Yello Interviews: Kristle Jeffers, Founder of Handmade by Kae
by Karen Rollins Aug 31, 2020
Kristle Jeffers loved using her sister Kimberly’s homemade soap so much she asked her to teach her how to make it.
Kristle immediately discovered that she enjoyed the process and eventually, after encouragement from her husband, started selling her soap at a local farmers’ market in Barbados in 2018, under the name ‘Handmade by Kae’.
Kristle and Kimberly have now added body lotion, body oils, wooden soap dishes, knitted washcloths, and candles to their creative repertoire, and have plans to sell their products internationally.
Kristle shared their unique business story with Yello.
Please tell us a bit about your background.
We grew up in a very close-knit family in
Trinidad.
We spent most of our time in Patna, Diego Martin or Carenage, which is where both our mother and father, and some of our favourite cousins and childhood friends, are from.
What were your interests / hobbies when you were younger?
I loved sewing and putting together gift baskets, and Kimberly was very into music, crochet, and knitting.
Did you always want to be entrepreneurs?
Yes! We didn’t have a clue what business, or that we would do it together, but we did want to start our own thing. Looking back, we realise it was what we saw around us, because a number of our aunts, uncles, and older cousins, all had businesses of some sort or the other.
How / why did you start up Handmade by Kae?
Handmade by Kae started quite by chance.
Kimberly taught herself to make soap and would send some to me in Barbados. I got impatient waiting for the stock update, so she taught me how to make my own. I enjoyed it so much I started to contemplate selling them.
Then, with the support of my husband, we went to our favourite farmers’ market and set up a tent. Two years later here we are!
What was the biggest challenge you faced starting the business? How did you overcome it?
Time! Finding the time to get it all done.
Initially I worked all day, came home, took care of the kids, and then made soap from 9pm to midnight. This was not a sustainable situation.
Kimberly eventually moved to Barbados, and that has been a life saver. Time is still a challenge, but it is a lot more manageable.
What products do you offer?
We offer handmade soap, lotion, body oils, wooden soap dishes, knitted washcloths and most recently candles.
Where do you get inspiration from for new products?
We think about unique things that will make great gifts and complement our core product, which is soap – items like our knitted washcloths.
We also consider customer requests. The candles are a great example of that!
What is the entire process for creating the soap from idea to market?
We have an idea to use a particular ingredient, or it may be that we see a colour palette, we would love to see in a soap.
Ingredients are researched for their benefits, allergens, accessibility etc. We create test batches and get some of our customers to try for feedback.
Once we are satisfied with it, we package it and advertise.
What’s the unique selling point for Handmade by Kae?
Eco-friendly, creative, quality products.
Who are your clients? How do they find you?
We have a wide a customer base. You can find us most Saturdays at Brighton Farmers’ Market, St. George, Barbados.
We also retail at a number of boutiques in Barbados, have an up-to-date website and very active Instagram page where we advertise our products, as well as any show, or pop up, that we plan to attend.
How do you plan to develop the business over the next five years?
Being in business for only two years, we are still learning so much about the industry, our customers, and what we want Handmade by Kae to be, so this is a slightly difficult question to answer.
I would say that we would like to continue to strengthen our brand, grow regionally, and sell our products internationally.
What advice would you give aspiring Caribbean entrepreneurs?
Understand who your target market is. Let that guide everything about your business from your packaging choices to the events you participate in.
Invest in yourself and your business.
Find a good mentor who will help with some of the tough decisions and collaborate with like-minded persons who will not only help you, but who you can assist, as your business grows.
What do you love about Barbados?
The calm beauty of the island.
Where do you go on your days off?
Between us we have two businesses, two kids under the age of five and a full-time job. There is no such thing as a day off!
However, when we do get some time, Kim loves visiting Andromeda Gardens to draw and paint.
I hit every single market to get fresh produce, visit vendors, and buy crafts for myself and the kids.
Describe your philosophy / approach to life.
Keep doing you!
If you could have one superpower what would it be? Why?
Super speed and the ability to clone ourselves because there is so much to do every single day.
Tell us something only a few people know about you.
We are generally shy, and much prefer staying at home.
—
See the full range of Handmade by Kae products on the website – www.handmadebykae.com, and follow on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.