We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Georgia (Jo) Heslop a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Georgia (Jo), love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve always really enjoyed DIY body care and I also have a B.S. in Biology – so Jo’s Body Shop is the perfect combination of my passions. When I started the shop, it was right after I had come back from a year working abroad. I had come home for the holidays and decided to create a body scrub for a few of my family members as gifts. I designed the packaging and the product and named it “Jo’s Coco + Cocoa Body Scrub”. Little did I know that Jo’s Body Shop was born in my parents kitchen that day (and with a little tweaking, this product came to be what is now our best selling product – Jo’s Body Scrub)! This DIY project lit a spark in me so much so that I decided to invest my last paycheck (about $1,500) into starting Jo’s Body Shop with no experience in business. And in May of 2020 during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic I launched the Jo’s Body Shop site. I didn’t really know what I was in for, but I was definitely ready for the ride. Now it’s been 10 months since I’ve started my business and I’m working on it full time. Sometimes I’m so busy with orders that I’m on my feet for the most part of 12 hours. Some days I get no sales. But no matter the day, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Jo’s Body Shop has been such a huge blessing in my life helping to give me purpose and passion during a time where many have struggled to have either. Owning and running my own shop has taught me to have more patience with myself and others, to reach out for help when I need it, and to work really really hard. So if you’re to take anything from my story, please let it be to take the leap (whatever yours may be). In the beginning you may not fully know what you’re doing, but somewhere along the way you’ll learn to fly.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
So far participating in farmer’s markets has been the best source of new clients for my business! It’s also been the most fun source of clients because I’ve gotten to meet people face to face (which has been super awesome since Jo’s Body Shop started during the COVID-19 pandemic). Participating in farmer’s market’s has also really helped me to build rapport with people in my community and they’ve come to love and trust our products!
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
I currently sell on my own site and it’s actually one of the best decisions I’ve made business-wise. I have total creative control of what my site looks like and how my products are featured. I’m also able to avoid hefty fees by having this is as my main selling platform. I’ve considered joining Etsy but the fees as well as reviews from friends have made me err on the side of caution (but I may still try it out for myself as Etsy advertises for you!). Amazon I’ve never really considered as I don’t believe that they align with my brand ethos. as much. One of the pros of selling on platforms like Etsy however is that they often advertise for you, whereas with your own website you’re fully responsible for driving traffic to that site (and as a new business owner this can sometimes be hard!).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.josbodyshop.co
- Instagram: @josbodyshop.co
- Facebook: @josbodyshop.co
- Other: TikTok: @josbodyshop.co