Making Soap...How My Hobby Became My Business by The Lemon Cat

I love being able to help members of my Facebook group, Ninja Marketers, practice the skills they are learning.  Especially their blogging skills!  My blog is an excellent platform for them to take their first foray into this form of marketing.  So please take a moment to read this month's guest post from The Lemon Cat.  She makes the most wonderful all-natural soaps!  And she has turned that skill into a thriving business.  Learn how she did it.  Then take a look at some of your own hobbies.  Is there an income stream among them?

 

And when you're all done with that...buy some soap! I promise you will love it!

 

Guest post by The Lemon Cat

 

The Lemon Cat Soap Shop has now been in business for over 5 years and I am pleased with the progress. After developing an interest in soap making, my journey began with leaning about this subject, making a lot of soap and supplying everyone I knew with enough soap to last them a lifetime!

 

The next step was the business side of it all and my decision was to design my own web shop. So now my product had a name and a logo, perfected recipes for different types of soap, a dabbling of my crafts, a Facebook page and a web shop up and operating.

 

The following business tip has worked well for The Lemon Cat Soap Shop: no matter how large or small your business is, giving back is important - not only for you, but to the recipients, as well. Anyplace that needs a helping hand, just find out what calls to you (Civic Clubs, Non Profits, etc.) and when they have events, give them items from your business to raffle or auction off. Not only does it help them with their fundraising, but it helps you get your name "out there". You never know where your next customer could come from! The Lemon Cat Soap Shop donates soap to fundraisers (online and on site) that help animals. It's a win/win all the way around.

 

In addition to my web shop, The Lemon Cat Soap is available for sale in local “brick & mortar” shops, along with craft fairs and vendor shows. Another way to reach possible new customers is to give away samples of your product (with attached business information). I include soap samples in my sales packages for the customer to try and sometimes they pass those samples along to their friends and family. Craft shows and also doing a bit of ol fashion door-to-door introductions in town is another way to get your samples in your future customer’s hands.

 

Another important aspect of growing is continual learning. The marketing part of my business was the hardest part for me, so I was pleased to find a person like Melodieann Whiteley. She is easy to understand, trustworthy, experienced and seems to always have the right advice for my particular business and helps me to continue to grow. Thank you, Melodieann.