Goats milk and soap making for beginner.

[Oliiehavensoaps]

Lol patients is not my strong point that is for sure! But I love your analogy. I plan on making another batch tomorrow, so that will help. I am making a batch of lotion tonight. A lady I met is getting out of goats and she actually had a business making lotions and soaps. My fiancé talked me into buying it. Her customers know I am a beginner so understand the soap will take some time to perfect, but the lotion I think I can handle. Plus the lady has agreed to help me and oversee the process for a few months.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I am sorry, but with the level where you are now it will be a mistake to get in to the soaping business. Especially 'buying' a company which basically equates to spending money on a list of customers who in the main have no reason not to jump ship when the product does not meet their expectations

 

[Susie]

If by "help you and oversee the process", she basically means to continue making "her" soaps and lotions while giving you the recipes and teaching you the whole process from start to finish, then it may be OK. But Craig is correct. You are not guaranteed one cent at any point. And you will be locked into making "her" recipes from the start. This is not how I would like to start a business. I think this was a rash decision at your level of experience. Most of us heard, "You need to sell this wonderful soap!", when we first shared it with others. Thankfully, most of us ignored that.

 

[Oliiehavensoaps]

The basis of the business is lotion, soap is secondary.

 

[dixiedragon]

That's a big jump! But I can see how this is a very good opportunity. Heck, in your place, I'd probably grab it up too! I do think that you need spend more time developing your knowledge before you sell your own recipes, but I see no problem with continuing to make and sell the recipes the former owner will teach you and that her customers like. I disagree that you will be "locked in" - clearly you are interested in making goat milk soap anyway. As you develop your own sense of yourself as a crafter, you can certainly introduce new products.

 

[Oliiehavensoaps]

That is the plan use her recipes while I formulate and introduce myself own. I made lotion last night. It turned out fantastic. This first batch, because I made it, I will not be selling but giving out as samples. To show the formula is the same. I don't feel it would be fair to sell it on this batch as it was my first.

 

[dixiedragon]

Just make sure you have a good understanding of the time and $ commitment here. How much time does she spend crafting? Marketing? Attending shows? Etc. Make sure you are willing and able to do that.
I posted about "Sam" in Jan 2015. He's a guy my dad knows who loaned his ex wife $40k - probably close to his life's savings - to purchase a toiletry business. When I initially made the post I just thought she was starting a business, but she was buying an established one. The exwife got very sick and was in the hospital (she has since passed away) so Sam was having to work his regular job, then go home at night to frantically make soap, lotion, etc to keep the business afloat and try to recoup his loan. Fortunately for him, when it became clear that ex wife wouldn't recover, the original owners purchased the business back.

I'm not sure how much you are paying for this business - and honestly, paying for a list of loyal customers, perhaps some kind of online presence, logo, etc on top of equipment is not a bad investment. Make sure you have some kind of contract if you will be depending on her advice. For example, in Sam's case, the business owned a machine that filled and sealed tea bags. He could NOT figure it out and the former owners had to show him how to use it. Make sure you have all of the recipes that you want, you understand all of the equipment, have all of the paperwork (manuals, warranty info, etc).

 

[Oliiehavensoaps]

My marketing consists of my Facebook page for our farm, my work, and word of mouth every bottle I made last night has sold today. That was a total of 25 bottles. I know I said I was not going to charge but so many people wanted it and I was shocking by the demand. I only paid her $200 for her recipes, supplies, ingredients, and customer list.
I am changing the logo to our farm logo, as we have a decent customer list for our beef, pork, and goats.

We have been in business with the farm for a year or so now and it is expanding. I am confident that this will be a great addition to the farm. Even if I just make lotions and never really make much soap.

 

[dixiedragon]

My guess would be sodium salmonate, sodium mackerelate, sodium herringate, etc. But you're right, I seriously doubt we'd be running across any of that very often. How on earth do you cover up the smell?? I used to give the dogs salmon oil and had to stop because it stunk up the house.

I give my dogs and cats NaturVet brand salmon oil. It is not too stinky. It comes in a metal pump bottle at the pet store. I love that I can just squirt it in vs snipping a capsule. For me, the smell came from the droplets the capsule squirted onto my hands, etc. I can't use intact capsules b/c one dog fishes hers out of the bowl and rolls on it.