Dog Soap
Michelle Palmquist is the mind behind this genius. She makes custom soaps and sells them at local farmer’s markets and on-line at The Custom Soap Shop and Dogspaw.us. Michelle is also a dog owner who likes to pamper her pooch. “I started the new line of doggie products because I had such a hard time finding things for my dog that were reasonably priced and made with natural oils, and since I was already making specialty products for our dog, I thought, “why not share these great products with my customers’, and Dogspaw.us was born.” says Michelle. “I realized that there was an abundance of dog owners that simply want to pamper their pooch.” So Michelle added dog care products to her already amazing line of soaps, scrubs, and lotions (check out her soapsicle and cupcake soaps).
“I first started this business after making soaps as family gifts just for fun. I really enjoyed the creativity behind making unique custom soaps that people haven’t seen before, so I decided to launch a business around this idea as a way to make money and be home to raise my kids. I have three boys at home ranging in ages from 2 to 16 and it was really important for me to be able to raise my sons from home, thecustomsoapshop.com and dogspaw.us allow me to do just that.”
Not that the
kids get off easy. Michelle notes, “These small businesses really are an entire family effort. Everyone in the family has to get behind these businesses and help out in order to make them the success they are today. Even our family dog has to do product testing!” With all these great products, Fido probably doesn’t mind.
Dogspaw.us has several products including Boo-Boo Butter for dog “first aid,” Bug Away Coat Mist, shampoo, soap, and Bath and Grooming Powder. Michelle notes that “customers just love that fact that most all of our products act as a natural flea and tick repellent with essential oils. Essential oils have none of the harmful chemicals and side effects that most flea and tick control products include on the market today!”
Michelle and family sell their products “at the Sherwood Farmers market, the Tualatin Farmers market, the West Linn Farmers market, Mississippi Tree House in Portland on Mississippi Ave, and the Odge Podge Art Gallery in Sherwood” all located in and around beautiful Portland, Oregon. Michelle really likes the personalized labels she ordered from us. “They really have made my business stand out. I now even get people who say ‘did you really make this?’ because everything looks so professional.”
If you don’t have a dog, don’t feel left out. Michelle says one of the most popular items is in their Custom Soap Shop line. “Our customers are really excited about one of our latest products called Moisturizing Bath Whip. Moisturizing Bath Whip is an excellent alternative to soap because this product is light-as-air, whipped like frosting, almost like cool whip. Our customers just love it!”
In a recent email Michelle told me, “I just had my first farmers market today with the new products and they were received with excitement,” notes Michelle. With products as cute as these, how could they not be?
Jill Moss works at an elementary school library in Gresham, Oregon where she combines her love of kids, books, and reading. She spends the rest of her time raising her husband, four kids, three chickens, two bunnies, and one cat.
