Selling Homemade Soap And More After being involved in making and selling crafts for a number of years, this is some of what I have observed, especially as it relates to selling homemade soap and soap business profits. What follows will be sort of random. On following pages you can read some specific examples of what works, including selling soap at craft fairs, and what might not work so well. Finding a craft that has some potential and then getting it sold is not exactly a simple matter. Some people surely do seem to get it figured out though. In many cases a craft business is a hobby turned into something more. In fact, in just about every case what you have with a craft business is somebody has mastered, or at least highly developed, some set of skills. Without that base of skills there really isn't going to be much of a craft to market. So at the very base of any craft venture done for money is this basic knowledge and skill of how to produce something. If the crafter, or artist too by the way, enjoys the work, then the business is more likely to be something that is sustainable. It could even turn into the very best business to start. I'll point out why that is further down in this article. So there has to be some production in order to have something to move at a profit. That goes for selling homemade soap as well as making crocheted goods to sell. A Soap Making Business Is Not Just About Efficiency Now in most production environments, like in making most cars for example, a premium is put on efficiency and cost control. In many ways that is the case for crafts as well. Partly that's due to competition you see. If there are people anywhere willing and able to produce a craft, then the cost of whatever it is will be established to some degree by that low cost. But not necessarily... In a lot of cases there really is not an exact duplicate for a craft turned out by an individual. It's those differences in approach that make it possible for an individual crafter to make it in a world of low cost production. It's partly so that the really premium products have a demand. Low cost is not really all there is to crafts in other words. Unique Crafts Or Unique Approaches Anyhow To some degree how you produce something may be as important as the finished product. But then again, how you produce it will often ultimately determine what the product really is anyway. Only by putting an individual figurative stamp on what you make can you create from nothing a brand of craft that is unique and thus valued more highly than cheaper but less identifiable products. The best chances for making money with crafts are in those crafts that are unique and of perceived highest quality. But there's still the matter of cost and price. There must be some degree of realism in both costs and prices. But then again, one could have a whole range of products with some priced at a very moderate level and others priced beyond what any reasonable person would pay. Those items at the higher end might be loaded with features far beyond what any reasonable crafter or artist would include as well. Profits And A Craft Business Who can say what something is worth? Mostly the one who buys it actually... But to be somewhat realistic. How does one price crafts? It's partly based on what others are selling the same type of item for, it seems. In many case it matters little how much cost is in it. It matters most what others are selling the item for. It's as simple as that. So what are ways to get out there and move some crafts or art? Learning how to sell soap is much like what it takes to sell lot of other things. There are lots of ways to sell crafts. You can move crafts, like natural soap, these ways... Home parties, Consignment shops, Antique malls, Gift shows, Gift shops, Wholesale, Trade shows, Door to door, :) Online at eBay, On an etsy shop, From classified ads, Craft shows, Mail order, From a website, From online shopping sites, Catalog, And others. There are ways that are a lot easier than others. I'll give examples later. Combinations of methods make the most sense. No one method is perfect for sure. Turning a hobby into a business is a way that often is used to get a craft business going. Another related method involves taking one's skills gained as an employee and turning those to a for-profit craft venture. In either case the craft production and marketing are based on already developed skills. The danger with either approach is that anything done sort of for fun can quickly become a lot less fun when it is done in high volume and for money. Something fun to do in a small way may be a lot less fun if done at high production rates. And that is often exactly what it takes to build enough items to make it pay. The bottom line is producing crafts at the level it takes to make some money is often more work than it is fun. Better to at least go down a route that is enjoyable or what you do can quickly become a real grind. There are tons of craft ideas to sell and no lack of chances to make and sell crafts. In many cases, the best chances for making money are found not in trendy items, but in doing work for which one has a real talent, and a real desire to make something of unique value, something that can command a premium price, in keeping with the work required to make and to market it. Maybe making and selling homemade soap might be in that category.