“One thing I could not have anticipated was the pace at which things grow,” muses Leigh McFarlane, owner of The Soap Company of Nova Scotia. “I call it the soap-splosion!”

In 2013, Leigh found herself sitting on a beach, thinking about the lack of natural personal hygiene and cleaning products for someone with her sensitivities to synthetic scent and chemicals. She also wanted to create jobs within her community of Sherbrooke on the Eastern Shore. So, in her family’s old Victorian home in Port Hillford, she started making soap. The goal was to focus on making unscented products only – that is, until Leigh learned about the difference between synthetic fragrances and natural essential oils.

“That added a level of chemistry, art and creativity,” she explains.

The Soap Company of Nova Scotia offers so much more than soap. You can also find lotion, deodorant, candles, spa products, a baby care line, as well as household cleaning staples – even bath products for pets! Unscented options are available for those with sensitivities or allergies, as well as natural scents like: rustic lemon, lavender, peppermint, and patchouli.

“We just had our 10-year celebration last October – it was exciting and humbling to have everyone come together,” Leigh says. “The support has been incredible.”

Leigh originally sought out CBDC Guysborough County for financial support and to help her manage the rapid growth of her business. CBDC was “there from the very beginning.” The Soap Company has benefited from loans (from short-term bridge loans to long-term loans for capital expenses), grants for education/training and consulting services, entrepreneurial training, promotional opportunities, and impactful guidance.

They reached out to CBDC for advice as questions came up. “The folks at CBDC were straightforward and very honest,” Leigh remembers. “You need that kind of honesty when you’re running a business. We’re still very much in contact with them.”

Things took an unexpected turn in November of 2021 when, due to a faulty washing machine, the property caught fire and the business burning to the ground. Leigh and her daughter Anna Muise –the company’s Director of Operations – watched it all go up in smoke.

Leigh credits a “spirit of resilience” and the community pulling together to help her growing business carry on despite the devastating fire. The Soap Company has since moved into a new, more spacious facility, which is also home to the Sanctuary Shore General Store and a Café.

Leigh also credits CBDC help and encouragement “In particular, Wanda MacDonald of the Guysborough CBDC has been an incredible support at key points in growing the business and especially in the aftermath of the fire. Her knowledgeable advice, wisdom, practical guidance, and no-nonsense encouragement have been a critically important part of evolving this company.”

“Leigh, Anna and the Soap Company team have been a pleasure to work with over the years,” says Wanda MacDonald. “They look for and become involved in as many training and development opportunities as possible to continue to grow and expand their business. We look forward working together for many more years.”

“We offer all sorts of things to people – we have a café now, we make six kinds of bread.” Leigh says. “I want to make it so that people don’t have to leave the area to get what they need.”

“I have a deep gratitude for this community; to live here,” Leigh smiles. “I can’t remember life before this.”

Thank you to our Government of Canada partners at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), who collaborate with us to support small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. Together, we will continue to build a stronger Atlantic Canadian economy, fostering job growth and strengthening our rural communities.