Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Knowles.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started with a floral and gift shop in McDonough, Blumen Trio. It was there I added the Greenwich Bay Trading Co. spa products to my gift line. They are a family owned and operated business in North Carolina that has been manufacturing fine toiletries since 1962. This new addition to Blumen Trio was a huge hit due to the soaps being made with vegetable oils, free from animal testing, raw materials domestically sourced, and the beautiful wrappers printed with soy based inks on recycled paper.
In 2015, we had to make a hard decision to close our store in McDonough. Customers hated to see us go and asked how they would continue to buy our soaps. Soon after that, bubblesbathandbody.com was born. In addition to a new soap website, we rented space at Antiques & Beyond in Midtown Atlanta and the rest is history. I now sell thousands of natural soap squares, bottled spa products, & home fragrance. Not only do we ship to all 50 states, we have a great following right here in Atlanta. All of our products are made here in the USA and only with natural ingredients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting a new business in 2008 had many struggles. The economy suffered a recession about the same time we opened Blumen Trio and it seemed we were always trying recover from that slow down. It wasn’t until years later when we decided to move in a new direction that we started to grow into a profitable business. I always remember what a great friend and business partner from Nashville would say if asked of his problems. He would say, “I’ve never had a problem in my life, just a lot of situations” I can defiantly relate. Smooth? NO. Struggles? YES. Having said that, we’re still here and have learned so much and just get better at what we do.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bubbles Bath & Body – what should we know?
I am extremely “hands on”. I am the buyer, the packer, the shipper as well as the webmaster for our online store. I do most of the visual arts and promotions. Kind of a one man act a times. Customer service is by far one of the things we are most proud of. We get great reviews with yelp and work hard to maintain this status with our customers.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There have been so many starting with my Dad. I was raised in the Midwest and my family had a greenhouse business. My parents raised 6 children and all of us helped run the greenhouse while growing up. Needless to say, much of my business practices were learned way back then. Through the years I have mentored with many successful people and have learned so much from their talents. My customers are truly a big part of my success. They keep me in check and paying attention to all the important details. I couldn’t do any of this without the help of my partner and best friend, Mark. It is true that “it takes a village”
Contact Info:
- Address: 1853 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Atlanta GA 30324 - Website: www.bubblesbathandbody.com
- Phone: 678-812-0077
- Email: bubblesonlinestore@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bubblesbathandbody/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bubblesbathbody/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/follow?source=followbutton&variant=1.0&screen_name=bubblesbathbody
Image Credit:
Plant Scent image – Doug Andrys (SunLeaf Naturals)
Greenwich Bay Trading Co
Liz Rieckmann
Bob Knowles
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