So, I’ve decided to start blogging and I suppose it will be mostly about soap, but occasionally about other stuff I like…
I decided to start this business called Smile Soap and Detergent and throw my hat in the entrepreneurial ring. Why did I choose soap and detergent? I’m glad you asked.
Back in the day, I got a college degree in Chemistry from CU-Boulder. Fast forward about 18 years, of which only one was me actually working in a related field. I worked construction (for a week), worked at Wendy’s (for about two shifts) and then onto selling copiers, advisory services to telecom companies, market intelligence data and most recently, telecom infrastructure.
Working for the man was getting old, so off I go to do something I believe in. Make and sell high quality, natural products that do not harm the environment and support sustainable living. I figure, hey, everyone needs soap (some more than others)…
I spent the day today at the aptly named “Soap Factory” (credit to my 7 year old niece, Katherine for the name) cutting bars and brewing up a new batch of Sandalwood soap. My wife and 6 mo old daughter were with me – wife uploading photos for our product catalog and little Bea hanging out in her ‘Jump and Jive’, doing lots of jumping and jiving. I’ll have to admit I like that toy as well, since it is one of the few that don’t play the same nursery rhymes that can drive you batty after hearing the same tune a million times. But I digress…
Making soap is a labor of love, it is time consuming and exacting, especially since I am still experimenting with new scents and colors. Today, I started the day by cutting bars from yesterday’s newest batch – a peach scented bar that I am making for a local boutique store here in Decatur. I am psyched about how they turned out, the color is perfect and the scent reminds me of a Varsity peach pie. Now, I have to wait about a month for them to cure enough to be ready to sell – interestingly, hand made soap continues its saponification reaction a lot longer than you would suspect. The bars harden, lose water content and mellow over time, leaving just the stuff that creates the bubbling, cleansing action as well as stuff that moisturizes your skin (glycerin, among other things).
Let’s hope the new sandalwood bars turn out as well!
I have loads of work to do to finish setting up the website (smilesoaps.com), decide on packaging, secure some advertising, make loads more soap, find reliable suppliers, pay bills and oh yeah, sell some soap.
Stay tuned as I provide regular updates…
Good luck with this venture, Brad. I hope you can find the people who are looking for the greener path.
Myke