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Where Do I Go From Here?

Many of you reading this have been watching The Oakley Soap Co from when it was tiny hobby in my kitchen.  As it's expanded, you've cheered me on, shared ideas and championed this company by sharing with friends, family and online groups. It's been amazing to watch a community of soap lovers grow and that is why I chose to share this blog. It started as some crazy ramblings to get thoughts out of my head and on to paper in hopes that would allow me to sleep. I cleaned it up and made it readable as I always want to be open with you about what The Oakley Soap Co is all about.  Thank you for reading.

The Questions
Where am I going with this? What is my next step? Can I grow? Should I grow? What is my goal? These are questions I’ve been wrestling with as The OSC begins to reach its critical mass as an “in-home” business. As this out of control hobby grows, the space available to grow with it shrinks rapidly. It’s a good problem to have but it is a problem nonetheless.

It’s time for me to think about what I really want The Oakley Soap Co. to become. Do I want it to be a multi-million dollar enterprise with my soaps in Target? Honestly, no. If that happens, the handcrafted part of owning a handcrafted soap company will disappear. Making soap is my favorite thing in the world. I don’t ever want to get the point where I’m too busy working ON the business to work IN the business.

That said, I do want to grow on a smaller scale. I want The OSC to reach a point where it’s more than just me. But having employees’ feels weird. I’m not the boss lady type and that fact has kept my brain up at night has I meditate on the next steps. I think I’ve finally come up with an idea that makes me excited.

The Goal
I want The Oakley Soap Co to be a place of community, particularly for parents who need a flexible schedule. That is currently my stage of life and honestly, it can get lonely. It sucks to feel like you can’t contribute to the household because it’s cheaper to stay home than it is to pay for daycare. It is nearly impossible to find a part-time job that is willing to work around school pick-ups, soccer practice or sick kids. I want The Oakley Soap Co to provide those kinds of jobs.

I envision The Oakley Soap Co HQ to be a place where there will ALWAYS be coffee brewing and hours are negotiable. Need to work for 2 hours in the early morning, 2 hours in the afternoon while your toddler naps in the backroom, and then a few hours in the early evening while your older child sits by you doing homework? The OSC will be that place. While babywearing while making products isn’t possible, I like the thought of all OSC orders packed by a parent with a kiddo strapped to their back. Local deliveries are done by a mom who has a baby that sleeps like a champ in a car seat. During the busy season, when we need all hands on deck, I want The Oakley Soap Co to subsidize an in-house babysitter. And I want that babysitter to be another parent looking to make some extra holiday money.


Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe this business model is not sustainable and will blow up in my face. But I’m willing to try.


4 comments

  • This is exactly the type of place is love to work for one day.

    Lynzie
  • You’ve got this and I TOTALLY understand the underlying and the more obvious implications. I’m so proud that I do “porch drop offs” for other moms that can cut in their pj’s while babies play and/or sleep! I hope those dollars help them enjoy a expensive latte with less guilt.

    Another thing I’ve had (and enjoyed a whole lot) is young teenagers. I call them my “interns”. They package for me for about an hour after school once a week. They are too young to get real jobs, but they are old enough to follow directions!! I try to share the joys of entrepreneurship and we always talk about profit/ loss, the importance of planning, marketing and goals. These girls have my whole heart and I couldn’t get all the things done without them! In my small way, I feel like I pushing young girls into their independence!

    Christa Kutnar
  • I love this idea!

    Amanda
  • I absolutely love this idea, and I think you & your business are phenomenal. Keep up the good work!

    Kim Ghilarducci

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