Local soap business gets boost from Amazon Handmade

A local handmade soap company has found an unexpected boost during the COVID-19 pandemic through Amazon Handmade and its program for local craftspeople.

In 2015, Priya Buge and her husband, Sunil, founded KayaSoaps, an online business selling handmade soaps created only from natural ingredients. It began as a hobby to keep the Columbus couple busy when their daughters left the nest for college, but gradually, it grew into something more.

“We do not have a physical store, because we started an online shop to keep us busy,” Priya Buge said. “This soapmaking was our hobby, which developed into a passion, and never knew when it turned into a business … but it is still our passion.”

Today, KayaSoaps products can be found on Etsy, Etsy Wholesale and Amazon and contain, in Buge’s words, “only plant-based ingredients and essential oils, no chemicals, no preservatives and no artificial colorants.”

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Like most businesses, KayaSoaps has felt the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

“The orders reduced suddenly,” Buge said. “People were spending money cautiously. They were spending on essentials rather than buying gifts. The salons and stores were closed, and all wholesale orders were on hold. The weddings, bridal showers, baby showers were canceled or postponed, so the orders of favors stopped on Etsy. Amazon stopped receiving inventory that went to the warehouse, because they were focusing on shipping essentials to the customers, which was a right decision.”

Because of the virus, KayaSoaps stopped production, and Budge asked her employees to stay home because of social distancing guidelines and for their own safety. She said it was more of a “wait and watch period” than a panic.

Despite these obstacles, KayaSoaps received a boost by being featured on Amazon Handmade as a local “maker” from the Midwest.

“Due to the feature, people were able to order directly from the sellers and were able to send gifts for Mother’s Day,” she said. “The orders started pouring in again.”

There are, of course, still some obstacles to overcome. The Amazon shop had to be put “on vacation” from shortly after Mother’s Day until June 1, due to Buge getting sick, and there are still some delays in receiving inventory.

But in spite of it all, Buge still enjoys her hobby-turned-passion-turned business.

“Handmade is a small batch production where each item is made by hand, wrapped with love and care and not everything is automated,” she said. “We hardly use any automated machinery and depend upon our trained employees. The team is important to handle a large volume of orders. It is not a small but a micro-business where women like me who were homemakers for most of their lifetime have started small from their home, multitasking, educating themselves right from how to take photos, being consistent, not giving up, and gradually getting confidence from the feedback from the customers.”

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To learn more about Kaya Soaps, visit https://www.amazon.com/handmade/KayaSoaps

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