Teach Soap

hello all! I have an interesting time reading you guys questions and answers, all of you sound well seasoned in this business, so I appreciate all of the info, advice and recommendations. I understand that I am new to this whole thing, I wanted to ask you guys, how long should I wait before I wait for my first sale to maybe move onto something else? it sounds like all of you are very successful and I would like to join the ranks of being a busy seller. I don't know how to get anyone's attention. I listed on ebay, etsy and even ecrater. any suggestions? thank you ladies. you guys are very friendly and helpful on this forum. I love this forum!!

Hi, noni,

I think it's cool that you're so excited about soaping, and it's great that you want to hit the ground running. But I do have to say that success does not come easily or quickly when you have a small business selling soaps. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance. It takes time to get established and to get consistent sales. I've been on Etsy for six months and I'm still struggling to get noticed. Take your time and don't jump in too quickly.

I soaped for 10 months before I attempted to sell any of my soaps to anyone. I wanted to take enough time to get really good at my craft (something I am still working on every day) and to learn as much as I could about soaping in general. It takes a while to figure out, through trial-and-error and research, what works and what doesn't.

I also wanted to take my time reading up on small business issues. As soon as you start selling something, you are a business. Do you have all of the permits and licenses that you need from your county to run a small business? Have you registered with your state to collect sales tax? Will you have to register a fictitious business name? There is a lot to consider, and the learning curve is huge.

Here are some and that I recommend. I'm sure others on the forum can suggest some good books to read also.

Take some time to enjoy soaping and to enjoy experimenting. When you do set up shop, focus on building a varied inventory, taking great photos, and participating in various online communities. Maybe start a blog, or a Facebook Fan Page (or Like Page or whatever they're calling them now) and/or a Twitter account to help spread the word about your business. Keep your enthusiasm up, and you'll be just fine!

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- Jenny -
My soapy blog:
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Hi there noni,

Deciding to start your own soap business is a big decision, and like jrose said, it can take awhile before you start to sell (or before you start to make a profit). I think I've invested probably well over $2,000 so far and there have been months of testing, tweaking, and researching involved. Your potential customers may want to know why you used a certain FO or EO, or a certain ingredient, and your answers will definitely influence the sale. Don't get discouraged if an item you list doesn't sell within a few days, it sometimes takes months. Not sure where you live, but there may be local crafting groups in your area that you could join to network with others and build a crafting support system for yourself. Best of luck!

Thank yo guys so much, you actually made me feel a lot better!!! What I will also do is try to be inventive and think of things that maybe will catch on!! Don't have a clue yet, but, since my brain is always turning, I'm sure I'll come up with something!!