When Inverness based social enterprise Ness Soap won its first commercial contract, to supply soap to a local tourism business, they had the idea of making 'Nessie' monster shaped soaps. These were an instant hit and launched their distinctive brand.
Ness Soap started out making hand-crafted soap on a very small scale from the spare room of a day centre. Set up by local charity Merkinch Development Ventures, the project aimed to help people develop work-related skills in a fun and friendly environment. Volunteers soon signed up: local unemployed people looking for something practical to do; young mothers from the estate, many of whom were quite socially isolated, and people with learning disabilities who used the day centre. Soap making was an activity everyone could take part in and enjoy.
Initially, only a small quantity of soap was produced and it was marketed in a low-key way, mostly through stalls at local events. Right from the start, though, it was a quality product made from natural ingredients and scents, with the potential to gain a wider market. But with only one year's funding for a project manger, the whole thing dwindled when he moved on. A local businessman, David Smith, was called in to review the options: he recommended developing it along more enterprising lines and a revised Project Manager post was created to bring new energy to the venture. Lucy Morrison took up this job in late 2007 and Ness Soap hasn't looked back.
Lucy and her dynamic team have increased sales dramatically in just a few years. Ness Soap now fills a niche in the local tourist market, and also supply own-brand soap to corporate customers. These are used as gifts or, in the case of well-known charity, Highland Hospice, sold via their online catalogue to raise funds.
The company is now poised to move up a level. With funds from HIE, the Lottery and the Volunteer Action Fund, Ness Soap has leased its own workshop and retail unit near the centre of Inverness, and recruited the first group of ten young people with learning disabilities. Each will spend up to 18 months at the workshop as well as going out on placement with local employers. New packaging, new designs and a new website are all in production, and academic partners are working to engineer a mould to make 3D versions of the popular Nessie shaped soap.
Juggling the business and social sides of Ness Soap is a constant challenge. Lucy Morrison says, "There's just so much to think about: sales and marketing, building up links with the Department of Work and Pensions and Highland Council to get contracts for training, and then constantly thinking about what our trainees are getting out of the experience".
HIE has helped Ness Soap in very practical ways. Lucy says that she can always pick up the phone to their Account Manager who is good at making creative connections. "She put us in touch with the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and someone came out for a day to look at our production processes. Their report was really useful for working out how best to set things up our in our new workshop".
Anne Williamson from HIE is equally impressed with Ness Soap. "They are a delight to work with. Lucy and the team are really forward thinking and are set to exceed their sales targets for this year. We've been able to help them with some capital funding to fit out their new workshop and hope to continue to support the work they are doing with academic partners through HI Links, the UHI's Knowledge Transfer project which is part funded by HIE".
