Sarah Howes from Usk and Laura Grey from Goodrich own Humble Bee Beauty creating beautiful products like cold process soaps, beeswax candles and reed diffusers. This is their second year in business so lockdown could not have arrived at a worse time for this fledgling business. Wye Life found out more…
The ladies are currently working out of their “soap kitchen” in Monmouth and, despite this setback to their momentum, continue to be positive about the future of Humble Bee Beauty.
One of the things we love about Humble Bee beauty is their beautiful packaging. “Our artwork is commissioned by a Cheltenham based artist called Ruth Keating, she has her own business called Yay Nature! And we love what she’s done for us!” say Sarah and Laura. Humble Bee Beauty is certainly creating a little buzz around the Borders so we, naturally, wanted to find out more about life during lockdown.
Can you work? Are you having to work right now?
We have had to massively reduce our work at the moment as we rely heavily on attending craft fairs, shows and farmers markets to sell our products. We’re only just entering our second year of trading.
If you are staying at home, what are you doing to keep yourself occupied? How are you coping?
We both have young children so are very busy home schooling as well as keeping the business going!
Do you find the situation stressful?
At times, but we are staying positive and planning how our business will continue to grow and move forwards.
What are your overall thoughts about the pandemic?
Similar to everyone else we would imagine, but life is full of challenges and this is certainly one of them!
Do you have a web presence? Can customers buy from you online? Do you deliver for example?
We have a web site www.humblebeebeauty.co.uk and we also have a shop on Etsy where all our products are available to buy. We deliver locally where possible and are continuing to post out orders during the lockdown. Sarah continues to sell our products at Usk Farmers Market (see their web page for more information on how to order at this time).
Have your furloughed your staff?
No, the business is just ourselves so, thankfully, we don’t have to worry about that.
What are you doing to keep your business going during the pandemic?
We are still promoting our products using the internet, and social media especially Facebook and Instagram. We are joining forces with local bodies wherever possible to promote the business such as the Forest Showcase, Wye Weight (Monmouth). We continue to make soaps, candles and reed diffusers and we are stocked in many local village shops, which continue to remain open. We are looking into other ways to sell our products until the fairs and markets re-open.
What will you change about the way you run your business or what you offer when this is over?
We are thinking more seriously about selling our products direct from our website and looking at taking our business to a larger audience. We have promoted ourselves locally up to this point.
Are you eligible for local authority grant support?
Currently looking into what, if anything, we can claim for but it is very difficult given last year was our first year of trading.
What are your hopes and dreams for the near future?
If we continue to stay home and stay safe this will pass and will, hopefully, bring everyone together and have a positive impact on our local communities. We can hope, we’re nothing if not positive at Humble Bee beauty, it’s in our nature.
Humble Bee beauty
“Beautiful products, designed naturally!”
www.humblebeebeauty.co.uk
Humble Bee Beauty’s Etsy shop: Click here
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