When Village Green Soaps met Theo Paphitis....
On Friday 30th March Theo Paphitis invited me along with all the other #SBS (Small Business Sunday) winners to his Inaugural Meeting. He selected Birmingham for the event as it is central for everyone and decided on Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
I accepted the invite and after planning what I was going to wear etc got up early and headed to the venue with my hubby. We must have arrived minutes after Theo as his chauffeur was just leaving the car park with an empty car! By now the anticipation was building and I was wondering what the day would bring.
On arrival we checked in at the desk and received our name badges and moved into the reception area where everyone was mingling whilst being treated to non stop drinks and a lovely buffet.
After approximately an hour everyone entered the main hall where Kip (Kypros Kyprianou), CEO, Ryman spoke briefly and introduced Theo. Theo spoke to us about how #SBS had started and his visions for its future. He gave an inspiring and funny talk in true charismatic Dragon style. Chris Wheeler, Metal Frog , a previous # SBS winner had been asked by Theo to set up an #SBS website with a winners area and he talked everyone through the new website and how it would work for us all - brilliant idea and well done Chris. Theo then held a Q&A session for everyone. He did overrun his allocated time but this didn't matter to Theo at all.
We were then told that we were all going to receive a personally signed certificate and have our picture taken with Theo. Then hit me.....Village Green Soaps....I'd be near the end and he may not still be smiling by then.
Whilst we waited the drinks still flowed and we had time to chat to some of the others, who like me, had picked a name lower down the alphabet. Finally my time came.
It really was a wonderful day and Theo certainly seemed to enjoy himself too. He really was a very generous hospitable host. We eventually said our goodbyes to lots of lovely 'new' friends and decided to head home.
In all the excitement I very nearly took the wrong car ....
Hope to see you all out and about soon
Karen x
Village Green Soaps
Posted on 1 April 2012 | 1:04 pm
Here comes the sun
What a lovely few days it has been her at Village Green HQ as I know it has for most of the UK. It has brought a flurry of flowers into bloom including our Camellia - simply gorgeous!
Posted on 25 March 2012 | 5:14 pm
Support Handmade
I've just signed up to they Buy Handmade pledge and hope that you all will too! Last year we were lucky enough to be picked for the UK Handmade Summer Showcase. They have a campaign running to get people to buy handmade products and in doing so they in turn are supporting independent designers and makers throughout the UK. 
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Take a look and sign up to their campaign.
We're also in getting ready for Mrs Scoops and Little Miss G's Vintage Wedding Fair in Milton Keynes on the 26th February. Do stop by if you're in the area. It promises to be a great day out for all couples planning a wedding. I believe Johanna Hehir http://www.johanna-hehir.com/ will be showing some of her beautiful wedding dresses as well as lots of lovely stalls for you to get inspiration for your day.
Look forward to seeing you all soon
Karen x
Posted on 27 January 2012 | 4:58 pm
Village Green News
So here we are half way through January already and around the village the daffodils are out already along with roses in some of the garden which the weather men will tell you is unusually early. Goodness knows what will happen to them when Jack Frost hits as predicted in a couple of days.
I've started the year as I mean to go on updating the blog, getting the workshop tidy, doing a full stock take and now am in the process of getting the website updated with our gift boxes and new soaps. Hope you will like them.
I've also had a number of new pictures taken by the very talented Lyndsey James Photography http://www.lyndsey-james.co.uk/ and I am absolutely thrilled with how they have turned out. My soaps have never looked better. Thank you Lyndsey!!
I hope January is going well for you too and to ensure that the January blues stay away our SALE is still in full swing with bargains to be had on many of our soaps http://www.villagegreensoaps.co.uk/handmade-soaps Pick up a bar and give your skin a treat!
As always if you see us out and about do say hello we'd love to see you.
Karen x
http://www.villagegreensoaps.co.uk/
Posted on 15 January 2012 | 5:46 pm
Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Can't quite believe that we have reached 2012 already.
2011 has flown with so many highlights it would be difficult to list them all! If you follow us on Facebook (Village Green Soaps) or Twitter (@VillageGrnSoaps) you will probably know all about them. If you don't already do so please join us there - we'd love to see you!
We attended various events throughout the year with November and December being incredibly busy with lots of Markets and Christmas Fairs. Throughout the year we have loved meeting the people who came and supported us along the way.
I've spent a rather quiet Christmas at home with my family in Gloucestershire but have written the biggest 'To-Do' List ever and have lots planned for 2012. I've made yet another resolution to try and update the blog more often and an hopeful that this time I will succeed.
We are now holding our January Sale on the website and you may like to pick up one of your favourite soaps there www.villagegreensoaps.co.uk
Wishing you all the best for 2012 and look forward to seeing you soon.
Bye for now
Karen x
Posted on 2 January 2012 | 7:52 pm
Countdown to Christmas
Posted on 20 November 2011 | 11:51 pm
Final Days of Summer as Autumn arrives at Village Green Soaps
Its been a few months since I updated the blog - really shocking so apologies and I really will try harder.
We have had a lovely summer and have been quite busy with lots going on and we even managed a family holiday! Hoorah! So after a good 2 week break in the US I headed back into the workshop ready to prepare for the Autumn shows ahead.
I was really pleased to receive a Jacqueline Gold #WOW award - Women on a Wednesday. This is another Twitter run promotion for Ladies in Business. I was thrilled that Jacqueline chose Village Green Soaps to promote on Wednesday 18th August and she said some lovely things about us including a compliment on the website and also that she thought we had great potential to expand the business further. The following morning her press office contacted us and also sent us another lovely button to add to the website. Hopefully this will be uploaded soon but in the meantime here is a peak.
We will be at Tetbury Food and Drink Festival on Sunday 25th September along with many local producers. Further information can be found about the event below. If you do come along be sure to stop by and say hello. I do enjoy when people say they follow me on Twitter, Facebook or have seen my blog.
http://www.tetburyfooddrinkfestival.com/exhibitors.php
Finally our daughter, Stephanie received her BA Hons in International Business and Spanish and David, Abigail and I were there to see her receive her degree from the Vice Chancellor at Plymouth University on Tuesday 20th September. The 4 years at University has flown by including a year at University in Madrid. We were especially proud that she had written her final dissertation around Village Green Soaps and now wish her both Congratulations on her achievement and also on her new job based in Canary Wharf, London. Well done Stephanie.
Karen x
Posted on 23 September 2011 | 12:15 am
Such a lovely Dragon..........
Our summer spectacular has now been running for a week and thank you to everyone who has taken advantage of the sale!
I can safely predict from sales that there are going to be lots of Daddy's opening up a bar of Beer Soap tomorrow or a bar of Gardeners Soap for Father's day and I hope that you will all enjoy them.
In the meantime we had another little RT from our absolute favourite Dragon today helping us to promote our sale - thank you Theo!
Hope you're all having a great weekend whatever you're doing and that you see a little bit of sun!
Karen x
Posted on 18 June 2011 | 6:23 pm
Summer Spectacular
It's summer but we haven't seen much of the sun for a few days - just a lot of water! We're hoping that the sun will pop back out and say 'hello' soon but until then with all this water we've decided to launch our Summer Sale.
We've taken 20% off our range of luxury handmade soap bars. So what are you waiting for? Give your skin a treat today and you could be using one of bars in the shower (and I don't mean outside in the rain).
Take a look at www.villagegreensoaps.co.uk
Thanks
Karen x
Posted on 12 June 2011 | 1:43 pm
What's new at Village Green Soaps
I did say when I started my blog that I've never done anything like this before and was shocked when I came back to see that I hadn't updated since 4th April. I really must try harder.
So since April what's happened....
Well as you know we got our retweet from Theo Paphitis on the 3rd April and things went wild at Village Green Soaps. I had a badge uploaded to my web page as many of the other #sbs members before me have done. I think it looks great and I wear it with pride!
We then received the great news that we had been selected as one of the UK Handmade products for their Summer Showcase. I was absolutely thrilled. We appear beside lots of other lovely items all made in the UK.
Welcome to the UK Handmade Summer Showcase featuring a selection of gorgeous handmade products from designers and makers from across the UK. Each photograph clicks straight through to the seller's own shop so you can find out more about each item and buy direct from the maker. Happy shopping!So everyone should be supporting this initiative and keeping small and independent retailers going strong on the high street something that is being championed by Mary Portas.
We've been busy preparing new items soon to be appearing on the website. We will be adding a range of Liquid Soaps, Bath Salts, Bath Truffles and Bath Bombs. All made by hand using sustainably sourced natural ingredients. So keep an eye and they should be launched soon.
We have also added an events page to our website. This will be updated with the events we will be appearing at such as Village Fetes, the Tetbury Food Festival and various School Fairs. So keep an eye out for us as we could be appearing near you!
Thanks for all your support over the last couple of months and remember if we are out and about and you see us do pop by and say 'Hello'
Karen x
Posted on 9 June 2011 | 11:53 pm
Spring has arrived at Village Green Soaps and a lovely surprise from both Michelle Mone and Theo Paphitis!
Since the website launched lots of things have been happening at Village Green Soaps that it seemed time to update the blog. Remember I'm not used to blogging so you'll have to stick with me :-)
I've received so many comments from friends and family congratulating me on the site and I have continued delivering my soaps to my regular customers. It is always pleasing when people come back for more. You know that the soaps are liked. I have a regular group of lovely ladies from a local office who are so kind in spreading the word and letting people know that my soaps are beautifully moisturising and that their skins feel lovely after use. Everyone comments about that point.
If you aren't aware let me tell you that many manufacturers of mass produced soaps that are sold in supermarkets strip out the glycerine and then sell the glycerine off as a bi-product and this could be why some people feel that soaps dry their skin. Well not mine! My soap is made using the traditional cold process method. This means that all the natural glycerine remain in my bar of soap and that is why so many people comment that their skin feels so lovely and soft after use.
The sun has also started to shine during March. It is always lovely when you wake up on a morning and the sun is shining and you feel like Spring has arrived after a very long Winter. Tulips have started to open in the pots and things just seem better!
It was Mothers' day yesterday and I was treated to some lovely flowers and cards from my girls and I had a really nice day.
Then to top it off I couldn't believe it when Theo Paphitis chose Village Green Soaps to be one of his #sbs (small business Sunday) retweets. Theo is known to everyone as one of the Dragons from the BBC's Dragons Den and he supports and encourages small business to promote themselves using Twitter. Every week between 5.00 and 7.30 he will pick 6 lucky winners and retweets their tweet to his followers. I was absolutely thrilled to be one of them. Thank you Theo!
Michelle Mone OBE and owner of Ultimo has also started to do something similar. She calls it #askmichelle. Twice a week she selects 5 lucky businesses to retweet. Well it was my week last week because I was lucky enough to receive a retweet from Michelle too! Thank you Michelle
All in all a very good week for promoting Village Green Soaps on Twitter!!
All that is left for me to say is thank you to everyone for all your support, continue to enjoy the soaps and I'll see you at one of my events coming up - I'll be the one with the big smile on my face!
Karen x
Posted on 5 April 2011 | 12:12 am
The Road to Launch Village Green Soaps
Well here we are ready to launch! Seems like a dream but when I started out I never imagined what was going to be involved.
There I was, a happy little soapmaker, when I decided I needed a website. Now I'm not that technical as those who know me will confirm. I had no idea what was involved and fortunately I had heard of a company that would help me. I met with Allie from Manage My Website and that was it - we were off and on the road to having my official Village Green Soaps site. Allie has been on hand and so supportive the whole way through - she really knows her stuff and she never made me feel like any of my questions were silly! Which did come in handy.
As the weeks went on my logo was produced by the talented Adam from Flipside Studio and all the packaging was designed. I absolutely love the end result and it fitted the brief I had given completely.
I had my soap wrappers printed locally and the time came to photograph my soap. What an amazing day that was. Everything seemed 'real' as we gathered in the studio to take the pictures. Andy from Pakpix snapped away all morning! Both Adam and Allie were on hand and Adam helped with all the styling! No end to his talents!
We all had a great time and Andy's pictures turned out fab!
It was now the turn of Laura from Kinetic Pulse to finish the website. She has done wonders with all the images and getting the 'behind the scenes' process to work so that when an order is placed everything runs smoothly for me.
Everyone has become very much part of the Village Green Soap family.
All that is left for me to say is 'Thank You' to Allie, Adam, Laura, Andy and everyone else who has supported me and helped me turn my little dream into where it is now - especially my lovely hubby and 2 fabulous daughters!!
Karen x
Village Green Soaps
www.villagegreensoaps.co.uk
Posted on 7 March 2011 | 10:09 pm
New Village Green Soap website ready for launch
Posted on 2 March 2011 | 2:20 pm