creations!
What do you do when you are 55 years old, been made redundant and the prospect of finding work getting slimmer and slimmer by the week? Simple, you make soap of course.
Let me explain how it all came about.
Being made redundant from one of the many jobs I have had over my 40 odd years of working didn't seem too bad at first. I had free time on my hands, didn't have to rush off to meetings or answer the phone from staff who just couldn't think for themselves, life seemed great. But after many months of what started out as bliss, it very soon became clear that I had to find a job. There was little prospect of me getting something that I really wanted even at just the tender age of 55, but was I too old for the job market and what did I really want to do with the rest of my working life?
A chance watching of a television program changed everything.
It brought that spark back into my life, a reason to get up in the morning, something I would have to think about and use my artistic skills and business management experience to create. To make a product, a thing of beauty, a thing of luxury.
The idea of Soap Deluxe was born.
I spent months watching videos and buying every book that I could get my hands on to learn how to make soap. What was I going to make? What style would this soap be? Where would I get all my supplies from? Was there anyone else doing it other than the few I saw on the internet? It soon became apparent that this was going to need an awful lot of research and development and was not going to be easy and make me rich quick.
As a professional event organisor and planner and being very methodical, it shouldn't be that difficult, surely! With a portfolio of events that include all sorts of occasions from small 30th birthday murder mystery events, dance events for 1500 people running over a whole weekend, to working on one of the most successful Commonwealth Games events in Manchester, I knew what had to be done so I set to work on my new project. A recent event was to create soap favours for a friends' wedding (250 people) but I ended up organising the whole wedding breakfast room for the couple, gaining praise from the venue's operations director and tears of joy from the bride.
For about six weeks I worked at my new job, reading, watching, and researching through many midnight hours looking for answers. How much oil, what sort of oil, what ratio do I use, where can I find lavender flowers? Lavender flowers? There was no one to ask how to do it and if I approached someone making and selling soap they would see me as competition and tell me nothing. My background in business had taught me that you never tell the competition your secrets.
After about a week I found a supplier who was prepared to help me and supply my raw materials. They had helped the Body Shop and Lush to get going so that was good enough for me. Perhaps in a few years I would become the next Lush or body shop? Little did I know that it was going to be a long road to even get anyone to buy my soap, never mind take over the soap world overnight!
The research was over; if I was going to do this I had to get on with making some soap. I had been putting it off for days just in case I failed and everything would come crashing down on top of me.
The morning of Monday the 8th February 2010 arrived and I set about making my very first batch of cold process soap.
I had the raw materials, I had my essential oils, I even had the lavender flowers and I also had so many layers of old clothes on and gloves and googles so that I wouldn't get burnt with the lye that I could hardly move around the kitchen. I can laugh now and wish I had taken a photograph of how I had prepared for this moment. I must have looked very comical but I made a start and produced my first batch of soap (three bars)!
I was very excited but also very nervous, and everything (and I do mean everything that you read in the troubleshooting section of books) went wrong.
Was my new fledgling business going to fall at the first batch? I used a mould that wasn't lined, I waited too long for trace as I had no idea what I was looking for and ended up scooping it into the plastic box used for my mould. It was so set the following day that I had to cut my soap out of my makeshift mould.
You see I was so nervous so as not to spill the mix and burn a hole in the counter top or worse still in me, that it's a wonder I managed to get it in the mould and make soap at all.
The finished soap (and I still have one bar of that first batch left as a constant reminder) was lovely. Didn't look that great but it smelt like I wanted it to and so it sat in the airing cupboard on a rack for 4 weeks. Every day I would have a peek in to see what it was doing.
When I used it I just fell in love with it, this wonderful business that had rescued me from doing nothing to doing something, was where I wanted to be. I had found what I was looking for.
Shortly after my first batch I met Ann Marie from Century Farmhouse Handcrafted Soaps and we started chatting. As I continued making and learning, I asked her everything, well she did offer, from moulds to ash on soaps and should I do this or should I do that, it was like having a partner in my business (I call it a business as that is what it is) who I could turn to for help when things went wrong. To say she was a life saver is not even coming near to the help Ann Marie gave me when I first started.
Since that first batch and gaining more and more confidence I went on to use colours and got all "arty" and then got into blending my own essential oils and so it continued. Others have helped along the way like Karen from Eden Secrets in the UK and Sharon from Platypus Dreams in Australia and we have become good friends.
Have I started making lots of money? No! I am however creating my own style and brand and slowly after almost 2 years, making a difference. The "look"of the business has gone through about three changes from that very first idea and the making of "batch one" on 8th February 2010.
Am I happy? Absolutely, because I can now have an idea with a colour or a shape in mind and suddenly want to transform that idea into soap. It may not always turn out like I had hoped, but I know what's gone into it and how good it will be on the skin when used.
With no chemicals, just high quality butters and oils that have been carefully blended and mixed together by me, I know that my soap will give the user a beautiful, luxurious experience. It also puts a smile on my face when others comment on how good it is.
Do I have a favorite creation? My latest Christmas soaps are beautiful blends and I think stunning looking but if I had to pick one design that is my most creative achievement it has to be my Vampires and Virgins soap. A creation that when it was made I couldn't stop looking at and that filled me with pride that it had been an idea that I transformed into such an object of beauty.
A pure white soap with red and black colours "hidden" inside which only show themselves when the bar is used. The same colours were repeated on the top of the bar with delicate and almost romantic swirls intertwinging both the red and black against the white background. Tiny dark red rose buds finish the design off. This one certainly brought some wonderful comments about its' artistry. Sadly all gone and not being repeated, as I only make small batches and when they are gone, they are gone.
A word of caution however to those who think they can get rich quick and can ride off the back of the business. You can't! If you are serious about doing this as I and many others are, then do the research yourself and "play" a while to get the feel. Speak to people like Ann Marie and others if you need help.
This was and is the best career choice I have ever made and I can't thank enough those who have helped and supported me and who continue to do so. It means a lot. Thank you.
All my soaps can be seen and purchased on the website at:- www.soap-deluxe.co.uk
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