Not often are persons fortunate enough to do their life’s passion for a living. Leandra Peter has married her love of chemistry with her love of all things natural, to establish Farm Essence, producing handcrafted soap and body care products. Since the company was registered with SEDU in 2017, Farm Essence has produced over twenty products from all-natural and local, raw materials. After appearing in consecutive Saint Lucia-Taiwan Partnership Trade Shows, Leandra is looking to make the brand more prominent, STAR Businessweek sat down with her to discuss successes and where she plans on taking her burgeoning business.
SBW: What was the inspiration behind Farm Essence?
Leandra: It started off with my love for all things natural and herbal. I hand-made soap for my own personal use, then family and friends started trying the products. I got great feedback, and worked on perfecting the formula until I developed a recipe that was both moisturizing and cleansing. The name ‘Farm Essence’ was inspired by the farms in the Marquis, Boguis area where I’m based, since most of the raw materials for my products come from there. Our tagline, ‘Harvested for your skin’, is similarly inspired.
SBW: How and where do you manufacture the soap?
Leandra: I use the cold process method, which tends to keep all the natural ingredients, so I make the soap at a very low temperature. It takes four to six weeks, depending on the recipe. I’ve transformed a part of my home into a mini-workshop and I do everything myself. I currently make about 500 bars per month. They go pretty quickly so I’m looking to eventually do at least a thousand a month and ultimately hire a few persons.
SBW: What else does Farm Essence produce?
Leandra: We do body butters and body oils; these are made to order. We also make lip balm.
SBW: Do you cater to any specific demographic?
Leandra: 75% of my customers are women and the rest are men. The women tend to buy for their children as well. We cater to all different skin types, whether oily, dry or sensitive.
SBW: What’s the price range?
Leandra: The average price is $10 for a soap bar but it varies depending on the ingredients; the most expensive is the Shea Butter bar at $20. The body oils start at $20 and the body butters are $15 dollars and up.
SBW: Where’s your market?
Leandra: Most of my customers are locally based, with a few from the region, namely Martinique. Internationally, I have clients in the UK and the US.
SBW: How is promotion done?
Leandra: Via my social media pages: Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. I have customers who refer clients to me and I think the referral system has been my best marketing strategy. I also have a Tuesday Trivia giveaway where I put up a question on social media and one person with the right answer is randomly chosen as the winner.
SBW: Did you research the market before establishing the business?
Leandra: Yes I did. Everything is about market research. You can’t just start making a product and expect persons to buy it without doing the necessary research. Knowing what your customers want, establishing a niche, a price range and collating other necessary data, all comes with market research. For example, in that research I discovered that my target market prefers my packaging to be done using a white paper bag as opposed to a brown one. The bag has my logo printed on it, and is tied with a bow. My customers love it! It’s like treating yourself when you buy Farm Essence.
SBW: How has the Department of Commerce assisted in the development of your business?
Leandra: It allowed me the opportunity to participate in the annual Saint Lucia-Taiwan Trade Show. I also attended workshops and training organised by the Department.
SBW: Where is your product retailed?
Leandra: A few hotels have approached me and I’m working on that. I’m negotiating with two retail stores and we’re hashing out the details right now but I can’t give too much away as yet.
Want to try out quality skincare products that are all-natural? You can reach Leandra Peter by phone on (758) 486-3709, through Facebook (farmessence.slu) and Instagram (farm_essence.slu).
