Many enterprising business people are starting tiny soap and cosmetic businesses right at home and are making and packaging their entire product lines by hand. What is so attractive about hand-made soaps, lotions, body oils, etc? For consumers, there are many reasons. Many consumers who have skin sensitivities prefer handmade body care products and will seek them out specifically, because they are "natural," with most products being made from an assortment of animal and vegetable fats, dried herbs and essential oils. Other consumers purchase handmade bath and body care products because they know the individual who makes them and they want to support that business. Still others are looking for something different than the norm.
For you, the business person, a home-based bath and body care business has many advantages:
- It can be started with minimal investment. The ingredients needed to make handcrafted bath and body care products are very inexpensive. Many ingredients are available at the local grocery store. Other ingredients are available by mail. Handcrafted bath and body care products can be made using standard kitchen equipment.
- It is flexible. By making your own products, you can arrange your schedule around your family's schedule. You can start your business small, and then grow it as you need to.
- It is a business where you will get repeat customers. If people like what you are selling, they will come back to you for more.
- Bath and body care products are an item everyone uses. Most people already know what soap, lotion, and bath salts are. So when you sell your products, most people will not ask "What is this?" The kind of questions you will get are questions such as "what makes this different?" and "did you make this yourself?"
- This business will teach you skills that you can use for a lifetime. This is probably the best aspect of this business. By learning to make your own personal care products, you can make what you want to when you need to. And you can tailor the products that you make to meet your needs.
As with any business venture, starting a hand-crafted bath and body care business has it's share of risks and rewards. If you crave the regular structure of a 9 to 5 job, with it's holidays, regular pay periods and routine tasks, then having your own bath and body care business may not be for you. However, if you enjoy being creative, if you like taking some risks, if you like some adventure and if you can stand the ups and downs of owning a business, then this might be just the business venture you've been looking for!
For tips on starting and growing a handcrafted soap and cosmetics business, visit soapmakingbusiness.com
