DIY Crafts Soap

"More and more...these one hobbyists are turning their craft into full-time money-making enterprises as demand for natural body care products has soared in recent years." - CNN Money, March 2001.

CNN Money featured that article seven years ago and demand continues to soar! Virtually every "Top Ten Gift List" in 2005, 2006 and 2007 included hand-crafted soap. Many people today consider hand-crafted soap as the perfect gift: it combines both utility and aesthetics, and it just feels personal. It's the perfect gift for everyone.

But the growth of the market for hand-crafted soap is not only driven by demand for the "perfect gift." There is today a growing awareness on the consumers' part that the so-called soaps on the shelves of supermarket and drug stores are in fact detergent that seriously harms the skins of many people. This increasing awareness has pushed the demand for traditional hand-crafted soap significantly, thus opening wide the door for a great business opportunity.

Take Catherine Failor as an example. She started out as many soap makers did. She started making homemade soap in the late 1980s as presents for family and friends. Before long, she was experimenting with colors and scents and patterns and started selling her soap to gift shops and health food stores across the country. Within only a few years, Failor was pulling in about $250,000.

Soap making makes a great business opportunity for several reasons. For one, the barrier to entry is virtually zero; anyone can get a share of the pie. The start-up cost is exceptionally low; one can start a homemade soap business with a capital of $5,000 and can start making profit in a just a year. You can run this business from your kitchen or garage. The best part is, for soap crafters, this is a hobby.

The majority of soap businesspeople started out by selling their products at craft fairs, in gift shops, and at local health food stores. This simple marketing strategy alone can generate revenue of $15,000. Better marketing effort can increase that number twenty-fold. Donna Maria Coles Johnson, who heads the Handmade Toiletries Network, suggests that all soap makers should get serious about planning a successful business. With good marketing, a simple soap making business that you run from home can end up supplying high-end stores. Many hotels today are also shifting away from factory-produced soaps and turning to traditional hand-crafted soaps. That's one more market ready to be tapped.

One thing for sure, the industry is still growing. And there's plenty of room to make money from soap making and turn soap making into profits. If you're already making soap in your kitchen and have received compliments and gratitude from your friends and families for your craft, then you should really consider making a business out of soap making. After all, you've got nothing to loose-and so much to gain.