Handmade soap business at home. Handmade soap as a business: business plan, equipment, sale

Soap making is a popular hobby that can easily be turned into a business. Having started with experiments in your own kitchen, it is logical to move on to small, but quite real production. Making handmade soap at home as a business is a promising and highly profitable activity for men and women.

Official registration of the enterprise and the necessary certificates will increase the opportunities for selling their products. You will learn how to make soap at home from scratch in our new publication.

Hand-made soap is an excellent alternative to the mass-produced product sold in supermarkets and cosmetic stores. Handmade soap can contain a variety of useful additives: base and essential oils, scrubbing particles, dried flowers, extracts of medicinal herbs. This product can be given any color, shape and flavor.

Masters make organic, perfumed, hypoallergenic, baby, anti-cellulite, antibacterial soap - it all depends on the wishes of customers. Most often, homemade soap is made from a ready-made base, but experienced craftswomen make it themselves.

For beginners, it is recommended to make handmade soap at home from simple options, for example, based on a transparent glycerin base. Then you can move on to nourishing soap with lots of healthy oils: jojoba, olive, coconut, almond.

Soaps with natural scrubbing particles are also popular: crushed nuts, raspberry seeds, oatmeal, ground coffee, natural loofah or pumice.

A more expensive product is soap with the addition of dark or white chocolate, cane sugar, sea salt, liquid honey, plant extracts, pieces of fruit or natural essential oils. Soap is so perishable most often made to order.

The appearance of handmade soap is very important. Products in the form of fruits, cakes, sweets, and animal figurines are in demand. The more varied the shapes, the more buyers your product will attract.

Soap making as a business: where to start, how to succeed?

Soap made in your own kitchen can be used for personal needs or given to friends. But such a product cannot be offered in a store or sold at a fair. To expand sales channels, you will have to spend time and money on registering an enterprise.

Step-by-step instruction

• The easiest way . This will save on taxes and reduce paperwork.
• – branded soap will be recognizable, it will be easier for customers to distinguish your products from competitors. Register your business with the tax office.
• Find a room for a mini-workshop. A room of 40-50 square meters is suitable. m, making it possible to organize a place for cooking and a warehouse for raw materials and finished products. Moderate humidity should be maintained in the room. If the air is too dry, you will have to buy an industrial humidifier.
• Purchase the necessary equipment. For a mini-workshop you need an electric stove, a refrigerator for storing perishable components, and racks for storing soap in molds. For work you will need stainless steel pans, scrapers, stirring paddles, measuring spoons, food scales.

What documents are needed to register an individual entrepreneur and how to fill them out correctly - find out

It is very important to buy quality molds. The more forms, the more varied the soap will be. You can use silicone baking containers, children's plastic molds, special detachable options for shaped soap.

• Purchase raw materials. Suppliers can be found on the Internet or at specialized industrial fairs. Some components are easier to purchase at foreign auctions. Components for the food industry are also used for soap production. A beginner soap maker will need:

1. ready-made base in briquettes (matte and transparent);
2. basic vegetable oils (olive, almond, soybean, shea, coconut, palm);
3. essential or aromatic oils and fragrant mixtures;
4. food colorings;
5. additives (loofah, dried flowers, glitter, crushed fruit seeds, pumice, gelatin).

• Order packaging paper and labels for your products. It is desirable that the packaging is recognizable and not too complex. To form gift sets you will need cardboard boxes or wicker baskets.

Single pieces can be wrapped in paper or cellophane, tied with twine, braid or satin ribbons.

• Get certificates for your products. To do this, the brewed soap must be submitted to the laboratory and wait for the appropriate decision. Please note that each type of soap requires a separate certificate.

Soap making business plan: expenses and income

Soap making is not a very expensive business. Most of the costs come from renting the premises and obtaining the necessary documentation. At the initial stage you will have to invest from 60,000 rubles. Another 20,000 rubles will be spent on purchasing equipment.

Calculate the cost of handmade soap. An average piece weighing 100 g, prepared from the base base, will cost 30-35 rubles. The selling price of such soap is from 120 rubles. Accordingly, each piece sold gives 85-90 rubles in profit.

The business will generate net income in 6-9 months. To speed up the process, it is important to think through distribution channels even before mass production. Will increase profits and expand production.

In addition to regular bar soap, you can make liquid versions, bath bombs, scrub soaps, children's foam soaps, gift sets and much more.

How to sell handmade soap on the Internet: ideas from marketers

Registration of an enterprise and receipt of certificates makes it possible to offer your products to cosmetic stores, health stores, and gift departments. You can open your own corner in a supermarket or shopping center.

This option will increase your brand awareness, but will significantly increase costs. Rental costs will be added to production costs.

Beginning entrepreneurs often sell their products at fairs. This promotion serves as excellent advertising and increases brand awareness. The sale of soap can be combined with master classes on making it.

A promising idea for creative entrepreneurs is subscription sales.

The entrepreneur collects an advance payment from potential subscribers and then sends them branded boxes of soap and other cosmetic products.

By collecting 1000 boxes (a standard figure for a new entrepreneur), you guarantee yourself a stable income. It is best to create themed boxes, offering subscribers not only bar soap, but also scrubs, cleansers and bath products.

Making handmade soap at home as a business is an activity for enterprising and creative people. To make money, you will have to constantly think through new ways for promotion, improve the quality of products, and monitor current trends in the field of beauty.

Soap making as a business: where to start, how to succeed, how to sell products? The answers to these and other questions are contained in the following video:

Purchasing a ready-made business with a plan and operating under a well-known brand seems to be a more attractive solution, especially given the popularization of free franchises of handmade soap businesses. However, in practice, most potential franchisees (Tsarskoye Selo Soap Manufactory, Soap Treasure Shop, Riga Soap Manufactory, MyloFF) are nothing more than ordinary product suppliers who enter into a standard supply agreement with partners.

Support and training in the rules of doing business in such cases are offered in a free advisory form, without providing instructions, technologies, techniques, and most importantly guarantees that the original franchise agreement provides. This means that you will still need to develop a business plan and solve organizational problems yourself.

Business plan for handmade soap production

If you want to present a unique product on the market, you need to learn how to make soap yourself. No special education is required for this. Any creative person can learn this skill. You can start working at home (in the kitchen) with a minimal range of finished products. Next, when you have built up a customer base, you can expand your business by opening a small workshop and training hired staff.

The required start-up capital to start work consists of the costs of purchasing equipment, raw materials, paying for utilities and advertising products. If you plan to retail soap at your own point of sale, you should add rental space and costs for branding and furniture (racks, counters).

Equipment for making handmade soap

The technology for making soap at home involves the use of a ready-made soap base (glycerin and fatty acids), which is melted and mixed with various fillers (scrubs, oils), flavors (essential oils) and dyes. At home, a regular kitchen stove and a set of dishes (preferably stainless steel) are suitable for this procedure:

• pots and bowls of different sizes- up to 40 dollars;
• measuring spoons- up to 10 dollars;
• measuring cup (scoop) with spout- up to 10 dollars;
• knife and grater for cutting and grinding soap- up to 8 dollars;
• whisks for whipping- 1 dollar;
• mortar for grinding vegetable fillers- about 15 dollars;
• manual oil sprayer- up to 10 dollars;
• spatula and slotted spoon- up to 5 dollars;
• watering can- 1 dollar.

In addition, you will need:

• Silicone molds for soap making or soap casting(you can use baking molds) - from $5 for 1 mold.
• Scales with the ability to weigh up to 1 kg or more, with an accuracy of 1 gram- from 5 dollars.
• Cooking thermometer for tracking temperatures- from 4 dollars.
• White plain towels- from 4 dollars for 1 piece.
• Protective clothing, glasses and gloves- from 3 dollars.

Thus, the costs of equipment and inventory are from only $106.

Important! You cannot use utensils used for cooking, and therefore a separate set is required.

Calculation of raw materials and production volume

The actual consumption of ingredients for preparing the final product depends on the recipe and technology used. You can determine the exact calculation by making test samples. On average, the following ingredients will be required to produce finished soap:

• Soap base- retail price of raw materials from 4 dollars per kilogram.
• Oils for moisturizing- base oils (almond, grape) are usually used, used in aromatherapy and for the preparation of massage oils. The cost of 100 ml of oil is from 2 dollars.
• Essential oils and fragrances- the cost varies depending on the type of oil. For example, orange can be bought from 50 American cents per 10 ml, and jasmine from 1.5 dollars. Special flavors can also be used, the price of which is from 1 dollar per 10 ml.
• Soap dyes- can be liquid or powder. The retail price of the material is from 80 American cents per 10 ml or 5 grams.
• Glitters and pearls- decorative components that give the soap brightness and shine. The cost of raw materials starts from 90 cents per 10 grams of glitter or 5 grams of mother-of-pearl.
• Fillers- scrubbing ingredients (pumice powder, almond shells, strawberry seeds, lavender flowers). Retail price from 30 American cents per 10 grams.

So to make soap from scratch (1 kilogram) you only need $9. The retail price of a finished piece (100 grams) is from $2. Thus, your income will be 20 dollars or at least 11 dollars of net profit.

The time required to produce soap at home depends on the chosen soap-making technology. There are three main methods:

• Cold- the process of soap making and mixing with additives takes from 1 hour per cycle. On the other hand, such soap will be ready for sale and use only after 1-1.5 months, since according to technology it will need to undergo a maturation process.
• Hot- the cooking process takes about 3-5 hours, but it will be ready for use within a day. On the other hand, to improve the quality of the product prepared in this way, masters recommend leaving the soap to mature for at least 7 days.
• Combined (cold-hot)- the cooking process takes only 2 hours per cycle, and the ripening time is reduced to 2 weeks.

This means that if your equipment allows you to prepare 1 kilogram of soap per cycle, you, depending on the technology, can produce from 2 to 8 kg of product during the day. When loading 40 hours into one standard work week, you can independently produce from 40 to 160 kilograms of soap per month. The potential profit that such a home-based handmade soap business can provide ranges from $440 to $1,760 per month.

You should also consider the cost of packaging. This can be ordinary transparent film, individual plastic or cardboard boxes, fabric bags and other types of decorative packaging.

Branding and increasing brand awareness will allow you to take your homemade handmade soap business to the next level, increase customer loyalty to your brand, expand your customer base and significantly increase your income.

Premises and hired personnel

If you are planning small volumes of up to 100 kilograms of soap per month, you can organize the work at home. But it should be taken into account that the finished product must be stored somewhere. For large volumes, you will need a separate room consisting of at least three rooms:

1. soap production workshop;
2. raw materials warehouse;
3. finished goods warehouse.

According to the law, the premises for the production of soap must be located outside the residential area and comply with fire safety standards. It must also contain communications and plumbing.

A home business producing handmade soap can be organized together with like-minded relatives or friends. But if you want to open your own point of sale and achieve high turnover, you will need professional help from the following specialists:

• Accountant- he can be invited on an outsourcing basis to resolve issues related to preparing tax documentation and maintaining general accounting for the enterprise.
• Driver (courier)- necessary for delivering goods to stores or direct customers.
• Designer- you can come up with a design yourself, or you can only engage in sales, transferring the tasks to a professional designer.
• Soap makers- for large production volumes you will need 1-2 soap makers on an ongoing basis.

Methods of selling products

An effective business selling handmade soap can cover several areas of product sales at once. These can be the following methods:

• Own online store. You will need to invest $500 or more in creation and promotion.
• Retail point of sale. The most effective is considered to be opening a retail outlet in a crowded place (shopping center). The rental price depends on the city and location of the shopping center.
• Selling through social networks. Suitable for small production volumes, as well as for craftsmen working to order. For large businesses, social networks can be used as an advertising tool to attract customers to retail and online stores.
• Wholesale supplies to cosmetics stores for sale. In this case, you will have to reduce the cost of selling soap, but at the same time you will be spared the need to conduct an advertising campaign (see How to properly advertise a product: basics, examples).
• Sales through special sites. For small volumes, you can sell goods on classifieds websites (Avito, OLX, UBU.ru), as well as on resources for handmade craftsmen (Fair of Craftsmen, hand-made.ru, fintiflu.com).

An additional advertising tool can be the decorative packaging of your soap. It should correspond to the status of handmade products and attract the attention of buyers, especially if you sell at a retail outlet.

It is worth understanding that advertising of handmade soap must correspond to its quality. If you make natural and health claims to customers, you must ensure that you use safe ingredients. Otherwise, if fraud is discovered, you will lose your reputation and may even end up in court.

Legalization of activities and permits

Without registration with the tax services, it is difficult to build an effective business producing handmade soap, since you will not be able to actively advertise, open retail outlets and engage in direct deliveries. Working in the shadows is only possible with small private orders.

The most suitable forms of entrepreneurial activity for such a business are individual entrepreneurs (FOP) or LLCs, while it is best to choose simplified forms of taxation on net profit (income minus expenses). OKVED codes for this area of ​​activity (RF and Ukraine):

• 41 “Production of soap and detergents”;
• 42 “Production of cosmetic soap”;
• 92 “Activities for packaging goods”;
• 75 “Retail trade in cosmetics and personal care products in specialized stores” (suitable subsections are selected).

In the Russian Federation Certification of handmade soap is voluntary. However, a declaration of conformity is mandatory, which confirms the quality of the product. Without this document, your product cannot be sold in stores. You can use GOST or TU as regulatory documents for the manufacture of products. A declaration is obtained for each type of product (soap recipe), which makes the process very difficult for those who like to experiment with new ideas. To avoid such problems, you can sell your soap as souvenirs - in this case, obtaining certificates is not required. However, if you plan to hand over the goods for sale, stores may refuse you such registration.

In Ukraine To legalize soap production activities, it is necessary to develop specifications and obtain a conclusion from the SES. At the same time, making soap at home is not allowed by law and you will need to organize a full-fledged workshop (to save on rent, it can be moved to a suburban area). Next, a certificate is obtained for each type of product. But even in this case, there is a simpler way out - obtaining quality certificates for product components and providing them to customers. These can be requested from your supplies retailer.

If you want to create a recognizable brand, you also need to register a trademark, which will subsequently give you the opportunity not only to gain a foothold in the market, but also to begin to expand your network by selling a franchise.

In practice, handmade soap as a business has one significant problem - the long-term development of regular customers. This is due to the specifics of the type of product itself, which is forced to compete with cheaper factory products. This is why many masters stop working in the first months, but if you improve your product and learn sales techniques and business management, you will undoubtedly achieve success.

In this article:

While industrial soap production requires at least premises and equipment, making soap at home requires only a stove and utensils.

Industrial soap production. For this type of activity, animal fats, inexpensive oils (palm or coconut), rosin, naphthenic and fatty acids (they are obtained from petroleum paraffin) are used.

But an increase in the composition of natural ingredients will entail a direct proportional increase in demand for finished products. Indeed, at the moment, there are very few similar offers on the country’s market; many domestic manufacturers prefer to save on high-quality raw materials, thereby increasing their own profits.

In the production of homemade soap, only high-quality ingredients are often used: purified animal and vegetable fats, therefore the risk of allergies or skin damage is minimal.

However, the cost of such a hundred-gram piece of soap will be higher than a similar “industrial brother”.

Soap production equipment

Equipment for making soap in industrial settings

For industrial production, a beginner with limited financial resources will only need a gas or electric stove, several large pans and casting molds (wooden or silicone).

Subsequently, in order to increase profits and reduce the use of manual labor, care can and should be taken to modernize production facilities. Today there is a lot of similar equipment, mostly made in China.

The production line includes: mixer, mill, molding machine, stamping machine, refrigerator and soap cutting machine.

Equipment for making soap at home

To make soap at home, you will need liquid scales, large stainless steel pans, injection molds, a thermometer, a measuring spoon, and a refrigerator.

Soap production technology

This production process consists of two stages: chemical and mechanical.

Chemical stage of production

At the first stage, using an aqueous solution of sodium (potassium) salts, fatty acids and alkalis, a so-called adhesive soap is obtained, which subsequently must be cleaned and treated with electrolytes (an aqueous solution of sodium chloride and alkali). Under the influence of these processes, the soap begins to separate, and “soap cream” (concentrated soap with an abundance of fatty acids) floats to the surface.

Water, glycerin and feedstock contaminants remain in the bottom layer. A certain amount of glycerin is purified and added back to the mass. The resulting soap is called sound or laundry soap.

The production technology of this soap is not characterized by high labor intensity, but with a high quality indicator of the finished product.

Mechanical production stage

At the mechanical stage of production, cooling, drying and mixing with various additives take place. The resulting core soap must be ground on the rollers of a sawing machine (to significantly increase fatty acids and its resistance to external adverse factors). By pressing, the product takes on the desired shape.

For production toilet soap, in the resulting purified mass it is necessary to reduce the water content from 30% to 12%. After this, various additives, perfumes, oils, dyes and vitamins are added.

Production liquid soap is not much different from the production of traditional solid soap, but this technology allows you to add more flavors, herbal extracts and essential oils. In a large vat, fats are heated along with caustic soda. As a result of their interaction, a viscous liquid is formed. When cooled, liquid soap is obtained. Often, during its manufacturing process no additional dyes are used to improve quality.

In the production of homemade handmade soap, high-quality purified animal and vegetable fats are used.

The ingredients should be mixed in proportions according to the recipe, and an alkali solution should be added to them (for saponification of oils). Now there are two options: cold or hot cooking method.

Cold technology

Cold technology making handmade soap consists of thoroughly mixing the resulting soap mass and adding essential oil, herbal decoction, honey, etc. After this, you can pour this mass into molds and let it harden for 2-4 days. After the specified time has passed, the soap is removed from the molds, cut and left to “ripen” for some more time (from 1 month to a year - depending on the variety).

Hot technology

Hot way is a more acceptable option for increasing production profitability.

It consists of accelerating the saponification reaction by heating the soap mass in a water bath or in the oven, subject to thorough stirring. After a couple of hours, until the mass hardens, you can safely add all kinds of additives and pour it into molds. After the soap hardens, you need to take it out, cut it and leave it alone for only 2 weeks.

The technology for making soap at home is very monotonous, but differs in the variety of necessary ingredients (depending on the recipe and, accordingly, on the intended type of soap).

The process of making soap using an example - master class

Let's look at the step-by-step process of preparing one of its types.

We will need (Fig. 1):

• 100 g soap base
• dye
• fragrance
• base oil
• mold.

A piece of soap base needs to be cut into pieces (Fig. 2) and melted in a water bath (Fig. 3).

Then add a few drops of base oil (no more than a third of a teaspoon) (Fig. 4), dye (Fig. 5) and stir thoroughly.

Then you can add fragrance (5 drops) to the cooled mass (Fig. 6) and begin pouring the mass into molds. (Fig. 7)

If bubbles have formed on the surface, then with the help of alcohol we will be able to get rid of them. To speed up the hardening process, the soap can be placed in the refrigerator.

Only after complete hardening can it be removed from the mold. (Fig. 8)

Soap production business plan

The main costs and expenses that need to be incurred to produce the first batch of industrially produced soap are as follows.

Period under review- 6 months, estimated production volume– 2500 kilograms of finished products.

Soap production costs

1. Renting premises(at least 30 sq. m.), which will house production facilities and perform warehouse functions (creating optimal conditions for the safety of finished products) - 30,760 rubles (about $1,000). For 6 months – 184,560 rubles.
2. Communal payments: 3076 rub/month. Total for six months - 18,456 rubles.
3. Necessary equipment: stove - 3000 rubles, 3 vats (large pans) - 2000 rubles, 25-30 molds for pouring - 6000 rubles. Total: 11,000 rubles.
4. Raw materials: 3000 kg. soap base will cost 565,000 rubles. (many suppliers give a discount for large volumes), additives and oils - 95,000 rubles, vitamins and fruit acids - 60,000 rubles. This expense item amounts to 720,000 rubles.
5. Salaries of employees. For such a small volume of production, 4 people will be enough: cook - 9228 rubles. ($200), his assistant - 7690 rubles. ($150) and 2 packs of soap - 6152 rubles each. (100 dollars). Our wage fund will be 29,222 rubles.
6. Soap packaging will serve not only as a business card of the enterprise, but also perform a security function. It is desirable that for each type of soap the packaging should also be varied. Let’s assume the use of two types of packaging for the entire production volume: plastic – 100,000 rubles and cardboard – 110,000 rubles. Total: 210,000 rubles.

Consequently, the minimum financial requirements for organizing such a business are 1,162,238 rubles.

Economic effect

Now let's analyze the economic effect of the invested costs.

The minimum price for a 100-gram bar of soap is 100 rubles, and we have produced 25,000 packages of soap. Therefore, the profit from sales is 2.5 million rubles, and therefore the net income for six months of work is equal to 1,337,762 rubles, which is 222,960 rubles/month.

The business plan for producing soap at home is similar to the above, with the exception of the costs of renting premises, paying staff and utilities. And the production itself will not be on such a large scale, so the costs of purchasing raw materials will be significantly reduced.

Soap sales

To sell soap, you need to establish work with various stores and regularly supply them with your products. You may have to lower your price a little at first to get them interested in your offer. But then, when the consumer appreciates the quality, it will be possible to gradually increase the price to a level justified by production needs.

You can also cooperate with pharmacies, but in this case there will be a markup of about 40% on your product.

Another option is to create a branded outlet in a regular market. Don’t skimp on branded clothing with your own logo - this will be an excellent advertising move that will soon compensate for all material and moral costs.

Handmade soap created at home can be purchased by people with incomes not lower than the average level. This is also a great gift for all kinds of holidays. Reducing its cost will not be profitable, since the revenue in this case will not cover the costs of purchasing high-quality raw materials. Therefore, cooperation with cosmetics stores, household chemicals stores and pharmacies will also be relevant here.

It is acceptable to sell soap via the Internet and send products by mail to remote cities of the country.

A small business at home, as an addition to your main job, is always a very profitable investment of time and money. does not require large financial investments, takes little time and is highly valued due to the uniqueness of the manufactured product or product. These “hobby businesses” include the business of producing handmade soap, and much more.

Why is this business very good for a small home plant?

The business idea of ​​soap production is new for our country and has not yet had time to take off in the market. Beautiful, original, and most importantly, useful, soap has turned from a hygiene item into the best gift for loved ones and an opportunity to express your creative self.

Advantages and disadvantages of business

Why should you start selling handmade soap as a business?

Soap making has many advantages:

• Inexpensive equipment;
• The technology for creating soap is available to everyone;
• Your customers can be men and women of any age, social status, profession;
• Making handmade soap is pure creativity, an opportunity to experiment;
• Even if your city has several dozen soap makers, the products of each of them will be unique. This means that there will be no problems with the clientele.

Of course, working with soap has its downsides:

• You will still have to invest some resources into this matter;
• Sales of finished products are not established immediately;
• Soap production is not suitable for allergy sufferers. Working with essential oils or chemicals if you have sensitive skin or mucous membranes can turn from a pleasant pastime into a living hell.

Manufacturing technology

Soap manufacturing technology includes two global stages:

• Boiling soap base with additives;
• Formation of this mixture into a product ready for sale.

Soap making process

The soap base with which our process begins is sold in stores. You need it in large quantities, so negotiate with suppliers. So, you can buy raw materials for future use (if you’re lucky, at a discount), so that you don’t have to look for the base you need after each new batch of the finished product.

The soap base is poured into a pan, where it is then boiled, and the master simultaneously adds essential oils, dyes, and aromatic substances. Soap making has a lot of recipes, so every master should know at least a couple of dozen.

A more labor-intensive process is full-scale soap making. This production uses natural fats, alkali and other components. This method requires more careful preparation. You must be familiar with industrial production technologies, know the principle of the saponification reaction, and be able to measure the pH of the resulting product. It takes a long time for the finished product to mature. It takes about 30 days for the pH of the soap to reach neutral.

The appearance of the soap is critical to the success of business. Most often, people buy soap as a gift for loved ones during the holidays. Beautiful packaging, bright color, admixture of shades, enchanting aroma - something that will catch and attract attention. The more little things are successfully combined in the finished product, the greater the chances of selling it profitably.

Business plan

We will consider a business plan for soap production for two cases: selling products at home (via the Internet, for example) and opening a store.

The first case allows you to safely omit as many as three points of the plan:

• Registration;
• Premises;
• Repair.

You will not need to fill out or search for anything: you can immediately proceed to the stage of purchasing equipment.

The second situation is much more interesting. The first step is to register an individual entrepreneur (private entrepreneur), register with the tax authority and local administration, obtain permits from the sanitary-epidemiological and fire stations, and then search for a location.

Renting premises

Let's talk about the premises. The small room chosen for the future store should be located where future customers will see it. The ideal option would be a street, avenue, areas close to the metro or center, large shops. The premises will require appropriate renovation work. Think over a concept that will make it unique and attract attention to it. Glue up beautiful wallpaper, hang draperies on the walls, arrange shelves on which beautifully packaged soap sets will be placed, install a counter, a chair for the seller, purchase a cash register and a computer. If your outlet has a specific theme, for example, “soap prepared according to ancient Indian recipes,” it will be even more interesting. This way, the store will have a chance to become a tourist attraction.

Equipment

To make handmade soap at home, you need one or more stoves (gas or electric), huge saucepans (at least 15 liters), molds into which the final solution will be poured, scales, laboratory glassware, and a thermometer. The stove will cost a future businessman from 100 to 300 dollars. It will cost from 60 USD for pots. That is, and 20 forms will cost you about $200.

The forms can be very different. The simplest option is ordinary rectangular shapes. But it is much more interesting if the soap takes on the appearance of some flower, bird or geometric figure. You can use children's molds for sandboxes, baking, or special ones (they are sold in soap stores).

Consumables

A big expense item will be the purchase of materials: soap base, oils, perfume compositions, vitamins.

For example, 1 ton of base will cost about 6 thousand USD. e. A ton is too much; for starters, 100–200 kilograms will be enough. To give products a beautiful appearance, a variety of dyes are used. Making handmade soap as a business is attractive because each piece of the finished product will be different from its counterpart. To achieve this, the manufacturer needs to purchase a large assortment of aromatic and vitamin supplements, herbs, honey - in general, give free rein to your imagination.

Staff

Soap production does not require a lot of staff. While the master works at home and does not plan to open a store, the only employee in this company will be himself. Unless his loved ones want to help. When the time comes to open a retail outlet, it will require salespeople (2 people in shifts), an accountant, a security guard and a cleaner. The salary for each of them will cost from 20 thousand rubles per month. Selling products via the Internet is clearly more profitable from this point of view.

Advertising

Soap making is a process that produces a very beautiful product. Advertising should start from this. Make a website with artistic photos, come up with an original presentation, create communities on social networks.

Many soap makers held pre-holiday themed promotions at the initial stages. When making a batch of New Year or Christmas themed soap, they offered it in offices and stores, took orders, and distributed business cards. Booklets, leaflets, business cards are generally a universal way to tell about yourself. They can be left everywhere and given to anyone.

Alexander Kaptsov

Reading time: 7 minutes

A A

Soap is one of those products that will always be in demand and will find its buyer. To set up soap production and make it a profitable business, you just need to register your business, purchase raw materials and equipment, and study the technology of making soap. Special attention should be paid to the detailed development of the business plan and the search for sales channels for products.

Starting your own soap business

In order for a business to be legal and a businessman’s actions to be lawful, it is necessary to stand on. The optimal form of work for those who are beginning to comprehend the basics of running their own business is individual entrepreneurship. An individual entrepreneur can conduct business without forming a legal entity, which reduces the level of risks, speeds up the registration process, and tens of times reduces the amount of future payments and potential fines.

You can also establish a Limited Liability Company (LLC), this form is suitable if the origins of the business are not one, but two or more people. All relationships and interactions of company participants are regulated by the charter, and the distribution of income and expenses is also prescribed there.

To register as an individual entrepreneur, you must have the following documents:

• Application for registration as an individual entrepreneur using form P21001.
• A receipt confirming payment of the state duty.
• Copies of all pages of the passport.

The application for registration of an individual entrepreneur specifies the activity code; soap production is included in OKVED code 24.51 “Production of glycerin, soap; detergents, cleaning agents, polishing agents.” For production you will need to obtain a quality certificate. To do this, you will need to contact the regulatory authority and submit documents describing in detail the production technology, as well as test reports. The production area must comply with sanitary standards.

What raw materials are needed to make soap?

The materials used to make soap can be divided into two categories: the main raw materials that form the basis for the future soap, and additives that enhance cosmetic properties or give the soap a particular appearance.

Basic materials

The main material for preparing solid soap is fat of vegetable and animal origin, as well as solid and liquid vegetable oils, alkalis, fatty acids, and esters. In order for the soap to be of high quality, retain its structure and not deform after interaction with water, the recipe must be strictly followed during the preparation process.

Most often, soap contains the following animal fats:

• Beef.
• Pork.
• Mutton.
• Sea fish oils, etc.

They are the cheapest and most accessible. For luxury soaps, mink oil can be used. Coconut and palm oils are used as solid oils; from liquid oils, sunflower, cottonseed and others are added during the production process.

For production, a ready-made soap base is purchased, consisting of the above components.

Depending on the goals, it can be different:

1. Organic.
2. Liquid.
3. Creamy.
4. Transparent.
5. White, etc.

Ingredients and Additives

In order for the soap to take on a unique appearance, special dyes are added to its composition; special requirements are imposed on them: they must be resistant to alkaline substances used for saponification of raw materials, and must not color the foam. Dyes can be combined and used to create spectacular designs and patterns.

The same goes for flavorings: they not only give the soap a certain aroma, but also eliminate the smell of fatty raw materials. Also, stabilizers (antioxidants) can be added to soap to improve its qualities and increase shelf life. They protect the soap from darkening and the appearance of dark spots on its surface. Other important components are antiseptics, glycerin, methanil as a deodorizing additive. If the soap has a medicinal purpose, it may also contain various infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants.

Equipment for organizing soap production

In order for production to become widespread and the business to be profitable, it is necessary to launch a process capable of producing up to 600 kilograms of the finished product per month. Therefore, it is recommended to equip a small workshop for a soap factory. To start, you will need a room of 30-40 square meters: this will be enough to install the equipment and prepare a place for hardening and storing the finished product.

Basic equipment for soap production:

• Powerful stove (gas or electric).
• Metal containers for making soap.
• Faucets for mixing masses
• Forms for pouring soap.

The room must be roughly divided into 2 zones: in the first the soap preparation process will be carried out directly, in the second the molds will be placed until the soap completely hardens. To make the process comfortable, you should equip the room with special shelves and variations of the storage system.

It is also necessary to consider a place for cutting soap and packaging it. To do this, you can use special knives or purchase a machine, which will help automate the work.

Soap production technology and its features: diagram of the soap making process

You can prepare a soap base yourself, but to do this you need to thoroughly study all the intricacies of its composition, the characteristics of the chemical reactions of the reagents, their properties and other nuances. You will also have to prepare your own fat - most often pork fat, which is the most inexpensive product.

Modern soap makers use a ready-made soap base - it reduces the cost of the production process and speeds it up. A large selection of different types of base allows you to choose the optimal composition for soap for a variety of purposes and tasks.

1. You need to prepare everything in advance materials and equipment. The soap-making process occurs at high temperatures, so you cannot hesitate or be distracted after it starts.
2. The soap base needs to be crushed or finely chop, the pieces should be equal.
3. Turn on the stove to medium temperature and set up a water bath. The profile plate is usually equipped with this mode of operation.
4. When the base becomes a homogeneous liquid mass, it is necessary to add oils, esters and other additives in accordance with the recipe. You can also add dyes, they will give the soap a bright color.
5. After this, the soap must be poured into the molds (in several different ones or one common one), and, after complete hardening, remove from the molds and cut, if necessary.

In the case of preparing soap according to a recipe without using a soap base, the production principle remains the same. The process can be automated using a feeding device, mixers and a temperature sensor.

An approximate business plan for the production of soap - we calculate the profitability and payback period of the soap factory

Depending on the scale of production and the availability of established distribution channels, the payback period for a business can vary significantly. For it to be successful and generate income from the first days of operation, it is necessary to develop a competent business plan, take into account all risks, pay attention to advertising and carefully work out all potential channels for promoting and selling finished products.

Business premises

To equip the workshop, you will need a room with an area of ​​30-40 square meters. m. On average, the rental cost is 1 sq.m. production premises cost 500-700 rubles, therefore, renting the premises will cost 15,000-30,000 rubles per month.

Additional expenses should include cosmetic repairs and room planning - 30,000 rubles.

Business equipment

• Stove - 5000 rubles.
• 3 vats for making soap – 3000 rubles.
• Molds and other tools – 10,000 rubles.

This is the minimum set of equipment that will be required to organize soap production. Modern entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to purchase a ready-made production line from foreign suppliers. Such equipment will cost 7-10 thousand dollars, but will make the cooking process faster and the product better quality.

Materials for making soap

Raw materials are the main expense of a soap manufacturing business. The quality of the soap itself depends on how high-quality the source material is: if you plan to produce luxury soap at a high cost, you must use only natural, expensive oils and other additives. They increase the cost of production, but such a product should also be present in the line of soaps produced at the soap factory.

• Soap base – 100,000 rubles (for the production of 600 kg of soap per month).
• Cosmetic oils and other additives – 15,000 rubles.
• Plastic transparent packaging – 20,0000 rubles.

Product packaging is one of the key aspects of successful product sales. Handmade soap is most often bought as a gift or souvenir, and therefore the appearance and its packaging play an important role.

Staff

At first, you will need 1 person to make soap, and 1 more person to pack the finished product. The cost of wages to workers will be at least 50,000 - 60,000 thousand rubles per month.

Thus, the start-up costs for organizing a business will be 48,000 rubles, and about 220,000 rubles will have to be spent monthly on rent, raw materials and wages to workers. Considering that about 600 kg of soap (6,000 pieces) will be produced per month at such costs, the cost of 1 piece will be 36 rubles.

With an average retail price of 90 rubles for 1 piece of handmade soap, the profit per month will be about 300,000 rubles.

Risks associated with starting a soap production from scratch

There are several difficulties associated with the business of producing and selling soap:

• Passing certification.
• Compliance with recipes and product quality.
• Establishing sales channels.

The certification process can take up to several months - this is a fairly long procedure that requires thorough compliance with all state control standards. However, it will not be possible to avoid it - soap prepared without a quality certificate will not be accepted for sale in any serious store, much less a pharmacy.

If the soap preparation recipe is not followed or stored incorrectly, it may lose its quality and attractive appearance. If there is a lack of flavorings and the proportions are incorrect, the soap may contain an off-odor odor of rancid pork fat or its other components.

But the main danger awaits soap makers when searching for customers for their products. . The handmade soap market is quite specific; the Russian consumer has not fully studied the properties and benefits of such soap, and therefore it needs additional advertising. Unusual shapes, colors and decorations on soap help solve this problem.

Features of the sales market for soap factory products

The soap-making market in Russia is quite young and allows novice businessmen to build a full-scale and successful production. Their main competitors are home soap factories that operate without quality certificates at home.

There are several ways to market soap factory products:

• Organizing your own sales point.
• Working with perfumes and...
• Working with pharmacies.
• Online stores.

To ensure that your business brings maximum benefits, it is recommended to use all sales channels. In addition, you also need to work with wholesale companies: having several contracts for the supply of soap in bulk will allow you to develop your business and increase the scale of production.

Handmade soap is more expensive than regular toilet soap, so the sales market has its own characteristics. Most often, such soap is sold as a separate series, the emphasis is on its unusual appearance and organic materials used in production.

Vegetarians and vegans are increasingly turning to handmade soap