HBN Success Spotlight on Stephani Halderman of Sunshine Garden Soapworks
July 2, 2001

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Introduction To Sunshine Garden Soapworks

Stephani Halderman of Sunshine Garden Soapworks, a full-time handmade toiletries manufacturer, has been a member of HBN since September 2000. Stephani is a former computer technical support specialist who now makes soaps, lotions, bath salts and lip balms from her offices in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she started her business in January 2000.

How Stephani Keeps It All Together

Says Stephani, "Figuring out what customer demand will be for both quantities and products is one of the toughest parts of running Sunshine Garden Soapworks." But Stephani balances that challenge with the joy she experiences from manufacturing high-quality products. "My best selling products are my handmade soaps - especially the Natural Oatmeal," says Stephani. "While all of our soaps work great to cleanse and keep your skin moisturized, Natural Oatmeal is one of our mildest as it has no scent and a gentle scrub to exfoliate. I believe people are drawn to its naturalness and simplicity."

At present, Stephani is working with a graphics artist to redesign the company logo. Other than that, as a fairly new business, she is allowing things to grow slowly and naturally as sales increase. So far, Stephani has not seen the need to take out a business loan or seek investors, and has not yet hired any employees. "My goals right now are to continue to create a centralized, high quality product line and develop a strong retail customer base," says Stephani.

Stephani's Advice To Other New Handmade Toiletries Businesses

Stephani emphasizes the importance of thoroughly researching a product before introducing it to the market. She advises, "Don't become too overwhelmed by new business startup procedures, like obtaining a business license, getting set up for taxes, procuring insurance, etc. Instead, just do your research a little at a time and talk to your state and local government offices. Also, be sure to research each product thoroughly before introducing it to your product line. It's tempting to get a great idea for a new products and immediately add it to your line, but it's important to experiment and conduct thorough research so you can be certain of the quality of your product."

Benefits of HBN Membership

Stephani says that HBN membership has helped Sunshine Garden Soapworks in many ways. "HBN has provided so many new businesses to fulfill my supply needs, as well as offers a wealth of information and general business resources."

Stephani and Sunshine Garden Soapworks can be contacted at stephani@sunshinegardensoap.com and through their Web site.