How to Make & Sell Body Skin Oils
Personal-care products comprise a huge industry--one that's valued at $40 billion in the United States alone, according to research company Hoovers. While the majority of that revenue, roughly 70 percent, comes from major corporations, there's still room for a start-up that's focused on bringing handmade personal-care products to market.
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Things You'll Need
- Business plan
- Business license
- Local and county licenses and permits
- Business insurance
- Start-up capital
- Raw materials
- E-commerce website
- Business cards
Instructions
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Start-up Steps
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1
Do your homework to make your start-up successful. Make sure you're prepared for the rigors of starting and running a business. No matter how great your product is, every start-up comes with hard work, and you must be prepared if you wish to see it through and make a profit.
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2
Write a business plan. There are many resources to help you craft a winning business plan, including the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and local Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs).
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3
Get licensed and insured. The easiest way to find out what you need in terms of licenses and permits is to visit your local city offices. Be sure to ask if you need any special licenses or permits to sell personal care products. If your state collects sales tax, you'll need a seller's permit as well. Finally, find out if there are any special zoning restrictions that would prevent you from running a home-based business, assuming you will be starting the business from home. Also find out if there are special labeling requirements for your packaging.
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4
Get your raw materials. For body skin oils, an excellent resource guide is Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles. In it, you will find everything you need to know about base and essential oils, required tools, sources for raw materials, packaging as well as actual recipes for various personal care products.
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When you have five to 10 oils ready to sell, prepare for sales. An e-commerce website is a must for any business today. One easy way to get started online is through Etsy.com, a site devoted to artisans and crafters where you can set up your own site and feature your products for sale. Invest some of your start-up capital in a good photographer who can photograph your product. You'll need these photos not just for Etsy, but for any marketing materials you create later. By starting with Etsy, you can keep your costs low as you get off the ground and create your own site later once your business takes off.
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6
Sell offline, too. Again, you can start small by exhibiting at local craft fairs and farmer's markets. Contact your city's events planner or the organizer of your local farmer's market for information on obtaining a booth space. Generally the costs are roughly $25 to $40 per week of selling. Talk to the other vendors to find out what the crowd is like and for other start-up tips; most of them are happy to offer information if you don't offer a competing product. Make sure you have business cards to pass out to those who browse but don't buy. You can make these yourself using low-cost online options like Vistaprint.com. Create a mailing list, including email, so you can follow up later with special offers.
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7
Keep good books. The start-up stages are exciting times, but make sure you temper your excitement with controlled spending and an eye toward keeping track of your expenditures as well as incoming sales. You'll need all of this information when tax time comes, and you'll be glad for the good record-keeping when you find the need to write off certain expenses.
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