# Survey: Your soapmaking needs, wants, and desires.



## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

Hello, fellow soap makers! I’m new to this group and I’m conducting a survey about soap makers needs, wants, and desires for my research project. I’m looking to get at least 100 responses for the survey and would love if people in this group can participate. It only takes 3 minutes to complete. I’m happy to share the results once I’ve collected the numbers needed. Thanks in advance for helping to make the soap making community better and stronger!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RZZPZP7


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## Arimara (Sep 26, 2016)

What's this research for, if you don't mind?


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## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

I'm currently enrolled in a mastermind product development course and this is one of my assignments to research the market in the field I intend to serve in the future.  I personally have been a soap maker for 10 years and this is my field of interest.  I would like to someday create an online soap making course that is targeted to the current needs in modern soapmaking.  Hope that helps!


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## DeeAnna (Sep 26, 2016)

You've posted the same thing in three different forums. It's best to post your request just once to minimize confusion. You may want to delete two of your threads.


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## Sonya-m (Sep 26, 2016)

I'm thinking this is spam - I know of at least one Facebook group that has banned this user and deleted the post


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## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

I am indeed doing research and not looking for customers with this survey.  I'm also new to the online social media world.  As far as my post being removed from Amanda's Saponification Nation group.  I asked her permission to post there and emailed her directly because I know her from doing business with her.  One of her admins took the post off and Amanda emailed me and advised me not to put my post there gave me ideas of other places to do my survey.  I would be happy to remove if you consider this not appropriate.  I by no means am spamming anyone.  If you read the survey you can see that there is no requirement to give me any personal information.  I am collecting data that will hopefully contribute to the soapmaking community as a whole.  Again my apologies if this offends or is inappropriate in any way.  

Debra Marie

PS...  Could not figure out how to delete the other two posts as suggested.  I finally just realized I was not signed in so there was no edit button.  I'll head over and do that now.  If you want me to remove this one also just give me a heads up and I'll happily disappear.


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## Sonya-m (Sep 26, 2016)

It wasn't that Facebook group, it was another one. 

You may well be doing legitimate research but it seems your posts are against a few group rules.


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## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

I appreciate the information and heads up.  Seriously I do.  I have no intention of breaking any rules or showing up with a survey that isn't a welcome thing to the any soap making group. I have received a huge welcome on some groups.  Anne-Marie the Soap Queen placed it on her FB page and suggested I put it on Teach Soap and gave me other ideas including this forum.  Didn't realize it would be an unwelcome thing anywhere. But the real question is...  Am I breaking the rules here?  You didn't really answer that.  You just said things about me that weren't very nice.  Please do delete this entire thread if I am not welcome here.  

And btw, as stated in the survey I'm making the final research available to anyone that takes the survey.  I've already collected some amazing data that could help a potential teacher of soap making or a soap making business as to exactly what this target market wants and needs.  This information isn't just for myself.  It is for anyone that is interested in the data.  Could be helpful to some of you even.


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## Sonya-m (Sep 26, 2016)

Apologies if I've caused offence, it wasn't my intention but I don't think I said anything mean - yes I made a suggestion that your post was spam but to be fair to me you have posted it multiple times on this forum and from what I gather also in multiple Facebook groups


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## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

Apologies accepted!  I have to admit that being accused of spam and stating I was banned from at least one FB group made me feel like you might think I was a little slimy or something.  Yuck!  But I'm over it now!  
I can see your point though Sonya-m.  So no problems here.  I definitely don't want to rock the boat.  You all seem like a really dedicated group of soapers here.  And that is exactly why I posted here.  Just need some feedback from "real" soapers that have been in the trenches.  Thanks for your understanding btw.


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## topofmurrayhill (Sep 26, 2016)

There is an inevitable skepticism when something like this appears. It's normal for this venue. It's pretty ordinary for people to get help here and share information pursuant to present or future business aspirations. Question 9 seems potentially problematic at first glance, even if it's not required. It could be seen as prospecting for a future advertising mailing list.


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## debramarie (Sep 26, 2016)

Thanks.  I do appreciate the input and the understanding.  I get that about question 9.  I actually have that question because I wanted to offer something to anyone that actually took the time to complete the survey and may be curious themselves about the final data collected.  The offer was if they left their email they would receive the data when the survey closed.  There is an invitation to a discovery session which is basically collecting of more detailed data and making a presentation of sorts about this aspect of soap making that involves what exactly are other peoples experiences and if there was a way to meet these issues by thinking outside of the "soap box".  Yes, I am developing a product in the future that will consist of online soap making classes.  They won't be taught in the traditional ways that we think of a typical soap making ecourse today.  I will be inviting the people who leave their email address to this discovery session and then by the fact they will know me and what I'm up to may in the future want to take my course.  But that is why I have a very specific clause stating leaving their email address is not required and I am being completely up front about the discovery session and leaving it up to individuals to make that choice.  I figure everyone is able to make that choice for themselves. I would never randomly place someone on my business email list without their full permission.  These emails will not go on my email list for my business.  But they will be invited to the discovery session.  Interestingly so far more than half leave their email.  Either because they want the data themselves or they want to know what I'm up to and am going to do with the data.  Doesn't seem spammy to me but I certainly could make changes if it does seem that way.  I've pretty much met and exceeded my goal of participants already.  I think soap makers are actually pretty curious as to what other soap makers are doing and what they think.  That's why I'm not keeping the results to myself.  It actually could benefit some soap makers in general.  For instance,  I had already made the conclusion that beginning soap makers are frustrated with all of the conflicting and inaccurate information to wade through before they even got the pleasure of making a batch of soap, and sure enough it is one of the top complaints on the survey.  New soap makers have a hard time wading through all of that and give up.  So now I just don't have to think that is true, I actually have confirmed facts from a large pool of soap makers stating this fact.  Actually this is stated by soap makers to be the number one biggest challenge with finding good suppliers right behind that challenge and finding good beginning recipes coming in third place.  This is confirmed data from the actual survey.  Super helpful to me and to others.  Thanks again for your input.  I really appreciate feedback.  The good and the bad.  It helps me and gives me direction and hopefully others benefit from these conversations also.

I realize that I've already probably overstayed my welcome here but wanted to share one more thing.  My next assignment in my product development course is to tell my story.  The story of why I'm doing what I'm doing today in the soap making world.  How I got there, including my successes and my unfortunate failures.  I'm brand new here and well, didn't have a very smooth entrance but I've hung around here all afternoon reading all of your very interesting posts.  I found a post called "What brought you to soap making" or something like that and in a few days when I finish my next assignment I'm going to post my story there.  Hopefully, you will gain more of an understanding of who I am and why I appeared here today in the first place.  

So...  if you don't kick me out and run me off...  I just might stay and play!

and no...  my story will not contain any spam.  I won't be mentioning my business name at all or asking for any information from any of you.  Hopefully I'll see you in the next round...


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## Arimara (Sep 26, 2016)

debramarie said:


> I realize that I've already probably overstayed my welcome here but wanted to share one more thing.  My next assignment in my product development course is to tell my story.  The story of why I'm doing what I'm doing today in the soap making world.  How I got there, including my successes and my unfortunate failures.  I'm brand new here and well, didn't have a very smooth entrance but I've hung around here all afternoon reading all of your very interesting posts.  I found a post called "What brought you to soap making" or something like that and in a few days when I finish my next assignment I'm going to post my story there.  Hopefully, you will gain more of an understanding of who I am and why I appeared here today in the first place.
> 
> So...  if you don't kick me out and run me off...  I just might stay and play!
> 
> and no...  my story will not contain any spam.  I won't be mentioning my business name at all or asking for any information from any of you.  Hopefully I'll see you in the next round...



It just looks like you want to take a breather for a bit and reread what people say sometimes. It may help a bit if you get to read the stickies in the introduction and beginner forums or pm a mod on where to find the rules, if you haven't found them already.

We're generally welcoming here and if you're willing to share, I'm sure your research may provide us with a fresh perspective. Also, welcome.


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## debramarie (Sep 27, 2016)

Ok Arimara,  I'll take your good advice.  Thank you.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Sep 27, 2016)

I generally ask "what are they bringing to the forum" as a measure of how welcome someone is. As you are asking on the forum for the information, I think that it would only be fair if you posted the results here instead of only emailing it to the forum members who are willing to give you their email address. That way you benefit from the forum and the forum benefits from you, too


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## debramarie (Sep 27, 2016)

Now that is a good point The Efficacious Gentleman.  I would be more than happy to share my data with the entire forum here.  Of course, brilliant idea.  The survey officially closes on Thursday and then give me a couple days to compile in a format to post here.  Now, just so I do this according to protocol...  where would I post it?  On this thread?  Do I start a new thread with survey results?  What topic?  See, I need a little help here.  I'm not a seasoned soap forum poster as you might have noticed.  :-|

One more thing...

I'd like to invite you again (maybe now in a more educated way) to participate in the survey before Thursday because the more data we get the more accurate the results of that data and this venue here is the perfect group of people to contribute information, wouldn't you say?  Especially if you take it with the idea of when you first started making soap and needed some help.  I say that because many of you here look like Old Sage Soapmakers!

I've tried to be as transparent as possible here and there is no hidden agendas.  Won't you please help add to this data?  You don't have to leave your email address.  You can do it completely anonymously.  I won't even be able to see who you are and no one else will either.  This is only about getting accurate data.  Thank you.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Sep 28, 2016)

Was harmless enough and did not take a whole lot of time.  Looking forward to seeing the results


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## crispysoap (Sep 28, 2016)

Done


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## debramarie (Sep 28, 2016)

I appreciate you participation and help very much.    The data is very interesting.  Especially the comments left which I will be sharing here with you all.  Every thing is completely anonymous.


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## BrewerGeorge (Sep 28, 2016)

Done


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## dibbles (Sep 28, 2016)

Done


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## WanderlustSoaps (Sep 28, 2016)

Done


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## debramarie (Oct 7, 2016)

Please visit this link for the complete results including comments made of my survey.  I hope you gain some benefit from this especially for business owners, but at the very least, it may satisfy your curiosity.  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-JRL8TJTX/


Thanks again for all that participated and for educating me a bit on how this forum works.  

Enjoy!
Debra Marie


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## penelopejane (Oct 7, 2016)

debramarie said:


> Please visit this link for the complete results including comments made of my survey.  I hope you gain some benefit from this especially for business owners, but at the very least, it may satisfy your curiosity.
> 
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-JRL8TJTX/
> 
> ...



Thank you for that Debra Marie.  I hope you stick around on the forum.

The most of the last questions have been answered on this forum many times.  

I  love this one:
How does Auntie Clara make it look so easy?
Also substitute newby, lionprincess, and all our forum video posters..
:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:


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## crispysoap (Oct 7, 2016)

Thanks for the info. Hope it helped you with your research project!


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## debramarie (Oct 7, 2016)

Yes, it did help me in my research.  Thanks for the invite to stick around.  I'll check in once in a while and join in when I can.  Also don't forget to read the comments under the different sections.  You have to click on them to see the individual comments.  Easy to miss if you're not looking.

Debra


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## TeresaT (Oct 8, 2016)

Interesting.  Thanks for posting the info.


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