Household Product Innovation: Soap Education and Training as a Creative Economic Solution

Abstract

The creative economy is a new economic system that emphasizes the utilization of ideas, creativity, skills, and human knowledge as the main production factors in generating added value in the production and distribution of goods and services. One promising opportunity within this framework is the development of household-scale liquid soap industries, particularly in rural communities. Such initiatives are highly feasible for housewives and young women who are unemployed, enabling them to increase household income while contributing to local economic development. This community service program was conducted in Warabo Village, Montasik District, Aceh Besar Regency, with the main objective of educating and training participants in the production of liquid soap and floor cleaner as potential home-based businesses. The program was carried out in several stages, including the distribution of brochures and written guidelines on the soap-making process, provision of raw materials and supporting equipment, demonstrations of soap production, introduction to packaging techniques with appropriate labeling, and basic marketing knowledge relevant to household industries. The training sessions applied a participatory approach, involving lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on practice. The results indicate that the participants primarily housewives and young women gained both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in producing liquid soap. They demonstrated the ability to produce the product independently and expressed a commitment to continuing production for household use and potential sales within their village. The novelty of this program lies in its holistic approach, combining technical training with packaging, bookkeeping, and marketing strategies, which distinguishes it from previous initiatives that focused solely on production skills.