Teach Soap

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Definitely am open and understand the concerns posted here and yes, Irena is such a helpful resource. We are so lucky to have her in the soapmaking community. I see her selflessly giving of her time on this board and other boards and her resevoir of patience and kindness is our good fortune.

I edited the blog post to include the following:

“Many of the comments below are concerned that you might buy this kit and think that you can short cut the hard work of learning to make soap or run a business. This kit does not magically turn you into an expert. What it does is save you the time to pick out your starter ingredients, wade through all the possible books to buy and give you an excellent starting point (far more than I started out with or any of the soapers in the comments below). You still will need to learn how to make soap, license and insure your business, and do the hard work of selling your soap.”

I wouldn't want anyone to think that this kit performed outright magic (though if you can find one for me that DOES do the hard work of selling my product, let me know about it.)

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Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com

I still think this is a brilliant idea! As a single Mother who struggled to support her family on her own, I wish it was around when I first started it would have saved me a ton on money buying items I thought I needed at the time, but did not. I do know that although its not a get rich quick overnight type business, you can make a comfortable living selling soap.

There will always be people that dive in head first and sell too quickly no matter what you tell them, nor will some do the required paperwork. Unless they do the homework they wont survive long term. I see there is a ton of reading material included in the kit. Notes from the Soap Queen herself, that knows a few things about the business. Tried and true recipes. I'd rather see newbies buying this kit than make soap recipes they find on the Internet that are not so reputable.

I have the up most respect for all the soap making guru's here. And I certainly did not mean to stir the pot, but I would encourage anyone starting out to go the route of buying the kit. If for the simple reason of saving a ton of $$$. Trust me I speak from experience.

Open a beekeeping catalog, and there are all kinds of kits: kits for new beekeepers that include hives, suit, tools, smoker, a book on beekeeping, etc. Kits to make mead. There are kits to make whipped honey. Kits to make lip balm. Kits to make candles. And yes, kits to make soap. And while most beekeepers are hobbyists, I have yet to meet a beekeeper who hasn't sold a jar or two of honey or a pair of candles to friends and neighbors. In fact, that's exactly how I started: using my beeswax to make candles, lip balms, and lotion bars long before I'd found forums like this one or Soap Queen--I was too busy reading the beekeeping forums! The kits are there to help those who want to expand their line, and don't want to start from scratch choosing tools and containers and all the rest. The kit gives you a leg up, and lets you skip a few basic (potentially expensive) mistakes.

I see this the same way: if someone has a few batches under their belt, and really loves it, and wants to move toward a business, this kit is the ticket. No guessing which FOs won't accelerate trace, no extra molds you regret buying, no recipe off the internet that makes a soft bar that might never firm up. Get off on the right foot, with the tools and the knowledge needed for a good foundation. Rather than doing it all from scratch, like Anne-Marie, or cobbling together good and questionable Internet sources and books, like many of us here, the next round of newbies can start out with good materials. What they make of it, and how hard they work, is up to them.

My only criticism? The soap pics on the web site didn't have weights. And there's no soap cutter in the package. It's a well-known fact that all new soap businesses must have a crinkle cutter.

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

Maybe it should be called "Soap Business School in a Box". Then it would imply that by purchasing the box, you are about to embark on a learning/training experience, rather than buying to START the actual business.

I think I read in the blog comments that someone didn't think people would plunk down $700 (or is it $800?) and expect to have a business.

I know for sure they would. I have a shirt printing business and I have seen a couple of suppliers do something similar (same with sign making). They sell a cutter with some clip art and vinyl, or a heat press again with some basic supplies.

They market it as a starter package though. And there are still people who buy it and think they'll be making money right away. These are the days of instant gratification. Of course they'll do that. I have a friend who once said for years his tax refund went towards his wife's many failed business attempts. But he didn't care, kept her home with the kid and quiet.

I agree that it should not be called a business In a box. But I haven't even shared my stuff with anyone other than my bf.

I have come to the conclusion that one of the reasons people are so willing to plunk $$$$ down on risky ventures is: fear of math. It takes quality time with a calculator - more time than a lot of people are willing to spend, to come up with realistic numbers.

Numbers are not warm and fuzzy. Numbers do not lie, and you cannot argue with them. Way too much emphasis on feelings and emotions these days when making career/business choices - not enough attention paid to harsh realities and cold hard facts. I am sure I'll get flamed for this, but you may have passion for your craft oozing from every pore - but if there are 50 people in your region/market oozing the same passion - you are up against stiff competition. And the facts may trump your faith in yourself.

And before I get jumped on by: "But look at Ann-Marie's passion...." Well, as she has stated many times: she has put in many, many years of hard work. And I'll be she burned through a few calculators in that time as well....and has piles of scrap paper with numbers scribbled all over. I'd bet my left arm as a leftie that the foundation of hard work Ann-Marie has put in has much more to do with her success than passion.

The best article I ever came across about this (I will try and find it) said: "Forget YOUR passion - the key is to figure out how to tap into the passion of OTHERS."

Off MY soapbox. I have a friend who has been pestering me to embark on a series of bad business ideas over the past few years. She wasted no time bugging me about starting a soap business after Batch #3 - very annoying. So its a bit of a sore spot for me - The Ill Concieved Business Plan Sure To Suck Your Bank Account Dry.

April, I used to work on a small shop (as an employee). We had one customer and the accountant that always had a business of the week. The shop shut down in 2009 but I still do work with the old owner and actually sat down with the accountant last year.

The accountant lost his house last fall, that he purchased I the 1970s. The other guy still tries to get the old owner to do the biz of the week. I've also seen this with people who sell Amway etc they still work full time jobs while peddling on the side.

None of them are rich. The old owner and I are more than happy we turned down all those offers.

Sounds like an episode of "Kitchen Nightmares". If you think people taking risks with soap making is scary...sinking thousands, if not millions, into a restaurant because "it sounded like a cool idea.." - that show makes my jaw drop. Especially when the owners are not that much into food and cooking!!! How people can burn that much money without knowing really what they are doing . Small business failures are very high, and I think restaurants are even higher.

The mind reels.

I know this is an older thread, but I thought I would give my two cents. I started my business in the US the old fashioned way. Trial and error, getting good at the craft before even thinking of selling. The hardest thing about starting the business side, for me, was the initial investment and getting a large inventory up (plus the cure times for CP). Once you're ready to take the plunge, this is a great kit. I don't think many people will look at this and say, "Oh! This has everything I need to *succeed* at selling soap!" What we've boiled this whole argument down to is semantics. It IS a starter kit for someone wanting to go into soap making on a larger scale, but, it doesn't do the work for you and the price tag is enough to put a lot of people off. Most people dont plunk down nearly $800 without researching and if they're making inferior products, then, that's less competition for us.

I will be ordering this kit because I am moving to the UK. I will be trading the lye and blender in the kit with a fellow soaper for some butters or FO's. This will all be put in our shipping POD and sent with the rest of my soaping tools. It's a nice bulk way of hitting the ground running. Anne-Marie has done a good job building a seg-way for the hobbyist to get started selling. I think it's wonderful.