12 Days of Christmas with A2X and Honua Bars
We consider ourselves very lucky at A2X, because we get to work with some pretty awesome brands.
The companies that we work with have been started by a diverse range of passionate business owners throughout the world, all with big ideas and plenty of determination. They inspire us all the time and so, this Christmas, we wanted to share some of that with you.
In this 12 Days of Christmas series, we will be spotlighting a few of these brands and talking to them about their story, top ecommerce tips, and apps they like to use to help with running their businesses.
Day 2: Honua Bars
“I fell in love with shampoo bars a few years back and think they are a fantastic way to reduce plastic…When COVID hit, my hours got reduced, and it was the kick-start I needed to actually take the plunge and start a business.”
- Sophie, Founder.
Sophie saw an opportunity. She loved the convenience and environmentally friendly nature of shampoo and conditioner bars, but couldn’t find many options that focus on a younger audience. She wanted to bring a sense of fun and style to these sustainable products and offer something a little bit different. This year, she finally took the plunge and launched Honua Bars.
“The bars are formulated using sustainably sourced, salon quality ingredients that are gentle on both skin and hair… They contain no parabens, phthalates or silicones and are vegan and cruelty free. They also contain a raft of beneficial active ingredients… to really drench your hair with nourishment. Each pair of bars will replace 6 plastic bottles, so you are saving the planet with every pair!”
Sophie chose to bring her vision to life using Shopify, with A2X helping her integrate and automate her accounting.
Sophie’s top ecommerce tips:
- Use Shopify and set it up yourself! Sophie uses Shopify to run her business and likes how simple it was to set up. With plenty of tutorials, she says that when you do it yourself rather than pay someone else, you’ll understand the mechanics of your site far better and make your own changes to it.
- Use a social media scheduling tool. Apps like Later are really handy for planning your social media feeds. Sophie loves how you can plan what your feed will look like and schedule posts accordingly. Once it’s done, you can forget it, knowing that your feed will look curated and professional.
Sophie’s top ecommerce apps:
- A2X: Sophie says that A2X “makes your accounting life a zillion times easier, they pretty much do the shopify sales accounting for you, all you do is click a couple buttons.” Thanks, Sophie! Try A2X for free here.
- Google Ads: Google Shopping Ads are a great way to get your brand in front of customers when they are looking to buy - this app syncs your Shopify products to Google Merchant Centre.
- Product Reviews: The code is very easy to drop into your theme, and capture reviews - which are key for Sophie’s industry.
- Australia Post Shipping: For Shopify sellers based in Australia, this app allows you to offer carrier-based shipping without charging the premium. It also prefills the shipping fields for you, and according to Sophie, their support team is great.
- Omni Send: An email marketing app that lets you set up clever automation sequences and build emails easily.
Sophie’s recommendations for Honua Bars Christmas gifts:
- Shampoo Bar (Mint Chocolate): Festively scented with peppermint essential oil, this bar contains rhassoul clay which in Sophie’s words is “basically God’s gift to hair care!”
- Shampoo Sampler Pack: The ideal stocking filler for your eco-minded loved ones, these samplers contain four mini pineapple-shaped shampoos in each of the four scent options. And with the cool surfer chick on the front too, what’s not to love?
- Diatomite Honua Plate (Peppermint): This drying plate is made of diatomite, a sedimentary rock formed by fossilised phytoplankton; it soaks up water from your bars to keep them in pristine condition between uses. This plate is a pale minty green and pairs nicely with the mint chocolate shampoo and conditioner bars.
We love Sophie’s dedication and passion to her mission: reducing plastic waste with irresistibly fun alternatives to our usual shampoo and conditioner.
Spoil your family and take care of the environment this Christmas with Honua Bars!
Stick with us throughout the month of December to hear about more of our awesome sellers and their top tips for everything ecommerce.
