Following 12 proven steps, in order, is the best way start a handmade soap business.
- Determine Your Niche – or Stay General (how to choose a niche – or IF you should)
- Find Your Soap Ingredient Supplier (phone numbers and links to 5 of the best in North America)
- Choose Your Business Name (including how to do your own 5-minute trademark search)
- Find Your Domain Name (naming tips and links to top 4 worldwide domain registrars)
- Form Your Soap Company Legal Business Entity (details and links for 3 respected business filing companies)
- Get and EIN (US only; includes link to 5-minute IRS online application)
- Get Soap Maker’s Business Insurance (details and links for 3 top industry insurers)
- Develop Unique Marketing Strategies (tips shared by Fortune 500 company veteran)
- Create Sample Soaps (how to choose and showcase them)
- Price Your Soaps (detailed pricing strategy and examples)
- Establish Your Store and/or Website (hours of research done for you)
- Promote, Sell, and Fulfill!
Steps to Start Your Homemade Soap Enterprise
These tasks are arranged in a precise order to allow you to multitask. This is so you can start showcasing and selling your soap as soon as possible.
Step 1: Determine Niche – or Stay General
“Niche” has two parts: Target Market and Soap Type.
1.) Target Market: Do you want to focus sales primarily to a specific audience? Good examples include: Consumers, Spas, Hotels, Salons, Boutiques and even Breweries and Wineries if you make beer or wine soap.
2.) Soap Type: Do you want to specialize in a type of soap? Examples include: Organic, All-natural, Vegan, Palm-free, Detergent Based (big bubbles), etc.
It does not matter if you do not have a specialty yet – or ever, for that matter. I only ask the question now because you might want to focus your brand around your niche. This includes company name, logo, website and packaging colors, types of ingredients used, and more. If you don’t have a niche – no problem. You don’t need one. Simply move on to Step Two.
Step 2: Find Your Soap Ingredient Supplier
Some people may think this is a bit premature however it has worked extremely well for those I have helped in the past. The reason you want to find your bulk supplier so early in the game is simple.
You can immediately order samples from one or more vendors to test the quality and make your samples.
To properly price your end-product, you need to know your exact costs of making the soap. Until you have actually gone through the effort of finding a vendor in determining all of your cost for physical goods, tax, handling fees, and shipping, you will not be able to put an accurate number on your end product.
Here are five of the top North America-based soap raw material suppliers that do international shipping.
| Supplier | Toll Free Phone | Int’l Phone |
| Wholesale Supply Plus | 1-800-359-0944 | 1-216-503-9361 |
| Bulk Apothecary | 1-888-728-7612 | Not Available |
| Brambleberry | 1-877-627-7883 | Not Available |
| Chemistry Store | 1-800-224-1430 | 1-803-926-5385 |
| Candle Science | Not Available | TEXT: 919-891-6226 |
Once you have found a supplier that you like, you can get an order in the works. It will likely take several days to reach you, so you can be working on the steps outlined below in the meantime.
Step 3: Choose Your Business Name
You might already have the perfect business name. If that’s the case, you are well ahead of the game. Congratulations! If not however, here are some great tips to help you along the way:
Choose a name that does not greatly limit your potential future growth. If you know you will only focus on one area, then you are probably okay to choose a name that is highly targeted. Otherwise it’s a good idea not to pigeonhole yourself. Making soap is a skill that brings out a lot of creativity and can lead to other avenues for possible expansion.
Learn from My Mistake
Speaking from experience I can tell you that my business partner and I had to incorporate twice because our first name was to niche. We had inadvertently pigeonholed ourselves. We ultimately reformed our organization as Goodlife Goods, LLC.
Although we specialize in handcrafted soaps, we filed our legal entity paperwork to be able to expand. We also selected an insurance policy that covered us for nearly any handcrafted area as well as coverage for providing soap making instruction.
At $285 for a $1,000,000 protection policy, using Handmade Insurance was a no-brainer for our needs.
Check the web for similar business names. Similar to.com domain names most business names that are simply a combination of a few words from the English dictionary, will already be in use. This does not mean you can’t have a local business or even an online business that has a similar name. You just need to make sure it does not infringe on any trademarks. I will show you how to do a quick and simple trademark search in just a moment.
Another thing you want to do is check any online stores for someone using that business handle. For some companies, such as Etsy, there are many more names reserved than are being used. This is because once a name has been used on the Etsy platform, it is no longer able to be used by anyone else. If the business with that name changes names or closes the shop, Etsy retires the name.
Along those same lines, you want to be certain that if yours is similar to another business name, there are no issues with reputation.
Try to Keep the Spelling and Meaning Simple
It is tempting to try to capitalize on current trends and come up with cute variations of common names. This can work out great, but if you don’t nail it the first time it can be the mistake that looms over your head.
This next one might sound a little silly, but trust me, it is important. Take the first letter of each word in your proposed business name and make sure it does not create an acronym that you do not want. One business that I worked with in 2019 came to me after they started hearing jokes about their business name.
When the entire name was used it was no problem at all. However, the initials of the business were S. O. L. If you are familiar with American slang and euphemisms, you know what that stands for. Telling a customer they are “Sh!t Out of Luck” is not a good start.
How to Do a Simple US Trademark Search
1: Use Tess by visiting the United States Trademark Electronic Search System link.
2: Select your search parameters, I just use the default options because I want the most results.
3: Enter the trade name (business name) you want to check.
4: Click the Submit Query button and get your results
Note: I have highlighted the note on the page explaining this pre-search is NOT a done deal. This is just the quickest, cheapest way to see if the name is taken. An official search will need to be conducted when your business is registered.
Step 4: Find Your Domain Name
Before settling on a definite business name, see if the.com domain name is available for it. There are two reasons for this.
First, if the .com domain name of the business you want to start is already taken, the business name may not be available. Even if the business name is technically available in your region, it still might be best to avoid potential brand confusion for customers.
Second, domain names ending in .com are meant to represent commercial websites. This is how it started out, way back in the early 90s, anyway. With nearly 30 years behind the .com domain extension, it has been very well set in consumer’s minds. It is far easier to build a brand when you have a .com domain name.
Following are four of the most popular domain registrars in the world that I have personally used and can vouch for…
Step 5: Form Your Soap Company Legal Business Entity (details and links for 3 respected business filing companies)
Don’t take any chances with your legal protection! Form your legal business before you start selling any soap.
I personally recommend contacting one of the following companies in speaking to one of their business entity specialists. They offer free consultations to help you select the best possible option. Before you do however, here is some information on each of the typical legal business entity types.
Sole Proprietorship:
This is the single easiest legal business entity type available in the United States. This is because the company – and all responsibilities associated – have just one owner. Forming the entity can be as simple as claiming your business name and license request through your local city or county clerk of courts. Please note however that this is also the least protective of your personal assets.
Partnership:
Forming a partnership will follow nearly the same steps as that of a sole proprietorship, with the exception of an added operating agreement. With a formal partnership you should have an operating agreement that states the names of all partners, the percentages of ownership in the business for each, and a thorough understanding of roles and responsibilities and proceed allotment. In other words, who co-owns the company, their responsibilities, and their rewards.
In my opinion the cost to form a far more protective LLC is well worth the investment. I say this because you will likely end up paying an attorney to review the operating agreement for filing. For $50-$100 more, you can form a limited liability company – at least in my personal experience.
Limited Liability Company:
An LLC offers the best of all worlds between a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. In my opinion, that is.
Still relatively new in the world, LLCs can provide the simplicity of a sole proprietorship or partnership with the personal asset protection of a corporation.
Another important factor is that LLCs do not require double taxation. If you are new to the term, this simply means that in Type “C” corporations is common for income to be taxed at the corporate level as well as taxed secondarily as personal gains.
The LLC business entity type is the new kid on the block. Although it has been around for several decades, it had not been widely accepted in all states until the early 2000’s. Even today, different states have varying rules governing this form of business.
Corporation:
The corporation business entity is among the oldest recognized formal company structures that separates the company from its owners. That simply means that legally the corporation is considered a totally separate entity then its owners or shareholders.
There are multiple types of corporations, including:
S Corporations (often referred to as subchapter S). This is the one that most small to medium sized handmade soap business owners would likely be most interested in. In my state I can get the benefits of this type of corporation, that I need, through an LLC. This will vary from state to state.
C Corporations. These are the most common large corporate entity types. They offer separation between company and personal holdings and responsibility/accountability. This comes with a price however. Because the structure keeps everything separated, you can actually pay taxes twice; once at the corporate level and once at the personal level for income earned.
B Corporations. Benefit Corporations are intended to contribute to society in a positive way. B corporations operate for-profit, however their purpose is to benefit society.
Nonprofit Corporations. Also known as “Not for profits”, these are created strictly for the purpose of helping others. The corporation does not turn a profit and is rewarded through tax exemption. Employees earn salaries but the corporation itself does not earn profits.
Cooperative (or co-op). Co-ops are sometimes referred to as “employee owned” with its members known as “user-owners”. This business entity type offers the tax advantage of the LLC as well as the potential to qualify for startup assistance in the form of federal grants. If the term co-op seems familiar, you may have heard it referenced in farming and agricultural settings. Co-ops grew to popularity in the United States when farmers joined forces to have more buying power.
My 2 Cents
My preference is to operate as an LLC. This stands for limited liability company. For my businesses’ particular needs this offers the best protection of personal assets. It also allows me to. An excellent tax rate and makes business deductions very easy to claim.
Become “Official” in 30 Minutes!
Here are three companies that can help you form your business with just 30 minutes of effort and a few days of waiting for paperwork to process.
Step 6: Get an EIN (US only)
The Employer Identification Number, or EIN, does for companies what the Social Security Number does for individuals. It identifies your business as an entity for tax purposes.
It is unique to the United States and has certain restrictions to obtain:
You may apply for an EIN online if your principal business is located in the United States or U.S. Territories.
The person applying online must have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (SSN, ITIN, EIN).
Source: IRS.gov
You can fill out an online form in about 5 minutes at the IRS.gov website. Here is the link to the specific page for the EIN Application.
Step 7: Get Soap Maker’s Business Insurance
Having the right insurance for your business is extremely important. We live in a litigious society today and anything can end in a lawsuit.
I have heard of cases ranging from the use of a lye-heavy bar of soap that caused skin irritation, to someone claiming a bar of Castile soap was overly slippery and caused a fall in the shower.
Some soap makers insurance is available only if you are part of a guild or other membership program. I will list the top three specialty insurance carriers that I have personally worked with. Please note that for each one of these I have completed the forms, received policy quotes, and interviewed agents to save you as much time as possible. I have also purchased three separate handmade insurance policies for three separate handmade businesses. These are the companies I trust most…
Handmade Insurance
There is no membership required or special hoops to jump through. For $285 US you can have a $1million policy and proof of insurance in less than an hour. It actually only takes about 20 minutes if you have your business information handy when you begin the application.
RLI (also known as Lindbergh)
This one took a bit of jumping between parent and child companies to get the right information. But they do offer excellent insurance packages for handmade makers. That said, please note the following phone numbers for future reference in case you need them.
- 1-309-689-8686 ~ RLI
- 844-249-2684 ~ Lindbergh Insurance Group
I was very impressed with the flexibility available here. They cater to home-based businesses that will earn less than $7,500 US in year one and less than $10,000 in following years. This includes packages that offer a $300,000 protection policy all the way up to $2 million. You should, of course, get your own quote but let me share some quick information to give you an idea.
- $300K Policy: $159 per year
- $500K Policy: $189 per year
- $1M Policy: $219 per year
Their system is also based somewhat on an à la carte model. You can purchase additional add-ons for low upgrade fees (added certs of insurance, etc.). They also ensure based on class of business. If, for example, I want to use this company and sell pet soap, I can purchase a policy that covers both human and animal for only $20 more per year.
Indie Business Network
This is great insurance but comes with a catch. It is only available to annual or semi-annual membership subscribers. On top of the cost of insurance you will also pay $195 for annual membership or $125 for semi-annual.
The $1M coverage policy starts at $275 per year. To purchase this coverage, you will also have to be a member. The best deal is likely to spend $195 membership for the entire year. This brings your combined total annual cost to $470 US.
Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guild
This insurance option also comes with a catch. The insurance is only offered to guild members – but is available in both the US and Canada. I would like to note that HSCG is a registered non-profit and Guild membership offers many benefits for soap and cosmetic makers. They are also an authority on soap making certification.
If you do choose to become a member, soap makers insurance can be purchased for $265 annual (minimal package) of $375 annual (standard package).
When combined with the $500 individual yearly membership fee, this means you are likely to spend $765 to $875 annually.
Heads Up
No matter what insurance policy you opt for, please be certain to have proper coverage. Whether you plan to sell your soap or just give it away as gifts, insurance is an absolute must.
Step 8: Develop Unique Marketing Strategies (Benefits Over Features, USP, BOGO, and more)
If you want your company and products to stand out from the competition you need to develop unique marketing strategies. The key areas to focus on are as follow:
- Focus on benefits rather than features
- Create and then live by a unique selling proposition
- Establish “go to specials” such as “by one get one” at a discount, etc.
Benefits Over Features:
Nobody cares about features, so let’s not focus on those. Focus instead on benefits. Namely, the benefits of your unique soap product.
Now, this can be a little bit tricky because we don’t want to make any sort of health benefit or medicinal claims about soap. Once we do this, we are now forced to adhere to cosmetic and food and drug administration regulation. Instead focus on the potential experience of using your soap. Here is an example of what I mean…
As the soap maker you might add some diatomaceous earth (DE) to your melt and pour soap. Selling that soap to somebody knowledgeable in the area, describing the feature of having added diatomaceous earth might be just fine. However, most consumers won’t have any idea what that is. For them you are far better off giving the benefit. In this case I would say something such as, “with diatomaceous earth added is a natural exfoliate”.
Notice that I did not say anything about health benefits or provide any unsubstantiated claims. Further into the description you can even explain what diatomaceous earth is, if you wish. In any event, it would certainly need to be listed as an ingredient on the label.
Unique Selling Proposition:
The Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is extremely important if you want to set your business apart from the competition. Unfortunately, most homemade soap makers completely miss the step.
Many people define the unique selling proposition as simply a statement about your business or product that makes it stand out. However, we can do better than that. Think of your USP as being a statement summarizing why your business or product is better than the competition.
Here are a few unique USP’s that you are probably already familiar with:
“15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance” – Geico Insurance | If you live in the United States, and watch television, you KNOW this one.
“If you don’t look good, we don’t look good“ – Vidal Sassoon | Although it came out 35 years ago, many people still remember it. It was even incorporated into the company’s jingle and most Americans over the age of 45 know the words if you start humming the tune.
“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” – FedEx | They took this promise seriously, as you will see below.
To make any sort of real impression on potential customers, your unique selling proposition should be…
Value Focused. Your USP must present an immediate value to your customer. If they don’t care, they won’t buy.
Definitive and Strong. Don’t just draw a line in the sand. Anybody can do that because it can easily be swept away and moved unlimited times. Instead, draw a line in the concrete and be willing to stick to it. By this I mean don’t give the same old “me too” assurances and platitudes that people don’t even hear anymore because it has become background noise. Establish something bold and tangible.
Authentic. Slogans don’t matter unless they mean something. If you are USP is just lip service, don’t even bother. You need to be able to backup anything that you say.
Case Study:
One of the above-mentioned companies took this to extremes. On more than one occasion, back in the early 1990s, a FedEx package was accidentally left off a flight. Staying true to their word, the company found a way to still get the package to the customer on time even if they had to spend a small fortune to ship it on an individual flight or have an employee escort it personally.
That might sound ridiculously expensive, but that’s one of the reasons that it works so well. 30 years later people still talk about this and it probably did more to establish their dedication than any amount of paid advertising could have accomplished.
Buy One Get One. I am actually using the term BOGO somewhat loosely here. This does not mean you’re expected to have a customer by a bar of soap and give them a second one for free or at a discounted rate. It is more the concept that you should identify one or two possible promotions that you could launch a quick notice.
BOGO is a good standby for many companies. When dealing with individual customer sales, in the handmade soap industry, BOGO can be especially beneficial. This is because the cost to ship two bars is often pennies above the cost to ship one bar. This can help you provide additional value to the customer as well as earn an excellent profit for your products.
>>> Get the Inside Edge
Beyond those listed above are some truly unique ways to make your soap stand out in a crowd. They are not strictly “unique marketing strategies”, as listed here. They are, however, great ways to do something 90% of your competition is NOT. Check out 5 Genius Ways to Make Your Handmade Soap Stand Out when you are ready for an unfair advantage over your competition.
Step 9: Create Sample Soaps
This is any easy one. You will need to create samples of your soaps. This is in order to photograph them, at the very least.
Once you have the proper insurance, I would also suggest sending out sample bars to those you know who will give you 100% honest feedback. When you get their feedback, you can use this for your marketing. Here’s how…
Simply listen to their comments with an open mind. When someone is excited about a product it will show in their words, facial expressions, and body language. Try to pick up on as much of this as possible and translate it into marketing material.
Most of my soaps sold well on Etsy based on decent photographs accompanied by actual quotes from users. Those free, and totally unsolicited quotes provided better advertising and marketing material than I could have purchased at any price.
Step 10: Price Your Soaps
Properly pricing your soaps will be extremely important for two reasons. First, and most obviously, you need to make enough money to stay in business while not pricing yourself out of the market. Second, your pricing needs establish a precedent. In other words, it is better to price your soap right the first time around than to keep experimenting with increases and decreases.
WARNING: Constantly adjusting prices will make your business seem unstable.
Most people understand that commodities, such as gasoline, constantly fluctuate in price. This is why gas stations display daily price changes. However, you are not selling a commodity. You are selling a one-of-a-kind handcrafted bar of soap that is worth far more than whatever somebody will pay in a grocery store.
That does not mean that you should overprice your product. It simply means that you need to price it in a way that will allow you to maintain stable pricing.
If, for example, your cost of coconut oil goes up 2% or 3% you should not have to adjust to your soap cost that finitely. If you already have a 3% to 5% buffer in your final pricing – you can easily absorb minor market changes.
Understanding the importance of maintaining price stability, here is an accurate way to price your soap without getting too far into the weeds. I will also include a link to another post on this site that details in-depth pricing techniques used by many seasoned professionals.
5x Pricing
The rule of 5x refers to taking your cost of goods and multiplying the total by five to get the price. It is simple to do and provides a good baseline for pricing handcrafted soaps and lotions.
Like anything however, the more accurate the data is that goes in – the more accurate the information will be coming out. You need to include ALL material costs – including tax and deliver fees. You should also add in a small factor for waste since it is rare to use every tiny scrap of soap as a finished, sellable bar.
A 2% to 3% contingency factor is also to address that it is nearly impossible to use every last drop of oil from a container and into the pot.
Free Soap Cost Calculator
Download your own free copy of the SoapStartup.com Soap Cost Calculator. It is saved as a MS Excel spreadsheet contained in a zip file.
Here is a summary of what we did with the calculator…
- $0.97 = Cost of all goods “out the door”
- $0.03 = 3% contingency (expected waste)
- Total of $1 per bar x 5 = $5 per bar
Please Note:
The costs may seem high given the bulk that I purchase with. This is because I used organic and all-natural oils, and sustainable palm oil, as well as the highest quality food-grade lye available. If you download this calculator please remember to update your case quantities and costs as well as the number of bars you will yield from each batch.
>>> Get the Inside Edge
There is a much more detailed article on this site that will demonstrate the top 4 soap pricing methods. Please click this link for How to Price Soap Like A Pro!
Step 11: Establish Your Store and/or Website
Most people like to start by opening an online shop through a proven resource such as Etsy.com. This is a good plan and a great place to start, however you are not as limited as you might think. On this website we have a post that takes a deep dive into the top nine online sales opportunities for selling homemade soap.
This not only presents general information and links to each resource; I have also set up accounts and tested each to determine the exact cost needed to sell one bar of soap per transaction on each site. Please take advantage of this information. It is the culmination of weeks of effort, trial and error.
Best Easy Shop Startups
Of those nine online sales outlets, here are my top three picks for quickly and easily setting up an online shop to sell your soap directly to consumers. The more in-depth article contains additional tips and insights for selling to larger establishments, however these are three of the easiest and most affordable places to begin…
| Online Outlet | Listing $ | Selling $ | Trans $ | Cost to sell a $6 Bar |
| Facebook Business Page | $0.00 | $0.40 | $0.00 | $0.40 |
| Etsy | $0.20 | $0.40 | $0.25 | $0.85 |
| Artfire | $0.23 | $0.50 | $0.56 | $1.29 |
Quick and Simple Web Presence
Regarding your website, we are only looking for a placeholder for now. All we need to do at this early stage is put up a single welcome page that contains:
- Some information about your products and company
- Photos of your beautiful soaps
- An easy way for customers to contact you
There is no need to spend a great deal of time or money on the website from day one. This is something that can be done as you move forward.
Insider Tip
If you want to make a gorgeous site that lets you integrate with Etsy and other shops, check out Zibbet.com. It is a good solution for a complete website that can be set up quickly and easily. It also instantly integrates with Etsy.com, A.C. Moore’s online handicraft service and others.
Set up a “Pop-up Shop”
For the last few years pop-up shops have become extremely popular. These vary from boutiques to restaurants to outdoor adventure camps.
Some of those types of businesses typically need specific assets. For a pop up restaurant, bar- you need kitchen facilities inspected and certified by the local board of health as well as proper licensing. For outdoor adventure, you will likely need a large space and some significant insurance.
Boutiques on the other hand, can be quite quick and easy to set up and break down. This depends on what you sell of course. However, a popup soap boutique can be easy to manage and affordable.
This can be as simple as renting a table at a local craft fair. But, why not make your business stand out? It is not complicated. Even if you are in an indoor space with 50 other crafters surrounding you can make your soap stand apart.
Add Signage
One of the easiest ways to do this is to go to a local FedEx Kinko’s or Fast Signs and have a banner made with your shop name and logo. That one little piece of customization will set you apart from nearly anyone at a typical craft show.
Even better, consider getting some specially printed form fitting table covers. These three came from a company called Stack Displays.
Get Vertical
A great way to add vertical real estate to limited table space is to use stacked display shelves. The same company that makes those fitted table covers makes some nice ones.
But if you have a little bit of time and are handy with tools I think the ones made from free reclaimed pallets look amazing. You can do the same by placing some small shelves in an Apple crate for display. If your theme is rustic, it does not get much more authentic than this.
Get Literal
And finally, to be a literal pop-up store – consider purchasing a freestanding canopy. These generally come in sizes of 8’ x 8’ or 10’ x 10’. You do not need to have on custom-made with your logo. If possible, try to get a solid color that matches one of your company colors closely.
You can purchase inexpensive “tailgating canopies” that will work well indoors if you really want to make your space stand out. Walmart carries a brand called Ozark Trail. Their 10’ x 10’ solid color canopy model is $79. I would limit something this lightweight to indoor use or limited outdoor use. The same company also offers more robust models for $100 to $200. Check Amazon as well.
Just be certain to read the reviews and make sure the model that you get is exactly what you need.
My 2 Cents
My suggestion is to get the model with legs that go straight down instead of bowing out. This is because when you rent a 10 x 10 space – having the legs outside of that can interfere with your neighbor. Another suggestion is to buy the leg weights with the canopy. A set of four leg weights will usually cost between $30 and $40.
Feeling Extra Unique?
Ozark Trail and other standing canopy manufacturers also make units as small as 4’ x 6’, usually for around $30. These are super lightweight and fit extremely well indoors where you are often limited to a 6-foot table. They are also large enough that they can help keep shade on melt and pour soap outside.
Why Use a Tent Inside?
It might seem strange to be talking about using a standup canopy indoors. You will find however as your business grows and you attend larger shows, that this can come in handy. Many of the larger shows including regional holiday expos, are held in enormous venues. These are the same places where car and boat shows take place.
They are often auditoriums with 30-foot-high ceilings and a never-ending stream of florescent light beating down. Being able to control any level of your shop’s atmosphere is always to your advantage. If you are lucky, most other people will not think to bring a pop-up shop canopy indoors.
>>> Get the Inside Edge
There an article on this site that will give you plenty more ideas on setting up shop; online and offline. It also details HOW to do quickly and easily – Where and How to Sell Handmade Soap.
Step 12: Promote, Sell, and Fulfill
You’ve come a long way. Now it’s time to promote your soap, sell it, and fulfill the orders.
How to Promote Your Soap and Shop
Following are some promotional methods that have worked well for me. There should be at least one or two that work for your needs. Just remember to add your own special touch to each 😉
Use your merchant/store platform’s service
If you have an Etsy shop (or similar), it’s a good idea to sign up for their promotional program to have your soap featured. This takes only a few minutes to setup and then the time to detail your products. While it is fast and easy to do, it can get expensive. A lot of people might shy away from buying if they have not seen your shop name or product before. Just understand that part of what you are paying for is to establish brand awareness.
Offer soap as a contest prize
There is never a shortage of contests whose organizers are happy to accept prices.
- If you are looking for national coverage, simply go to Google. Enter a topic that you care about followed by “contest”. You might be surprised by the results. Many of the same people who would live to get your soaps are those who participate in craft challenges, baking contests and design contests. Basically any contest that requires artistic flair and handicraft skill.
- Donate a soap gift basket to a charity auction
- Aside from web searches, contact your local newspaper, and Chamber of Commerce to see if they know of some upcoming worthy causes that would like a prize donation.
- For a little out-of-the-box thinking, consider working with a local school group doing a car wash. Picture this; “BHHS Car Wash – The First 30 Vehicles Get a Free Bar of Mountain Valley Designer Soap (valued at $6)”.
- You could also make trial size bars as giveaways at a bake sale, 5ks and any other event you can think of.
Contribute soap to event goodie bags
I like to contribute dog shampoo to goodie bags that go home with new adoptive pet parents at a local shelter. This is more about giving the family something to help get them started – but it does get the company name out.
Provide guest soap sample sizes to salons of interest
Speak to salon owners to see if they have any interest in carrying your soap. Even if they don’t (yet), they might say yes to having free mini-soaps to give to their customers. You can get 50 bars at 1.25oz each from a 4lb loaf.
How to Sell Your Handmade Soap
If you have not yet visited this other article on the site, I think it will be worth your while.
Where and How to Sell Handmade Soap
Pay special attention to the pieces on getting in with specialty businesses that can sell your soap for you. This will help you maximize your time making soap and minimize time selling.
Fulfill Your Orders
Just a few pieces of advice here…
Label Your Soap
First, and foremost, label your soap properly before it leaves your shop. This is the law. At minimum your label must include:
- Product Name
- Final Net Weight
- Manufacturer Name
- Maker or Distributor or Packager Physical Address
- List of Ingredients
- “Soap” is the only “ingredient” needed for “true soap”
Etsy
If you sell through Etsy, use their shipping discounts and add the cost of your shipping box into the total cost. It should still be less than the non-discounted shipping cost.
Example Scenario:
- A large bar of soap might normally cost me $4.25 to ship on my own (plus the cost of the shipping box)
- I buy shipping boxes in bulk. The cost per box works out to $0.69 each
- It will cost me $4.94 to ship that soap bar (passed on to the client)
- With Etsy I get up to 30% off shipping. This makes the cost to ship that bar, $2.98
- Even after I add the $0.69 for the shipping box, the customer is now only spending $3.67
Amazon Handmade
If you sell through Amazon Handmade, I think it is worth it to use Amazon Fulfillment. This allows you to ship one large box of soap to a single warehouse and let them split it up and distribute across their network.
This also allows you to replenish Amazon and bulk and not sweat the details. Take a day off. Take a week off. It’s all good!
Happy Soaping!