AKRON, Ohio - When Julie Taylor of Taylor Soap Co. first started making homemade soaps eight years ago to give to friends and family, she had no idea her love of soap making would turn into a business.
"I look at soap as an art and I just fell in love with it. I have played around for years and finally got to the point where I loved my recipe and turned it into a business," Taylor said.
She founded Taylor Soap Co. two years ago, and has expanded her product line to include lotions, bath bombs and scrubs. She sells her products at festivals and events in Akron and Cleveland, and recently started her own store at the Northside Marketplace, 21 Furnace St., Akron.
"I received an email about the opportunity, and I emailed back right away," she said. "When I went in there it was under construction, but I could see it. I could see the excitement."
Taylor opened her store inside the marketplace last fall, and she says sales have been growing ever since.
"It's been a game changer for sure," Taylor said of the marketplace, which offers ongoing education to help business owners take their businesses to the next level.
"I wouldn't be able to have a brick-and-mortar store. This gives me the opportunity that I would never have had," she said. "It's kind of like a stepping stone to build me up."
Most stores inside the marketplace use a central cash register, which means store owners don't have to be onsite 24/7.
Taylor's products include signature scents, like goat milk and honey lotion with shea butter, and seasonal scents such as cocoa mango, lavender mint and lemon sugar. Taylor considers each bar of soap a work of art, and meticulously crafts each one--adorning each with fun accents such as cupcake tops or hand-painted designs.
"I use the best oils and butters but I still to try to have fun twists, with bright colors and fun scents," she said.
All Taylor Soap Co. products feature natural ingredients and fragrances and are phthalate free. Taylor makes her products in her home studio, but eventually plans to scale up production and produce them at a dedicated facility.
Taylor also started selling her products at Second Time Around in Olmstead Falls this month.
"Now I have two centralized locations, one more towards Cleveland and one Akron-based," she said.
Taylor plans to offer online ordering on her website later this year as well.
Northside Marketplace hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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