Business idea: soap making for aspiring entrepreneurs. Handmade soap business

Taking care of hygiene is an integral part of life modern man. For this reason, the demand for products necessary for personal care is constantly increasing.

Opening a soap production is a promising business direction. In order for a business to generate income for a novice entrepreneur, it is necessary to know all its nuances in advance.

Having decided to start such a business, an entrepreneur needs to know all its advantages and disadvantages. TO positive aspects decision taken relate:

• Possibility of organization at home.
• Simple production technology.
• No big startup costs.
• No special equipment required.
• High level of demand.

TO negative aspects relate:

• High level of competition.
• The business is not suitable for allergy sufferers.

Based on the cumulative analysis, we can conclude that soap making can generate income with a small level of investment.

You can get interesting information about this area from the following video:

Registration of activities

Having decided to start producing soap, an entrepreneur must choose a form of ownership. For this type of mini-business, or is suitable.

Final choice should be carried out based on the scale of the project.

If an entrepreneur plans to start producing soap self made at home, then he should go through the procedure of registration as an individual entrepreneur. This form of ownership simplifies reporting and does not require availability. Individual entrepreneur can make payments to the state according to.

LLC registration is required if a businessman plans to open a factory or workshop. This form of ownership allows you to attract up to 50 founders, from whose contributions the authorized capital is formed.

Having chosen the organizational and legal form, the entrepreneur must collect the required package of documents. The list of required papers includes:

• Permission from the SES.
• Permission from the fire department.
• Agreements with service companies.

Business does not require a license. However, the premises must undergo appropriate inspections. In the direct production area there must be a fire extinguisher and a fire alarm must be installed.

Required areas

To get started similar project, the entrepreneur will have to choose suitable premises. Its size should be at least 40-50 sq. m. The room must be divided into 2 locations. The first will house a soap production workshop, and the second will house a warehouse finished products. If the sale of goods will not be carried out from the workshop, then it will be necessary to allocate a 3rd location for the store.

To reduce rental costs, you can find premises located in a residential area. All categories of citizens use soap. For this reason the quantity potential clients there is no less here than on the central streets of the city. However, it should be taken into account that the building is located close to public transport stops and has convenient approaches.

All communications must be carried out in the workshop. Before starting to sell products in the premises, it is necessary to carry out cosmetic repairs.

Can this be done at home?

Soap production does not require specific equipment and large quantity personnel. Any entrepreneur can quickly master the manufacturing technology. For this reason, starting production at home is not difficult.

Consumers are more willing to purchase designer products made by hand. It has no factory analogues, which makes the soap exclusive. For the client, production at home is a guarantee that the product does not contain harmful additives that could have harmful effects. Negative influence to your health.

Equipment

An entrepreneur will need to purchase:

• electric stove;
• vessels for melting soap base;
• containers for preparing decoctions;
• soap molds;
• personal protective equipment;
• thermometer;
• scales;
• dishes

Soap making involves interaction with chemicals. For this reason, the entrepreneur must take care to protect the people involved in production. They must be provided with gloves and respirators.

Scales are necessary for precise measurement required quantity components for the production of 1 piece. Having mastered the technology, a businessman may subsequently refuse to use measuring instruments. But at first you can’t do without them.

Production technology

The soap making process is divided into 2 stages:

1. Cooking soap base with additives.
2. Distribution of the mass among the molds and its subsequent cooling.

The manufacturing procedure begins by heating the soap base in a pan or other container. During the process, the master adds flavorings to the mass, essential oils and dyes. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil. Then the heated soap is poured into molds and sent to the warehouse, where it cools within 72 hours.

Factory production is a more complex process. It uses fats and alkali. To organize a workshop, the entrepreneur must be familiar with the saponification process. The full-scale manufacturing process may take up to 30 days and requires specific equipment.

Staff

At first, no additional personnel are required. An entrepreneur can independently manufacture products or involve family members in the process. If he does not want to do this himself, he will need to hire:

• Masters.
• Sales consultant.
• Accountant.

Having an accountant will allow you to minimize costs and control expenses. He must do the reporting. The permanent presence of this employee on the territory of the organization is not required. It is enough if he deals with the affairs of the company 2-3 times a week. Part-time work will reduce costs.

What raw materials will be needed?

Soap base is the main ingredient for making products. Its acquisition accounts for up to 80% of the total cost of raw materials. To make 1 soap, up to 100 grams of base is required.

It is better to purchase it at wholesale warehouses or order it from online stores. This will allow you to save significantly.

For the remaining 20%, the entrepreneur must buy dyes, essential oils and flavors. To attract new customers and ensure the prosperity of your business, you must constantly search for new ones. color combinations and unusual aromas. For creative process You can purchase unusual soap fillers. This will help maintain the exclusivity of the product.

A businessman must remember that soap is a personal care product. To make it, you need to choose high-quality ingredients. They should not cause an allergic reaction.

Sales channels

For the project to be profitable, the entrepreneur needs to find potential customers interested in purchasing products and provide advertising for the business. The following can be considered as sales channels for handmade soap:

• social media;
• forums and websites;
• attracting clients through master classes;
• sales in stores;
• opening your own point.

To attract potential clients, an entrepreneur can create an organization website or a group on social networks. It is necessary to post on the Internet page information about the products being sold with photographs of the goods. High-quality design will attract the attention of new customers.

Organizing master classes serves as good advertising for an organization engaged in hand made soap A worker involved in production can periodically conduct lessons for those wishing to learn the skill. During the lesson, the specialist may offer students to purchase products or raw materials at slightly reduced prices.

Selling products in gift or personal care stores will allow the entrepreneur to start working with an already established customer base.

To start selling goods at a retail outlet that has been on the market for a long time, a novice businessman will need to come to an agreement with the owner. However, the store owner will require you to pay a certain amount for renting the space or give away part of the profit from sales.

Opening your own point – the best channel for selling products. You can create a store on the basis of a workshop or rent space in a shopping center.

Financial expenses

To open this business, an entrepreneur will need start-up capital in the amount of about 70,000 rubles.

Here is a sample list of initial investments:

A businessman must be prepared in advance for the fact that in addition to the funds to start the project, every month he will have to spend about 100,000 rubles on its content:

Approximate calculation of profit and payback

The average price of 1 piece of handmade soap is about 100 rubles. The cost of the product may be higher and depends on the size, cost of ingredients and exclusivity. The markup can be 150-200% of cost.

By producing 3,000 pieces per month, an entrepreneur can earn 300,000 rubles. However, it should be remembered that you first need to form client base, which will be able to purchase the entire volume of goods produced in a month. Soap has an expiration date. If the entrepreneur fails to sell the product, it will be unsuitable for sale.

With an established customer base, a business can pay off in 2-6 months and start generating stable income.

Soap making is often perceived simply as a hobby, but it can really be turned into profitable business. Many newcomers face serious obstacles to starting their own business and stop developing it. This can be avoided by creating a business plan and forming a sales market in advance. Product quality, original design and skillful marketing will help you succeed in soap making and make good money from it.

Making soap from scratch at home

Soap is obtained by combining fat and alkali. Additional ingredients are also needed: soap base, water, dyes, flavors, base and essential oils, glycerin. Seeds, dried flower petals, crushed berry seeds, minerals, oatmeal, and mica are used as additives for decorative and cosmetic soaps.

Advice: to make high-quality cosmetic or laundry soap, it is important to remember that all ingredients must be at the same temperature before mixing, otherwise the production technology will be disrupted.

Income from a soap-making business from scratch directly depends on production volumes and sales markets. You can start making a product in your home kitchen, but over time it makes sense to organize a mini-workshop in a separate room. Handmade soap is made using the casting method - the prepared soap base is poured over special forms. According to reviews, in order to succeed in this matter, it is first better to work on the basis of simple and proven recipes, accurately observing the quantity and weight of ingredients, and over time you will be able to create your own recipes and develop an individual design.

Over time, the scale of the soap-making business can be expanded and transferred from home cooking V separate room(minimum area – 70 m²). When calculating the production of 24 thousand bars of soap of 100 g per year, approximately 245 thousand rubles will need to be invested in the project. for the purchase of equipment, creation inventories raw materials, materials, material and technical resources, rental of premises. You also need to purchase:

• base oil (consumed about 1000 liters per year);
• essential oils (500 ml);
• dyes (500 ml);
• sugar (0.5 kg);
• warm milk for diluting the soap mass (500 l);
• strong alcohol (50 l).

Expenses associated with soap making include payment utilities, wages, if hired workers are involved, rent of premises, taxes. The cost of 100 g of products based on a soap base, dye and flavor will be approximately 30 rubles. (with an average market price of 100-250 rubles).

According to reviews, such investments in a business from scratch will pay off in about 1.5 years. If you make a product at home, you will need minimal costs (ingredients, molds, packaging) and you can quickly return them. To confidently engage in soap making, you should register your activity legally. To do this, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur and select a tax regime (general, simplified taxation system). The main documents that a future entrepreneur will need are a passport, a notarized application in form P21001, and a receipt for payment of state duty. During registration, it is important to select the correct OKVED code indicating the type of activity of the entrepreneur. After registering in tax authority The individual entrepreneur will be able to receive a certificate of successful registration in tax office. All that remains is to make a stamp and open a current account.

Equipment for the production of laundry soap

To create a business producing laundry or decorative soap at home from scratch, you don’t need to buy a lot professional equipment, you can start if you have culinary tools. But there are some things you need to buy:

1. Electronic balance.
2. Cooking thermometer.
3. Immersion blender for quickly mixing ingredients.
4. Forms for hardening soap.

Advice: if alkali is used in the soap process, you must wear special glasses and gloves.

You also need to prepare some kitchen utensils: a large saucepan of of stainless steel, a small container about 2 liters, a frying pan that can fit a small saucepan, a large microwave-safe bowl, measuring cups, 2 long-handled stirring spoons (plastic, stainless steel), paper towels, a rubber spatula, a plastic wash basin dishes.

If an entrepreneur decides to expand his soap-making business and open a mini-workshop for the production of cosmetic and decorative soap, then he will additionally need some equipment:

• gas-electric stove (1);
• professional dishes (2);
• air conditioner (2);
• casting molds (several hundred).

Sales market and sales features of decorative soap

To succeed in soap making from scratch and create from a hobby successful business, you need to take a responsible approach to the process of its creation. It is important not only to thoroughly study the soap making technology, but also to first form a sales market and take into account investment risks. Even before creating the first batch, the entrepreneur should already know where his products will be sold. Where can I profitably sell cosmetic or laundry soap made by myself?

1. Opening your own retail outlet in a large shopping center or market.
2. Sales via the Internet, including wholesale.
3. Sales in fitness centers with showers, spas, beauty salons, hairdressers.
4. Participation in fairs and exhibitions folk art, festivals.

To increase sales turnover, local trading can be combined with the sale of soap through social networks, or you can open an online store with the possibility of delivery by mail and find wholesale buyers. According to reviews, such actions will expand the ways of business development in soap production.

To let people know about your products, you can use the following methods:

• distribution of flyers, business cards;
• advertisements in newspapers, the Internet, social networks;
• Creation thematic group on a social network;
• distribution of product samples to enterprises and firms in the city.
• creating your own blog, business card website or online store.

Promotion of a soap-making business from scratch may be hampered by the development of investment and other risks, for example, low sales, unforeseen expenses, or increased product costs. To avoid this, you need to create a reliable sales market, find wholesale suppliers and purchase materials before making financial investments. Before starting production, it is advisable to create a business plan that takes into account all costs, risks and gives a preliminary assessment of profitability.

Another direction for the development of this business could be the production of advertising soap (in the form of keychains, souvenirs with logos, emblems). The main consumers of such products are, as a rule, enterprises, firms, companies, restaurants, dry cleaners, and also individual orders. To increase the number of sales of handmade soap, it is advisable to use original packaging: decorated bags made of natural fabrics, colored or craft paper bags, cardboard packages tied with ribbon.

In addition to soap making, there are many more interesting ideas that can be successfully implemented even with minimal capital, for example, you can do. You can also, this idea will be relevant for both the big and the small town. Finding your niche in the business field is possible even if complete absence attachments (, internet surfing).

Soap making as a business - reviews

Svetlana:
I’ve been making soap for 3 months now, sales are not very large, but regular customers have already appeared. I didn’t think through the sales issue in advance, and this is probably my biggest mistake. Now I’ve started collaborating with several stores, I cook quite a lot for them large parties. Of course, to make a business out of this, a more serious approach is needed.

Igor:
I have always been interested in the hand-made topic, but several years ago I got the idea of ​​creating my own soap. There are practically no competitors in the city. I have been working from a home kitchen for several months now. I don’t make large batches of soap yet, but I sell several kilograms a week without any problems and am happy with the profit. The plans include creating a mini-shop for soap making.

Olga:
After reading positive feedback, several years ago I became interested in the topic of soap making and made a lot of souvenir soaps for friends. But you can also make money from this. My husband and I decided to open a mini-shop for soap production. Things are going well. We sell products not only in our city, but throughout the country (and we send products by mail).

This is possible only if you are well prepared for starting your own business. To succeed and turn soap making into a profitable business, it is important to first form a sales market and disseminate information about your products. To minimize the risk of investment risks, it is advisable to preparatory stage create a business plan or at least conduct an economic analysis of a future project.

Working from home is a very real business for those who want to work at home, without large investments and solely through their labor and creativity. The cost of purchasing materials and equipment is not all that is needed. First, you should study the specifics of the work itself. It’s also a good idea to have about 20-30 recipes in stock for making soap, so that the business can be put on stream.

Material costs

Handmade soap requires material. This includes soap base, essential oils, vitamins, fats, and acids. In order for production to pay for itself, investments are necessary. Calculating how much money you will have to invest is quite simple. First you need to decide how much soap you are willing to produce. The most optimal quantity- 50 kg. If in bars, then this is about 500 bars of soap per month (a bar weighs approximately 100 g). At this rate, production will pay for itself in just 2-3 months, depending on the demand for the product.

In order for your products to be in stable demand, you need to know how to make handmade soap original. That's what recipes are for. Main difference homemade soap from production - its naturalness and usefulness. In addition to the fact that the composition of the soap is environmentally friendly, the form and packaging must also be original.

The initial contribution to the development of production is the purchase of equipment and materials. On average, this will cost 30,000 rubles. At a given rate (50 kg) per month, the costs will pay off in a few months. The main thing is to establish a sales market. The convenience of working for yourself is that you can sell handmade soap yourself: both on the street (in a tent, on a table to offer goods), via the Internet (advertise, start a website or blog), and offer products by going door to door. As an option, offer your product to stores ( household chemicals, souvenirs, household goods). You can also work to order, most often via the Internet). At the same time, when a regular clientele appears, the return on homemade soap grows quite quickly.

So, expenses:

1. For the material (you should decide in advance what will be taken as a basis - industrial raw materials or ready-made soap, what oils and other consumables) - approximately 300-400 rubles per 1 kg (i.e. for 50 kg you will have to pay 15,000 rubles).
2. For equipment - approximately 10,000 rubles.
3. To establish a sales market (placing advertisements, for example) - about 1000-2000 rubles.
4. Force majeure (problems can always arise during the manufacturing process, which means money in reserve will not hurt) - remaining funds.

Equipment costs

What is included in the concept of soap making equipment? These include scales with milligram accuracy, scissors for cutting the product, brushes, knives, wire, and molds for pouring. There should be a considerable number of the latter. The service life of one mold depends on the material from which it is made. Average silicone mold enough for 500 uses. Forms should be purchased in various sizes and shapes, preferably all of them have duplicates. This will allow you to make several identical bars at once.

Natural soap requires the organic inclusion of certain ingredients in a certain ratio. This is what we need precision scales. The cost of scales depends on their functionality. Scales with divisions up to milligrams are most convenient for use. It is worth remembering that electronic scales can malfunction (like any other electronics) depending on environmental factors. Mechanical scales are more reliable in this regard.

The saucepan for making soap should be a separate vessel in which, except for soap, nothing will be prepared. It is advisable to have several of them - this will make it possible to produce several at once. different types soap

1. Scales (from 500 to 1500 rubles).
2. Forms (from 20 to 100 rubles per piece).
3. Scissors, knives, wire, etc. (from 150 to 250 rubles).

You can make your own soap at home in a fairly large quantities. The convenience of finished products is that they are not perishable. If it was not possible to sell all the finished goods at once, it can just sit there waiting in the wings for a month or a year. When to make a profit from a product is an individual matter for everyone. If you start selling it at a price that everyone can afford, you can get income right away. The market sets prices. If the household chemicals store won’t offer you a big income, then you can make good money at handicraft fairs. Handmade soap is valued both by weight (a 50 g bar can cost from 60 rubles, and 100 g - 140-170), as well as by complexity and originality. The more unusual the soap and the more useful its composition, the more profitable it can be sold.

Production technology

Each production has its own technology, and soap making is no exception. Wherein general principles are the same for any type of production. The base for the future soap is melted, ingredients and dyes are added if necessary, poured into the mold, and the frozen product is removed from the mold.

But there are a great many recipes for making soap. But this does not mean that you should limit yourself only to ready-made recipes. Soap making is a process that allows you to show imagination and creativity. Handmade soap can be of any shape, color, with any filler, scent or without it.

In addition, having developed a clientele that will order soap in advance, you can conduct even the most daring experiments, sometimes even increasing the price for uniqueness and individuality.

To summarize, we can say with confidence that making soap at home is a good source of income. It’s only hard in the first month (maximum two). Most of the work is not even about manufacturing, but about promoting products. That’s why you should first thoroughly study the market where the product will be sold, study the demand for the product, draw up an estimate, and think over the recipe. After a couple of months, the business will generate a profit of 30-50% more than what was invested in it.

You can make money on soap, as, for sure, on any other activity, only by loving it sincerely and with all your heart. Because I can’t imagine any other way to do something that you don’t have a passion for, day after day.

Any(!) occupation, in fact, is not incomprehensible and does not require any exceptional character traits. All really depends on the desire to do it, because You can become a professional in anything only through time and experience.

It’s the same in soap making - this is no more difficult than cooking, and how “tasty” the dish turns out to be depends only on you.

So, the journey has begun...

1. Knowledge

In order to learn this business, find out recipes, ingredients and other nuances of the work process, you only need one thing - the Internet.
Here you will find a bunch of master classes, photos and books on soap making.
I became a professional theorist after a week of visiting thematic sites and forums. Here we cannot do without thoroughness.

2. Action

The main thing is to start. Try it. Feel the process.

My very first soap was regular store-bought baby soap digested and enriched with sea buckthorn oil.
This was the first and last unsuccessful recipe in my practice. During cooking, the soap did not want to become the right consistency and froze in shape for more than a week.

3. Acquisitions

For the first time, you can purchase from soap makers in your city.
Recently, this hobby has gained enormous popularity - I am sure that in any city there are handmade stores where you will definitely find goods for soap making.

How to find? I searched VKontakte for the queries “soap making”, “ hand made", "natural soap" and "handmade soap" in your city.
There will definitely be groups selling ingredients or other soap makers from whom you can ask “Where?” :)

4. Price issue

1) for soap making 1 kg 210-250 rub.
2) Moisturizing oils, for example 100 ml 100 rub.
3) Plastic mold “Square” for 100 g. 60 rub.
4) Silicone mold “Rose” (volumetric) for 90 g. 500 rub.
5) Food coloring 10 ml 35 rub.
6) Cosmetic fragrance “Rose” 10 ml 70 rub.

The prices are quite approximate, because... price changes depend on time, place of sale, manufacturer, packaging, etc. You understand.

And the final amount will vary depending on how passionate you are about the creative process. If we compare this with painting, then when inspiration overtakes the artist, he will not want to skimp on the palette of colors, variety of brushes and other desirable materials.

5. Sales

The invested money can be returned quite quickly, because... a worthy handmade product should be highly valued.

Everyone has their own sales channels: for some, sales go well among friends, relatives and colleagues; someone takes part in thematic exhibitions and fairs; and some, having cooperated with other hand-made masters, open a point.
I dismissed these methods in view of my personal qualities and decided to form my own

Acquisition ready-made business with a plan and work under famous brand seem to be a more attractive solution, especially given the popularization of free business franchises selling handmade soap. However, in practice, most potential franchisees (Tsarskoye Selo Soap Manufactory, Soap Treasure Shop, Riga Soap Manufactory, MyloFF) are nothing more than ordinary product suppliers who enter into a standard supply agreement with partners.

Support and training in the rules of doing business in such cases are offered in a free advisory form, without providing instructions, technologies, techniques, and most importantly guarantees that the original franchise agreement provides. This means that you will still need to develop a business plan and solve organizational problems yourself.

Business plan for handmade soap production

If you want to present a unique product on the market, you need to learn how to make soap yourself. No special education is required for this. Anyone can learn the skill creative person. You can start working at home (in the kitchen) with a minimal range of finished products. Next, when you have built up a customer base, you can expand your business by opening a small workshop and training hired staff.

The required start-up capital to start work consists of the costs of purchasing equipment, raw materials, paying for utilities and advertising products. If you plan to retail soap at your own point of sale, you should add rental space and costs for branding and furniture (racks, counters).

Equipment for making handmade soap

The technology for making soap at home involves the use of a ready-made soap base (glycerin and fatty acids), which is melted and mixed with various fillers(scrubs, oils), flavors (essential oils) and dyes. At home for this procedure regular one will do kitchen stove and a set of dishes (preferably stainless steel):

• pots and bowls of different sizes- up to 40 dollars;
• measuring spoons- up to 10 dollars;
• measuring cup (scoop) with spout- up to 10 dollars;
• knife and grater for cutting and grinding soap- up to 8 dollars;
• whisks for whipping- 1 dollar;
• mortar for grinding fillers plant origin - about 15 dollars;
• manual oil sprayer- up to 10 dollars;
• spatula and slotted spoon- up to 5 dollars;
• watering can- 1 dollar.

In addition, you will need:

• Silicone molds for soap making or soap casting(you can use baking molds) - from $5 for 1 mold.
• Scales with the ability to weigh up to 1 kg or more, with an accuracy of 1 gram- from 5 dollars.
• Cooking thermometer for tracking temperature conditions - from 4 dollars.
• White plain towels- from 4 dollars for 1 piece.
• Protective clothing, glasses and gloves- from 3 dollars.

Thus, the costs of equipment and inventory are from only $106.

Important! You cannot use utensils used for cooking, and therefore a separate set is required.

Calculation of raw materials and production volume

Real consumption of ingredients for cooking final product depends on the formulation and technology used. You can determine the exact calculation by making test samples. On average, the following ingredients will be required to produce finished soap:

• Soap base- retail price of raw materials from 4 dollars per kilogram.
• Oils for moisturizing- base oils (almond, grape) are usually used, used in aromatherapy and for the preparation of massage oils. The cost of 100 ml of oil is from 2 dollars.
• Essential oils and fragrances- the cost varies depending on the type of oil. For example, orange can be bought from 50 American cents per 10 ml, and jasmine from 1.5 dollars. Special flavors can also be used, the price of which is from 1 dollar per 10 ml.
• Soap dyes- can be liquid or powder. The retail price of the material is from 80 American cents per 10 ml or 5 grams.
• Glitters and pearls- decorative components that give the soap brightness and shine. The cost of raw materials starts from 90 cents per 10 grams of glitter or 5 grams of mother-of-pearl.
• Fillers- scrubbing components (pumice powder, shell almonds, strawberry seeds, lavender flowers). Retail price from 30 American cents per 10 grams.

So to make soap from scratch (1 kilogram) you only need $9. The retail price of a finished piece (100 grams) is from $2. Thus, your income will be 20 dollars or at least 11 dollars of net profit.

The time required to produce soap at home depends on the chosen soap-making technology. There are three main methods:

• Cold- the process of soap making and mixing with additives takes from 1 hour per cycle. On the other hand, such soap will be ready for sale and use only after 1-1.5 months, since according to technology it will need to undergo a maturation process.
• Hot- the cooking process takes about 3-5 hours, but it will be ready for use within a day. On the other hand, to improve the quality of the product prepared in this way, masters recommend leaving the soap to mature for at least 7 days.
• Combined (cold-hot)- the cooking process takes only 2 hours per cycle, and the ripening time is reduced to 2 weeks.

This means that if your equipment allows you to prepare 1 kilogram of soap per cycle, you, depending on the technology, can produce from 2 to 8 kg of product during the day. When loading 40 hours into one standard work week, you can independently produce from 40 to 160 kilograms of soap per month. The potential profit that such a home-based handmade soap business can provide ranges from $440 to $1,760 per month.

You should also consider the cost of packaging. It can be ordinary transparent film, customized plastic or carton boxes, fabric bags and other types of decorative packaging.

Branding and increasing brand awareness will allow you to bring out home business handmade soap to a new level, increase customer loyalty to your brand, expand your customer base and significantly increase your income.

Premises and hired personnel

If you are planning small volumes of up to 100 kilograms of soap per month, you can organize the work at home. But it should be taken into account that the finished product must be stored somewhere. For large volumes, you will need a separate room consisting of at least three rooms:

1. soap production workshop;
2. raw materials warehouse;
3. finished goods warehouse.

According to the law, the premises for the production of soap must be located outside the zone residential buildings and comply with standards fire safety. It must also contain communications and plumbing.

A home business producing handmade soap can be organized together with like-minded relatives or friends. But if you want to open your own point of sale and achieve high turnover, you will need professional assistance from the following specialists:

• Accountant- he can be invited on an outsourcing basis to resolve issues related to preparing tax documentation and maintaining general accounting for the enterprise.
• Driver (courier)- necessary for delivering goods to stores or direct customers.
• Designer- you can come up with a design yourself, or you can only engage in sales, transferring the tasks to a professional designer.
• Soap makers- for large production volumes you will need 1-2 soap makers on an ongoing basis.

Methods of selling products

An effective business selling handmade soap can cover several areas of product sales at once. These can be the following methods:

• Own online store. You will need to invest $500 or more in creation and promotion.
• Retail point of sale. The most effective is considered to be opening a retail outlet in a crowded place (shopping center). The rental price depends on the city and location of the shopping center.
• Selling through social networks. Suitable for small production volumes, as well as for craftsmen working to order. For large businesses, social networks can be used as an advertising tool to attract customers to retail and online stores.
• Wholesale supplies to cosmetics stores for sale. In this case, you will have to reduce the cost of selling soap, but at the same time you will be spared the need to conduct an advertising campaign (see How to properly advertise a product: basics, examples).
• Sales through special sites. For small volumes, you can sell goods on classifieds websites (Avito, OLX, UBU.ru), as well as on resources for handmade craftsmen (Fair of Craftsmen, hand-made.ru, fintiflu.com).

An additional advertising tool can be the decorative packaging of your soap. It should correspond to the status of handmade products and attract the attention of buyers, especially if you sell at a retail outlet.

It is worth understanding that advertising of handmade soap must correspond to its quality. If you tell customers about natural ingredients and health benefits, you must ensure that safe ingredients are used. Otherwise, if fraud is discovered, you will lose your reputation and may even end up in court.

Legalization of activities and permits

Without registration in tax services building an effective business for the production of handmade soap is difficult, since you will not be able to actively advertise, open outlets and engage in direct deliveries. Working in the shadows is only possible with small private orders.

The most suitable forms of entrepreneurial activity for such a business are individual entrepreneurs (FOP) or LLCs, while it is best to choose simplified forms of taxation on net profit (income minus expenses). OKVED codes for this area of ​​activity (RF and Ukraine):

• 41 “Production of soap and detergents”;
• 42 “Production of cosmetic soap”;
• 92 “Activities for packaging goods”;
• 75 “Retail trade in cosmetics and personal care products in specialized stores” (suitable subsections are selected).

In the Russian Federation Certification of handmade soap is voluntary. However, a declaration of conformity is mandatory, which confirms the quality of the product. Without this document, your product cannot be sold in stores. As regulatory documents for the manufacture of products you can use GOST or TU. A declaration is obtained for each type of product (soap recipe), which makes the process very difficult for those who like to experiment with new ideas. To avoid such problems, you can sell your soap as souvenirs - in this case, obtaining certificates is not required. However, if you plan to hand over the goods for sale, stores may refuse you such registration.

In Ukraine To legalize soap production activities, it is necessary to develop specifications and obtain a conclusion from the SES. At the same time, making soap at home is not allowed by law and you will need to organize a full-fledged workshop (to save on rent, it can be moved to a suburban area). Next, a certificate is obtained for each type of product. But even in this case, there is a simpler way out - obtaining quality certificates for product components and providing them to customers. These can be requested from your supplies retailer.

If you want to create a recognizable brand, you also need to register a trademark, which will subsequently give you the opportunity not only to gain a foothold in the market, but also to begin to expand your network by selling a franchise.

In practice, handmade soap as a business has one significant problem - the long-term development of regular customers. This is due to the specifics of the type of product itself, which is forced to compete with cheaper factory products. This is why many masters stop working in the first months, but if you improve your product and learn sales techniques and business management, you will undoubtedly achieve success.