Over the winter I have had to make some tough decisions regarding my business. I needed to make a choice whether to raise my prices and keep the quality of my products high or keep my prices the same and use cheaper ingredients. The other option was to use smaller molds and decrease the size of my soap. I knew in my heart what my decision would be. I was afraid to raise my prices due mainly to the state of the economy. Wisconsin seems especially effected by the job loss in the paper manufacturing sector with many businesses going overseas. It has caused a huge ripple effect in this area of the country. The situation is aptly coined the "Race to the Bottom". David Green wrote a nice article over at the Common Dreams website. Here is a link to the article: Race to the Bottom.
When I got laid-off from my job this past spring it really hit me hard. It sent me in to a tailspin that I am still trying to recover from. The big positive is that I am now able to devote more time to my soap business. I have been developing new products and am experimenting with different oils and butters. I am now using a wonderful organic, fair trade shea butter that I am really excited about! You can read more about it in my next post.
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