Sorry, but at $10 a soap, she is charging plenty, especially given the soaps are not triple milled.
So many other artisan's are making fantastic soaps (which are not just glycerin based) and are charging less and [IME] perform better and last longer than MB.
To me, it doesn't make sense that just because a business is failing, the customer willingly pays more in order to keep the business afloat.
What about if MB was making a profit, would there be a "CMP" (claim my profit) option on her website so the customer gets rewarded when times are good?
She could give it another go and try to become more efficient, look for cheaper suppliers (even though from the wholesale rates I have seen, soap making supplies are hardly that expensive when we consider the cost of making each soap) etc etc.
Lots of businesses do well and lots also fail. If MB is failing, it's not up to the customer to make her profitable, it is up to her solely. If she can't do it, then close the business down and move on.
I only have a couple of samples of MB soaps, and the samples I've used have not impressed me, and the only contact I've had with Sue was when I clicked the "Order" button to get those samples, so you wouldn't consider me a regular MB customer. But I don't have to be a customer to see that there's one aspect missing from your argument. From the business side, I can't find fault with what you're saying. The element missing, however, is the personal element.
it's clear from reading the frequent raving over MB products, and MB's service, that many here consider it more than just a business. There's a personal connection there. When there's a personal connection like that, people look beyond the checkout cart and they care about the people behind it. A lot of people want her to succeed not only because they like her product, but because they're good people who care about Sue. It's no different than helping out a friend who's fallen on hard times.
So yeah, as a faceless business, let it rise or fall on its own merits, but as business run by a person many people care about and even consider a friend, I think it's great that so many want to help. There may be fundamental business issues that need to be addressed for long-term viability, but it's always awesome to see people coming to the aid of other people they care about.