Hello

[mglory]

I just wanted to say hi. I have been lurking about the website for the last week and have already had many questions answered. There certainly are lots of knowledgable people here. I have been making soap for several years (really I started with my grandma in the 50s but the soap she made was for laundry and it was pretty harsh -but her whites were really white ). I am experimenting with CP (I have been focusing on organic ingredients and petroleum free)and have also done some melt and pour type projects. Are there fragrence oils and colorants that would be considered natural or non-petroleum based? From what I have read to achieve my goal of a natural organic product I would have to stick with essential oils and herbs, which are fine, but I am just wondering what I am missing. I also wonder about selling soap. Can a very small producer of good soap make money doing this? Currently I have people who buy my soap, a couple bars at a time, and they tell me how much they love it but I would like to try selling to a larger market.
As you can tell I am new at this. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
PE

 

[starduster]

Hello there

I know you will enjoy being here.I have found it very helpfull.
How to reach a bigger market?
Net working,circulating, yes the same.
Leave samples at B n B's to follow up later.
To get your wonderfull soaps moving quicker will require the Zeal of a converted.Tell em ,show em, give some away.
Thats all there is to it. 190 percent effort and at some stage you get critical mass, the thing then takes on a life of it's own.
So have you been working out how you will meet those huge orders.

 

[mglory]

Well, I really wasn't thinking in terms of huge. But lots of what I have been doing has been in really small batches, lots of experimenting. I love making soap but it is an expensive hobby and how much soap can you use? Occasional sales are helpful, but it feels like time to move to the next step.
It seems that with all the concern over what the everyday products we buy contain and where they originate the time to put this type of product out there would be now.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will need to work on "the zeal of the converted" part. I have always worked as the one behind the scene to make things happen

 

[mandolyn]

Hi! Welcome to The Forum!!

 

[starduster]

Expanding our Horizons

I was being a bit tongue in cheek, what I wanted to do for you which is what I do for myself is to expand the vision so enormeously that our ordinary thinking gets out of the way.Then when you bring it back to your present situation it's easier think some what larger.You create a bigger Soap Shop space in your head.
Perhaps pretend you're on the executive board of some big soap company.Then work out how you would approach marketing.It's all the same ,just the proportions change.
You made the point the at least people know what is in your soaps and that is good.So you can feel you are being helpful when comunicating this to people,you are doing them a service.This will take the feeling self concious out of the equation because you are there to help them.

Good luck

 

[Deda]

Welcome! Glad you've joined us