The Homestead Values
At Homestead, we consider ourselves a values-driven company. We believe in:
- treating ourselves, our company, our customers, our environment, our bodies and our minds, with utmost respect
- being creative and resourceful
- supporting our local community, local producers and living local values
- making human decisions
- consistency, tradition, simplicity and mindfulness
When we started Homestead Soapery, we had specific ideas about how we would live and breathe our world view. It’s great to have high value statements to try and develop a company culture to achieve strategic objectives, but we just wanted to run a regular company with a peripheral attachment to our values. The Homestead brand will be growing and expanding, and so our values need to align across all our business models.
We didn't want to make the business just about the values, but we do want to live by them in a quiet, consistent way. We want you, our customer and friend, to count on us to do the right thing as a matter of business ethics. We also want you to know that when you use a bar of soap from Homestead Soapery, you are taking part in an experience, a memory, and a vision.
VALUE #1: THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE
You understand that as all our products are handmade, and they will not look, feel or smell the same. But we do our best to reproduce amazing products because we stick to known formulas to ensure we can give you the experience time and time again.
We know our customers value support, kindness and ease of use/simplicity. We aim for the experience at Homestead Soapery to be seamless and simple.
VALUE #2: INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS
We know our products aren't for everyone. And that's ok. There are a thousand and one companies making other stuff, but we're the only Homestead Soapery in town. We also aren’t a gigantic multinational corporation aiming to make profits for shareholders and CEOs. We are a small business and you can't get products like ours anywhere but from us.
We use the highest quality ingredients we can find to make the outstandingly unique scents and lathers, and then we take those unique scents and raw materials and put them into fantastic-quality products, most of which are made from scratch.
VALUE #3: ETHICAL PRODUCTION
We must have a keen consciousness of our ingredients and process. We take care to make sure that our ingredients are ethically sourced and responsibly produced. Where possible, we source and produce locally to ensure we support our local community and other small business owners.
What this means:
- No land or forestry was decimated in the creation of any of our products
- All our products can be made into vegan friendly options, if they aren’t already vegan. Knowing that we source locally, you must know that this can include raw ingredients such as tallow, lard, honey and/or beeswax in the creation of our soaps. As our loyal customer, you will always be notified and made visibly aware of the ingredients in our products so that you can make informed choices.
- No GMO or synthetic ingredients (colours, scents, waxes, oils or bases)
- No preservatives
- No gluten, wheat, soy or any other allergens used in making soap.
VALUE #4: MADE IN AUSTRALIA
We live in a global economy and due to fair trade and other international agreements, we are flooded with imported goods, most often from third world countries that pay individuals poorly, or by large and greedy tyrannical nations who seek to decimate economies through poor quality items and cheapness. This is something we don’t agree with.
You may pay slightly more for an Australian made product, but the advantage is that you know it is supporting a local business. We do this by actively buying Australian-made products in our personal and professional lives and ensuring that our product lines are Australian sourced all the way through. The integrity of the supply chain remains Australian.
VALUE #5: MINDFUL COMMERCE
Finally, we will always encourage you to make the right decisions for yourself. If our values are aligned with yours, we hope you'll vote with your dollars to support our little operation.
When you buy from Homestead Soapery you're supporting a little company with big dreams and a lot of values. We just want to live in alignment with our goals and dreams and we hope that Homestead can lead us closer to that goal.