Article 15 : Do You Know How To Identify And Define Your Target Market?

One of the biggest mistakes committed by rookie business entrepreneurs is they try to be everything for everyone. And what happens when you have this mindset is, you end up appealing weakly to all segments o f the market.

To avoid rookie mistakes like this when it comes to soap making and setting up a soap making business, do some research before taking the plunge. A good place to start is to get your copy of "The Super Soap Making Book" before you make any major decisions or investments. You'll be glad that you did. This book covers all you need to know to be able to create unique, homemade soap, as well as tips on setting up your own soap selling business.

You can check it out here:

To learn more !

When starting out on a soap making business, you need to identify who your target market is. You can define your target market based on demographic and psycho-graphic factors. Demographics refer to characteristics like age, geographic location, purchasing power, etc. Psycho-graphic factors refer to attitude and lifestyle choices.

When choosing your target market, you have to describe it based on these two factors. The more defined or the more specific your definition is, the easier it will be for you to develop a product that will appeal to this market and to get your message across. 

For example, if you plan to design soap products for children, your target market could be the children themselves or it could also be the parent. You could define your market in any of these 2 ways:

• Preschoolers, ages 2 to 6, who love to play in the water, who enjoy bringing their toys to the bath, and who love to play with bubbles. They enjoy using products that are colorful and they like the idea of using products that are for kids - and not something that mom and dad also use because that way they can tell their mommy and daddy about their special soap.
  
  
• Moms of preschoolers ages 2 to 6 who would like to encourage their children to look forward to a fun bath time and who would like their children to be protected from germs-carrying diseases by staying clean while using mild soap products that will not harm the sensitive skin of young children.

Can you see how different the components of your product would be, how different your packaging and the tone of your messages would be just by defining your target market in a certain way? The end users may be the same (kids that are 2 to 6 years old), but your product may be totally different depending on who you decide to market to.

Once you've identified who you are going to be selling to, the next step is to create your business plan with this target market in mind. This is the topic of our next lesson.

Till then!

To learn more !

P. S.

Be sure to check out "The Super Soap Making Book". It is written for the beginning soap maker and budding soap entrepreneur in mind. Whether you intend to engage in the soap making craft purely for fun or also for profit, this is a book that you will find tremendously helpful.

Right now, the book is being offered at $5.00 less than its original retail price. Take advantage of this great deal while it's available!

You can learn more about this book and the amazing offer by clicking here:

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn more !

NOTE: Picture (s) and content are original and should not be used without permission of the author - Christophe Leroy - aka cleroy61, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.

All third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Article 14 : Here's How You Can Spot Lucrative Trends!

Being first to market is a great advantage - if you can pull it off. Some of the advantages of being first are that:

• You can command a good price
  


• The new product is associated with your brand and anyone else who come up with the same product will be a copycat and will be measured against you.
  


• Your brand becomes more valuable as it is perceived to be innovative
  


• You get to acquire new customers into your brand, who may be interested in your other products or product lines
  


• You get to strengthen your relationship with existing customers

To reach this coveted position, you need to pay attention to trends that may affect your consumer's tastes and preferences. This is actually very tricky, and there's no formula to doing it. Trends can come from anywhere - fashion, music... even politics and religion. You just need to keep your eyes open and make that leap when designing your soap products.

To help you spot trends, here are some places where you can look for them:

• Fashion - what are people wearing? What are the forecast of fashion designers? What are the latest products launched by design houses - whether clothes, shoes, jewelry, or scents? What are the brands that are doing well? By evaluating these, you'll get a sense of what people are into now and going to like in the next few years.
  
 
• Architecture - Go to furniture stores, browse design magazines and see what designs are appealing to consumers right now.
  


• Music - Who are the up and coming artists and what kind of music do they play? Are there genres that are gaining popularity that weren't as widely accepted before?
  


• Environmental Issues - Are people concerned about the changing climate? What are the issues that concern animal rights and environmental protection?
  


• Travel - Where are people going? What are the popular destinations now and why are they popular? What attitudes or features are promoted together with these destinations?
  


• Political Issues - How do people feel about their future? Are they secure, optimistic? Or is the general mood cautious?
  


• Competition - What are your competitor's best selling products? The brands that sell the most - what kind of values do they project? Is this something you feel confident that you can do better?

Trends can help a lot when planning what kind of message you want to send out when you sell your soap products. Are people going to want something practical or kitschy? Something that's simple and elegant, or something retro and fancy?  

Of course, there are a lot of trends operating all at the same time. How do you prioritize which one to apply to your product? That will depend on your target market. Whatever trend is dominant or important in the market that you are after, that's the trend that you need to give the highest priority to.

In our next lesson, we will talk about how to identify and define your target market.

Talk to you soon,

P. S.

I’ve talked about the book “The Super Soap Making Book” quite a bit. Here’s a little background information on the author, Sandy Simmons:

Sandy Simmons is a soap enthusiast. She started out as a soap maker, making soap in her home to share with family and friends. Over time, by word of mouth, her soap business started taking off.

She's a stay-at-home mom and a soap entrepreneur at the same time. She shares her knowledge of soap making methods and soap business set up and management in her book, "The Super Soap Making Book".

Read more about her work here:

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn more !

NOTE: Picture (s) and content are original and should not be used without permission of the author - Christophe Leroy - aka cleroy61, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.

All third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Article 13 :Soap is Soap is Soap… Or Is It?

In today's competitive market, it's not just enough to be able to create a good product. It's absolutely essential that you create a product that is special - that is different from all the rest that came before it. There's so many factors to consider that not all of them can be discussed in this email.

Fortunately, all you need to do to be able to plan and create amazing soap product lines have been outlined for you in this book, "The Super Soap Making Book". It’s a personal favorite, which I consider to be a wonderful reference and guide for budding soap makers and soap entrepreneurs. Just take a look at some of the topics that it covers:

• How to make soap
• How to create your own soap recipes
• How to handle soap making chemicals safely and properly
• How to set up a successful soap business
• Creative ways to enhance soap
• How to use essential oils and fragrances
• How to choose soap making oils to achieve desired effect
• Inspiring ideas to package your soap

There's more! Get the full scoop here:

To learn more !

Now back to our topic. So, what does make soap special?

When answering this question, we can look at the physical benefits that the soap delivers, and we can also look at the emotional benefits that we get out of using soap.

The physical benefits that make soap special are very obvious.

Here's a list of what it could be:

• Some soaps clean better
• Some soaps smell better
• Some soaps are shaped creatively, which makes them very appealing and attractive 
• Some soaps have special properties that make them different – for example some soaps have a moisturizing effect on the skin, or some soaps also exfoliate while cleaning the skin, etc.
• Some soaps have soothing and curative properties - example are soaps that are meant to treat acne prone skin or eczema
• Some soaps have relaxing properties that allow the user to de-stress while taking a bath.

But to be able to truly create soap that stands out among the rest, it is important to understand the emotional benefits that we derive from using soap. These benefits are not directly a result of the features of our soap product - although they support it – but rather, this is the product of the overall bathing experience.

Here's a list of what these emotional benefits could be:

• Confidence 
• Desirability and Sensuality
• Calm 
• Energy
• Exclusivity
• Fun and Optimism

When planning your product line, think about the emotional impact that you want your products to have on your consumers. What do you want them to FEEL after they've used your soap? What situations or occasions do you see them using your soap?

Taking these into consideration can help you choose the ingredients that will go to your product. These will help you find ways to make your product stand out against other specialty soap products.

And not only that. If you create a soap that consumers believe to be more special than the other soaps out in the market today, then you'll be able to command a better price for them, too.

Once you've decided what benefits you want consumers to associate with your product, it's time to choose your recipe. For this, you can check out the book, "The Super Soap Making Book". This book contains soap making recipes and instructions to help you create a perfect batch of your desired soap. It also contains a saponification index of various soap making oils to guide you should you prefer to create your own recipe. You can check it out here:

To learn more !

Now, when it comes to planning your product, one important thing you need to consider if you intend to sell your products to the US domestic market is the FDA regulations that you need to follow. You see, the FDA can classify soap as either a soap, a cosmetic or a drug, depending on the properties that you plan to promote.

The FDA will define your product as soap if the only claim that your product will make is that it cleans. If your soap promotes itself as a moisturizing soap, then it's considered a cosmetic. If it claims to manage acne, then it's considered a drug. Depending on where your product is classified under, you will need to comply with various labeling rules.

To know more about the FDA rules on labeling soaps, cosmetics and drugs, check out this link:

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074201.htm

In my next post, we'll talk about how trends can affect your business and how you can spot trends and take advantage of them.

Talk to you soon!

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn more !

NOTE: Picture (s) and content are original and should not be used without permission of the author - Christophe Leroy - aka cleroy61, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.

All third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Article 12 : Is There A Market For Your Homemade Soap?

Aside from being a lot of fun, soapmaking is also a thriving business. Whether you intend to train people to make soap, or sell your own homemade soap and soap products, there is a proven market

out there. And the great thing about it is that the skills you need you can easily learn. (Check out "The Super Soapmaking Book" at To learn more ! or more on learning the skills you need and the steps for setting up a successful soap business).  

Soap is something everybody needs. For a lot of people, homemade soap is an inexpensive luxury they indulge in. For others, special recipes of homemade soap are a necessity because of their curative,

soothing or relaxing properties.

Selling soap is a business you can start from the comforts of home, with very little initial investment. The ingredients for making soap aren't expensive. And with practice, you'll be able to find a soap making method that works for you. With those in place, you are ready to create your product.

I would understand if you are a bit worried about the competition. After all, mass produced soap is available everywhere. They're inexpensive, they're not bad, and they advertise. What chance would

you have competing with those guys?

But I dare say that there is a market for homemade soap - and it's not the same market that the commercial soap products are after. This market includes consumers who are averse to commercial soap because they want something more. 

We are talking about people who are particular about soap scents, concerned with being unique, desire only the choice ingredients for their soap and are after the special properties that specialty soaps carry. These are the people who are willing to pay a premium for premium soap blends.

Aside from this market, you also have the gift market to consider. Soap is a wonderful gift item, that is easy to personalize and that can come in a wide variety of creative shapes, sizes and packaging concepts. It is also a popular party favor and corporate gift item.  

Before you launch your business, you need to identify the specific niche or the specific market you are targeting, You need to create a business plan and create a market strategy that will allow you to reach your market, to differentiate yourself and to beat the competition. Finally, you also need a pricing strategy that makes sense and will allow you to earn a decent profit.  

All of these will be covered in our 10-day mini course. And if you would like a more in depth discussion on the topic of setting up a soap business, as well as learn the skills that you need if you are a beginner soap maker, then check out this book called "The Super Soap Making Book". This book has all the information you need to be able to create unique soap recipes and to set up a successful soap business. You can look it up here:

To learn more !

In my next email, we'll talk about what makes a soap stand out in the minds of consumers. This is vital to understand when you're planning what kind of product you should create in order to appeal to your clients. 

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn more !

NOTE: Picture (s) and content are original and should not be used without permission of the author - Christophe Leroy - aka cleroy61, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.

All third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Article 11 : Who’s Ready To Start Making Soap?

Dear Soap Makers,

For those who would like to learn how to make soap, but don’t have the faintest idea how to nor the time to attend a class, there’s good news!

I’ve recently discovered a new book on the topic of soap making that’s perfect for the modern soap maker. “The Super Soap making Book” is a super book researched and written by Sandy Simmons. It’s a complete guide for the soap making newbie and is guaranteed to keep you occupied with projects for months with its substantial collection of soap recipes. You can read more about the book here:

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn More, Here!

What I liked about this book is that it’s so easy to follow. That’s probably because it assumes zero background in soap making from its readers. Resources like lists of materials and equipments you’ll need depending on your preferred soap making method is listed, and basic soap recipes for your first few tries are available too.

Once you feel more comfortable with your skill level, you can then do the more complex recipes. The book also provides a saponification index table. This is a table that tells you how much lye you need depending on the amount and type of oil that you will use in your soap. That means, with this table, you can even customize the soap recipes she shares or create your own recipes!

And for the budding soap entrepreneurs out there, this book is just perfect! “The Super Soap making Book” discusses relevant and important topics such as what you need to set up a business, how to define your pricing strategy, how to find a market for your soap products and how to stand out from competition.

I encourage you to take a look at this amazing book. Click on this link to learn more:

The Super Soap Making Book:
A Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making

To learn More, Here!

Cheers,

cleroy61

NOTE: Picture (s) and content are original and should not be used without permission of the author - Christophe Leroy - aka cleroy61, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.

All third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.