I think I'm done

[Selaine]

When I did shows 15 years ago, I could never sell enough soap to be worth it. But I sold bath salts and bath oils and bath teas and bath items that were made at super low cost and sold at much higher margins to be able to support my soap making addiction.....

 

[SunRiseArts]

For what it's worth, just thinking out loud...

I think if you want to have a successful B & B business, keep up with the times. I would be thinking about Amazon. Did you hear? Amazon bought Whole Foods this week! It's a different world. People are shopping retail less and less -- since we can buy on line for the same cost and not hafta go thru the hassle of traffic, not to forget the time-saving factor of buying on line.

Let's face it. Craft fairs are great for the camaraderie and opportunity for face time with customers, but craft fairs are going the way of retail stores, i.e., disappearing all over the place.

I just did a quick check "Amazon homemade soap" and there aren't many. And the ones I saw didn't compete with the lovely soaps that show up every day on SMF. I'm not sure about online artisan shops like Etsy.

Another thought... 2 Colorado soapers I know, started out at farmers markets for a few years and then started selling wholesale to places all over the USA. They are actually making a living selling B & B products to Boutiques, Bed & Breakfast establishments, Nurseries, Spas, Hotels, etc. Of course, it's more work than fun, but they keep busy and, happily, don't have to drag stuff somewhere, set up, take down and drag most of the product back home again.

Something to think about.

I know what you mean, but I have huge issues with Amazon. I would never again buy or sell anything there.

 

[cmzaha]

Good points. I've always found the weekly local markets to be a bust. Usually 38-50 for the booth and I was lucky to break even. After a year of fighting to do well, I switched to more themed events and found my niche. They were more 2-3 day events and festivals that seem to be more lucrative and a hell of a lot more fun.

I have to admit if I had to pay a high booth price I would have to consider quitting since I do not have extra money to pay out for no return. I can actually make some money since I do not pay high booth fees. All supplies, gas, etc comes out of my market money and I still have enough to purchase groceries each week. It helps a lot when on fixed income after retirement. I am going to get rich doing this, nope but that is okay. We have been lucky to have had Boats, Harleys, Sandbuggys, traveled so life is good, even without lots of extra money now. Still have the Harley's but no time to ride with the parents care. Sorry I am rambling...

I have to admit I do not have a desire to wholesale, I am Retired, but I really enjoy my markets. If I can swing it along with taking care of my parents I will be adding 2 more markets in the next month or so. I did tell our market owner I cannot swing the fourth one he has starting. But I am really looking forward to having a Friday night market again. I will mention it is just as hard a business for the market owners with the economy and the popularity fading and handcrafted vendors fading away.

 

[debbism]

I'm with you there. I'm dealing with a different market type so a $250 booth for 2-3 days is rather low considering what I usually make at them and the fact that I am usually the only vendor of my type there. It's the huge events that I am nervous about taking a chance on doing where the booth fee is 3-4 times that. I know I can do well there but I'm not sure I can afford the risk just yet.

 

[Spice]

I know what you mean, but I have huge issues with Amazon. I would never again buy or sell anything there.

I just went into amazon, there is 26 pages of soap. I tried to go to the 26th, not a chance. In order to get to page 26, I have to go through pages 1 -25.:headbanging:

Everywhere I go, there are hundreds of soaps. I am thinking that the "Big Gunners" get first page.

 

[cmzaha]

I'm with you there. I'm dealing with a different market type so a $250 booth for 2-3 days is rather low considering what I usually make at them and the fact that I am usually the only vendor of my type there. It's the huge events that I am nervous about taking a chance on doing where the booth fee is 3-4 times that. I know I can do well there but I'm not sure I can afford the risk just yet.

We checked out a large show at the Anaheim Convention that was in the $700 range and it was a complete bust for almost everyone there. I was invited and had thankfully backed off. It was a holiday show in 2015. I see you are in So Cal, and it makes me wonder where you are the only soap vendor. Very seldom am I the only one. Even the Avocado one in Fallbrook is not good anymore and is expensive. It was one that was really good several yrs ago

 

[SunRiseArts]

I just went into amazon, there is 26 pages of soap. I tried to go to the 26th, not a chance. In order to get to page 26, I have to go through pages 1 -25.:headbanging:

Everywhere I go, there are hundreds of soaps. I am thinking that the "Big Gunners" get first page.

yep, There is so much competition out there. I have my MP soaps on ebay, if I sell one. Sometimes I do from time to time.

When I make extra my hubby takes to work and his coworkers buy it. Maybe is enough to pay for supplies at the end. Honestly not worth it IMO.

I think those who make it to the grocery store or something like that you have to make thousands to make money that is decent. Then personaly I think, the joy of making an artistry is gone .

 

[navigator9]

I just went into amazon, there is 26 pages of soap. I tried to go to the 26th, not a chance. In order to get to page 26, I have to go through pages 1 -25.:headbanging:

Everywhere I go, there are hundreds of soaps. I am thinking that the "Big Gunners" get first page.

We checked out a large show at the Anaheim Convention that was in the $700 range and it was a complete bust for almost everyone there. I was invited and had thankfully backed off. It was a holiday show in 2015. I see you are in So Cal, and it makes me wonder where you are the only soap vendor. Very seldom am I the only one. Even the Avocado one in Fallbrook is not good anymore and is expensive. It was one that was really good several yrs ago

yep, There is so much competition out there. I have my MP soaps on ebay, if I sell one. Sometimes I do from time to time.

When I make extra my hubby takes to work and his coworkers buy it. Maybe is enough to pay for supplies at the end. Honestly not worth it IMO.

I think those who make it to the grocery store or something like that you have to make thousands to make money that is decent. Then personaly I think, the joy of making an artistry is gone .

This makes me so sad. Do you think it is the internet, easily providing people with the info to make anything they want? Craftspeople don't learn from other craftspeople any more...the info they get on the internet, (and we know this, from posts on this forum), may or may not be correct. And many seem to not care about putting in the work to really learn a craft, which is fine if you're just making something for your own enjoyment, but if you're selling a product that has your name attached to it, I would think you'd want to make sure it was the very best you could do. Something you'd be proud of. But I don't see a lot of that these days. So craft fairs become diluted with mediocre products, and people become disillusioned with not being able to find unique, quality items at craft fairs like they used to. Maybe all of this has lowered shopper's expectations, and made them satisfied with less. I don't know, I'm just rambling here, but it makes me miss the old days, and the sense of anticipation I felt when I went to a craft fair, because I knew I would always find something amazing.

 

[debbism]

cmzaha, it is not often I am the only soap vendor but as a returning vendor for SOME events, if I am there, they don't bring in others - the last few shows I have been as they were smaller events further north - like ventura, Sacramento and they limited the vendors so there were few no duplicate types.

And there are events that I have been turned down for because they already had another soaper there.

 

[SunRiseArts]

This makes me so sad. Do you think it is the internet, easily providing people with the info to make anything they want? Craftspeople don't learn from other craftspeople any more...the info they get on the internet, (and we know this, from posts on this forum), may or may not be correct. And many seem to not care about putting in the work to really learn a craft, which is fine if you're just making something for your own enjoyment, but if you're selling a product that has your name attached to it, I would think you'd want to make sure it was the very best you could do. Something you'd be proud of. But I don't see a lot of that these days. So craft fairs become diluted with mediocre products, and people become disillusioned with not being able to find unique, quality items at craft fairs like they used to. Maybe all of this has lowered shopper's expectations, and made them satisfied with less. I don't know, I'm just rambling here, but it makes me miss the old days, and the sense of anticipation I felt when I went to a craft fair, because I knew I would always find something amazing.

I believe this. I think the internet has changed everything. Some of it good, and some is bad. I take so much research and study in everything I do, and I find a lot of people out there making stuff that is not up to standard. I like to do a lot of MP, but I am an artist and spend quite some time painting my pieces and such. A lot of people melt and sell just melt anything to sell. I think not always the quality is there.

On the other hand, among many issues I have with amazon, one is to be said for them taking the whole market. I guess you could say more or less the same about Walmart and target, although these last two companies employ a lot of people. Specially Walmart. At my local Walmart there is a guy with mild retardation that pushes carts, and he has been there for at least 5 years. Walmart often gives people with disabilities and senior citizen jobs that others would not. But amazon breaks all the laws of anti-trust, and get away with it. I think they are responsible for many businesses closing down, and all their stuff is from China.

I do not have the same quarrel with eBay, because eBay is a broker, and facilitates sells, giving many individuals the opportunity to sell from anywhere in the world.

I must be getting old,. When we had local stores and fairs, and such, communities were real places, people knew each other. Today it seems everyone is isolated. Lots of lonely people out there. I wish it was not like that.

 

[Spice]

This makes me so sad. Do you think it is the internet, easily providing people with the info to make anything they want? Craftspeople don't learn from other craftspeople any more...the info they get on the internet, (and we know this, from posts on this forum), may or may not be correct. And many seem to not care about putting in the work to really learn a craft, which is fine if you're just making something for your own enjoyment, but if you're selling a product that has your name attached to it, I would think you'd want to make sure it was the very best you could do. Something you'd be proud of. But I don't see a lot of that these days. So craft fairs become diluted with mediocre products, and people become disillusioned with not being able to find unique, quality items at craft fairs like they used to. Maybe all of this has lowered shopper's expectations, and made them satisfied with less. I don't know, I'm just rambling here, but it makes me miss the old days, and the sense of anticipation I felt when I went to a craft fair, because I knew I would always find something amazing.

You may have a point there, last week I was doing a farmers market, people were buying bath bombs and they kept asking me if it was going to give them a yeast infection (women). I make my products bland, IMO, if I use a colorant its from an herb/infused oil, I don't use dye in my bath bombs or have all those pretty fluorescent colors, or spinning balls that light up the bathroom. Most said that Lush products were either giving them an itch or a yeast infection.

When Lush makes products like that, it make all crafters part of Lush's inferior products. A company that large, I would think, would have better products.

 

[SunRiseArts]

You may have a point there, last week I was doing a farmers market, people were buying bath bombs and they kept asking me if it was going to give them a yeast infection (women). I make my products bland, IMO, if I use a colorant its from an herb/infused oil, I don't use dye in my bath bombs or have all those pretty fluorescent colors, or spinning balls that light up the bathroom. Most said that Lush products were either giving them an itch or a yeast infection.

When Lush makes products like that, it make all crafters part of Lush's inferior products. A company that large, I would think, would have better products.

Not sure if it is true, but I heard that anything with sugar down there can cause a yeast infection because it changes the ph. I avoid sugar in all my products, but mainly because we have crazy ants in Texas.

I think one of the fine ladies here is a nurse, maybe she can confirm or not the veracity of that statement.

 

[earlene]

I am a retired nurse, but not the only nurse on the forum.

Some women are more prone to yeast infections than others. A variety of things can play a part in this extremely uncomfortable dilemna, including diabetes, blood sugar issues (with or without diabetes), tight pants or pantyhose, sexual activity, immuno-suppression, antibiotic usage, even genetic pre-disposition (according to some), physical aspects (of the body itself), obesity, birth control methods, ****** usage, etc. So it's not all about taking a bath with a bath bomb and the ingredients therein.

However, it is highly recommended that for women with a propensity to yeast infections, bath bombs should only be used once a week and that they don't sit long in the tub, especially if the bomb has any glitter. In fact, it is recommended to shower after bathing with a bath bomb with glitter because glitter is not ******l-friendly. Also of note: fragrances and colorants are also not ******l-friendly and women with such issues are also more likely to do better with less fragrance and colorants in their bath bombs.

 

[debbism]

I've wondered about this especially since I used to be prone to these before my diet changed. I stopped drinking sugary drinks and as a result, I not longer crave/consume mass amounts of sugar.

It also begs the question of whether adding probiotics would do anything. I already add it to other products but I wonder if it would stay intact even if it is a shelf stable type

 

[charmed47]

Hi everyone,
I was planning on doing craft fairs since I got my new soap business going... and reading you is a bit discouraging... I'm a newby... but I cannot do annything else since I had a big car accident and cannot work anymore and just can't see myself doing anything at all so for me it was a way of doing something with my life, seing people, doing something I love (making soaps) and a bit of money (not get rich) I have a question for you guys... Do you innovate with technologie? Do you have an online store? Do you sell something else then soap that is bath related... ? Sometimes it could be an idea to do different things? I don't know.... I'm in Canada, I don't know if its the same here but I'm questionning myself weither its a good avenue or not...? We were planning on getting on the road with the rv and doing fairs and all... am I just a big dreamer? I prefer to think positive and isn't their is a change of heart from people and they are coming back to homebased product... No?

 

[cmzaha]

I do not know the regulations for Canada but here in the US most cities/counties require Business Licenses to sell in their cities so it can get expensive to sell in multiple cities/counties. So that is something to check on if you are trying to have a mobile type business. Here in the US sales are not what they were even 5yrs ago, and I think the influx of DIY sites has hurt us tremendously. For example I have a customer that used to purchase bath bombs, she now makes them herself. LOL, in fact I am thinking about asking how much she would wholesale them to me...bath bombs are my nemesis . She does still purchase soap and syndet shampoo bars from me.

 

[navigator9]

Hello Charmed! Honestly, I wasn't meaning to discourage anyone, just to be realistic. I didn't start selling soap because I thought I'd make a lot of money. I had always loved going to craft fairs and thought it would be fun to be on the selling side for a change, and make some extra money. But I know there are a lot of people out there who do expect to make it big by selling their soap. And there are a few who do manage to do that. But not so very many, I'm afraid. When I first started selling, I also ordered soaps from some makers who were quite well known, and seemed to do a lot of business. I wanted to see how my soap measured up. I was quite surprised that their soaps didn't seem to be anything special. They were nice, but not nicer than mine. So what was the secret? I think marketing has a lot to do with it. They had websites with beautiful photos and graphics. They had a big online presence. They had widely read soap blogs. I think anyone who wants to make a considerable amount of money has to be good at marketing their product. If you just want to do a few craft fairs here and there, you can make some money, but for me, the amount of time and work I had to put into it, just isn't worth it. Your area may be different. You need to pick and choose craft fairs wisely. But definitely give it a try!!! You never know how things will turn out.

 

[penelopejane]

There are two business in Oz which are run by marketers. The have a good catchy name, they know people in magazines and have huge write ups about their soap. Their soap is not good (one has Castile sold at 8 weeks) but they sell for $$$ and sell well.

I find it disappointing that the public are so unable to discriminate between good and bad soap. It's all about who you know, labelling and marketing not the product.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Hi everyone,
I was planning on doing craft fairs since I got my new soap business going... and reading you is a bit discouraging... I'm a newby... but I cannot do annything else since I had a big car accident and cannot work anymore and just can't see myself doing anything at all so for me it was a way of doing something with my life, seing people, doing something I love (making soaps) and a bit of money (not get rich) I have a question for you guys... Do you innovate with technologie? Do you have an online store? Do you sell something else then soap that is bath related... ? Sometimes it could be an idea to do different things? I don't know.... I'm in Canada, I don't know if its the same here but I'm questionning myself weither its a good avenue or not...? We were planning on getting on the road with the rv and doing fairs and all... am I just a big dreamer? I prefer to think positive and isn't their is a change of heart from people and they are coming back to homebased product... No?

Never let anyone stop you from what your dream is. Besides the fact that you go from town to town might be a good thing! just make sure you are complying with all that is necessary. Do not commit lots of money to it. I would just make a loaf or two and see how they sell, and take it from there.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Having said what I said above .....

The town I live has a knows farmers market every Saturday so I checked it out. I personally do not like the fact that you have to commit through a contract for a whole year, but ridiculously, these things are asked from the vendors:

The Market Manager will also strive to limit the similar types of all items, to maximize variety for the consumer and regulate competition within the Market.

All vendors shall be subject to inspection of their farm or place of production.

All Farmer/Food vendors shall provide proof of $1 million of liability insurance with the market named as additional insured.

Violation of any provision of the Market Rules of Operation shall be a material breach and default by the vendor. Vendor will be required to vacate the market immediately. Failure to vacate may subject the vendor to civil and criminal remedies, including but not limited to remedies of civil and criminal trespass. There will be no refund for spaces for this day.

Attire and grooming must be neat, clean and appropriate for the work being performed. (as if) .....

Not sure I want to go there ... I carry insurance, but not that much, and only have it as a safety net, I make my soap in my kitchen and then clean thoroughly after I am done, and do not have a separated place in my house for soaping at the moment.

Not sure that is how I want to spend every weekend either.