Price of product

[Tabitha]

CJ-
Usually you add up the cost of your supplies, time, and fixed costs(utilities, packaging, rental space, etc). double for wholesale and triple for retail. You don't just pull a number off the top of your head.

And as everyone else said if you have to ask the questions you asked you are not ready to sell.

You have to remember, soap and lotion goes on and is absorbed by the body. This is much more serious than just making greeting card, scrapbooks, or jewerly and selling them at the local craft fair.

I get really frustrated when people ask questions that should be answered BEFORE they even START making soap. I think it should be a requirement before you get a business license for soapmaking, that you have read The Soapmakers Companion, made a certain number of batches, and read every post on all soapmaking forums.

OK! I'm done with my rant!!!!!!

I think you made a type-o, that is double for wholesale, 4 times for retail. That way wholesale is 50% off retail. When a shop gets wholesale product they should be able to do a 2x mark-up to find the retail price, 2.2x mark-up if they need to accopunt for the cost of delivery of the wholesale product.

 

[karajan]

This has been mention in the forum many times, but I guess I will repeat again. For those who are thinking of selling soap as a business for quick bucks, BAD IDEA!! Ask those who are experience soapers and sellers here and you will know.

It was after 4 years of soap making before I have the courage to start selling them. Not for profit but to cover some of the cost of this expensive hobby that somehow is so irresistible. Those that I am selling are recipes that I am very confident with and so I am only selling very limited range of products.

I have a large group of brave testers (ie families and friends) who are always eager to test my creations. But I always feel really bad when something happens to (eg allergy reaction) them when using my creations even when they don't blame me for it.

 

[AZ Soaper]

OOPS! My bad I did mean 4 times. Take the wholesale price and double. I was just so frustrated My fingers were going faster than my brain!

 

[lulubelle]

A few thoughts from another "newbie"....I've been making M & P soaps for a little over a year and will be doing my 2nd craft show next month...I didn't start selling M & P's till I felt very confident and was able to create them in a consistent manner....In the last month, I've started to make cold process soap as well (will be posting pics soon), although I've been reading (obsessively...because apparently I know no other way of going about it) and taking notes on CP for at least six months. I do plan on selling cp soaps as well at some point, but not until I've many batches under my belt and know my info INSIDE & OUT..

On another note...I've always known that I want to sell my soaps & it is not because of greed or some silly idea that I will somehow get rich quick (haha) but because I enjoy EVERY aspect of soap making-thinking of new ideas to try, finding new scents that I think others will love, the process of making and experimenting (it's like christmas morning every time I unmold a new soap project!) looking for creative packaging ideas, thinking of marketing ideas, and even interacting with people. I honestly think the best part of the whole process is seeing people's reactions to my creations. Sorry if I've been a bit long winded...but just wanted to add my 2 cents as well