Selling Handmade Soap at Markets

One of the best ways for selling handmade soap is at local public markets or fairs. This article gives a ton of great advice for new soap businesses to help them achieve a successful, stress free booth! If you’re still new to fairs or markets, set up your booth at home so that you can estimate how much time you’ll need to set up, and also so you’ll know how to do it.

Once you’re there, check out the competition, and also bring someone with you for when you need to take a break to do that, or when you have to go to the bathroom. Another piece of advice is to dress for success; look presentable, but also invest in branding like an apron with your logo on it. Consider how you’ll accept payment, do you have a Square reader, or are you cash only?

Don’t forget that customer service is key, and that you can make a sale just by creating a relationship with the customer. Sell to the customer’s needs by asking them open ended questions instead of bombarding them with facts. See the rest of the article for more tips!

Read the full story here :: Selling Success at Fairs and Public Markets

How Use Twitter For Your Soap Business

Once you’ve got all of the products and knowledge to start your soap business, you’ll need to learn how to use social media to promote it. One of the many important social media sources is Twitter, especially for soap business owners looking to create an online presence. This tutorial teaches you how to set up and use a Twitter handle and why it’s an important business tool.

Read the full story here :: Bramble Business Series: How to Set Up & Use a Twitter Handle

Grab Those Last Minute Holiday Soap Shoppers!

Christmas is less than one week away, but it is still the prime time to get some last minute holiday sales before the end of the year. Many people have procrastinated and would love to purchase some of your soaps if the package can make it to their loved one in time. So what can you do?

You can consider expediting shipping orders for last-minute customers for an extra fee or offset the shipping fee if the customer purchases a certain number of your items. Be sure that you have the materials needed if you agree to either policy (Priority Mail boxes, tape, customs forms, etc.) and a nearby shipping station. You can turn into a lifesaver for procrastinators and win more business this way. For more information about last-minute shipping for shoppers, click here:: How to Lure (and Ship to) Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers

Product Pricing Guide for Soap Business Owners

Whether you’re making your own soaps and buying the raw ingredients or reselling wholesale soaps, you’ll want to know how to have accurate product pricing for your soap business. Are you considering your labor and overhead? Small costs are everywhere, even paper towels, so you need to be sure to account for everything.

In this guide, you’ll learn why if you don’t understand your product expenses and price your soaps accordingly, you’ll become very frustrated. You’ll learn how to determine your distribution model, which describes how you plan on selling your product. Then you’ll learn how to calculate the cost of goods, which is either the raw ingredients, materials, and labor, or the cost of pre-made soaps.

The final step requires a bit more math, but it explains how to determine your pricing strategy. Essentially you add the product cost of goods to the profit you are expecting to make and that’s how you get the price!

Read the full story here :: Guest Post: Pricing Your Products

DIY Peppermint Bath Bomb

A peppermint bath bomb would make the perfect holiday gift this year, and is fun and easy to DIY at home! All you’ll need is Epsom salt, baking soda, citric acid, arrowroot powder, shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, and peppermint fragrance oil. If you don’t like peppermint, you can swap it out for any other delicious scent!

Read the full story here :: Homemade Holiday Peppermint Bath Bomb Recipe

DIY Lump of Coal Soap Gag Gift

Do you know someone who made the naughty list this year? FIll their stocking with a lump of DIY coal soap as a gag gift, although they’ll probably enjoy this type of coal! It’s made with real charcoal and combines clear and white melt and pour soap base for natural color changes. You can sprinkle  a pinch of 24K gold sparkle mica for extra effects, and add fragrance oil of your choice!

Read the full story here :: Santa’s Lump of Coal Soap Recipe

Advice For New Soap Businesses

Starting new soap businesses can seem overwhelming at first, but creator of Bellabrice Body Care gives her advice on how to do it. She says that her advice to soapers just starting out is to take your time, and learn about the soap business before you start.

She said watching YouTube videos on how to make soap helps, and once you understand the safety precautions, it’s a fun and rewarding craft. You should also know the different types of soaps such as cold process soap, hot process soap, liquid soap, and melt and pour soap.

For inspiration, she turns to Facebook, Pinterest, and soapmaking blogs, and says her confidence was boosted by following the Soap Queen blog, Soap Queen YouTube, and the many projects made by Anne-Marie. Her goal as a soap maker is to make beautiful products, give back to the community, and run a successful company.

Read the full story here :: Turning Gifts into a Business