More Than WE Know

 

Women Entrepreneurs that I speak to about the value the internet can have on their business, often cite the following barriers to their success:

• “I’m too old to learn about computers” 
• “It’s too confusing”
• “My products won’t sell on the internet”
• “I built a website but no one comes”

While all of those reasons might feel like true barriers, the following interview with Donna Rug, owner of Akron Grove Bath Products, and her husband, Norbert, Akron Grove’s Webmaster, will demonstrate that they are not.  

Donna’s grandchildren inspired her to initially start Akron Grove in 2002.  In the beginnng it was an all offline, word-of-mouth, friends-and-family business. Norbert, who knew nothing about computers, spent a year teaching himself to build a website - and presented it to Donna as a Christmas present.  

At first, they were thrilled when their site got only one or two visitors per week.  Now, more than 95% of their sales come via the internet. 

And if you do a google search for “Bath Products” (try it!) - there at #5 - is Akron Grove!

Here is their story.

Donna, Norbert, Tell me about your business.

We are an independently owned soap and bath products maker located in Lockport, New York, USA.

Our product line includes quality, custom, handmade, soaps, bath products, lotion, skin care, gift baskets, gifts, shower favors and foot care items. We are constantly adding new items to our product line and work with customers to develop new items to their specifications. All items are made to order and we have over 200 items and over 100 scents available.

What is your best selling item?

Surprisingly just a round “hockey puck” shaped bath soap (which we sell to a resort) and our golf ball soaps. The resort bought 14,900 bars from us in 2007.

What inspired or motivated you to start your business?

(Donna)

It all started as a project for my grandchildren. One Mother’s Day, they decided to give their mothers a hand crafted gift that they had made. They made bath fizzies from a recipe we got off the internet.

Then a friend gave me a “Bath Bomb” she had received as a gift. I liked it so well we went online to find more and I was appalled at the price. I thought, that will be the day I spend $6.00 for a single bath.

When I looked at the ingredients in the “Bath Bomb” I realized they were the same as in the bath fizzies the grandchildren had just made.

(Norbert)

I’ve been in business for 36 years with a small construction company, so I had the basics of running a business. The Bath Products was the best of both worlds for my wife, Donna (the owner) and I. She loves her bath products as evidenced by our frequently overflowing linen closet and I love working with computers.

What keeps you motivated?

The customers are one of our biggest motivators. The testimonials we get from them are appreciated. An additional motivator is St Jude’s Hospital for Sick Children. We are grateful that the business income allows us to donate to them.

How did you fund your business?

The original funding for the company came from our own pockets. The fact that we started small was a big help when we began. I think we probably had $20.00 invested at first. From there, we just plowed the profits back into the company.

Who is your target market?

Our target market is anyone that wants a little luxury and cares about their skin; however women are our biggest individual customers.

What percentage of your business is online? What is your ideal percentage?

(Norbert)

About 95% of our business is generated online. The rest is from phone orders and orders from friends and family. We have no ideal percentage. A mix of sources is the best. We enjoy interacting with customers.

(Donna)

Intially, we were selling to friends and family and they liked the products. We began doing a few home parties and catalog sales. We had a product line of about 10 different items then.  Then we started the “Craft Show” circuit and had reasonable sales.  Slowly, we added additional scents and other products. Eventually our products were in several local shops. I decided I wanted expand my reach but it was becoming increasingly difficult for us to go out selling every weekend.

My husband suggested the internet and he spent many long hours building a website for us. He gave me the website one year as a Christmas prsent.  At first, we were happy to get 1 - 2 visitors a week, but he kept improving the site while I was inventing and trying new products.

Due to the internet we’ve gotten our items into shows as far away as Texas and our products have been shipped to Canada, England, Scotland and Australia.  

Where do you get most of your customers?  

(Norbert)

Most of our customers come from the search engines. I seem to have a knack for SEO even if I have no idea what I’m doing. The rest come from Word of mouth, shop
sales, networking, blogging, press releases and link exchanges.

(Donna)

After I make a new product, we give a sample to our friends and family members to try out. If they all like it, we then add it to our product line.

What is the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far is trying to slowly grow the company so it doesn’t become overwhelming. Of course setting up all the vendors, shipping, licensing and all the other things it takes to start a business were enjoyable challenges also.

What was the best unexpected thing that happened to you?

The best unexpected thing that happened to us was being contacted by a resort and becoming their supplier and the fact we could actually make money at this.

What do you wish you had known when you started?

(Norbert)

I wish I had known how to write a website. It took me a year to figure out how to write the first one. I’ve never taken a computer course and I had to learn by trial and error.

You mentioned in an article that I read that this business has  brought you closer to your grandchildren, can you tell me more about that?

Our grandchildren love to try out the new scents and products we develop and like “helping” us with the production. They don’t actually help but we assign them jobs as a way to make them feel like they are helping plus we “pay” them for the help which helps instill good work ethics in them.

What’s the biggest challenge of working out of your home?

The biggest challenge we face is the occasional loss of our dining room and kitchen.  Sometimes the long hours are a problem but in the end it is worth it.

(Norbert)

This does have an up side though for Donna, as we eat out a lot during production. 

What advantage do you think being older when starting your business has had?  What disadvantage has it had?

(Norbert)

The primary advantage starting the business at our age is I’ve had a business for 36 years and understood how to set the business up. What the laws were associated with running a business, knowledge of bookkeeping, and all the other things it takes to run a successful business.

Another advantage we have is when we “retire” we will have an additional source of income and won’t have to depend on our family to support us.

Unfortunately starting a business late in life doesn’t allow you to develop it to it’s fullest potential.

How has being parents and grandparents helped you be better entrepreneurs?
 
Organization, organization, organization. You can’t raise children and grandchildren without being organized and prioritizing. Running a family is very much like running a business. You learn what’s important and not to sweat what isn’t important.

How has being entrepreneurs helped you be better parents and grandparents?

Being an entrepreneur has brought the family closer together. We use our children as sounding boards when we develop a new product.

They also suggest new products and act as our testers. If a product doesn’t deliver they can be brutally honest, but that is a good thing. We would rather have to reformulate a product than offer it for sale if it isn’t right.

What advice do you have for other Women Entrepreneurs, or Entrepreneur-wannabe’s?

Lose the word quit from your vocabulary and keep your eyes focused on what you want. Look at each problem as an opportunity to improve. Be prepared to frequently question your sanity and work harder that you ever have had to.

Start over again one more time than you fail. 

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To learn more about Donna’s bath products visit Akron Grove Bath Products. 

Akron Grove is currently seeking Independent Sales Rep.  Click here to find out more -> Make Money with Akron Grove.

To get my special report on 7 Steps to Sustainable Success for Women Entrepreneurs -> Click Here.

If you would like your business profiled on More Than WE Know please contact me at Liz (at) Morethanweknow (dot) com.

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