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When Amilya Antonetti's newborn son became seriously ill,she was frantic. It wasn't until she kept a log of heractivities and his illnesses- included asthma, eczema andsevere colic- she realized his outbreaks coincided with hercleaning days. The products that Antonetti used contained chemicalsthat nearly killed her baby, who later was diagnosed with multiplechemical sensitivity. "It was a toxic time bomb," saysthe 32-year-old. "But I wondered how I was going to [clean]without these products."
From that moment on, Antonetti was on a mission. Unable to findall-natural products on the market, she sought advice from cleaningexperts of yesteryear. Elderly women explained how they once usedingredients like vinegar, lemons and baking soda to clean theirhomes.
After talking to other mothers with ill children, Antonetti wasconvinced that a market existed for products containing suchingredients. "Detergents break down the immune system, soanyone with immune system problems- with cancer or AIDS, forexample-'t be around them," Antonetti explains. In1994, using an initial $300,000 of her own start-up capital,Antonetti launched SoapWorks in San Leandro, California. She and acore group of volunteers worked like women possessed, developing anall-natural soap, then a laundry detergent and an all-purposecleaner.
But building the business while competing with giants like Tideand Clorox for precious supermarket shelf space has taken aHerculean effort. At one point, Antonetti sold everything sheowned, including her house, and got a $220,000 SBA loan tocapitalize the business; her husband, Dennis, left his career as alawyer to help her. Antonetti's been laughed at, ridiculed andthreatened by industry giants who seem hell-bent on putting her outof business. "A lot of back-handed, rotten things havehappened," she affirms.
Despite the obstacles, the business is growing. All ofSoapWorks' products are sold online (www.soapworks.com) and in 2,000stores across the United States-a number Antonetti expects todouble by year-end. With 52 employees and $5 million in sales,Antonetti is heartened by her fast progress. "I'm creatingmy own niche," she clarifies. "Failure is not an option.I couldn't look at my son and not do this. I made a deal withGod six years ago: If you let me keep him, I'll make adifference."
Pamela Rohland, a writer from Bernville, Pennsylvania,completes stories for Business Start-Ups and other nationalpublications with assistance from her four cats.
