Dewdrop Soap Company - Sharon Vile

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sharon Vile, Owner of Dewdrop Soap Company, located in Holden, MO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I sell soap, bath bombs, and skin care products online and at farmers' markets.

Tell us about yourself

I became interested in making soap in an eighth-grade science class when it was explained that soap was made from fats and lye. That was a very long time ago. I didn't get started making soap until after retirement. Once I got started, it was hard to stop, and soon I had made so much soap that I was forced to start selling it. I started selling at very small local farmers' markets and gradually moved to larger markets.

I find soapmaking endlessly fascinating. It's probably the perfect creative outlet because it allows you to work with colors, shapes, and fragrances. It's exciting to make high-quality products that people appreciate. (I am very much motivated by customer appreciation.) Soapmaking is also a craft with a large and eager market and relatively low start-up costs.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Making products that are very high-quality and unique.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is driving traffic to a website. Running a business is challenging in many ways because you have to master so many different skills beyond just becoming skilled at your craft. Meeting business licensing requirements, reporting and paying sales tax, bookkeeping, and filling out a Schedule C are not difficult things. They are just one more thing. You must also become skilled at photography, graphic arts (to make labels), creating an attractive display at markets, and managing a website. Sometimes the physical work of setting up at markets and events can be taxing. You will have bad days. You have to accept the ups and downs in sales and the little irritations that come with being outdoors: heat, cold, rain, and wind. And you have to keep smiling.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

If you're selling directly to the public in person (which you probably will be), the main key is to be friendly and take a genuine interest in your customers. You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but many people don't know how to do this or how to make conversation with strangers. You should always smile and act like you're killing it, even on days when sales are poor. Some people allow themselves to become surly and irritable on days like that. This not only drives customers away but creates the impression that you are failing.

If you want to beat the competition and stay motivated, you should strive to be the best.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.dewdropsoapcompany.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3C2qZVs

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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