Owned by April MacKinnon, Anointment Natural Skin Care Inc. started in 2002 at the Halifax Farmers Market, where the company’s primary product was handcrafted soap. The business relocated to Sackville in 2011. With MacKinnon’s background in the baby and childrenās industry, Anointment made some product and ingredient refinements and refocused the brand to serve the wholesale market. The company currently has five employees, and its primary customers are independently owned baby and childrenās boutiques, lifestyle shops and health food stores across Canada and the United States. You can visit Anointment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Why did you choose to start your business in Sackville?
I grew up in Sackville, and after my three children were born, we were looking for a lifestyle change where our kids could access many of the activities and opportunities available in a larger centre but have more personal freedom. Sackville isĀ strategically located on westbound shipping routes which helps to keep shipping costs low, and many of the supplies we use can be accessed easily in Halifax or Moncton. Opportunities New Brunswick and the New Brunswick government have been extremely helpful in providing access to consultant advice, grants for trade show travel and assistance in growing our market outside of New Brunswick.
What surprised or surprises you about running a business in Sackville?
Sackville has a well-educated and skilled population that is eager to work. Our product labels clearly state we are located in Sackville, New Brunswick, and I hear a lot of feedback from former Mount Allison students from across Canada who pick up our product in stores and the location brings back fond memories. āAwww, Sackville,ā is a comment I hear a lot; there are a lot of positive memories associated with this place.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
In building a business I wear a lot of hats and I parent three children. A typical day usually begins with processing orders that came in the day before, ordering supplies, checking our inventory levels and planning the production schedule for the week in co-operation with my amazing team. A lot of my time is spent in sales developing relationships with customers and in product research, development, design and regulatory framework. I check in regularly with our Canadian and American distributor who is based in Toronto, dedicate one day a week to social media management and another day to financial updates.
How do you see your business growing or changing over the next five years?
New opportunities for exports are emerging and we are investigating how we can scale up to meet growing demand. We achieved cruelty free and vegan certifications in 2017 and weāre constantly looking at ways to improve and give back to our community. We want to grow the business with both environmental and financial sustainability in mind. We are acquiring new larger capacity equipment and planning to move to a new facility and anticipate adding several new positions in our organization while maintaining a flexible family-friendly workplace.
What’s your favourite place to eat or explore in Sackville and why?
I love the Black Duck Coffee Shop. I appreciate their farm-to-table philosophy. I have tried many, many lattes in cities across the country and the Black Duck is consistently the best! It is a big-city experience that I donāt have to leave town for!
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about moving to Sackville?
Sackville has a culture of entrepreneurship and there are lots of opportunities for informal idea sharing over coffee. There are challenges to every path but success is possible with hard work and persistence whether your market is Sackville or you are selling a product or service elsewhere. The cost of living is lower than many places and the experience of being on the marsh or overlooking the Bay of Fundy at dawn is something that you canāt get in a big city.