Young at heart and extremely enthusiastic about her creations Aayushi Kasliwal is more than just a pretty face. Her brand Soapatite has progressed over a period of two years where she keeps receiving orders from her loyal customers for customized soaps.
Aayushi is a finance professional turned entrepreneur. Two years back she started with her business-Soapatite which deals in designer handmade soaps! These range from honey, oatmeal, charcoal, aloe vera, and lemon to even chocolate, coffee, and green tea!
The soaps are all handcrafted and hand-wrapped. No harsh detergents or synthetic materials are added to the bars. Being a self-funded start-up, she has always focused on making soaps in small batches which in turn gives the utmost perfection in each of them.
We catch up with her to know more about her and her appetite for making soaps.
Tell us about your journey.
During the initial days, I used to make a few batches of soaps and try them on my near and dear ones and even gift them to friends and relatives. Prolonged demand for these soaps within my social circle was when I decided to take it up to the next level of turning it into a business.
Over a period of time, the demand for these soaps started to develop and I soon had a lot of requests for customized orders. What started as a hobby, soon turned into a small home run business. What worked for me was that people nowadays have become more aware of the harmful effects of the chemicals being used in commercially manufactured soaps and are gradually looking up to natural and organic living.
I feel Soapatite is still a budding start-up but what makes me going is the positive feedback from my customers. With almost two years into the business, I can proudly say that people love my soaps and I find great joy and utmost satisfaction when people come back to me and say that their skin feels very good after using Soapatite’s soap.
That Winning Stree moment?
There are those small winning moments including media coverage with regards to my product. But one such winning moment was when my brand story was taken up as a case study analysis by students of management college. The fact that they were providing further insight into my business was truly appreciative and letting that feeling sink is truly priceless.
Your Belief…
Enjoy and appreciate the way things already are – avoid resistance for an easy flow.
The three things that you say to yourself.
Always keep your conscience alive and listen to your inner voice
Eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life; choose your battles wisely. Life is full of opportunities. Choose between making a big deal out of something or simply letting it go realizing it doesn’t really matter in the long run.
The first thing you say to yourself when you wake up in the morning.
I got this valuable advice from my uncle – If it is to be, it is up to me, these ten powerful two-letter words just sum about everything.
Winning message to other women?
Constantly Innovate to evolve, be dedicated and creative and improvise based on customer feedback, take criticisms in your stride; success can come from even the most basic ideas with a ‘twist’; learning is a perpetual process, learn and grow
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Assign redundant and less important work to staff, so that you can devote your time and energy to other major tasks. While as a startup you would prefer to keep it lean in size, it’s preferable to identify and allocate the least important tasks to some other capable person.
Realize, that it’s not purely about you and your business. It’s equally important to give back to society by being a socially responsible and ethical person. Take out time to serve and help others. Trust me, it’ll make you feel so much better about myself and in turn, help your business too!
Difficulties you faced when fulfilling your dreams and aspirations?
It’s been close to two years since I started my entrepreneurial journey, and like any other startup founder, I have had my shares of highs and lows. The initial challenge was to make people aware of the harmful effects of chemicals which were present in the store bought soaps.
And I believe, there is still a long way to go before people appreciate the value of natural products, and come to terms with having to pay a premium for them. While it’s a long mile ahead, the journey is certainly paved with some interesting learnings, which has helped me to get closer to my goal of becoming a master in my chosen field of endeavor.
What makes you extraordinary?
As far as marketing for my brand is concerned, it has been mostly through below-the-line activities like sampling, exhibitions, and word of mouth. I also participate in many exhibitions in my hometown and nearby cities. Social media has helped me a great deal to receive online orders and to take my business to cities like Guwahati, Baroda, Gandhinagar, and Surat.
Appreciate and celebrate small victories, even if it means rejoicing over a small Thank you note from a customer; you don’t always need a big, outstanding client to mark your success. Recognizing small achievements can raise your morale and give you that motivation to keep going.
And most importantly, enjoy this beautiful journey and lead by example, as only a contended and passionate person can build a great startup!!
If there is one thing you wanted to change in your business what would it be?
I would like to assign a specific schedule to all my business tasks, including marketing, manufacturing, social media, packaging, inventory, new product launch, etc. I feel this will give me more time for planning and research. It is better to have a well-planned day rather than an unplanned one.
People can reach you out at:
Contact No: 9312006250
