Soap workshop frustration

[Zuleika]

Loooong rant ahead.

In Feb this year, I was asked by my workplace recreation committee to do Cp soap workshops for team bonding. I quoted per pax $25 and they countered with $20 as max claim for such events is $20. Then they said to leave some budget for food so lowered to $18. I agreed, 3 groups signed up with 70 pax total.

Now, 1 week before the 1st workshop, I'm told claims are on reimbursement basis and must produce receipts. Previously I thought I could issue an invoice for each workshop. But noooo.. I don't have a company so I can't issue an invoice. I can't even be paid some token amount for my efforts. At no point from Feb till today was I told that I would have to justify my $18 through receipts.

OK, fine. I said my receipts won't tally with workshop materials since I buy them on off and from various suppliers. Eg, receipt for 6 bottles of OO when workshop only needs 4.

They said I can choose to absorb what I have bought and repurchase new supplies with workshop only materials receipt. I don't mind this option but I can't easily buy lye. And my lye supplier is a non English website. I'm waiting for their reply if non English receipts are accepted. If not, I will have to repurchase at double the cost from an English website. I'm vindictive enough that I added to cart the most expensive OO. Which is 4x my usual OO.

Best thing they said was reusable items needed to be split 3 ways so each workshop bears the same cost. Like a $3 spatula needs to be claimed 3 times of $1 each. I was so tempted to just use disposable forks for whisking and spoons as spatulas.

If i had known all this in Feb, I would never agree to do the workshops. Free cp soap workshop with complex claims? No thank you!

Now they can either
1) accept non English receipts and we proceed
2)repurchase lye on english website and postpone workshops
3)replace workshop if 1 and 2 not accepted

I feel kinda cheated for the effort I'm putting in. No one has helped me lug heavy oil to work or offered to help setup. I'm so petty now I'm not even gonna provide free mica, a sample bar of soap and molds like I wanted to. I'll just buy containers for molds and claim. And everyone makes white soap. No designs or color.

At this point I'm even considering buying a cheap microwave and just doing MP soap in cupcake liners.

 

[Zuleika]

Big thanks to everyone who read my rant.

Update 1
Committee lady said she told me verbally about receipts and I maintain that I have always quoted a fixed price based on an invoice. I let this slide since I'm on the losing end. Committee accepts non-English receipts but I have to translate it. I'm not gonna do that although it is simple enough. I don't need anyone nitpicking my translations. I'm gonna repurchase lye from the English website at a higher cost. No postponement of workshops are needed since I can use my existing lye while waiting for delivery.

They clarified about spatulas if purchased, spatulas full cost should be claimed under the 1st workshop then future workshop costs are lowered. Keeping in mind whatever is left goes to food budget. I felt it unfair to Workshop 1 to bear full cost of spatulas so I have decided to repurchase all materials separately for each workshop so claims are fair for each workshop. Eg, 18 spatulas split into 3 receipts of 6 each to claim for each workshop. So each workshop pays for 6 spatulas but gets to use 18.

I'm going to propose this idea. All materials for each workshop are to be purchased as 1 set of fixed volume and quantity. Eg Total oils 1000g per workshop regardless of how many participants. So materials for each workshop will be the same. The only difference is in how many participants. So if each workshop materials cost $100 and workshop 1 has 10 pax, each pax would cost $10. Let's say soap batter weight is 2000g, each pax would get 200g of soap.

If workshop 2 has 14 pax, each pax would cost $7.14. But of course, workshop 2 people would get less soap individually since it would be 2000g/14 = 143g of soap each.

Everything I purchased previously will be used for my own soaping leisure. I am buying everything again to ensure proper documentation. I love seeing the horrifying cost of OO in my cart since the most expensive one is best right? That brand is cheaper? Yeah sure.. but this expensive brand works best in soap right? *wink*

Don't worry, I have decided not to ill-treat the participants as it is no fault of theirs. I have added to cart 7 bottles of mica, disposable moulds and several lovely whisks.

 

[artemis]

Thank you for the update!

 

[AliOop]

Big thanks to everyone who read my rant.

Update 1
Committee lady said she told me verbally about receipts and I maintain that I have always quoted a fixed price based on an invoice. I let this slide since I'm on the losing end. Committee accepts non-English receipts but I have to translate it. I'm not gonna do that although it is simple enough. I don't need anyone nitpicking my translations. I'm gonna repurchase lye from the English website at a higher cost. No postponement of workshops are needed since I can use my existing lye while waiting for delivery.

They clarified about spatulas if purchased, spatulas full cost should be claimed under the 1st workshop then future workshop costs are lowered. Keeping in mind whatever is left goes to food budget. I felt it unfair to Workshop 1 to bear full cost of spatulas so I have decided to repurchase all materials separately for each workshop so claims are fair for each workshop. Eg, 18 spatulas split into 3 receipts of 6 each to claim for each workshop. So each workshop pays for 6 spatulas but gets to use 18.

I'm going to propose this idea. All materials for each workshop are to be purchased as 1 set of fixed volume and quantity. Eg Total oils 1000g per workshop regardless of how many participants. So materials for each workshop will be the same. The only difference is in how many participants. So if each workshop materials cost $100 and workshop 1 has 10 pax, each pax would cost $10. Let's say soap batter weight is 2000g, each pax would get 200g of soap.

If workshop 2 has 14 pax, each pax would cost $7.14. But of course, workshop 2 people would get less soap individually since it would be 2000g/14 = 143g of soap each.

Everything I purchased previously will be used for my own soaping leisure. I am buying everything again to ensure proper documentation. I love seeing the horrifying cost of OO in my cart since the most expensive one is best right? That brand is cheaper? Yeah sure.. but this expensive brand works best in soap right? *wink*

Don't worry, I have decided not to ill-treat the participants as it is no fault of theirs. I have added to cart 7 bottles of mica, disposable moulds and several lovely whisks.

Wow, that's tons of work and such creative thinking. Your participants are going to be so blessed!

 

[Zuleika]

Guys! I just completed my first workshop and it was so fulfilling. Frustrations aside and over. I just loved sharing with people the processes and bringing up safety measures every other sentence. I loved how some peeps are mind boggled by oils turning into soap.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic of the soaps todays. But I'll take some pics when the soaps are ready for cutting in 1-2 days.

This was the only pic I have of the room setup.

 

[AliOop]

congrats, well done!!

 

[KimLynn]

Loooong rant ahead.

In Feb this year, I was asked by my workplace recreation committee to do Cp soap workshops for team bonding. I quoted per pax $25 and they countered with $20 as max claim for such events is $20. Then they said to leave some budget for food so lowered to $18. I agreed, 3 groups signed up with 70 pax total.

Now, 1 week before the 1st workshop, I'm told claims are on reimbursement basis and must produce receipts. Previously I thought I could issue an invoice for each workshop. But noooo.. I don't have a company so I can't issue an invoice. I can't even be paid some token amount for my efforts. At no point from Feb till today was I told that I would have to justify my $18 through receipts.

OK, fine. I said my receipts won't tally with workshop materials since I buy them on off and from various suppliers. Eg, receipt for 6 bottles of OO when workshop only needs 4.

They said I can choose to absorb what I have bought and repurchase new supplies with workshop only materials receipt. I don't mind this option but I can't easily buy lye. And my lye supplier is a non English website. I'm waiting for their reply if non English receipts are accepted. If not, I will have to repurchase at double the cost from an English website. I'm vindictive enough that I added to cart the most expensive OO. Which is 4x my usual OO.

Best thing they said was reusable items needed to be split 3 ways so each workshop bears the same cost. Like a $3 spatula needs to be claimed 3 times of $1 each. I was so tempted to just use disposable forks for whisking and spoons as spatulas.

If i had known all this in Feb, I would never agree to do the workshops. Free cp soap workshop with complex claims? No thank you!

Now they can either
1) accept non English receipts and we proceed
2)repurchase lye on english website and postpone workshops
3)replace workshop if 1 and 2 not accepted

I feel kinda cheated for the effort I'm putting in. No one has helped me lug heavy oil to work or offered to help setup. I'm so petty now I'm not even gonna provide free mica, a sample bar of soap and molds like I wanted to. I'll just buy containers for molds and claim. And everyone makes white soap. No designs or color.

At this point I'm even considering buying a cheap microwave and just doing MP soap in cupcake liners.

No good deed goes unpunished. I’m sorry for your experience with this tacky organization. I had something a bit similar happen, although certainly not to your extent. I volunteered to donate commemorative soaps for a ceremony at my church, mainly to try a bespoke order and generate some publicity for my planned business (not in business yet). Spent way more than I planned (my own fault), but at the last minute the organizer changed how she wanted the soaps presented (I had provided a lovely wicker basket and went to the expense of creating a stand-up sign for the soaps), by putting the soaps in a paper gift bag along with other “stuff”. I then discovered at the ceremony that while others who were paid, like the caterer, got thanked in the program, I was not mentioned at all. I’m still miffed.