IBN Success Spotlight on
Karilee Valeriano of KARE Handcrafted Soaps
June 10, 2002
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Introduction To KARE Handcrafted Soaps
Karilee Valeriano of KARE Handcrafted Soaps (KARE is pronounced like the word "care") in Livingston, Montana, is a homemaker and mother of five children ages 1 through 9, some of whom she home schools. She also assists her husband with his fly-fishing tour business. Karilee believes in eating and living as naturally as possible. In addition to making soap for her family, she makes bread from scratch from Montana grown wheat which she grinds herself in her kitchen. The family's milk and butter come from a neighbor's cow and their eggs are laid by their own chickens. They use locally produced honey and water from their own well. Karilee and her family believe that their lifestyle contributes to the preservation and strength of their physical bodies, and the environment.
Karilee learned how to make soap from a friend 5 years ago. After perfecting a recipe and discovering that she wanted to make more soap than her family could use, she decided to start her business and KARE was born. KARE is a fairly new part-time venture at this point, but Karilee and her family have big plans to grow it into a full-time business. Karilee manufactures handmade soaps from scratch using shea butter and hopes one day to introduce a shea butter cream to her line. For now, her soaps only are sold at her Web site, to friends in Montana and across the country and at farmers markets and fairs in the Livingston area.
Starting Small With Big Ideas!
Though the business has only just started, Karilee has completed her marketing and business plans, and has perfected a soap recipe that is receiving rave reviews from customers. The business is too young at this time to have a best selling soap but Karilee believes that in time, it will prove to be her Warm Haven soap which, with the scent of coconut, vanilla and cocoa butter, is reminiscent of lazy days on the beach and happy summer vacations. All of her products can be customized to order with various fragrances. All of Karilee's soaps bear her business name, "KARE."
Over the next three to five years Karilee plans to grow online sales and benefit from a strong return customer base. Says Karilee, "We plan to contract with guest ranches, bed and breakfasts, hotels and resorts in the state of Montana. We also plan to use sales representatives so we can expand across the country," she says. As far as finances, Karilee is currently borrowing the funds needed to start her business and she is also seeking a grant to fund future growth. For now, Karilee wears all of the hats and plans to train her older children to help with various tasks such as data entry, packaging, and selling at the market.
Karilee says that the toughest part of running her business is waiting for all of the supplies to come at the right time so the soap can be made. Says Karilee, "we are working hard to sort through all if the little details that were not anticipated during the planning process. We are determined to create a unique product, yet we have to work very hard to keep costs low and make the most efficient use of our time. The most enjoyable part of running the business is seeing how much people love our soap, and experimenting with new and different fragrances," she says.
Karilee's Friendly Advice To New Handmade Beauty Businesses
Karilee offers some friendly advice to start ups. She recommends that anyone starting a new handmade toiletries business, do a lot of homework first. "Research trends, learn what others are doing and understand what works and doesn't work, and be sure to understand what your competition is all about. Find out the level of consumer interest in your product and develop it accordingly. Marketing is a key skill to have. If you are not good at marketing, it would be wise to find someone to help in this area," says Karilee.
Benefits of IBN Membership
The Handmade Beauty Network is one of the best ways to receive help in many of these areas. You can gather tons of information in the member areas of the Web site, browse other member sites to see what they are doing, find help among fellow business owners, receive advice on marketing, and be a part of a growing industry! I expect great things from IBN. The newsletters, magazines, directories and advertising are sure to help my business become the success I intend it to be, not only by giving good coverage and advice, but also by linking me with a name that can be trusted.
Karilee and and KARE Handcrafted Soaps can be contacted at kare@karesoap.com and through her Web site.
