All posts by Cathy

[Start-it-up] Building a handmade soap business

Self-care and the beauty industry have been on the rise in recent years, and with the advent of the internet, homemade soap makers have the opportunity to turn their hobby into a business. There are a few initial investments like dyes, oils, molds, and pigments, but soap makers should first focus on investing in a quality hand blender. Once created, the products can be displayed online or at corporate events. Also, it’s important to understand that each state has their own health standards that soap makers will need to comply with.

Key Takeaways:

  • One business sector that has grown exponentially in the last half decade is the personal care industry.
  • Some personal care product companies actually began as producers of soap only before segueing into a full line of care products.
  • Some likely expenses for would-be soap-making entrepreneurs include, mixing equipment, moulds and workshops.

“With masses becoming aware about the ingredients used to make personal care products, including soaps and shampoos, many homemade soap companies have gained traction.”

Read more: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/346714

How to Charge Higher Prices for your Handmade Products

When you are figuring out how to charge more for your items, keep in mind that every amount of effort you put into your product matters and should cost a bit extra for those who are willing to pay for it. If you have an item you want to sell, don’t sell it short, that could have damaging effects for your business. People will spend more for a couple different reasons, one of them is gift giving, people don’t like to give cheap items as gifts.

Key Takeaways:

  • There are times when your customers are shopping for a gift and they want the recipient to know they picked out something special.
  • Your handmade business should not be appealing to shoppers who want the lowest price.
  • When shoppers want something that’s out of the ordinary, they’re willing to pay more.

“Of course, there’s a right way and a wrong way to raise prices. And I’m not suggesting you simply slap a higher price tag on existing products.”

Read more: https://www.madeurban.com/blog/how-to-charge-higher-prices-for-your-handmade-products/

Make The Most Of Your Presence At Farmers Markets

If you want to gain a lot of customers at a farmers market then you are going to want to make your booth appealing for people to want to stop and look at what you have to sell at your booth. You will also want to make sure that your booth is separated from booths that have similar items. Figure out a way to get the word out about what you’re selling and make name for yourself that will create word of mouth by having an attractive table.

Key Takeaways:

  • Farmer’s markets and similar events can be an effective and inexpensive way to build brand recognition in your community.
  • The marketing plan you put into motion before the event at which you’ll exhibit has a significant bearing on the amount of success your business will have at the event itself.
  • Your booth should make every person who walks by want to stop and browse your selection.

“Social media networks like Facebook allow you to create paid campaigns based on your budget and make it easy to target audiences based on location and interests so you can expose prospects who may be likely to attend the event to your brand beforehand”

Read more: https://wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/business-articles/make-the-most-of-your-presence-at-farmers-markets.aspx

Cold Process Soap: An Expert Guide to Making it at Home

Making soap is not a very difficult process and the art of soap making is done with ingredients that are very good for your skin. The art of the cold process in soap making is a tried and true method that has been practiced for quite a long time now. It involves mixing different types of oils and from there you can use your scents and colors to make it unique. The cold process preserves the ingredients in the skin softening ingredients and added fragrances.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cold process soap is created by combining specified ingredients designed to induce a specific chemical reaction.
  • This chemical process that transforms the specified ingredients into soap is called saponification.
  • Sodium hydroxide lye is the key ingredient in this cold process technique.

“A good cleanser is fundamental to a healthy skincare routine, whether your preference is a heavy-duty oil, a mild soothing cream, or an exfoliating scrub.”

Read more: https://www.marthastewart.com/1535651/cold-process-soap-making

Best Practices in Measuring

When making soap, many DIYers find themselves wondering which measuring tools provide the most accurate results. Most recipes do not provide readers with a concise idea of consistency and precision. This is why spoons and cups are not always the best measuring tools. Purchasing a digital scale is a wise investment for any soap maker, as they measure not only pounds and ounces, but grams too. This makes them much more accurate in weighing various materials.

Key Takeaways:

  • When it comes to making homemade cosmetics consistency is key. Tools like measuring spoons and cups are not consistent.
  • Measuring tools that are the norm in cooking are given to approximations, which is fine for a goulash, but not for a facial mask, which should deliver specified results each time.
  • For cosmetics, it’s best to eschew the measuring equipment and go for a digital scale, which will be far more precise.

“Unfortunately, an alarming number call for measured ingredients, in cups and tablespoons.”

Read more: https://makingsoapmagazine.com/2019/11/22/best-practices-in-measuring/

Why Giving is Important for Small Business

Soap With Hope is a company that was founded by a woman named Kate who has been making and selling soap for about five years. Kate was previously diagnosed with cancer, and had to undergo an intense treatment program as a result. She needed to find a career that would allow her to be with her family during this difficult time, and soap making was both a viable and intriguing option. Not only does Kate donate 25 cents of every sale to breast cancer research, but she also donates bars of soap to those in need.

Key Takeaways:

  • A company called Soap With Hope donates twenty-five cents of every purchase to breast cancer research, so purchasing from them is automatically charitable.
  • The owner of Soap With Hope also takes the initiative to donate bars of soap to several charities that require hygeinic supplies.
  • Kate claims that her motive for living such a compassionate life is to teach her kids that you can still rely on your community when you’re in need.

“If you’re looking for ways to give back to your community, this post can help you get started.”

Read more: https://www.brambleberry.com/articles/small-business/art0026-why-giving-is-important.html?fdid=3-business_article_studio

Knowing Your Trace in Soap

If you are new to making soap you may not even know what trace is when it comes to soap. Trace is nothing more than the consistency of your soap mixture, different traces will indicate different stages of consistency. At some points the mixture will be like pudding and this is the best time to mix in other types of soaps to create a swirl effect in the design of your soap. Other times it will be ready to pour into the mold.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trace is very useful for figuring out when a soap mixture has been adequately blended for it to subsequently be placed into a mold.
  • Light trace, which has a creamy consistency and occurs right after blending, is good for use with intricate molds.
  • Thick trace doesn’t flow or pour very well, and may need to be spooned out, but is useful for layering applications.

“Different levels of trace or soap consistency can assist you in using particular techniques and achieving specific soap designs.”

Read more: http://www.bathalchemylab.com/2016/03/knowing-your-trace-in-soap.html

Marketing Your Handmade Business to Millennials

The majority of the population is made up of millennial’s and have now surpassed the baby boomer generation as far as who makes up the most of the population. A lot of Millennial’s are in their late thirties, and are also parents, so you will want to appeal to both parents and the children of those parents. A couple things to consider are gender biases, they aren’t interested in just buying pink for a girl and blue for a boy, for example.

Key Takeaways:

  • There are 80 million Millennial’s and they have recently surpassed baby boomers as the group that is the majority of the population.
  • The target audience for handmade business markets will now include Millennial’s because most either use the products or have children who do.
  • 86% of Millennial fathers get some form of parenting advice from YouTube, so it is important that you know you are speaking to men as well.

“Remove gender bias. Millennials don’t adhere to traditional gender stereotypes that apply to moms, dads, boys or girls. Avoid using colors, copy or package designs that attempt to blatantly appeal to one gender over the other.”

Read more: https://wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/business-articles/marketing-your-handmade-business-to-millennials.aspx

20 Natural Soap Making Ingredients You Haven’t Thought Of

Many commercially made soaps have ingredients that are not good for skin or health in general. Natural soap making can be fun. There are many soap making ideas that can be useful. Citrus-based soaps have a good scent and can be colorful. Soaps with coffee can give a jolt to the skin. Oatmeal-based soaps can make the skin softer. Lavender has been associated with restful sleep and is another ingredient that can make a good natural soap. Shredded coconut pairs well with citrus and can combine with it to make a beautiful scent. Seeds can appear to float within the soap. Pink Himalayan salt is great for removing dead skin cells. Matcha powder has great anti-aging ingredients. Candelua Flowers and Cocoa Powder are two more great ingredients to consider for natural soaps. Rose Petals have been known to soothe and brighten the skin. Activated Charcoal and Vitamin E oil have been known to soothe the skin and are popular natural soap ingredients. Chamomile Flowers and Essential Oils have been known to relax the skin. Rosemary Sprigs are anti-bacterial and help clean the skin. Loose Leaf Tea can look beautiful in a natural soap. Beet Root is great for coloring soap. Honey comes with a lot of nutrients and vitamins that can make skin healthier. Loofah is great if someone wants to exfoliate dry skin.

Key Takeaways:

  • Many commercially soaps add ingredients that are unhealthy for your skin, and your health in general.
  • Citrus fruits have a great scent, bright colors and can be a great addition to soap.
  • Coffee has been known to give skin a jolt and it is naturally anti-aging.

“Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, colloidal oatmeal, and quinoa are great all-natural skin-softening additions to for natural soap making. The cellulose and fiber from the oats make an effective skin soother for itchy, irritated dry skin.”

Read more: https://www.lifenreflection.com/natural-soap-making-ingredients/

Photography Tips for Soap Makers

Quality images are paramount for selling soap products online. These photographs are the first thing the consumer looks at, and thus will set a mood for the rest of the product. For basic product images with white backgrounds, it’s important to use proper lighting and editing techniques to get the perfect image. For lifestyle images, it’s best to be consistent with your background and color scheme. You’ll also want to use a proper camera and photo editing software so your product can be displayed to it’s fullest potential.

Key Takeaways:

  • Product images with a white background require natural or studio lighting, and sometimes requires post-production touch ups.
  • Lifestyle product images should have consistent backgrounds as consumers trust brands that are consistent.
  • Photoshop is a great program to edit photos, but free editing programs, like Gimp, are also popular.

“Your images can shape a customer’s first impression and inspire them to keep shopping and eventually purchase.”

Read more: https://www.lovinsoap.com/2019/09/photography-tips-for-soap-makers/