A day in the life of The Soapworks

We haven't had time to post on the blog, Facebook and Twitter just lately - sorry, but it's because we've been so busy!   Mother's Day orders definitely kept us on our toes this year, and we're very pleased that everything went out quickly and the feedback has been so positive.  Thank you for taking the time to get in contact!

Lots of customers often ask us what it's like to work at the Soapworks, so we thought it might be interesting to give an insight into what goes on behind the scenes.  This is what we were up to yesterday....

It was an early start, to continue working on the re-design of the Natroma range.  Workshop customers have already spotted that we're changing the Natroma soap labels.  It involves lots of re-design work to change over each individual label, but we're trying to get it done asap.  Next it's onto answering e-mails and dealing with queries from wholesale customers. It's going to be a busy day since we have to get a large order of hampers ready, so help is on hand from a family member....always much appreciated!

Oops!  Is that the time....11am, so must open the shop.  Quickly turn on all the lights and discover that we already have a few customers waiting outside.  Spend some time advising them about which soaps to choose, and help some lovely ladies select some dowsers (we're expanding our range of natural crystals in our Stourbridge shop).  Then it's onto wrapping a hamper for another customer followed by some sales of bath bombs and one of the lovely new humming birds (just in, beautiful Swarovski crystal enhanced light catchers which we'll be adding to the Natroma website).

In the middle of serving customers, a delivery arrives so I have to man-handle a very large, heavy box out of the way....will have to check that everything's arrived ok later on!  Back to customers again and I'm wrapping another hamper with pretty Easter colours.  At last there's a break in shop customers, so I can switch to looking at the internet orders that have arrived so far today.  Thankfully everything's in stock, so it's just a matter of packaging everything up and printing out the dispatch labels.  Behind the scenes it's a hive of activity with freshly made fizzing butter melts being packaged, and soaps being labelled for the hamper order.

We have a visit from our Ruskin Glasshouse College students.  It's their last day of term so they've popped in to say goodbye, and we wish them well over the Easter break.  They've worked really hard and have enjoyed their work experience with us, and will be back again after the Easter break. 

Phew, where has the day gone?  It's 1.45pm and we haven't had lunch yet!  So there's just time for a quick sandwich before some more customers come into the shop.  I have a lovely conversation with some customers about using the soap, and then help another with selecting some nice essential oils to use around the house.   Another customer chooses some of our new fair trade floating candles (again these are new items that have just arrived, that will be added to the Natroma website soon), since they're lovely as small gifts.   Then it's back to preparing those hampers for the order that has to go out tonight....running out of time, don't panic!

Just as we're catching up on the hampers, more customers come into the shop.  Spend a little time advising about the Natroma skincare range and then it's back to finalising the internet orders.  Finally have everything done, so Paul heads off to the Post Office and we continue adding ribbons to those hampers!  It's 5pm, and at last the hampers are ready, so Paul returns and packages them into a shipping box.  He then heads off again for a journey into Shropshire to deliver the hampers.  We wouldn't usually personally deliver orders ourselves, but it's a lovely customer and the Bank Holiday meant we can't use a courier.  So since the hampers have to be there by Good Friday, it's time for the personal touch to make sure they arrive on time!

Back in the workshop, there's just time to place a last minute order for some items we'll need next week, and then we have a quick tidy before finally closing the shop.  I never did get around to checking off that order, so it'll have to be done in the morning.  It's now time to go home since it's after 7pm and there are some hungry cats waiting for their dinner!!