Hardworking hands need hardworking solutions, like the Harvest Scrub bar soap. Not only is it a powerful cleaning agent, using coffee grounds and pumice to exfoliate the toughest stains away, it’s made with other all-natural ingredients, including coconut oil, peppermint oil and oatmeal.
SBJ: What got you started in the soap-making business?
Shelly Davis: In 2010, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I went through surgery and chemo and treatment for about a year and a half. During that time, I became very aware of all the products on the market with carcinogens, and I started making my own household cleaners, like laundry soap and window cleaner. I had always wanted to make soap, and so I started doing that, too. I bought the basic supplies and I did it in my kitchen. From there, I just kept tweaking it until I came up with a formula that I really liked. A friend of mine came over and wanted to buy some, and she suggested that I open an Etsy shop. Once the Etsy shop got going, then I set up my own website.
SBJ: What does your product development look like? How do you choose what you want to use, and how do you test it?
Davis: Most of my product ideas come from my customers. For example, a customer asked about a leave-in hair conditioner. And she was really into natural products. I tried several different recipes, and I sent things to her in St. Louis to try, I just really couldn’t find anything that I really liked. And I finally found this recipe and tweaked it a little bit to make it fit my needs and that’s where the aloe vera leave-in conditioner came from. It’s also one of our bestsellers.
SBJ: What are your main distribution channels?
Davis: I sell on Etsy, I sell on my website, and I do the three local shows every year: the Pickwick Street Fair, Cider Days on Walnut Street and the Black Walnut Festival in Stockton. I do also sell wholesale to a couple local stores: Hammons Black Walnut Emporium in Stockton, and Designed 4 Healing, which is in Bolivar. And I participate in the Roots and Harvest Community Market in Ash Grove.
SBJ: About how many products do you make and sell a week?
Davis: I ship about 30 to 40 orders a week. I work remotely, so it’s pretty easy for me to multitask or go back and forth between meetings. Making soap itself doesn’t take that long, but it has to sit for four weeks before it’s ready to sell. So, I can put a batch on and then, you know, go to a meeting or take care of some stuff on the computer, and then go back and mix it up, and pour it in the molds. I don’t really know how many hours I spend, but I don’t include that in my cost of the product, it’s just my way of giving back.
SBJ: How far does your product reach outside of the Ozarks?
Davis: I have a lot of national customers. As a matter of fact, I shipped to four different countries last year from the Etsy site. It just amazes me that somebody from Canada would pay $22 shipping for a $5 jar of tooth powder. It comes from referrals, it comes from Facebook, and you know, I don’t really do a whole lot of advertising. I do boost some posts on Facebook and Instagram, but that’s really about it. I have about 2,000 followers each on Facebook and Instagram.