08/12/2025
✨ A Little Reflection from the Soap Kitchen ✨
I wanted to share something that happened at a recent market, as it’s a gentle reminder of the realities behind small businesses like mine. Someone asked if I could offer a discount on three shower steamers. They’re £3.80 each — £11.40 for three — and while I completely understand that times are tough for everyone, it’s important to remember what goes into each handmade product.
When you shop from a small business, you’re not just buying an item. You’re supporting hours of formulation, testing, making, labelling, wrapping, packing, travelling, setting up, and standing for long market days — often without paying ourselves anywhere near a minimum wage. Each product is handcrafted with love, passion, and more than a little blood, sweat and tears.
You wouldn’t ask a supermarket for a discount at the till, and yet handmade makers are often expected to justify their prices or reduce them on the spot. Requests like these, even when well-meant, can be disheartening because they unintentionally devalue the work, skill, and professionalism that goes into every item we create.
I always price my products as fairly and competitively as possible, and yes — when I can offer discounts, I absolutely do. But please, before asking a maker for money off, take a moment to think about the person behind the product. We want to say yes, but sometimes saying no is necessary to honour the worth of the work and to keep our little businesses alive.
Thank you for understanding, and for continuing to support handmade. It truly means the world. 💛xXx
