Queen of Blades
08-18-2007, 07:22 PM
TSD Vendor Interview
with
Susie of Susie's Bubbles N Squeak (http://stores.ebay.com/Susies-Bubbles-N-Squeak)
1487
1488
1. How long have you been making soap?
About 6 years. I’ve been selling it for about 3 years.
2. How did you get in the soap biz?
About 6 years ago, I worked for a popular craft store chain. Making soap always looked like fun, so it started as a hobby. I was also the “Soap Making” Instructor a couple of times a week for the store.
3. Why did you start making soap?
I have extremely sensitive skin, I was starting to develop rashes from the bars and body washes in the grocery type store. The last rash I got from a body wash left me with open, oozing soars and the Dr. shaking his head. I had to put Crisco (not butter flavored) on me to stop the itch, because anything else would burn. After that I never used anything but my own soaps (minus the Crisco). It turned out to be a good thing.
4. Why shaving soap?
When I started selling bath soap on line, I noticed that some vendors also sold shaving soap – so I started reading up on it, and decided to give it a try. I liked using it on myself, once I got my formulas done right, and after a while, I sold it also.
5. How many bad batches did you go through, if any?
When I first started making soap, I had a few bad batches, but I would just re-batch and redo until I would have the way I wanted it and I didn’t waste any supplies.
6. Anything new for the short term, long term of biz?
I’m always looking for new ideas. I’ve recently started selling discounted shaving soap packs – in 3 and 6 bars. I’m also selling custom samples. I’m thinking about doing shaving sticks, but I need to do some more research on that, before I invest in anymore supplies.
7. Ever think of branching out and covering the whole wet shaving, mens grooming, woman’s grooming, and product lines?
That would be great, but I would need a much bigger operation then I have at the moment. I do sell products for both men and women. Lotion, bath salts, bath fizzies (made by my youngest son) and of course bath soap and shaving soap.
8. Ever think of selling mugs and brushes and razors, etc?
Mugs possibly, it depends on what I can find at a decent price.
9. What is the best part of the business for you?
I think the best part is, that it started as a hobby, and it became a talent, and I can use that talent to help keep my skin and my family’s skin healthy. I can use my talent for other people to enjoy safely and healthy. I can experiment and keep looking to better my product. Plus I never have to buy any bath or shaving soaps.
10. If you could start all over, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t do anything differently, practice makes perfect and we all have to make our mistakes to find the right and the wrong way to do things.
11. Do you find the shave forums help your business a lot?
Sure, I sell a lot more shaving soap, to people in the forums.
12. What product line do you try to emulate or are you trying to develop a unique product?
I don’t know that my product is really all that unique, but I’m trying to make my own product and I’m not specifically emulating anyone elses.
13. Why are your products as good as / better than others out there? I don’t proclaim to be better then anyone else’s product. I can only tell you from experience, that my soap is the best that I have used, and I will never, ever go back to store brand soap. I do the very best that I can, to make a very good product. I use avocado/cucumber glycerin and lots of olive oil, and other vitamin and moisturizing oils and a whole lot of mixing and stirring, for a real nice blend.
14. What do you shave with?
I shave with a Venus Gillette and a puck of my olive oil shaving soap – whatever scent I fancy at the moment.
15. Do you have a real job and if so how does your biz gain/suffer?
Yes, I am a Medical Biller, full-time for a chain of nursing homes. I can only make my soap in the evenings and on the weekends, so yes, it does suffer, but it’s necessary for me to make a living.
16. Any family? And if so how do you pencil them in?
Yes, I have a husband of 17 years (feels like forever) just kidding honey, 15 year old son and a 9 year old son. We are pretty much together in the evening. I have to make my soap in the kitchen, on the stove. Then I pour the molds on the kitchen table, after dinner. It’s pretty hard to avoid anyone. Oh, and the dogs, they are right in crowd also. Closely watched, cause they would be in big, big trouble if I found hair in my soap! (and one of them will eat the soap). (That’s another story in itself).
17. How much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (Guess who came up with this question? Thought I'd throw it in to give you a laughhttp://mail.google.com/mail/?name=e2fde694cf16e02f.jpg&attid=0.1&disp=vahi&view=att&th=1147187e1cb6db57)
I’m guessing ….. Will? And I don’t think that a woodchuck could chuck wood, it’s that “if” that makes me suspicious.
with
Susie of Susie's Bubbles N Squeak (http://stores.ebay.com/Susies-Bubbles-N-Squeak)
1487
1488
1. How long have you been making soap?
About 6 years. I’ve been selling it for about 3 years.
2. How did you get in the soap biz?
About 6 years ago, I worked for a popular craft store chain. Making soap always looked like fun, so it started as a hobby. I was also the “Soap Making” Instructor a couple of times a week for the store.
3. Why did you start making soap?
I have extremely sensitive skin, I was starting to develop rashes from the bars and body washes in the grocery type store. The last rash I got from a body wash left me with open, oozing soars and the Dr. shaking his head. I had to put Crisco (not butter flavored) on me to stop the itch, because anything else would burn. After that I never used anything but my own soaps (minus the Crisco). It turned out to be a good thing.
4. Why shaving soap?
When I started selling bath soap on line, I noticed that some vendors also sold shaving soap – so I started reading up on it, and decided to give it a try. I liked using it on myself, once I got my formulas done right, and after a while, I sold it also.
5. How many bad batches did you go through, if any?
When I first started making soap, I had a few bad batches, but I would just re-batch and redo until I would have the way I wanted it and I didn’t waste any supplies.
6. Anything new for the short term, long term of biz?
I’m always looking for new ideas. I’ve recently started selling discounted shaving soap packs – in 3 and 6 bars. I’m also selling custom samples. I’m thinking about doing shaving sticks, but I need to do some more research on that, before I invest in anymore supplies.
7. Ever think of branching out and covering the whole wet shaving, mens grooming, woman’s grooming, and product lines?
That would be great, but I would need a much bigger operation then I have at the moment. I do sell products for both men and women. Lotion, bath salts, bath fizzies (made by my youngest son) and of course bath soap and shaving soap.
8. Ever think of selling mugs and brushes and razors, etc?
Mugs possibly, it depends on what I can find at a decent price.
9. What is the best part of the business for you?
I think the best part is, that it started as a hobby, and it became a talent, and I can use that talent to help keep my skin and my family’s skin healthy. I can use my talent for other people to enjoy safely and healthy. I can experiment and keep looking to better my product. Plus I never have to buy any bath or shaving soaps.
10. If you could start all over, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t do anything differently, practice makes perfect and we all have to make our mistakes to find the right and the wrong way to do things.
11. Do you find the shave forums help your business a lot?
Sure, I sell a lot more shaving soap, to people in the forums.
12. What product line do you try to emulate or are you trying to develop a unique product?
I don’t know that my product is really all that unique, but I’m trying to make my own product and I’m not specifically emulating anyone elses.
13. Why are your products as good as / better than others out there? I don’t proclaim to be better then anyone else’s product. I can only tell you from experience, that my soap is the best that I have used, and I will never, ever go back to store brand soap. I do the very best that I can, to make a very good product. I use avocado/cucumber glycerin and lots of olive oil, and other vitamin and moisturizing oils and a whole lot of mixing and stirring, for a real nice blend.
14. What do you shave with?
I shave with a Venus Gillette and a puck of my olive oil shaving soap – whatever scent I fancy at the moment.
15. Do you have a real job and if so how does your biz gain/suffer?
Yes, I am a Medical Biller, full-time for a chain of nursing homes. I can only make my soap in the evenings and on the weekends, so yes, it does suffer, but it’s necessary for me to make a living.
16. Any family? And if so how do you pencil them in?
Yes, I have a husband of 17 years (feels like forever) just kidding honey, 15 year old son and a 9 year old son. We are pretty much together in the evening. I have to make my soap in the kitchen, on the stove. Then I pour the molds on the kitchen table, after dinner. It’s pretty hard to avoid anyone. Oh, and the dogs, they are right in crowd also. Closely watched, cause they would be in big, big trouble if I found hair in my soap! (and one of them will eat the soap). (That’s another story in itself).
17. How much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (Guess who came up with this question? Thought I'd throw it in to give you a laughhttp://mail.google.com/mail/?name=e2fde694cf16e02f.jpg&attid=0.1&disp=vahi&view=att&th=1147187e1cb6db57)
I’m guessing ….. Will? And I don’t think that a woodchuck could chuck wood, it’s that “if” that makes me suspicious.