I make tiny samples, put in a tiny organza bag with my card. I keep some with me all the time. I talk to everyone o turning to “what do you do” comes up. I hand them a sample. I’ve received soooo many orders from all over the country. Right now , over the past two weeks I’ve received right at $600 worth of orders! My cost profit margin is awesome, so I’m really happy!
My wife and I just started our own soap business from home and I am delighted to take your advice. You are very kind for sharing this information. If anyone out there is hesitant in starting a business remember that failing is part of the game and the more you pick yourself back up and learn from it the sooner the winning will begin.
I'm starting a small business I want to do about 100 bars a week. My daughters will runs it and sell at a farmer's market and online very small we dont intend to make a living off this. But my kids can make some money and not need to work for McDonalds. It been fun so far we have our first 6 bars and I think we have a good formula for our soap that suds and lathers really nice. Your videos have inspired me and my girls thank you.
Great information and advice. I’m a newbie in soap making I’m in the reading and practicing only done 4 batches one Castile and 3 glycerin all different recipe and outcomes of those recipes. I was drawn in by the beautiful swirl in cold process and all the art. And your videos make sense thanks.
I enjoy these videos where you give us an inside view on the thought process of soap making, etc. There are so many companies out there now I don't know how anyone can make money off of it.
for me my soaps are for sensitive skin, no fragrance and no dyes, some people are allergic to scents and dyes, so my son and some of my friends are sensitive and they said that my 3 soaps I make are great, and I should start a business. So I am starting the soap business this Christmas I have made some soaps for xmas and I continue making them so I do not ran out of them. I love your advice and continue the good work, I am from Ottawa, Canada. I also come to see your videos when it is about soaps, and continue the good work. I love what your do.
Gotta be firm. It's hard but you just need to let them know that you can do bulk discounts or something like that. They won't like it but they'll get used to it 😁
Nett Dee - Do you sell shave soaps? If you do, is there a website yet, or Etsy store? I’d love to check out what you have. All the best and good luck with the business. Josh
Thank you for taking the time to help all of us who are starting out. I have been running my little soap business for 6 weeks now and your advice is well timed.
Thank you Unclejon, I can tell you know what you're talking about. I value your soaping wisdom, keep making these priceless videos, don't even acknowledge some ot the unlearned negative remarks, sometimes you got to consider the source. Happy soaping☺️
Your family should be proud of you. As a new comer into the sector, I am happy you here on UA-cam. Will always be waiting for your UA-cam notifications. Thanks
Very good information here and then some. Thanks Jon. I'm not in the soap hobby and/or business but if I was going to start either one, Melt & Pour bath soap and laundry soap would be my core products hands down. Melt & Pour is what it says it is and I have no doubt it can be used to make laundry soap after it has cured. That would be where I would start either the hobby or a business.
Melt & Pour is way more expensive than buying the ingredients to make soap yourself. So you will either have to charge a lot more for your soap, OR you will make a lot less profit - especially if you were to grate it up for laundry soap. Don't be afraid of using lye, any more than you are afraid of using a sharp knife, or driving a car. Sure there is risk, but following safety procedures really reduces the risk to almost nil.
I've been in business now for almost 2 years. Yes, I believe I have a good business model as I make a decent profit. That being said, I'm always looking for more advice (hence why I sub to your channel) to improve my sales, improve my product, and improve my production line. Right now, I keep it simple. A handful of fragrances, a handful of colors (all solid), with 3 or 4 specialty scents at certain times of the year. The only reason I haven't expanded to online sales yet is I just don't have the capacity. I'm getting there, but I'm taking my time taking the plunge. I'm actually introducing a new product. I just launched it at my last market. Patriot soap in red white and blue for Independence Day here in the United States. Like you talked about, limited run, but I may be able to do it again next year.
Can you talk about beeswax?? Not sure if you are aware, but there are lots of comments on Amazon, Bulk Apothecary, Brambleberry, etc about the way it smells. In particular white beeswax. I have purchased from so many companies and I don’t know why but it always has a Smokey chemical smell to it. Sometimes like plastic. Doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not it almost always smells this way.
Hi. Love your videos. As a fellow male in this field I like listening to your perspective. I have been watching soap making tutorials and videos for 2 months now and finally got into making soap myself. I’ve already developed a brand, website, marketing material, social media etc etc and have some staple recipes that work for me BUT I also live in a 1/1 apt and am trying to find the best way to store these soap bars while they cure, and then when they are done curing. It’s a space issue. Do you have any advice on what I could do or build or buy that is space efficient and still keeps the integrity of the soap curing process ? Thanks! Keep making videos!
Just regular shelving units would work well. Then, drape a thin fabric over the rows to keep dust and bugs off. I liked to use high shelves that would otherwise have been kind of useless space.
There is food grade lye. But I don't think there's much difference for soap making. Once you start buying in bulk you can get good deals at essential Depot on lye.
@@unclejonssoap www.milehighsoap.com/ShoppingCart.asp there lye is $30 for 9lb 8 oz. im not sure about how expensive there shipping is as there in the same city as me
We'll.. that depends really. You would need to start learning the basics of what makes soap. Then figure out what are the easiest oils for you to acquire where you live. After that, it's a matter of learning to use a lye calculator. You can check out soapcalc.net for a decent calculator. Watch as many soap videos as you can to get an idea of how basic soap is made. There are many ways of making it and each is fairly flexible.
I try to get raw beeswax from different apiaries around the East Coast, but lately their pricing has been worse than the big suppliers. So, now, I tend to mix the farm stuff with yellow beeswax from Wholesale Supplies Plus. Hope that helps.
Hello Uncle Jon's, I am thinking of starting my organic soap business, buying wholesale loaves and selling individual bars. am serious about this but do not know how to start, either concentrate only on organic produces or branch out.
Hey there! Well... It's a tricky road either way. So.. you decided to go organic. That's great! But.. sourcing true organic soaps is almost impossible. It can also be cost prohibitive once you do find it. Making it for yourself is more doable but still very costly and your soaps will be on the high end of the pricing scale per ounce. Also, be warned that the word "organic" really doesn mean anything in the soap world. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to that. It ends up being a buzz word really. For me, it was better to go mostly natural and being able to use fragrances along side essential oils. It's more important to work on building your audience and brand really. Hope that helps some. Oh yeah.. we do sell wholesale 😉👍
Do you make your own scents or use a fragrance oil? I thought about making soap/bodywash but I do have concerns of being sued by the brand of the oils.
Hi uncle Jon :) My name's Debora and I am from Brazil. I'm an English teacher here. But u know... need an extra money, so I'm starting making soap. But my bigger problem is with the essences! Here in Brazil the cold processs is not very popular😅. And I can't find a good product that doesn't make a big mess in my soap. Essential oils are expensive! Can you give me an idea about what to do to make my soap smell good? (Sorry for my bad English...😊)
Understood. Sometimes we have to do more than one job 😁 So, I wouldn't go with essential oils until you find a source that isn't so expensive. Do you order things online? I'm not sure what sources you have down there. There should be somewhere (hopefully) that sells fragrance oils that are safe to use in soaps. Let me.know and maybe I can give you a couple web addresses. Why isn't cold processed soap popular?
6 років тому+1
@@unclejonssoap I usually buy on line. But I bought some fragrances that screwed up my soap. It hardened very quicly sometimes, or carved, or whatever... I spent supplies and time😓 But I'm not sure if amazon, for example, delivers here in Brazil. And cold process is not popular because is unknown here. A few people do it. And because of this we don't have many options. I can buy oils with no problems, pigments, butters I also can buy. But safe essences not. The essences I bought can be used in melt and pour, that is very popular here. And because of this I want to do something better and diferent. Then I found you! I loved your way to do all the things. Simple and easy with no complication. And I'm thankful for your answer, it's the first time someone answer me. (Sorry again... I talk a lot😅)
Setting up fast could be the water ratios, temperatures, etc.. some fragrances just do that. But you can sometimes adjust for that. As long as you can get the soap into the mold, then you have a good product. The tops of the bars won't be perfect but that's ok because we're making them by hand 😁 I hope this helps some.
In most cases you will need a business license of some sort and insurance for both. It used to be a little more relaxed but these days everyone that runs this venues is afraid of getting sued...lol.
I would say if you're comfortable with the base recipe you have, I would stay with 5 or 6 to start. Get people used to your stuff (if you're selling) before you overwhelm then with too many choices.
Gee, uncle John, I just had my first craft fair selling my soap and I just about made back what it cost to rent the table. Very disappointing. I sold my soap at $5 per bar. I was the only one selling soap. Thoughts?
Afraid that's how it goes some days. I've had events where I lost money and some where we made bank...lol. It could be the people in that area don't appreciate handmade soap,or the packaging, or,who knows... People are fickle. If you want,you can send me pics of your setup and products and I'll see if anything jumps out at me. Sometimes, it's just that you're new and your confidence hasn't come up yet. People can be like animals.. if they smell fear or inexperience, they might shy away. I went through that a few times. Email is unclejonssoap@gmail.com
You are under pricing your product. Farmer Markets around here have soap maker's and their soap sell for no less than $7.50. I'm starting my own soapmaking business and already have a long list of customer waiting for my soaps. They asked me if I'm going natural and that is a BIG PLUS.. Maybe change your packaging? Walmark, Michael's and other stores have nice wrapping tissue and very reasonable. Presentation is very important.
for vegan lip balm you can substitute bees wax for candelilla wax and it works great but youll need to use a little less of the candelilla. but you get a new audience to sell too that animal byproducts like beeswax are against there beliefs :P hope this helps someone thats not selling near me :D
That's great! But people also need to not try to appeal to all audiences at once. That's when you get too spread out and things don't get done well...lol. But if they start with all vegan based recipes from the beginning then they can focus. Great tip!
@@unclejonssoap i agree, you cant please all the people all the time only some people some of the time! Greatness isnt one thing done great it is many things done well. one of those things is finding your target audience and focusing on there needs. The vegan and all natural is my target audience. but even so my lip balm recipe alone took 4 months to get right and thats just the recipe.
Hey Uncle Jon- when you diversified from just "basic soaps" did the other items fall under Cosmetic regulation or were they still "soaps"? Can you suggest product types that don't require government colon mapping?
They all fall under the cosmetic realm. I'm still working my way through it but the hardest part is just making sure the labeling is correct. The only thing that isn't looked at by the FDA is the actual soaps and household products.
@@unclejonssoap drat...it's required to have a permit for cosmetics that's $800 for 2 years and you can't make anything in house- you need a shop. Almost as bad as Chocolates.
hey Jon, I have recently made the decision to start making our own consumables and obviously soap is on the list haha. I have just watched a video about making glycerin soap (which i thought looked snazzy till i watched the amount of stuff they put in it), they made soap loofas and I was wondering could i do soap loofas with just a basic coconut,olive oil and lye mix? thanks =)
You sure can! The trick is going to be getting it thin enough to soak through the loofah but thick enough that it won't separate and ruin the batch. Have you made many cold process batches?
tomorrow will be my very first attempt at making soap =D Its a bit hard finding lye where im from, by the time i found out where to get it the shop had shut for the day. Im just starting small with standard soap but am definately excited about the loofa thing once i get a good recipe going =)
Hey Jon! my first lot of soap is currently in the molds and its looking like the bees knees! I used a 30% coconut oil 70% olive oil mix and it was super easy, I put some orange essential oil in and it smells fantastic!!
Just make it! Don't speak about selling or anything for a while just make it for yourself,gifts,giveaways, etc. Once he sees you're serious and good at it, maybe he'll chill.
I don't like to hear that. I am starting out too and I'm having lots of fun. Don't be discouraged!!! Enjoy your artsy self-it's so rewarding. Hang in there and God bless.
I started in fall of 2010 with $100 and a card table. So... I've been profile since the begining. Seriously.. no loans, low overhead, etc. I chose to stay lean as we went. We relied on slow organic growth and try to never over extend ourselves. Even when we opened the brick and mortar I. 2015 we were profitable immediately. We had N existing clientele and didn't buy anything we couldn't afford to pay off right away.
Make soap. Figure out what the soap costs you to make. Times that by 4. Sell for that price 😁 Really it is that simple. It takes time to find an audience that appreciates your craft. Just make sure you get plenty of practice before you start selling. Give some away for reviews, use if yourself, etc... If you start selling before you're good at it, then people won't generally return. And that is a business killer.
I would start with a local farmers market and a craft show maybe. Stay Acton social media. An Etsy store would be good for online. Just be patient.. online takes a while to get moving.
Hii uncle john.. Im frm india, bangalore...started my business of soaps 12 months ago..i work frm home ...but here i am finding very difficult to sell my handmade soaps as ppl are finding it very expensive... Can u guide me to increse my soaps sale ...and if the soap is costing me INR 50/-..how much should i charge as Mrp. For 100gms bar???? Pls revert back..Tia..
Hey there! It can be tough getting started and keeping sales up. People need to be told why they're should buy your soap instead of the cheap stuff. Basically, you need to educate them on the differences. Also, it's about building a brand. Many times people are buying because of you more than your actual product. The product needs to be good quality but the customer also has to like your company. Persistence is key. A weekly market is helpful. Or products are basically a luxury product so you need to promote them that way in many cases. Hope that helps some.
As for cost.. I would say no less than INR 200 to INR 250. That concerts cost of product, cost to produce (time, electric, etc). It also allows you to wholesale at INR 100-125 to a store possibly or in bulk quantities. What do you charge now?
Not sure I understand the question. Like multiple soap businesses? Too many soap types and scents? As for types and scents, you can have too many. When a customer hits the wall of soaps and has too many choices, many will shut down and not be able to make a choice...lol. There's a whole science behind it which I don't fully understand. But, I would think if you keep it to a reasonable amount then it wouldn't be too bad.
I make tiny samples, put in a tiny organza bag with my card. I keep some with me all the time. I talk to everyone o turning to “what do you do” comes up. I hand them a sample. I’ve received soooo many orders from all over the country. Right now , over the past two weeks I’ve received right at $600 worth of orders!
My cost profit margin is awesome, so I’m really happy!
Great Idea
Genius idea!! 😍😍🥰
Nice!
My wife and I just started our own soap business from home and I am delighted to take your advice. You are very kind for sharing this information. If anyone out there is hesitant in starting a business remember that failing is part of the game and the more you pick yourself back up and learn from it the sooner the winning will begin.
Exactly!
Yes!
I'm starting a small business I want to do about 100 bars a week. My daughters will runs it and sell at a farmer's market and online very small we dont intend to make a living off this. But my kids can make some money and not need to work for McDonalds. It been fun so far we have our first 6 bars and I think we have a good formula for our soap that suds and lathers really nice. Your videos have inspired me and my girls thank you.
Amen!
Just wanted to let you know my wife and I have watched a ton of videos and appreciate it
Of every soap channel I watch you by far are the best!
I agree 100%
Love your style Jon, such common sense x
Another very helpful and calming video. Excellent!
Any publicity is good publicity right?!? Thank you for the great content!
Excellent video! I just started my own soap business, and I definitely gained some insight from you. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Uncle Joe!! You really made me feel more confident with starting my own soap products (: !
His name is Jon... Just like the brand says
Great information and advice. I’m a newbie in soap making I’m in the reading and practicing only done 4 batches one Castile and 3 glycerin all different recipe and outcomes of those recipes. I was drawn in by the beautiful swirl in cold process and all the art. And your videos make sense thanks.
I think some of these tips work for any new small business. Good stuff👍
Great words of wisdom. Thanks Uncle Jon!!! 😉
I enjoy these videos where you give us an inside view on the thought process of soap making, etc.
There are so many companies out there now I don't know how anyone can make money off of it.
Gotta set yourself apart for sure. Otherwise I might be doing videos about a different job today..lol
for me my soaps are for sensitive skin, no fragrance and no dyes, some people are allergic to scents and dyes, so my son and some of my friends are sensitive and they said that my 3 soaps I make are great, and I should start a business. So I am starting the soap business this Christmas I have made some soaps for xmas and I continue making them so I do not ran out of them. I love your advice and continue the good work, I am from Ottawa, Canada. I also come to see your videos when it is about soaps, and continue the good work. I love what your do.
I'm trying to start but people want discounts & free stuff before I even get off the ground smfh!!!
Gotta be firm. It's hard but you just need to let them know that you can do bulk discounts or something like that. They won't like it but they'll get used to it 😁
the only thing i give free is little lip balm jars with samples in them. but i too am fairly new to this business.
Nett Dee - Do you sell shave soaps? If you do, is there a website yet, or Etsy store? I’d love to check out what you have. All the best and good luck with the business. Josh
what I do, is I sell a soap for 5 dollars if they want a discount I sell two for 8.50 that usually works and I still make a profit.
So true. Need to get off the ground.
Thank you for taking the time to help all of us who are starting out. I have been running my little soap business for 6 weeks now and your advice is well timed.
Congrats! Just remember to keep things simple And don't get into too many things at once or you'll burn out. Ask me how I know..lol
Thank you, I shall remember that as I am inclined to push myself
We all fall into that trap at some point 😁
@@unclejonssoap
Your logo is so great......
Thanks!
I am just a beginner and I want to know from start to finish and the amount for example 3 pound mould? Please
Thank you, God bless!
Thank you Unclejon, I can tell you know what you're talking about. I value your soaping wisdom, keep making these priceless videos, don't even acknowledge some ot the unlearned negative remarks, sometimes you got to consider the source. Happy soaping☺️
Your family should be proud of you.
As a new comer into the sector, I am happy you here on UA-cam.
Will always be waiting for your UA-cam notifications.
Thanks
Thanks!
Thanks so much! Trying to move from hobby to business right now! Great advice.
Ty!!!!!!
Thank you
I’m a newbie soaper, this is great advice, thank you 😊
Awesome! Glad it helps some. Be sure to check out the rest of the channel for other "rambling" Tid bits 😁
Uncle Jon's Great stuff! Glad I found your channel 🤘🏼😎
Your videos are so simple to the point 😊Happy Holidays
Thanks! Happy holidays!
I’m glad I found you. Sound advice.
Very good information here and then some. Thanks Jon. I'm not in the soap hobby and/or business but if I was going to start either one, Melt & Pour bath soap and laundry soap would be my core products hands down. Melt & Pour is what it says it is and I have no doubt it can be used to make laundry soap after it has cured. That would be where I would start either the hobby or a business.
Melt & Pour is way more expensive than buying the ingredients to make soap yourself. So you will either have to charge a lot more for your soap, OR you will make a lot less profit - especially if you were to grate it up for laundry soap. Don't be afraid of using lye, any more than you are afraid of using a sharp knife, or driving a car. Sure there is risk, but following safety procedures really reduces the risk to almost nil.
I've been in business now for almost 2 years. Yes, I believe I have a good business model as I make a decent profit. That being said, I'm always looking for more advice (hence why I sub to your channel) to improve my sales, improve my product, and improve my production line. Right now, I keep it simple. A handful of fragrances, a handful of colors (all solid), with 3 or 4 specialty scents at certain times of the year. The only reason I haven't expanded to online sales yet is I just don't have the capacity. I'm getting there, but I'm taking my time taking the plunge.
I'm actually introducing a new product. I just launched it at my last market. Patriot soap in red white and blue for Independence Day here in the United States. Like you talked about, limited run, but I may be able to do it again next year.
Love your videos! Thanks!!
Love u so much for those tips .... It so genuine and relatable and can incorporate in my business
Another great video! 💪🏾❤️
Thank you for the videos !
Uncle John soap, l enjoyed ur teaching lam in nigeria in africa pls kindly for to me More info on how to prepare quality laundry and any bathing soap
The best way is to keep watching the videos😁
Thanks so much for this video. I'm just looking to get into soap making. This video helped me decide to give it a go!!! Thanks again!!!!
Thank you.
Great vid as always. You are so right, I too share with those me how to get started that it is a job and has to be treated as such.
New subscriber here. Awesome channel.
I would love if you discussed Tallow and other animal fat.
Tia
It's great shave soap. NEVER stop making the barbershop scent!
Awesome!
Congrats on the subscribers!
Thanks!
I just love you. Thank you for keeping it real.
Thanks! 😁
Let’s see how you season your cast iron pan with your product.
Yeah, I need to get some better lighting in the kitchen and do a video for that.
Can you talk about beeswax?? Not sure if you are aware, but there are lots of comments on Amazon, Bulk Apothecary, Brambleberry, etc about the way it smells. In particular white beeswax. I have purchased from so many companies and I don’t know why but it always has a Smokey chemical smell to it. Sometimes like plastic. Doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not it almost always smells this way.
Hi. Love your videos. As a fellow male in this field I like listening to your perspective. I have been watching soap making tutorials and videos for 2 months now and finally got into making soap myself. I’ve already developed a brand, website, marketing material, social media etc etc and have some staple recipes that work for me BUT I also live in a 1/1 apt and am trying to find the best way to store these soap bars while they cure, and then when they are done curing. It’s a space issue. Do you have any advice on what I could do or build or buy that is space efficient and still keeps the integrity of the soap curing process ? Thanks! Keep making videos!
Just regular shelving units would work well. Then, drape a thin fabric over the rows to keep dust and bugs off. I liked to use high shelves that would otherwise have been kind of useless space.
Thank you sir
I love this channel.
Is there such a thing as food grade lye to make soap or is it the same?
There is food grade lye. But I don't think there's much difference for soap making. Once you start buying in bulk you can get good deals at essential Depot on lye.
Uncle Jon's, thank you for your response.
You're very welcome!
@@unclejonssoap www.milehighsoap.com/ShoppingCart.asp there lye is $30 for 9lb 8 oz. im not sure about how expensive there shipping is as there in the same city as me
I would see if they have a way for you to stop by and pick it up to save on shipping. I have to have mine shipped because I'm not near any suppliers.
Love the show and thanks for the advice
Very, very good advice.
Thanks for this video. For someone starting off, this helps
Such a good video. I totally agree as I was a hobby soaper myself. But 2019 is when I start getting serious about my soap making. :)
Congrats!
Great video sir.
Great content mate...
Thanks!
Absolutely correct information
You're awesome!
Great video
Great info. Thanks
Sound advice 👍
Good information , thanks!
Where do I get formulas and measurements?
We'll.. that depends really. You would need to start learning the basics of what makes soap. Then figure out what are the easiest oils for you to acquire where you live. After that, it's a matter of learning to use a lye calculator. You can check out soapcalc.net for a decent calculator. Watch as many soap videos as you can to get an idea of how basic soap is made. There are many ways of making it and each is fairly flexible.
Thanks for the tips
Can I ask where you get your beeswax? Do you use white or yellow?
I try to get raw beeswax from different apiaries around the East Coast, but lately their pricing has been worse than the big suppliers. So, now, I tend to mix the farm stuff with yellow beeswax from Wholesale Supplies Plus. Hope that helps.
Great info!!! Thank you!!!!
Hello Uncle Jon's, I am thinking of starting my organic soap business, buying wholesale loaves and selling individual bars.
am serious about this but do not know how to start, either concentrate only on organic produces or branch out.
Hey there! Well... It's a tricky road either way. So.. you decided to go organic. That's great! But.. sourcing true organic soaps is almost impossible. It can also be cost prohibitive once you do find it. Making it for yourself is more doable but still very costly and your soaps will be on the high end of the pricing scale per ounce. Also, be warned that the word "organic" really doesn mean anything in the soap world. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to that. It ends up being a buzz word really. For me, it was better to go mostly natural and being able to use fragrances along side essential oils. It's more important to work on building your audience and brand really. Hope that helps some. Oh yeah.. we do sell wholesale 😉👍
Thank you Uncle Jon's for your advice, I will need your advice. I will check out your site.
Do you know where I could get bulk fragrance oils in Canada? Or would anyone else here know?
In Canada I'm not sure. Hopefully someone here can help.
Uncle Jon's new direction has great oils.
Yep. There's a few spots. I just don't use them much right now 😁
Do you make your own scents or use a fragrance oil? I thought about making soap/bodywash but I do have concerns of being sued by the brand of the oils.
I take existing fragrance and / or essential oils and make my own versions. That way each one is unique to me.
Amazing advice.!
Great Video! Did you start off with an ecommerce or did you go straight to a store?
Thanks! We started with farm markets and craft shows. Then opened a website and then a storefront.
Yes! Loads of it! 24/7 - 50 cents an hour :P
🤣🤣🤣
Hi uncle Jon :) My name's Debora and I am from Brazil. I'm an English teacher here. But u know... need an extra money, so I'm starting making soap. But my bigger problem is with the essences! Here in Brazil the cold processs is not very popular😅. And I can't find a good product that doesn't make a big mess in my soap. Essential oils are expensive! Can you give me an idea about what to do to make my soap smell good? (Sorry for my bad English...😊)
Understood. Sometimes we have to do more than one job 😁 So, I wouldn't go with essential oils until you find a source that isn't so expensive. Do you order things online? I'm not sure what sources you have down there. There should be somewhere (hopefully) that sells fragrance oils that are safe to use in soaps. Let me.know and maybe I can give you a couple web addresses. Why isn't cold processed soap popular?
@@unclejonssoap I usually buy on line. But I bought some fragrances that screwed up my soap. It hardened very quicly sometimes, or carved, or whatever... I spent supplies and time😓 But I'm not sure if amazon, for example, delivers here in Brazil.
And cold process is not popular because is unknown here. A few people do it. And because of this we don't have many options. I can buy oils with no problems, pigments, butters I also can buy. But safe essences not. The essences I bought can be used in melt and pour, that is very popular here. And because of this I want to do something better and diferent. Then I found you! I loved your way to do all the things. Simple and easy with no complication.
And I'm thankful for your answer, it's the first time someone answer me. (Sorry again... I talk a lot😅)
Setting up fast could be the water ratios, temperatures, etc.. some fragrances just do that. But you can sometimes adjust for that. As long as you can get the soap into the mold, then you have a good product. The tops of the bars won't be perfect but that's ok because we're making them by hand 😁 I hope this helps some.
Love your videos 👌🏽👌🏽👍🏽👍🏽🙌🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Thanks!
does your bear bother you? How often do you have to shampoo it?
Sometimes it bothers me but that happens with any hair after a while...lol. I only shampoo it on average once a week.
@@unclejonssoap thank you for quick response
Hi uncle Jon, do i need a sellers permit of license to sell at a farmers market or craft show?
In most cases you will need a business license of some sort and insurance for both. It used to be a little more relaxed but these days everyone that runs this venues is afraid of getting sued...lol.
good info tfs
Do you know any good free programs to make business card, labels ect...
I make my labels on the Avery.com website. And got my business cards from vista
Yep.. Vista print is going to be your best bet for business cards. For labels, I use onlinelabels.com with their software and labels.
For my designs I use MS publisher.
i like adobe illistrator but i use vector images for my labels. i then go to onlinelabels.com and click on meastro.
@@unclejonssoap thanks
How many scents do you advice to start with?
I would say if you're comfortable with the base recipe you have, I would stay with 5 or 6 to start. Get people used to your stuff (if you're selling) before you overwhelm then with too many choices.
Gee, uncle John, I just had my first craft fair selling my soap and I just about made back what it cost to rent the table. Very disappointing. I sold my soap at $5 per bar. I was the only one selling soap. Thoughts?
Afraid that's how it goes some days. I've had events where I lost money and some where we made bank...lol. It could be the people in that area don't appreciate handmade soap,or the packaging, or,who knows... People are fickle. If you want,you can send me pics of your setup and products and I'll see if anything jumps out at me. Sometimes, it's just that you're new and your confidence hasn't come up yet. People can be like animals.. if they smell fear or inexperience, they might shy away. I went through that a few times. Email is unclejonssoap@gmail.com
Keep going to the markets and craft fairs, it’s all about building up a presence.
You are under pricing your product.
Farmer Markets around here have soap maker's and their soap sell for no less than $7.50.
I'm starting my own soapmaking business and already have a long list of customer waiting for my soaps.
They asked me if I'm going natural and that is a BIG PLUS..
Maybe change your packaging? Walmark, Michael's and other stores have nice wrapping tissue and very reasonable.
Presentation is very important.
Just subscribed to your run on sentences😎😎
Nice! Thanks for that. I get cranky when people don't notice..lol
for vegan lip balm you can substitute bees wax for candelilla wax and it works great but youll need to use a little less of the candelilla. but you get a new audience to sell too that animal byproducts like beeswax are against there beliefs :P hope this helps someone thats not selling near me :D
That's great! But people also need to not try to appeal to all audiences at once. That's when you get too spread out and things don't get done well...lol. But if they start with all vegan based recipes from the beginning then they can focus. Great tip!
@@unclejonssoap i agree, you cant please all the people all the time only some people some of the time! Greatness isnt one thing done great it is many things done well. one of those things is finding your target audience and focusing on there needs. The vegan and all natural is my target audience. but even so my lip balm recipe alone took 4 months to get right and thats just the recipe.
Ohhh... I was hopeful that I can make money making soap but it’s so hard, because there’s a lot of competition and life is very expensive.
You can do it! Just have to set yourself apart and stick with it. Just like other businesses, it takes a while to get your branding and followers.
Thank you, you are so kind person ❤️
Hey Uncle Jon- when you diversified from just "basic soaps" did the other items fall under Cosmetic regulation or were they still "soaps"? Can you suggest product types that don't require government colon mapping?
I have tried using the lye water to melt the other oils. But I like the predictability of heating the oils first.
They all fall under the cosmetic realm. I'm still working my way through it but the hardest part is just making sure the labeling is correct. The only thing that isn't looked at by the FDA is the actual soaps and household products.
@@unclejonssoap drat...it's required to have a permit for cosmetics that's $800 for 2 years and you can't make anything in house- you need a shop. Almost as bad as Chocolates.
Uncle Jon how do I go about selling soap at a local farmers market. Do you need a license or permit to sell? How do you package your product to sell?
Check your email 😁 Packaging is going to be determined by your target audience and how you want your business to be portrayed.
hey Jon, I have recently made the decision to start making our own consumables and obviously soap is on the list haha. I have just watched a video about making glycerin soap (which i thought looked snazzy till i watched the amount of stuff they put in it), they made soap loofas and I was wondering could i do soap loofas with just a basic coconut,olive oil and lye mix?
thanks =)
You sure can! The trick is going to be getting it thin enough to soak through the loofah but thick enough that it won't separate and ruin the batch. Have you made many cold process batches?
tomorrow will be my very first attempt at making soap =D
Its a bit hard finding lye where im from, by the time i found out where to get it the shop had shut for the day. Im just starting small with standard soap but am definately excited about the loofa thing once i get a good recipe going =)
Hey Jon!
my first lot of soap is currently in the molds and its looking like the bees knees! I used a 30% coconut oil 70% olive oil mix and it was super easy, I put some orange essential oil in and it smells fantastic!!
Where's your store located??
Berlin, MD 😁
@@unclejonssoap In germany?
“Bring it on!” Bhahahaha love it
Thanks! 🤣
I just wanna start doing soap,, I am so artistic and done it before, but my husband keeps on breaking me down and discourage me
Just make it! Don't speak about selling or anything for a while just make it for yourself,gifts,giveaways, etc. Once he sees you're serious and good at it, maybe he'll chill.
I don't like to hear that. I am starting out too and I'm having lots of fun. Don't be discouraged!!! Enjoy your artsy self-it's so rewarding. Hang in there and God bless.
Janet Tepolt wish you the beat luck
Uncle Jon's appreciate your advise
Lol. I hadn't even thought about the fact that you have a full beard but sell shave stuff. That's funny.
😁
Do you have beard oils/balms? Super cool channel!!
We do! We make both and in several scent choices. We have a section on the sight for beard care that you can check out. www.unclejonssoap.com. Thanks!
Hey John I was wondering how long have you been in business and how long it took to become profitable?
I started in fall of 2010 with $100 and a card table. So... I've been profile since the begining. Seriously.. no loans, low overhead, etc. I chose to stay lean as we went. We relied on slow organic growth and try to never over extend ourselves. Even when we opened the brick and mortar I. 2015 we were profitable immediately. We had N existing clientele and didn't buy anything we couldn't afford to pay off right away.
How should I start my business?
Make soap. Figure out what the soap costs you to make. Times that by 4. Sell for that price 😁 Really it is that simple. It takes time to find an audience that appreciates your craft. Just make sure you get plenty of practice before you start selling. Give some away for reviews, use if yourself, etc... If you start selling before you're good at it, then people won't generally return. And that is a business killer.
@@unclejonssoap where should I start selling the soap. Or should I rely on the soap I give away?
I would start with a local farmers market and a craft show maybe. Stay Acton social media. An Etsy store would be good for online. Just be patient.. online takes a while to get moving.
Hii uncle john..
Im frm india, bangalore...started my business of soaps 12 months ago..i work frm home ...but here i am finding very difficult to sell my handmade soaps as ppl are finding it very expensive...
Can u guide me to increse my soaps sale ...and if the soap is costing me INR 50/-..how much should i charge as Mrp. For 100gms bar????
Pls revert back..Tia..
Hey there! It can be tough getting started and keeping sales up. People need to be told why they're should buy your soap instead of the cheap stuff. Basically, you need to educate them on the differences. Also, it's about building a brand. Many times people are buying because of you more than your actual product. The product needs to be good quality but the customer also has to like your company. Persistence is key. A weekly market is helpful. Or products are basically a luxury product so you need to promote them that way in many cases. Hope that helps some.
As for cost.. I would say no less than INR 200 to INR 250. That concerts cost of product, cost to produce (time, electric, etc). It also allows you to wholesale at INR 100-125 to a store possibly or in bulk quantities. What do you charge now?
Can you ever have to many soap business?
Not sure I understand the question. Like multiple soap businesses? Too many soap types and scents? As for types and scents, you can have too many. When a customer hits the wall of soaps and has too many choices, many will shut down and not be able to make a choice...lol. There's a whole science behind it which I don't fully understand. But, I would think if you keep it to a reasonable amount then it wouldn't be too bad.
I want start soap business in india
GREAT ADVICE!! THANK U!!👌
Yassssss 🙌🙌💞
Yasss!!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💕
عمو جون 👍👍👍🧼🧼🧼👍
Ramblings 😁👍
It's what I do 🤣