Home made soap, will it sell

[Kezs]

Hi all I’m looking at doing a day course in making soaps to then make and sell from home. I quit my job as it was to much stress with three kids (one with disabilities). I want to work from home an love crafting. Do you think this will work?

[speakout]

gigi556 yes, that's why I avoid cosmetics. They have to be regulated to be sold legally, including this:

Obtain a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) – the Soap Kitchen has more information on Safety Assessments and what you need to do here
Establish a Good Manufacturing Practice – this ensures your products are always safe and manufactured in a professional and hygienic manner
Keep a Product Information File (PIF) – this is record of your product and latest batch produced should it be requested by the authorities or public
Give each batch of product you produce a unique batch code – this means keeping full record in a manufacturing log of everything you make and the ingredients used
Label your products correctly – that way everyone know what you are putting into your products and can contact you if required
Notify the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP) – this is a database for the purposes of market surveillance, analysis, evaluation and consumer information.
Get the right insurance
NotifytheHMRC, Trading standards and any other authority that your are manufacturing products

Far too much hassle for me. I stick to non cosmetic items.

[gigi556]

I do think they would sell but it depends on what outlets you use to sell and how good you are at marketing. I've been looking into something similar and I've been slightly put off by the regulations if you want to do it properly. Homemade cosmetics have to be tested by a lab to be sold legally. I presume soap is the same/similar.

[speakout]

The crafting / designer maker world is not the place to be at the moment if you are looking for an income

I am doing really well.

Set up my craft business 18 months ago and business is booming.
In fact I had to stop selling for 3 weeks before christmas as I could not keep up with orders.

[TroubleinDaFamily]

Sorry should have added that a long time ago on here some did think that it would be their USP.

[Kezs]

Thanks, lots to think about. Would love to find a job I can do from home but so hard to find

[TroubleinDaFamily]

Just so long as you don't think adding your own breastmilk would be a USP, you should be ok.

[DPotter]

The crafting / designer maker world is not the place to be at the moment if you are looking for an income. People have been cutting back on discretionary spend over the last 2-3 big time and are now getting very good at it!

If you do decide you still want to go ahead, you will need to think carefully about how to promote your work. It's very difficult to sell from home - I'm assuming you mean on the internet? Places such as Etsy are swamped with others also wanting to sell their handmade stuff. I have some friends who sell soaps and fragrance oils, as a side line to their jewellery business. They sell at local fairs and the soaps will sell enough to make back their stand fee -mostly.

There's lots of other things you will need to think about as well - packaging, postage costs, insurance especially with soaps because of the chemicals used. I think I'm right in saying you have to have your recipes validated / checked for toxicity but you could ask at your course for details. Another thing to think of - do you have enough space? Both to make and store a reasonable stock. I have a 12ftx14ft shed and it's full to busting with my stock.

As well as a soap making course check out courses with titles such as 'turning your hobby / craft into a job'; they are good at spelling out all the different things you need to think about and have in place in order to make an income.

[Forgettable]

Questions to consider:

Is there a craft show circuit locally to sell direct? Or a cooperative to sell through?

Is there demand locally?

Who will look after the children whilst you're out hawking wares?

Website presence? Fb page with links?

Will you need insurance/register with a body/planning permission for home factory?

I don't know the answers btw, course leader should be able to signpost.