John Larkin went from nine dodgy bars on his kitchen counter to a business making a million handmade soaps a year, with sales forecast at €4M to €5M in 2024. Here’s how he built The Black Stuff, and what you can steal from it.
Make it yourself while you wait
John planned to sell factory-made soap online, but lockdown meant samples never arrived. Every factory was busy making hand sanitiser. So he started making soap in his kitchen to understand the product. When the samples finally turned up months later, he realised his own soap was better, and switched the whole business to handmade.
Find a name nobody owns
His Guinness batch smelled so bad he thought he’d ruined it, until curing fixed it. When he tried it in the shower, he ran out dripping to check whether Guinness had ever trademarked “the black stuff”, Irish slang for a pint. They hadn’t. The brand named itself.
Use your neighbours as a focus group
During lockdown, the dads on his road met at a lamppost for socially distanced cans. John always brought soap in his jacket. They were his first testers and harshest critics.
Launch where failure is invisible
He launched in the US first with six scents. The EU paperwork was heavy for a one-man operation, and if it flopped, nobody in Ireland would know. The twist: the biggest demand turned out to be much closer to home, from men who found shower gels too harsh on their skin.
Buy the pint
About three customers in, an American called Zane messaged to say he was visiting Dublin and wanted to pick up his order in person. John met him and bought him a pint. Zane turned out to be a soap enthusiast, and that night he posted in a Facebook group called Craft Soap Reviews, where people collect handmade soap the way others collect whiskey. John’s first 100 customers came from that group, and most are still customers today.
Turn your first 100 into a community
That group became the blueprint for The Black Stuff’s own Facebook community, now 15,000+ members swapping scent tips, showing up for limited-edition drops and even flagging counterfeits. One member designed and 3D-printed a soap case at home. John bought the design for £1,000 plus £1,000 in gift cards and turned it into a product.
Advertise because people come back
The Black Stuff runs a lot of ads, and John is open about why: around half of everyone who tries it comes back. Strong repeat buying is what makes the ad spend pay off.
Keep it small and premium
He kept the range tight and the prices premium, with soap at €7.95 and deodorant at €12.95, so there’s margin left for retailers. The first Black Stuff shop opened in Dublin in October 2026.
Hire for skill, not experience