FYI: From hobby to hustle: Fergus dad starts handmade soap company

This article was previously published on EloraFergusToday

Andrew Adams is holding onto the cute novelty soaps that inspired his new Fergus-based business as a sort of reminder of how he got started, even though his own products are very different.

“I wanted it to be very old-school, very traditional,” said Adams of his new business.

Adams officially launched Traditional HQ in early September, introducing his simple, handmade soaps to the public during the Cogs and Clockwork Steampunk Festival.

“We got really good turnout for that,” he said.

The business was brand new, and he did no advanced marketing for the event, so he was pleased with the positive reception.

As a self-professed hobbyist, Adams came up with the idea for the business while working on a new craft with his 11-year-old daughter.

“A friend of mine gifted her a soap-making kit,” he said.

Working with her to make the flower- and teddy-bear-shaped, floral-scented soaps, Adams found it was an activity he enjoyed. Having been restructured out of a job by his previous employer, Adams decided to take up soap-making as more than just a hobby.

“I obviously need to have employment. I thought, if I can’t find work, I might as well make work,” he said.

With a background in medical logistics, there was definitely a learning curve for Adams, who said he put in “a lot of of 4 a.m. nights staying up to researching.”

His target audience is men, because this is where Adams saw a gap in the market.

He said he visited multiple retailers selling soaps and other scented products, and if they had men’s sections, they were very small and limited.

Adams’ goal was to offer products in bolder scents that he himself or his 17-year-old son would want to wear.

At the same time, he was aiming to create products that his son and his friends could afford to buy.

“Artisan soap can get really expensive,” said Adams. “I want it to be an affordable product that everyone can enjoy.”

Currently his product line includes a variety of bar soaps, beard balms and scented soy candles, but he hopes to be able to expand the line as the business evolves.

“The biggest thing for me is listening to the customers. What are they looking for and what do they like?” said Adams.

He began making tallow soaps, because he found this was a request from customers interested in “traditional” products.

Adams uses a cold process method and his ingredients include familiar products like olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax.

“There’s a lot of products that are popular that I avoid because they’re not sustainable,” he said.

Sustainability is key not just in the product composition, but also the packaging, with Adams laser engraving his cardboard soap boxes and glass candle jars, rather than using stickers.

Currently he makes his products in a converted woodshop at the back of his Fergus home, and sells them online, and he recently announced a promotion offering free delivery to Fergus and Elora residents.

He hopes to be successful enough to eventually have a storefront, but in the meantime, he has plans to sell at upcoming markets, including a few upcoming Christmas markets.

People can check the Traditional HQ website for upcoming events.

“Everything’s evolving,” Adams said.