There are so many businesses that you can try and one that you can consider is having a home-made soap business. Here are some things that you need to consider when starting your business:
- Learn the process of making a home-made soap.
If you are new to soap making, attend a class or seminars in your area or online to discover available opportunities.
Basically, you will need the following equipment: microwave, blender, molds, mixing kettle, wrappers, and labellers.
The two main methods of soap making are the cold process and the hot process. The cold process is the most common method. It uses alkali (lye) mixed with fats or oils. Then it is formed into a desired shape and takes weeks for the soap to cure. Meanwhile, the hot process requires cooking the soap; it is easier to add scents and colors and doesn’t require curing. But, molding a hot soap is more difficult.
- Develop a unique formula for your home-made soap.
Once you learn the basics, you need to discover a formula that will make your product stand out from the rest. Experiment with scents, colors, moisturizers, and scrub beads until you create a unique and highly marketable product.
- Developing your brand.
Of course, who doesn’t want a product that stands out from the rest? There are so many home-made soap products available out there. You need to think about your target market and what kind of soap they will need. Is it beauty soap, scented soap, soap with scrub, exfoliating soap? Or would you want to experiment first with a variety of soap?
Another thing when developing your brand is having a unique and memorable brand name by using unique and fun shapes and colors, scents, embossing the soap with letters or shapes, and creating a product logo.
- Pricing, Advertising, and marketing.
If you think that if you lower down your price, you’ll have many buyers. The key is you must first determine your target market, and name your price in line with your target market. Also, you shouldn’t exhaust your full effort on product development alone.
The bloodline of your business is how well you market your product. Make sure that you reach your target market by word of mouth, personally selling your products, and joining product expo. You may also consider selling your home-made soap online.
- Consider getting a supplier.
If you have built your business and selling consistently, you may want to consider having a supplier of the things you need such as oils, molds, scents, colors, and equipment.
- Work out the legalities.
Ask around about the documents that you need to secure upon opening your business. This can include mayor’s permit, sanitary permit, and business permit. You may also need to register your product for BFAD (Bureau of Foods and Drugs) approval.
Finally, you may need to think about the future of your product and your business. Expand your market and never stop advertising. Don’t focus your energy on the product alone because there are other key things for a successful business such as marketing, employee-employer relationship, and handling finances.
