That's my dream to have a shop with a workshop at the back. There's a wee shop in the village which is up for let but at the moment it's not the right time and the location is not great. But how lovely it would be to reclaim my kitchen/spare room/loft and have a "normal" house again 
I have thought about advertising in the local paper for an outhouse/workshop in the village but not done anything about it yet.

I must confess that the general idea was to make and be open to the public at the same time, I'd have to talk to TS to get their view on lye and soaping in public

There'll have to be a barrier (not necessarily glass) and you'd have to be a specific distance from the barrier - lye or no lye that would apply re hot surfaces and liquids being moved in pans etc.

FAB idea...LOVE IT!! AND welcome to Fresholi!! :mwaha:

Slicing of soaps, and blending of products etc. would be fine, but handling lye etc. is best avoided. A bespoke product service (non-soap) where you formulate for the client there and then could be poplular - e.g.,  a specific blend of essential oils added to a ready made base to suit the client's needs (after consulatation).

Thinking further - such a shop could well not need to open at 9.00am, giving you time to get past the lye stage before the doors are open to Joe Public.

However it's possible that you'd have to have something like a fire safe lockable metal cupboard in which to store the lye and a rear fire exit for whoever is in the workshop area (small shops don't necessarily need a separate fire exit - depends on the walking distance to the door onto the street) and it would be advisable to get a Fire Officer in to advise before anyone else. (Planning permission would be needed if the premises are currently a shop without a workshop).

Thank you everyone for your input. You've brought up some interesting points, some that I'd thought of and some that I definitely haven't. I was thinking of doing the CP before opening and doing the 'prettying up' once opened and I'd thought about the firesafe box but not about the rear fire exit (although the unit does have one)
many thanks from Teresa who is now late for work!!!

Hello Teresa, you are welcome, i like shops like that and dream of  having one myself too one day in the sun. you probably might  be able to decipher this Abr. i did a workshop with Pf last year and she was still in her premises she'd been in for years, it wasn't a huge place but she had the shop on one side and her workshop to the back, it wasn't tucked away and i agree it's such a novelty idea, i for one would buy and buy non stop in such a place. of course there is all the headache that goes with the logistics of running such a place but  it all seems so ideal and fulfilling to me.

Hi chica,

I did a course at Pf too and I agree, her premises were good and if I was half as successful as her I'd be a very happy lady
kind regards
Teresa

Hi Theresa
Welcome and hello!!! From Somerset, many miles and yet just a keyboard away.......

Deborah

  Hi Teresa.

hi you will love it here lots of info and lovely people