What's in the Works

by Brooke Pickering of Bancroft Studios

As I look at my calendar for the coming months I can’t believe how tightly packed my spring and summer will be. With my focus being on filling all my wholesale orders I also have to make sure I have enough product for all my retail shows (the latest being the Annapolis Art Festival in mid June). My season starts in just a few weeks and will keep me busy most weekends through the fall.

To make sure I have something for everyone I have teamed up with former BHer Deshawn of Deshawn Marie Soaps to add another item to my growing list of products. Although I’m not yet happy with the outcome, I do think that as soon as I can get the soap dishes to be as beautiful as the soap, I'll have a winner!

Big or small?

By DeShawn of DeShawn Marie Handmade Soap

When I first began my business back in 1998 (which at that time was only handcrafted candles) I didn’t have a vision. I just knew that if I made candles and sold them I could pay my bills. So that is how I started. I didn’t have a business plan, I didn’t go to business school, all I did was make candles that people liked and as a result purchased them. Sounds pretty simple right?? WRONG!!

Here is a photo of some of the first candles I ever made

As time went on I followed the typical American business mindset of “bigger is better” and “growth is good” what I didn’t realize at that time was that instead of controlling my business I was growing it to the point where it controlled me. I never asked myself the question “is this going to make me happy?” I was just so happy to be working for myself I didn’t think it would come to a point where I would be unhappy with it. I mean this is the “American Dream” right? Entrepreneurship and success?

Here is a photo of some of the first soaps I ever made

So when I had grown it to a point of having a store front, a 24 page full color catalog, tv commercials, being featured in broadway plays, a coffee shop, a website, 4 employees, 4 interns and 50 stores carrying my candles worldwide I thought gosh I have it made, but why am I not happy? This is what everyone works for right? To have their own business and be successful. Everyone was always telling me "WOW you’re lucky!” Yet as much as everyone kept saying that I didn’t feel it. People came into my store and constantly told me oh I know a store that will carry these or they would tell me they want to invest to turn it into something even bigger.

Here is a photo of part of my studio during that time

I thought all of this was the natural progression of business and that I should want all of this, but the reality was I had come to a point in which it was too much for me and I had no life outside of my business. I couldn’t keep a serious relationship, all of my friends had to visit me while I was working and half the time I’d put them to work while they were there because I was so tired and overworked. I realized this was no life for me. I did this to be free and now I felt more trapped than ever. Everything was happening so fast and I felt the business was making decisions for me, rather than me making decisions for it.

Here is a photo of the candles that made me famous shall we say ;-)

It was at the end of 2003 that everything changed for me. I became the victim of internet credit card fraud during the holiday season of 2003. At that time I lost everything I had and had to fight to make it survive another year. I closed my store and manufacturing at the end of 2004 and closed my business. My business was destroyed and I had to pick up the pieces and make sense of it now. I was devastated and went through some extremely hard times. To this day I am still repaying debt from this situation and working on resolving all of the tax issues it caused.

There is a bright side to this story though. Strangely I am happier than ever with my business as this catastrophe caused me to restructure my business in a way that was made for me. I am now a sole proprietor that works for myself, I mostly make soap as it is less labor intensive than candle making and I operate it as a small business with no intention of growing big. I’ve learned to say “no” to things I know down the road will not work with my life. My business and my life have to work together or it doesn’t work at all. I’ve learned that “bigger is not always better.” I am posting this today for those who are starting their own small business or turning a craft into business. I’d like to offer some advice that I feel is essential to the success of all small business owners.

My advice: “listen to your inner voice, take a step away from your business on a daily basis and ask yourself what best suites your life with your business being a part of it? They have to work together, make decisions everyday based on what you want your life to be, not on what you want the business to be as the business will naturally become what you want it to if you put yourself first.”

Here is a photo of some of my current soaps

I hope sharing this story helps those just starting out or those trying to make big decisions now or maybe you are where I was at some point in this story and it triggers you to make the right decision at this point of your business. I wish everyone at any stage of becoming an entrepreneur or small business owner much success and happiness in your life and business.

No Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet will stop the Soap Making

By DeShawn of DeShawn Marie Handmade Soap

For those of you who don't know me, I am new to Boston Handmade. My name is DeShawn Marie and I've been making handmade soaps, candles and more for over 12 years now.

I spent all day yesterday making, cutting and boxing soap. When I got up this morning and saw it was like this out my window.
I thought oh well I guess it's another good day to work. I'm starting to get a little used to this snowy weather even though this is my first winter in Boston. I recently moved here from NYC and have been pleasantly surprised at how welcoming and warm everyone here in Boston has been. MMm and that's not what I heard before I moved here :) So with that said I have to say what other town can you move to with a business and have it up and running strong within a few months. I don't think too many towns can boast of this. Then to top things off to be able to get involved with such an amazing group as Boston Handmade!! I gotta say this place ain't so bad. So I wanted to share a little bit of what I've been doing in this cold, snowy weather. The last few days our place looks more like a manufacturing plant than a cozy apartment in Brighton.

I make all of my soaps from scratch in small batches and put them in small loaf molds until they are ready to be released and cured. When they are ready to cut I put the small loaves on my soap cutter which looks like this.

I then line the soap up with the lines on the soap cutter for the size that I would like the soap to be. Here is what that looks like.

After that I cut the soap straight down with a blade as shown in the picture below.
Then they are ready to be boxed and prepared for being adopted into some one's home :) Below is a picture of my assembly line of packaging.
I then close them, label them and voila the perfect GIFT! As everyone says "they look like expensive European chocolates."

So not a bad thing to be doing in this snowy, cold weather. Well atleast I enjoy it and I hope you all have enjoyed this brief peek into my soapy world.