jenmarie82 said:
When you first started making and selling soap, what exactly was your normal day like? Did you work on your soap for a full 8 hours, like a regular job or just when you found the time? What did you do to get it up and running? I have lots of different soaps but no one knows they're out there so they don't know to buy them. I email people about wholesaling but never get replies. And most people around me are not too keen on the idea of letting me place the soap in their stores. I can't do craft fairs right now because i have a 9 month old and it would be impossible for me to do that. I would appreciate any tips /advice you could give me on how to get this up and going. I've spent a lot of money on supplies and a lot of time perfecting my soaps and I want to make something out of it and not let it fall by the wayside.
My normal day includes a regular 8 hr job. After I get home, I work on whatever needs to be done for my business (which is still new) - making product, testing & developing new product, designing labels, packaging, researching, researching, & researching, testing, testing & more testing.
I have an etsy store, so I'm trying to compete with a trazillion other soapmakers & having a presence there as often as I can (at least 15 mins a day.) I've made 1 sale since I opened my etsy store & despite listing often & participating in the forums almost daily, I haven't made another sale there.
Some people have great success on etsy, I"m not. My best venue is craft fairs.
My main sales are at craft fairs, so I had to design my booth & displays (an on-going project as my business unfolds.)
You'll need to begin by researching what your licensing requirements are in your state, county & city. In my state, I had to get a Tax ID, because you can't sell without collecting sales tax here. I had to register my business name, & buy liability insurance. I still need to open a business bank account.
If you're dead serious about growing a business, you need to have basic bookkeeping skills. If you don't, start studying now.
Since, you can't do craft fairs, you will either have to beat the pavement to lasso those wholesale accounts, or have an on-line presence - website, etsy shop, ebay or something.
Don't rely on email as a means of contacting people to get accounts. Call them & try to get an appointment to see them in person. They will want to see what you're selling, not just read a description in an email.
Develop a game plan, if you can. For me, it's been flying by the seat of my pants. There's probably a better way to do it, but I'm LOVING doing it my way!!! :wink:
I don't look to my business as ever being my sole means of support. That's a choice I've made. I like the freedom of choosing which craft fairs I sell at, not having to meet anyone else's deadlines, & just gowing with the flow. That's just me.
I don't fret about my etsy shop not being productive. I can let it go when I don't want to devote any more time to it with no regrets. Maybe, if I'm patient, develop some photographic skills, develop a better presentation, it will take off.
Preparing for craft fairs takes up most of my spare time. Eventually, I'd like to have a website for my craft fair customers to go to, but in the mean time, I publish a calender of where I'll be in the coming months, so they know they can find me.
There are lots of ways to promote your business - business cards, a blog, newsletters, etc.
Go to the blogs & websites of other soapmakers to see what they're doing. The internet is a wealth of info.
