Leap Of Faith

Hello everyone,

I'm back with bells on after a perfectly inspiring day. I received formal training as an Herbalist eighteen years ago but didn't do much about it except treat a few friends & family for minor ailments every now & again. On the other hand, it was that very same herbal medicine that has kept my kids out of the Drs. office for the past eighteen years as well.

Then one day about five years ago I enrolled in a cold-process soap making class. I enjoyed it so much that I enrolled in the advanced soapmaking class where I learned to make super-fatted soaps, swirl soaps, and how to scent soaps for use in aromatherapy. I love making soaps and have also done that for friends & family as gifts for the past five years. Thinking it might be fun to start up my own home-based soap business, I made a batch of hypo-allergenic handsoap, and a batch of dog flea & tick soap. Both are curing for a few more weeks, then I'll be able to sell them. I came up with the business name 'Shamrock Herbal Solutions'.

Today I attended a class on liquid soaps, and learned how to make all natural, chemical free liquid hand soap, shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, dish soap, pet shampoo & household cleaners. Now I've decided the time has come to expand my line to include all of the above. I'm very excited about all this and can't wait to fly at it. I'll be printing up business cards this coming week with my phone number and plan to post flyers around town. I'm also thinking of getting a Post Office box for mail-order so I don't have people coming to my house. If business is brisk I'll be putting up a web page. Hopefully that will happen before I hit the craft fairs for the Christmas season.

Does this seem a little off the wall after being a stay-at-home mom for the past 20 + years? Maybe it is. But the way I see is, I have the skills, I have people in my town to sell to, I have sourced all my materials, and this will allow me to work from home and still teach DD who is in her 12th year of home-schooling. My other DD is going in for natural candle making & aromatherapy so will be joining me in marketing our products soon. It's either do this, which is something we're all really excited about, or a dead-end part-time job for $9. per hour. Gee, what a tough choice! On the other hand, if I don't succeed, I can always fall back on the dead-end job. lol I just feel that the time has come for me to take this leap of faith.