People scare me!!

[Lindy]

I live in a city that only has a population of 16,000 and there are 4 soapmakers that I know of. I have survived in this market for the last 5 years, but I am stepping away from retail and doing wholesale But really I have finding I am more interested in the running of the Canadian Guild now than trying to compete with the newbies who are selling their soap for $3 & $4.

 

[shunt2011]

Kudos to you Lindy....I too am sick of those who undersell. I am also sick of those making claims and then turn around and bash what you are selling. I was at a market recently that I've done for 4 years but they allowed 3 more soapers in this year. I went for 1 day (weekly market). There was a women across from me who had a very small table with baskets of just plain soap. She had all kinds of signs making claims. I even heard her voicing claims. I had a few regular customers who were looking for me and then they were wandering the rest of the stalls and I actually heard the other soaper telling her the evils of FO's and colorants. The customer looked at her and said but the soaps I bought are prettier and smell better. I laughed. I just go with the flow and have found my niche in a few larger shows and one farmers market where I am the only one. I don't worry about them as I know I make a quality product that I am proud of. I would like to get into some wholesale but need to find the time to get my plans together and get out there.

 

[kmarvel]

Good to know I'm not being crazy - lol! I think one of the things that's bothering me the most is that the comments on this post are congratulating her on her soap, explaining the proper method to beat the bubbles out, and TELLING HER TO SELL HER FIRST SOAP. Ugh. Not one person has tried to explain the "wait at LEAST a year" recommendation. Really bugs me, and I'm sorry this post is repetitive to other posts - I had to rant!

I am personally NOT going to that site. lol

 

[elmtree]

I have to add my two cents here lol. I do a monthly market that regularly has three to four soapers ( I won't be doing this one again lol) and there were two guys selling at my last months market who made all sorts of comments and claims about other handmade soaps. First, they claim that their soaps are better because they only use veggie fats and how THEIR soap is real and other soaps out there are are all bad soap. Their soap has- get this 'hand scraped' shea butter they bought in South Africa in person (they've been soaping a year they said), their cinnamon bark is 'hand scraped' too!! Everything they use is organic and NOT bad for your skin like most other soaps use. We were within ear shot of them which was just awful! The guy in between us made wood products and by the end if the day he was so sick of listening to them he started telling people his wood was organic and 'hand scraped' lol it was hilarious!

 

[AKjulz]

Can't do anything about those that put there stuff out there too early. But I would like to add that I'm truly blessed in that the 4-5 other soapers that are in my area whom I work around at markets and bazaars are all decent people. Most of us are quite friendly with each other. I'm so thankful i dont have to listen to the kind of false garbage that some of you are subjected to.

 

[cmzaha]

Kudos to you Lindy....I too am sick of those who undersell. I am also sick of those making claims and then turn around and bash what you are selling. I was at a market recently that I've done for 4 years but they allowed 3 more soapers in this year. I went for 1 day (weekly market). There was a women across from me who had a very small table with baskets of just plain soap. She had all kinds of signs making claims. I even heard her voicing claims. I had a few regular customers who were looking for me and then they were wandering the rest of the stalls and I actually heard the other soaper telling her the evils of FO's and colorants. The customer looked at her and said but the soaps I bought are prettier and smell better. I laughed. I just go with the flow and have found my niche in a few larger shows and one farmers market where I am the only one. I don't worry about them as I know I make a quality product that I am proud of. I would like to get into some wholesale but need to find the time to get my plans together and get out there.

You and me both. I have been doing my market for 5 yrs and this year they keep bringing in new soapers who are undercutting my price. I sell my soaps from $6-$10 and they are selling for $4. Fortunately I have a regular clientele that will not buy from anyone else. Of course theirs are all "Natural and Organic"...

 

[scotsman]

Personally, I have only been selling for a short while. Before that, I did it strictly for fun and making money from it was never the intention. I just liked giving my soap to friends and family and getting feedback so I could tweak them and make them better. People kept asking me if they could buy extras beyond what I was giving them for free for them to give to others they thought would enjoy them. So, I started selling them in order to further fund my soaping addiction. Then, as a natural course I started selling at small events, to co-workers, etc. Then I was approached by the owner of a couple salons who was given some of my soap by a friend. She wanted to buy wholesale and have me do private labeling for her. So I got all my licenses and a business was born. Very small business. I'm the only full-time employee, lol! Not trying to expand quickly or beyond my means. I'm happy to keep the business small and let it grow as it will. I have a good day job so no hurry there. I really just love making soap and sharing it with others...and I really dig it that I've had such a positive response from those who have used my products. Keeping people clean and happy...that's what it's all about

 

[Earthen_Step]

Personally, I have only been selling for a short while. Before that, I did it strictly for fun and making money from it was never the intention. I just liked giving my soap to friends and family and getting feedback so I could tweak them and make them better. People kept asking me if they could buy extras beyond what I was giving them for free for them to give to others they thought would enjoy them. So, I started selling them in order to further fund my soaping addiction. Then, as a natural course I started selling at small events, to co-workers, etc. Then I was approached by the owner of a couple salons who was given some of my soap by a friend. She wanted to buy wholesale and have me do private labeling for her. So I got all my licenses and a business was born. Very small business. I'm the only full-time employee, lol! Not trying to expand quickly or beyond my means. I'm happy to keep the business small and let it grow as it will. I have a good day job so no hurry there. I really just love making soap and sharing it with others...and I really dig it that I've had such a positive response from those who have used my products. Keeping people clean and happy...that's what it's all about

Sounds extremely similar to my situation. I have a lot of options right now, I'm trying not to grow too fast so I can keep up. But, I also don't want to drop the ball with some of this. It was a lot of fun making the soaps for free, but it gets expensive fast. I'm glad people wanted to start buying it, it was a natural next step.

Kudos to you Lindy....I too am sick of those who undersell. I am also sick of those making claims and then turn around and bash what you are selling. I was at a market recently that I've done for 4 years but they allowed 3 more soapers in this year. I went for 1 day (weekly market). There was a women across from me who had a very small table with baskets of just plain soap. She had all kinds of signs making claims. I even heard her voicing claims. I had a few regular customers who were looking for me and then they were wandering the rest of the stalls and I actually heard the other soaper telling her the evils of FO's and colorants. The customer looked at her and said but the soaps I bought are prettier and smell better. I laughed. I just go with the flow and have found my niche in a few larger shows and one farmers market where I am the only one. I don't worry about them as I know I make a quality product that I am proud of. I would like to get into some wholesale but need to find the time to get my plans together and get out there.

You and me both. I have been doing my market for 5 yrs and this year they keep bringing in new soapers who are undercutting my price. I sell my soaps from $6-$10 and they are selling for $4. Fortunately I have a regular clientele that will not buy from anyone else. Of course theirs are all "Natural and Organic"...

I am very new at selling, I'm selling nearly all organic, vegan and use natural ingredients. I explain to people why I use them I don't bash other soap makers for their methods. It's hard starting off, so I can understand their attempts to undercut. At $4 a bar using organics I cannot see that being sustainable.

People who are new, see you old timers as a threat and try to get an edge where they can. People who have been selling for 5+ years see new people as the irritation. I am getting along great with the soapers in my area, I have been able to get many good tips from one of them. One company here focuses on goat milk, one does beautiful very strong smelling MP soaps. I focus more on natural/organic, which makes my prices much higher. But we don't all sell in the same place, and have different people who want different things. I think there is plenty of room for new soapers, we all just need to find our niche.

I cannot get such vibrant amazing looks as those using synthetic colors! I also cannot get some of those bold and unique scents FO's give off using only EO. I cannot be nearly as cheap as MP soap or as those using highly refined oils. But, I can make a great product for those looking for more unrefined, organic, vegan/cruelty free soaps. It's all what customer base you are going after.

Just trying to put out some words from a new company standpoint. Let's all be friends :wave:

 

[scotsman]

That's weird. Those last two quoted posts were labeled as mine bit they weren't from me, lol! Maybe there's a gremlin in the system as I've been experiencing some weird bugs with the SMF app.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

In the web version they show correctly. Hmmmmmm.

 

[shunt2011]

Sounds extremely similar to my situation. I have a lot of options right now, I'm trying not to grow too fast so I can keep up. But, I also don't want to drop the ball with some of this. It was a lot of fun making the soaps for free, but it gets expensive fast. I'm glad people wanted to start buying it, it was a natural next step.




I am very new at selling, I'm selling nearly all organic, vegan and use natural ingredients. I explain to people why I use them I don't bash other soap makers for their methods. It's hard starting off, so I can understand their attempts to undercut. At $4 a bar using organics I cannot see that being sustainable.

People who are new, see you old timers as a threat and try to get an edge where they can. People who have been selling for 5+ years see new people as the irritation. I am getting along great with the soapers in my area, I have been able to get many good tips from one of them. One company here focuses on goat milk, one does beautiful very strong smelling MP soaps. I focus more on natural/organic, which makes my prices much higher. But we don't all sell in the same place, and have different people who want different things. I think there is plenty of room for new soapers, we all just need to find our niche.

I cannot get such vibrant amazing looks as those using synthetic colors! I also cannot get some of those bold and unique scents FO's give off using only EO. I cannot be nearly as cheap as MP soap or as those using highly refined oils. But, I can make a great product for those looking for more unrefined, organic, vegan/cruelty free soaps. It's all what customer base you are going after.

Just trying to put out some words from a new company standpoint. Let's all be friends :wave:

Actually, I don't find new people an irritation. I find dishonesty and undercutting an irritation. We all started out new at some point to selling. I actually checked out markets and shows before started selling to see what they were pricing their products at so as not to under price mine. I also checked prices on others websites etc... I wanted a fair price for my products not just selling cheap. I not afraid of competition as a matter of fact I welcome it. I've just seen too many new folks that it's obvious they haven't been making their product long and have only basic knowledge about their product. I am in a small artisan store where they carry a lot of B&B and it's amazing to see how things are not labeled correctly or make claims on their signage. There's a woman who makes GM lotion and other items and has no weight and their not labled INCI. The woman at one of my markets sells naked soap with no ingredient labels or weights. That's what irritates me.

 

[Booko]

Um, ok, I've had very good luck with my first soap, but it was plain as heck and not worth selling.

And I suppose working for years as a lab chemist helped with the good luck.

But no, even I wouldn't do that. No more than I'd assume the first synthesis I try is the best one.

And while I've had good results before, I fully expect to have my share of mistakes.

 

[Earthen_Step]

Actually, I don't find new people an irritation. I find dishonesty and undercutting an irritation. We all started out new at some point to selling. I actually checked out markets and shows before started selling to see what they were pricing their products at so as not to under price mine. I also checked prices on others websites etc... I wanted a fair price for my products not just selling cheap. I not afraid of competition as a matter of fact I welcome it. I've just seen too many new folks that it's obvious they haven't been making their product long and have only basic knowledge about their product. I am in a small artisan store where they carry a lot of B&B and it's amazing to see how things are not labeled correctly or make claims on their signage. There's a woman who makes GM lotion and other items and has no weight and their not labled INCI. The woman at one of my markets sells naked soap with no ingredient labels or weights. That's what irritates me.

I agree completely on dishonesty being a major irritation. Undercutting is a normal marketing thing and is most always temporary. I had to do an "introductory rate" to get movement at the shop in town. No one wanted to try the "new soap" till I did this. I did list my regular price, so the customers anticipated the increase I had to do. I actually could not even match the competitors price here with my discount, so I wouldn't really call it an undercut...

 

[scotsman]

Personally, I don't find the people who undercut the price of their products to be an issue for me. The way I figure it, they're able to go so low on their prices for one of two reasons.
1)They use cheap and/or substandard ingredients. I've made some batches for use at home with the cheap stuff and I could tell the difference. I'm pretty sure their customers would be able to tell the difference too. You'll only fool people once at that. They'll eventually go out of business because they'll get a bad reputation.
2)They don't understand the profit margin required to offset the costs of doing business and still make a workable profit. They'll eventually run out of money, become disillusioned, and go out of business.
I just do my thing and don't worry about the other guys. As long as my customers are happy then so am I.

 

[Dorymae]

The woman at one of my markets sells naked soap with no ingredient labels or weights. That's what irritates me.

If it is just soap she doesn't need to have ingredients, I'm not even sure she needs the weight on their although I imagine she should somehow. People's labeling does not bother me anymore. There are many old soapers who label incorrectly - not because they are trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes but because it is a very confusing aspect of selling. Now we know we don't need to label with INCI and that the correct way to label is by common name. However for years it was fully believed to be incorrect to use common names - books even stated to use INCI !!

Labels? Nope does not bother me unless it is something like making claims, but regular mistakes..... we all make them.

 

[tersh79]

I'm a home soapmaker that peeked over the walls to see what it takes to sell soap - and decided hell no. Sounds like a quick way to ruin a fun hobby. Sure, it's be great to make my money back on my ingredients, but to do it legitimately sounds like a lot of work and money. I got in to this to have something I do for fun to not worry about. When I see someone saying "omg made my first bar i'm going to start my shop on etsy!" I usually try to tell them why jumping right on the sales train might not be the as great as it sounds. I usually get some pissy responses back from them, but hey, can't say I didn't try to warn them.

 

[CanaDawn]

You will always, always get some pissy responses back when you offer unsolicited advice or 'try to warn' people, especially if you have no first-hand experience. Etsy is a minefield of variable quality for everything (just go look at Regretsy, if it is still up), and people will do what they will.

 

[shunt2011]

Some people will only listen to what they want to hear. If someone is telling them differently they will defensive or outright nasty and still not listen. When they don't excel they don't understand why because they didn't take the time to listen to those who tried to help.

 

[Earthen_Step]

I'm a home soapmaker that peeked over the walls to see what it takes to sell soap - and decided hell no. Sounds like a quick way to ruin a fun hobby. Sure, it's be great to make my money back on my ingredients, but to do it legitimately sounds like a lot of work and money. I got in to this to have something I do for fun to not worry about. When I see someone saying "omg made my first bar i'm going to start my shop on etsy!" I usually try to tell them why jumping right on the sales train might not be the as great as it sounds. I usually get some pissy responses back from them, but hey, can't say I didn't try to warn them.

It has been a lot of work and money. I don't think selling is for most people really. I have enjoyed the business side of things. But, I have really wanted my own business as long as I remember. My first attempt was 11 years old selling sack lunches to construction workers from a red wagon. This soap/cosmetic company is my first legal business attempt.

My main worry is turning the soap side into a "job". I want to keep the soap side of things fun and I think I can. There are so many things I have to play around with still. It is so addictive and fun, I never expected this.

Good post

 

[scotsman]

As far as the whole labeling thing goes, at least in the US, the only legal requirements for true soap are that yes, you must have a label and that label must at least contain 3 things:
1)It must identify the product as soap. You must actually use the word "soap". Bath bar, beauty bar, etc will not suffice.
2)It must list the weight of the product. My understanding is that they require the net weight, or the weight of the product itself, not including the weight of the packaging. I may be mistaken on this one but that's the way I understood the semantics of the law and the way I've always done it. If I am incorrect please correct me.
3)It must list a physical address for your business that serves as a point of contact for the consumer. I do not know if a P.O. Box is permitted or not, as I've never had one. I'm sure one of the veterans on here would know the answer to that one.
So in a nutshell, the person selling unlabeled bars is in violation of the law whether they know it or not. Is it likely the authorities will show up at the local farmers market to bust them? Probably not. That being said, if they do somehow make it onto the radar, by way of customer complaint or otherwise, the penalties are quite stiff. Not worth it, in my opinion...especially when it is relatively easy to stay within the constraints of the law. I won't take risks like that with my business because it's not worth the damage to my reputation as a businessman and the potential financial damages to myself and my family. I do this because I enjoy creating and sharing something that makes people around me happy. The fact that I make a modest profit from it is just gravy. I'd be just as happy doing it for free if I had that kind of disposable income.