Getting into the Bath Business

The A-Number 1, most asked question I've receive in the past three weeks has been "How did you get into this business?"  I can honestly say that The Brown Barn Bath Company grew from humble roots!

About fifteen years ago my husband and I purchased a small farmette in the Abbotsford, Wisconsin area.  The house on the farm was in horrible condition, the barn was falling down, the pole building didn't have concrete but the farm had forty acres with a large swath of woods for the kids and a forty foot long glass greenhouse with a brick headhouse for me.  This, combined with the right price for my husband, were the selling points.

At first we did not intend to run the greenhouse as a business however after a year I succumbed to neighborhood pressure to re-open the greenhouse to the public as it had been a commercial greenhouse for the previous twenty years. Afterall, how hard could growing flowers be? Oh my gosh! We were so naive! I can easily claim to have killed more flowers in those first years than most people plant in a lifetime.  Our learning curve was swift with this business and after a few years I found myself starting to build a wobbly foundation to the greenhouse business.

Unfortunately, just as I started to get my greenhouse legs under me the local Mennonite community experienced a rapid expansion.  With them came greenhouse businesses and an auction house. Soon our community went from having five local greenhouses to about twenty-five, with rock-bottom prices.  I am proud to say that my wonderful customers were loyal but, just like I would have done, they spread their finances around to all the greenhouses and my profit margin shrunk.  It was time to take a greenhouse business break.

After spending another five years assisting my husband in expanding his wastewater irrigation business and shepherding my children thru high school and on to college I found myself puttering in the greenhouse more and more and yearning for something of my own. But what? There was no way to compete with the prices and volume of the Mennonite community.  I settled on herbs with the intention of running an herb farm and making herb-related products. 

At first I grew herbs in small plots, drying the plants at the end of the season.  I then used the dried material to stuff hand-sewn herbal eye masks and neck pillows, sachets, hot pads and more. I created a web site and visited trade shows in an effort to sell my little creations.  To fill out my product line I also made hand-made soap and bath bombs.  As I worked with the herbs I began to develop a deep appreciation for the effect herbs, natural scents and natural bases had on me and my immediate environment.  With this appreciation came a desire to assist others in not only finding a moment for themselves but also in creating healthy alternatives to the chemical laden products found on most store shelves.

Much to my surprise the bath bombs and soaps sold far better than any of my beloved herb products.  Soon I was making a host of body products, taking classes and filling Internet orders regularly.  Every spare corner of the house, headhouse and even the barn was filled with products and materials. I was driving my poor family out of their minds with talk of lotions, botanicals and visits to investigate similar businesses. A Bath Business (more like obsession) was born.

And what happened to our little Abbotsford farm? Its still there, a lot weedier and looking a little forelorn right now but underneath are lots and lots of wonderful herb plants, fruit and perennials waiting for a tender touch to bring them back to their previous glory. Our intention is to hire a farm manager this Fall who will work with us to bring all of these wonderful plants to our customers in the form of beautiful fresh flower bouquets to decorate the stores, fresh hand-made seasonal masks and scrubs from the fruit as it ripens in the field and dried botanicals to add into our year-round products. 

Here's hoping you have a wonderful week!  Chris

This week's Store Theme:  The Lake Holcombe Lake Improvement Association Fund-Raiser

This week's Web Special:  15% off using the code: LAKE HOLCOMBE and free shipping on all orders

This week's In-Store Special:  Receive 15% off your entire purchase by mentioning our Facebook page or this blog.

New This Week:  Lip Balms; Vanilla Body Dusting Powder; Lavender Flower Brown Sugar Scrub; Shampoo and other hair care products; A great selection of items for girls including jewelry; Beaded Jewelry; Bath Robes; Hand-made greeting cards; New Scents; 500 bars of soap in 50 scents including goats milk, organic and all-natural bar soaps.

Coming Soon: Even more new scents in all item areas; Healing bath soaks; Milk baths; Foot and hand care scrubs and moisturizers; More salves; More Bee/Massage Bars; BODY MIST!