Local Mother Starts Her Own Business After Being Laid Off

Val Ristovski, owner of Valganics Handcrafted Soap, started her business in January 2012.

Ristovski recently submitted information about the business to Patch. If you have a business and want to participate in Patch's Small Business Shout Out you can fill out the form here.

How did your business come to be?: After having been laid off from my previous Information Technology job in December 2008, which was 2 months before I had my second child, I spent a few years looking for employment in Information Technology before I decided to  learn something completely new that I could relate to on a personal level.  It all started at the local Canton Public Library and having access to resources such as S.C.O.R.E and Michigan.gov helped me learn "how" to start a business and the process involved.

What's a fact about your business that most customers probably don't know?: The majority of the supplies that I use such as stainless steel pots and pans, shelving, utensils, paper stock and even a printer have been purchased from local yard sales and second hand shops within the Plymouth/Canton and surrounding communities.  In reality, the community helped my business become a reality because I was able to keep my costs down.

What services does your business provide?: I would really like to expand on doing special orders for people such as weddings, showers, special occasions, group functions, etc.. 

What do you want your business to be best known for?: As my motto reads "Recognizing and Respecting the Sensitivity of Others ™" since I am one of them.  We may not reflect the majority of the population, but we are growing and I think it is important to recognize this and get back to the basics of life starting with good old-fashioned, basic soap

I want my soaps to be known for quality, hard, and long-lasting. I want people to know that they are getting value from using my soap.

What's your most popular product or service?: Since scented soap popularity tend to vary throughout the year, I would say the traditional favorites still stand strong such as Lavender, Lemon Grass and anything with Patchouli or Sandalwood.

When was the business founded?: January 2012

Why did you choose to locate to Canton?: Since I also suffered skin issues for many years, I was inspired by other soap makers that I have met at local festivals and it felt right to commit myself to learning the process. Learning how to make real soap in its truest form gave me the satisfaction of helping people who seek an alternative to store-bought soaps due to sensitivities and allergies. Hearing positive feedback from customers is inspiring in itself and am grateful for being able to create something where I can make soap as plain or artistic as I want and have full control of all the ingredients that go into making it.