Why Not Make Homemade Soap For Sale?

When I make homemade soap I love both to use it for myself and to give it as a gift. My friends have been delighted with the gifts of soap, some have bought extra from me and a few have recommended I make it into a full time business. I thought through the idea but it was not for me.

The first issue was whether I enjoyed it enough to do it on a consistent and ongoing basis. Any business such as this needs you to think about it and do it daily. Do you really want to make homemade soap every week, even every day for week after week after week? For me this was not the right decision as I enjoy variety in my life and my soap making is just one of the creative activities I do.

The follow up issue is to know the returns you might make from the business? What is your competition selling their soap for? You have to take into account, not only the costs of the ingredients of the soap, but also your packaging costs, the costs of your overheads, the costs of moulds and other start up costs. You also want to be paid for the hours you spend doing it.

At the beginning of any business venture it is wise to be scrupulously honest with yourself about costs and expected profits. It is not unknown for enthusiasts to find they are making less than a dollar an hour by the time they include their labour into the costs. You are likely to want to make sure you make at least the minimum wage in returns.

It can however be quite a different matter if you are choosing to put together a few products for an occasional market stall where you sell not just your soap, but a range of other products that you enjoy making. Quite often selling on such occasions can be a very social activity, especially when you are doing it with friends who are selling their products as well. It is important to be aware of the financial realities, the costs and profit margins when you make homemade soap as you want to keep your creative activities and the business side of it positive.