Growing a Small Business While Staying Small Batch

Sarah, owner of Cullowheegee Farms in 2021 in their spare bedroom turned soap studio.

When we first started making soap, we had no idea what this journey would become. What we did know was that we cared deeply about quality, ingredients, and creating something we could truly stand behind.

Our very first batches were made in our kitchen. We cured the soaps for four weeks on our dining room table—carefully lining them up and working around them during meals and everyday life. The house always smelled faintly of essential oils, and every inch of space felt dedicated to the dream we were building.

As demand slowly grew, we cleared out a spare bedroom and installed shelves so we could make and cure soaps there. What once was a guest room became a full-fledged soap studio. Shelves lined the walls, stacked high with curing bars. It felt official. It felt exciting. It also felt very, very full.

Eventually, we outgrew the house entirely.

That’s when we built a warehouse behind our home—a space dedicated solely to our operation. Moving production out of the house and into its own building was a defining moment. It symbolized growth, commitment, and belief in what we were creating.

Scaling the Right Way

Growth didn’t happen overnight. It happened one mold at a time.

We started with 10 bar soap molds.Then 50.Then 80.

Each jump felt huge. Each one required more organization, more efficiency, and more confidence.

Our tools evolved too. We went from using a tiny handheld immersion blender in the kitchen, to a drill bit with a paint stirrer attachment (which felt like a serious upgrade at the time), and eventually to a large commercial blender that can handle our batches with consistency and ease.

Our ingredients scaled alongside us. We began by buying small jugs of oil from the store. Then we graduated to 5-gallon buckets. Now, we order 55-gallon drums. Seeing those drums arrive is still surreal sometimes—a reminder of how far we’ve come from those early kitchen days.

The Challenge (and Joy) of Growing a Small Business

Learning how to scale efficiently has been one of the most challenging and exciting parts of this business. Growth brings anxiety. It forces you to rethink systems, workflow, storage, sourcing, and time management. It demands better planning and sharper decision-making.

We’ve had to constantly ask ourselves:

• How do we make more without compromising quality?

• How do we grow without losing what makes us different?

• How do we stay small batch in spirit, even as production increases?

Scaling isn’t just about making more product. It’s about building better systems while protecting your core values.

What Has Never Changed

Sarah & Eric, owners of Cullowheegee Farms in their new soap studio

Through all the growth—new equipment, bigger molds, larger ingredient orders—one thing has remained exactly the same:

Our recipes.

From day one, we made a promise to ourselves: no matter how big our company grew, we would never cut corners. We would never cheapen ingredients. We would never sacrifice quality for profit.

That promise still stands.

We’re not just here to make money. We are genuinely proud to provide skincare that is thoughtfully formulated, safe, and nourishing. Products that are healthy for our customers and gentle on the planet. Products made without artificial shortcuts or compromises.

Growing a small business while staying small batch means staying hands-on. It means every batch still matters. Every ingredient is still chosen with intention. Every bar still cures properly. Every formula still reflects the standards we set in our kitchen years ago.

The space may be bigger. The tools may be more advanced. The volume may be higher.

But the heart behind it?That’s exactly the same.

And we’re so grateful you’re here with us for the journey.