Room with a view the perfect office

Animal soap business operator Jules Smith is rapt about working from home. Photo / Supplied

Jules Smith's "office" looks over white water river rapids and her staffroom is in the lounge. She has worked from home since starting her animal soap business two years ago.

It started as a hobby, making soap for friends, until she was asked to develop a product for a dog to treat its flea problem.

Now, her Wash Bar products are in many stores around the country.

Products are manufactured in Auckland but are marketed, packaged and distributed from her home in rural Kokopu, near Whangarei.

Ms Smith's husband, Pete Gregory, gave up his agricultural business two months ago to join the company and her mother Mary works for her two days a week.

The couple moved from Auckland where Ms Smith worked for Hewlett Packard.

"We have a beautiful view. When I look out my office window, I look out at the Wairoa River ... It's just amazing. No one has a view like I do."

But she said she had to stay disciplined.

"I never have coffee in the office ... I sit in the living room and take a break. I think it's very easy to work day in, day out, never take a break. So I'm very disciplined about that.

"I absolutely love what I do. I work very hard but it never ever feels like hard work."