to all Canadian Soapers....

[mcleodnaturals]

I know we have had this topic before....do you insure yourself/your business to sell soaps/B&B products?

Where do you generally sell the products? Online/stores/farmers markets?

Right now I'm planning on selling mostly at craft shows and farmers markets and I don't know what to do about the insurance issue. My ins co told me they wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole!

thx!
mcleodnaturals

 

[mare61]

Hi there

I started to look into this myself, since I was planning on starting selling soaps and bathsalts and stuff this summer. I've talked to an other soaper this past weekend and she was telling me, that she had to take out insurance a few years ago when she opened her little shop out of her house. She also sells buckwheat pillows. I think she said the insurance costs her about 1000 bucks a year!!!!! I haven't talked to my own insurance agent yet. I've seen some talk on a canadian soap forum about this matter too. I will check it out and maybe there are some answers.

Marianne

 

[mcleodnaturals]

Hi Marianne...

Thanks for your response. I'm in the same boat...I've sold at a couple craft shows and our local farmers market (population of about 200 in our town...and everyone knows everyone, so I wasn't too concerned about insurance for that! ) What is the Cdn soapers forum? This is the only one I belong to because I get such great information and feedback from everyone here...I never bothered looking for another!

thx,
Kelly

 

[lilly]

thanks ladies!! for this thread! i too am in Canada

i have been thinking the same thing!

i would love to get into the selling bussiness too..and have been wondering about that aspect of things aswell..the insurances etc.!! where does one even start.>? good >>questions.

$1,000 a year seems like a lot...i doubt i would even sell $1,ooo worth of soap!...LOL

 

[mare61]

Hi lilly, welcome to this forum! You will find a lot of helpful information, everybody is very kind and friendly.

Where in Canada are you??? I'm in Midwestern Ontario. I'm planning on phoning my insurance guy today to find out what he thinks about insurance. I'm planning to sell on craft shows and at a local farmers market. The products I will sell are CP soaps, bath salts, bath melts, milk bath and bath fizzies as well as some M+P Soapsicles. And smelly jellies (airfreshers) and Dream Pillows). So, these are all products that basiclly wash off, so there should be little chance of having severe allergic reactions. But..... you never know!!!

 

[simplyamanda]

geez - I've never even thought of insurance...
I sell to stores across Canada and at Farmer's Markets.

I figured since I am still pretty small it wasn't a big deal!

I'm curious to hear what you discover

 

[mcleodnaturals]

I'm in Alberta and when I started doing my local farmers market last year I called the Cooperators insurance which insures our vehicles, farm, house, etc. They pretty much laughed at me and told me they wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole. How's that for support and encouragement?!?!

I didn't pursue it any further because, well, I figured I was only selling to family and friends at the market and I knew everybody. ... Then my dear loony mother tried my shave bar and splashed some in her eye. She was convinced I had burned her with lye (even though it was done HP and all the lye was gone ... not to mention the fact that the bars had sat long enough that if any was left it would have been saponified for sure!) She actually called poison control, went to emergency and had her eye frozen. THEN she took pictures of herself. Talk about great 'word of mouth' advertising. (I'm pretty sure she just scratched her eye with the clay that was in the bar...but don't tell her that, I'm sure she's still convinced I lyed her! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: )

Anyway, after that episode I'm starting to rethink the insurance issue. I'm operating my business under my husband's incorporated business for protection personally, but I still would like the extra assurance of insurance just in case there are other loonies out there that like to put soap in their eyes and then try to sue or something! :wink:

 

[lilly]

Hi lilly, welcome to this forum! You will find a lot of helpful information, everybody is very kind and friendly.

Where in Canada are you??? I'm in Midwestern Ontario. I'm planning on phoning my insurance guy today to find out what he thinks about insurance. I'm planning to sell on craft shows and at a local farmers market. The products I will sell are CP soaps, bath salts, bath melts, milk bath and bath fizzies as well as some M+P Soapsicles. And smelly jellies (airfreshers) and Dream Pillows). So, these are all products that basiclly wash off, so there should be little chance of having severe allergic reactions. But..... you never know!!!

i am in BC.....

i am not too sure i will get to the selling stage~ i have to make at least one batch yet. however i am realy inspired and noting down what i need for supplies etc...

did you manage to get in touch with your insurance guy..? i must say i do not know much about these things here in Canada as i have only been here a year.

if i was to get to the selling stage then it would probably just be at the local little markets we have here in the summer time.

please share what you can ...as it all helps...

 

[lilly]

I'm in Alberta and when I started doing my local farmers market last year I called the Cooperators insurance which insures our vehicles, farm, house, etc. They pretty much laughed at me and told me they wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole. How's that for support and encouragement?!?!

I didn't pursue it any further because, well, I figured I was only selling to family and friends at the market and I knew everybody. ... Then my dear loony mother tried my shave bar and splashed some in her eye. She was convinced I had burned her with lye (even though it was done HP and all the lye was gone ... not to mention the fact that the bars had sat long enough that if any was left it would have been saponified for sure!) She actually called poison control, went to emergency and had her eye frozen. THEN she took pictures of herself. Talk about great 'word of mouth' advertising. (I'm pretty sure she just scratched her eye with the clay that was in the bar...but don't tell her that, I'm sure she's still convinced I lyed her! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: )

Anyway, after that episode I'm starting to rethink the insurance issue. I'm operating my business under my husband's incorporated business for protection personally, but I still would like the extra assurance of insurance just in case there are other loonies out there that like to put soap in their eyes and then try to sue or something! :wink:

thank you for sharing this here, you have realy given some great info even if you don't realise it.

'lye (even though it was done HP and all the lye was gone ... not to mention the fact that the bars had sat long enough that if any was left it would have been saponified for sure!) '

i now know what saponified means!! thanks~