Rotorua local business Q&A: I Love Soap

With a background in forestry and engineering, James Thrupp seems an unlikely maker of hand-made soap. However, he has big plans for his Te Ngae Rd based business I love soap, which started out at markets and now employs six staff during the summer months.

In a nutshell, what does your business do?

We are a soap manufacturing company, we specialise in custom-made soaps and our own product line.

What inspired you to set up your business?

It was quite a new thing for New Zealand and there was not much competition out there. It was a niche market I saw overseas and wanted to introduce to New Zealand.

What was the best business decision you have made?

Putting the add-on of our icecream parlour Big Scoop on to the building, in January this year. It has increased cash flow and utilised every square metre of the building.

What was your worst business mistake (if any) and what did you learn from it?

It's all a learning curve, starting up your own business.

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for your business in the year ahead?

I'm teaming up with a large repping company. I've developed a stand that holds 12 of our best sellers of the Glycerine soap bar range. The stand will be in around 1000 shops by the end of 2014 nationwide. That's my main focus at the moment.

If you could do any other job for a day, what would that be?

Bed tester, because I need some sleep. As well as the soap, I also help out in other family businesses.

How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I work seven days a week, so what spare time I do get I spend with my daughter, trying to make up for working so much.

What's the best thing about being in business in Rotorua?

During the summer period, the tourism side of things. We get traffic going to the airport and the lakes. But other than that, not a lot.

If you were mayor of Rotorua for one day, what one change would you make?

Go around all the small businesses and see what they would like changed. Listen to the people.