A Soapmakers Manifesto

How I built my business from 2 pots in the kitchen to employing over 50 people

OR

What I wish I knew at the start but nobody told me

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At the start

?1.???? Get fucking good at what you do. Simple.

2.???? Document it.

If its not on paper it doesn’t exist. This goes for everything from systems to team instructions to contracts.

3.???? You are a publishing company.

We live in the age of social media. Embrace it. There has never been a cheaper way to be a publisher. Just don’t add to the pile of shit. Make it good.

4.???? Know what amazing customer service is.

If you are not sure then make sure to find it out. Remember that special service in that restaurant? Remember that response when they got your internet order wrong. Be that person, they make the world a better place.

5.???? Are you hungry? Really hungry? if not don’t start.

I cannot overemphasis how tough it’s going to be. If you don’t like hard stuff then don’t start. Life is too short. Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur.

6.???? Be honest with yourself.

7.???? Get comfortable with work/life balance…there is none, it’s all just life.

Don’t think you can knock off at 5pm and not think about work, that is not the deal. It is all encompassing so build your life around this fact. That doesn’t mean that you don’t do other things, just accept that it is always going to be there with you. Hopefully silently.

8.???? Surprise and delight, what are you prepared to do what everyone else is not?

I remember walking around London on a rainy Monday morning delivering 3 foot wide helium hot air balloons (in gorgeous packaging) cold calling major retailers. And that is the glamourous side. You will have to get your hands dirty.

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In the Middle

?9.???? Get smart.

There is no excuse for not being able to find out any answer you need. Quickly.

10.? Read Business Accounting for Dummies.

You must be financially intelligent to run a business. I definitely wasn’t for a long time. You don’t need to be able to do the accountants job, but you do need to know what the accountants job is.

11.? And a book called Financial Intelligence.

12.? Networks are important.

I am a naturally shy introvert who hates public speaking. Nobody cares one way or the other so get over it. Talk to people because people rock.

13.? Talk to people in your industry- they should be your friends. Competition? sometimes. Enemy? definitely not. Life is too short.

14.? Save some money.

This is really important.

15.? Stay fit

This is just as important as the money part

16.? Read, magpie, learn.

Every poet is a thief.

“A smart man learns from his mistakes, a smarter man learns from someone else’s mistakes.

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?Up & Running

?17.? Culture- mind it, its going to happen anyway so make it the way you want it be.

Guiding principals are the perfect way we want things to be, the guidelines we write down. Culture is the way things actually are. Culture happens whether you steer it or not, just by realising this you have a huge opportunity to make it great. A great culture means that you don’t go to work everyday, you just go somewhere different to do fun stuff.

18.? Learn how to use visioning properly. Its not hippy dippy, this shit really works.

I used to hear the words “Visioning” and “Journaling” and think that was for strange people, I have never been so wrong (or I could be just one of those strange people). It is the best and most productive tool for self-management I have ever come across. Read books by Ari Weinzweig of Zingermans.

19.? Team.

This is my superpower. Team is the only way to get big stuff done. If you are not a team leader or a team player that’s ok, just refer to point 9 above.

20.? Design the life you want & live it.

???????????? This comes back to visioning. If you can imagine it you can make it happen. If??????

????????????? you don’t know where you are going any road will get you there.

21.? Enjoy it.

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22.? Teach it- this is how you really learn.

23.? Share it.

24.? Give back.

????????????? This is when you know you have made it.

?This is a philosophy I do my best to live by....

We just happen to make (really really really good) soap.

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