A sense for scents of success

Diane Woodman's knack for choosing popular scents has helped her business, writes
IRIS WINSTON.

A gift from a long-lost relative four years ago turned out to be the starting point for a burgeoning, home-based business run by Diane Woodman.

The former computer programmer had been involved in the woodworking venture that her husband, Crawford Woodman, operates. But, she says, his focus has turned to fine woodworking and that does not blend well with her particular interest in folk art.

Therefore, says Ms. Woodman, she was searching for an alternative business venture that she could run from home. Almost on cue, a parcel of handmade soaps arrived from a cousin in California whom she had not seen for close to 40 years.

Impressed by the quality and mosturizing effect of these glycerin and olive oil-based soaps, the Woodmans tried other handmade soaps that were available locally. "None of them worked as well as my cousin's," says Ms. Woodman. The answer seemed to be that she should begin her own soapmaking venture. "It seemed a natural fit. I have always been interested in cooking, gardening and herbs and had a fascination with scents. They all lead nicely to soapmaking. And I didn't even have to go looking. This business found me."

By July 2001, she was ready to start Brooke Valley Soap. Setting up the business was relatively inexpensive. Equipment -- scales, thermometers, pots, whisks and soap moulds -- cost under $1,000. Fragrances were another $1,000. Mr. Woodman made the moulds and later built display stands, when the company started on the craft show circuit.

The major cost in the first year of operation, says the 57-year-old entrepreneur, was experimentation, as she disposed of any batches that did not meet the standard she had set for herself. As she adapted some of her cousin's recipes and added more of her own, Ms. Woodman concentrated on producing soap that was "kind to the skin, did not contain any harsh chemicals and had a blend of qualities to ensure that each bar was hard, moisturizing and lather rich.

"I seem to have a knack for choosing scents that are universally liked," she adds. "I buy the most expensive ingredients that I can afford without being frivolous."

Within a few months, she was producing and distributing more than 200 bars a week. All the soaps, which sell for $5 to $6 each, are made from scratch, she emphasizes, not from melt-and-pour kits of the paint-by-numbers

JULIE OLIVER, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

Diane Woodman got the idea to start a homemade soap business from a gift she received from a long-lost cousin.

variety. She displays them at several area craft shows such as Herbfest in Almonte and Nick of Time in Perth and sells through the Riverguild artists' and artisans' co-operative in Perth. The soaps are also sold through such stores as Garden of Light in Ottawa and the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds in Portland.

"Exposure has made a great difference," says Ms. Woodman, who is seeking other commercial outlets for her soaps. "After three years, it feels that the business is at the point of intersection. Soapmaking is taking off in Canada and I'm ready to grow. I want to maintain control and make sure that I always have a quality product, but one person can only do so much, so I need to employ some staff or find a business partner."

It is also likely, adds Ms. Woodman, who has begun teaching her art to others, that the primary vehicle of growth will be a computer program that began as a convenient way of maintaining a record of her many soap recipes. Mr. Woodman designed an Excel spreadsheet to simplify the calculation of proportions of ingredients required in the various recipes.

The enthusiastic reaction from the other soapmakers Ms. Woodman contacted convinced the couple to hire a programmer, Jason Bowles, to develop Soapmaker. The computer program, which sells for between $39 and $69 U.S., calculates proportions of ingredients in recipes, compares content, costs, qualities and effects graphically and maintains control of the inventory.

"It helps design recipes, stores them, checks the ingredients and tells you what you have left," says Mr. Woodman, adding that the program, which has been available through the Internet for the past year with or without the inventory-control feature, is proving very popular. To date, some 300 have been sold to licensees after a 30-day free trial. The next stage, he says, is to sell CDs of the program through retailers.

"We already have customers all over the world," says Mr. Woodman. "It certainly seems that there's a lot of potential here as well as in the soaps themselves."

Reprinted with permission from The Ottawa Citizen.