WORK FROM HOME/ YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS [BY B.S.BISHT]
Work From Home: Amazing Natural Soap
But whatever your situation, you have begun exploring the possibility of becoming a work-at-home soap maker. You love the idea of producing a natural soap. You're a stay-at-home Mom, or a retired person, or someone who lives in an area where decent full-time jobs are hard to come by. Or you're just someone who loves to create, and would love it even more if you could recoup the expenses you put into your craft, or would walk on air if you could actually support yourself at it. But whatever your situation, you have begun exploring the possibility of becoming a work-at-home soap maker.
THE IDEA OF PRODUCING A NATURAL PRODUCT
You love the idea of producing a natural product which will have health benefits for those who use it, and offer an alternative for over-processed, and often toxically-altered, commercial soaps. So you want to get started, but what is the minimum you need to know before you do? First, you need to assess you living situation and decide if you have the physical facilities to make soap making on an income-producing level. It's one thing to whip up a couple of pounds of soap for the family's use, and another thing entirely to produce it in batches large enough to satisfy demand from dozens, or, hopefully, hundreds of customers. Second, decide which technique of soap making you will employ.
USE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
As a beginner, you might be wise to start by using, melt-and-pouring soap bases and adding your own fragrances and colors, until you are satisfied that you want to continue with a more advanced technique. If you have either a microwave, or double boiler and standard stove, you can use the melt-and-pour method. You'll need to have a supply of the soap base, a heat-resistant container, essential or fragrance oils, colorants and any other additives–oatmeal or dried flower buds for exfoliates, honey, glycerin, or Aloe Vera gel as healing and emollient agents, and almond meal to absorb excess skin oils are just a few suggestions. All of them can be found at your crafts or grocery store. You'll just melt your soap base, according to the manufacturer's directions, in the microwave or double boiler, stir in your additives, and pour it into your molds. Once cooled, it will pop right out, and you'll have your first home-made soap!
CONSERVATIVE METHOD OF MAKING SOAP
If, however, you want to make soap the old-fashioned, cold-pressed way, remember that it requires the use of lye. So you'll need to have an area where you can use the lye without its caustic fumes being a problem. This implies an area away from your normal living space–perhaps a porch, garage, or workshop. Since cold-pressed soap ingredients need to be measured by weight, you'll need an adjustable scale. Research the types of oils available, and learn what properties each will lend to your finished soap. Most soap makers use a blend of different oils. You'll need, when you work with lye, gloves, goggles, and protective clothing; glass, enamel or plastic containers in which to mix the lye, and wooden or plastic utensils with which to stir it as lye will corrode metal, and a supply of white vinegar handy to neutralize any lye that is spilled. You'll also need two glass or stainless steel thermometers to measure the temperatures of your oils and lye/water mixture before combining them.
ADD SOME INGRADIENTS FOR SCENTED
Most soaps, if left unscented, will have an oily/ lye odor, so it's best to add essential oils to your batch of soap at about one tablespoon per pound. The essential oils, because of their molecular structure, act as aromatherapy when hot water releases their fragrance. So you will, of course, need to find some reliable local or online suppliers to provide you with what you need for your business, and don't be afraid to approach them about discounts on your volume purchases. You'll also need to decide about your book keeping and order-taking systems, and incorporation choices.
MARKETTING PLAN
You'll need a marketing plan, and at least at the start, will have to spend as much time publicizing your soaps as you do making them. You'll have to familiarize yourself with the tax and insurance consequences of owning a home-based business, so you will very likely have to talk to an attorney at some point. But if you have tried, and loved, making your own soap, have gotten positive feedback from friends, and have the time and financial resources to devote to turning your passion for soap making into a full-time business, in the not too distant future you and your natural soaps might be cleaning up!
Your Website As A Virtual Office
The online business is on an all time high. Millions and millions of people are venturing in online businesses and as expected, they would try to outdo each other. Competition is so stiff that businesses have tried to do all tricks in the book just to be able to stand out from the rest. Massive advertising campaigns were launched with the purpose of luring potential customers. Giving coupons and promotional items are just two of the several tricks employed by business to promote the company.
ON LINE BUSINESS
Of course these are effective ways to gain traffic that could be converted into potential customers but an equally important factor vital to the success of any online business is a good website. A good website serves as the virtual office of an online business and as such should be able to present a good impression to the potential customer. Just like any other office, it should be uncluttered, clean and pleasant to the eye. With just a single click, it should be able to provide the visitor or customer with the vital information he or she is seeking for. And this is possible by creating a website free from excessive trimmings, from unnecessary graphics and animations. Slow loading sites due to heavy graphics are comparable to an unattended store where customers are waiting in line to be served.
MAKE FRIENDLY WEBSITE
There's a great probability that customers would transfer to other stores rather than cool their heels waiting. This would mean losses in terms of sales. Just like an office space, the interiors should be pleasant and cool to the eyes. This could be achieved by using complementary colors and decorations. This is also true in a website; the background should be lighter to give emphasis to the darker text. This way, the site is made more reader friendly. Nothing is more distracting than a website with glaring colors, with jumping animations and with bouncing banners. These are sure customer turn-offs.
ONLINE MERCHANDISE STORE
Serving as an online store, the website should be able to provide unobstructed view of the merchandise offered. Using the simple Times New Roman and Arial for the text is most advisable as well as using bold letters and underlining words to give emphasis to key points. This would surely draw the attention of readers. An office or a place of business will reflect the personality of the company-meaning a beautifully kept office with carefully tended grounds would mean that owners are serious with the business and that they are ready to give the optimum service to customers. The same is true with an online business.
PROFESSIONAL LOOKING WEBSITE
A website that is visually appealing to the visitors would draw more traffic thus increasing the chances of attracting customers. This would also mean that the webmaster is serious with his business and have taken great pains to ensure that the site have a professional look. Moreover this would mean that the website owner have used programs that made the creation of the website faster and easier. Attracting visitors is easy with professional looking websites and shopping would be a pleasure because of the security it provides to the customers.
Young Business Men & Woman
They have dreams of the world waiting with baited breath for their latest million dollar idea. They believe that their journey will be short, sweet and simple. They laugh at older people that are still struggling to get by. They are full of optimism and hope to realize the results. The most dynamic business people are those who are starting their own business for the first time. They have innovative and daring ideas and believe that the world is a safe place for young entrepreneurs!
OPTISMISM AND AMBITIONS
They have dreams of the world waiting with baited breath for their latest million dollar idea. They believe that their journey will be short, sweet and simple. They laugh at older people that are still struggling to get by. They are full of optimism and hope to realize their ambitions in record time not realizing that their lack of serious business knowledge and their high sex drive is waiting for them like a trap that a hunter has set! As they get older, most become cautious and their respect for people that are already successful grows, as they start to realize the sheer effort and true grit that is involved in making a new business fly.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
Most serious (or should it be serial?) entrepreneurs generally start making a serious income in their late thirties and early forties. Prior to this they have been at “school” trying to figure out what works and getting shrewder, sharper and wiser by the minute. Finally, if they have not become cynical, they learn to be humble and knuckle down to some hard work. If they have persevered and not let their business goals die in this shark infested world of business, they are now ready to make inroads into their desires and goals.
FOLLOW THE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN
The best advice I can give to anybody starting up for the first time is to find one or more successful business mentors that you can trust completely. Make sure that if you ask for their advice then you follow it! A normal man learns from his experiences, a bright man learns from other people’s experiences and a clever man will seek the relevant advice from properly qualified people and take a short cut!
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