Husband-and-Wife Team Brings Handmade Goat Milk Products to Customers Nationwide
In 2013, husband-and-wife team Joel and Katy Waechter took over Joy Lane Farm in New Hampshire, inspired by Joel’s mom, who made goat milk soap as a hobby while Joel was growing up. The couple started small, selling their handcrafted soap at local farmers markets. As word of the all-natural cleansers’ gentle, restorative properties spread, demand quickly grew.
Sensing an opportunity, Joel and Katy expanded their product line to include other chemical-free, locally made products, including lotions, lip balms, and candles. They rented a manufacturing space in a historic New England mill, allowing them to boost production, build relationships with wholesalers, and establish a presence in specialty stores nationwide.
In 2020, as the pandemic unfolded, they pivoted to e-commerce and started running digital ads to reach likely customers — a move that proved to be a gamechanger. Using Google Ads to market their products in potential customers’ search results, the business saw a 180% increase in first-time buyers.
Joel traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for policies that support small businesses’ access to digital tools. Meeting with staffers in Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) office, he explained how online advertising helps small businesses like Joy Lane Farm compete with big corporations. “It was great to explain how important digital tools are to running and growing our business, especially in today’s uncertain economy,” he says. “Small businesses need policies that help us move forward and don’t hold us back.” To learn more about Joy Lane Farm, visit: https://joylanefarm.com/.
