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A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 6, Issue 19
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1. HBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!
2. Announcing Our Next Beauty Call!
3. Handmade Beauty Recipe: Basic Melt & Pour Soapmaking
4. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: win a bar of handmade soap!
5. Featured Article: The Incredible Bulk

It's easy to make M&P soap, and to make sure you are never without the perfect hostess gift, you should always have some soap base around so you can whip some up quickly. This primer on Basic M&P Soapmaking is great for those of you who need a jump start on the process!

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: A recently conducted study found that if stay-at-home moms were paid, they would earn a salary very significant annual salary! Sampling 5.4 million mothers and presuming a 100 hour work week and at least two school aged children, the study found what we already know -- mothers are awesome!! To win this week, state the annual salary that this study found stay-at-home moms would enjoy if they were paid. 

Last Week's Answer: $131,471.00. The study found that moms' duties as day care center teachers, van drivers, housekeepers, cooks, CEOs, nurses and general maintenance workers combine to reach an annual salary of $131.471.00. For more information, click here.

This Week's Question: In the professional spa arena, an ancient technique calls for a trained practitioner to use cotton held between her teeth and hands to catch unwanted facial hairs and pull them from the skin at the root. The practice is called khite in Arabic. To win this week, state the name of the technique in English and Egyptian.

Be the first to answer this week's question and win some handmade soap!!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

No, this is not an article about where you can go to meet the Incredible Hulk pictured at left. (This would be the wrong newsletter for that anyway!) But my clever play on words and the great photo my website designer found combine to introduce the topic of knowing when and how to buy some of your raw materials and product bases in bulk as opposed to making them yourself.

Generally, there are at least 3 things you should consider when deciding whether to buy products in bulk.

1. Are You Spending So Much Time Making Products That You Don't Have Time To Market Them Effectively?
If you've been open for business long enough, you have probably faced this problem, and though it does not always mean it's time to consider buying bulk products, it could be an indicator that that's the case. I am working with a client now who started her business over a year ago making a small line of products -- 3 in all. That doesn't seem like a whole lot of products, but the fact is that she was spending so much time buying bottles and jars, washing bottles and jars, drying bottles and jars, measuring ingredients, mixing ingredients, scenting ingredients, coloring ingredients, preserving ingredient, pouring ingredients, cooling ingredients, capping ingredients, labeling ingredients -- that by the time she had a chance to focus on drafting good marketing website copy or defining and marketing effectively her customer base, she was out of time. She finally decided to have two products made in bulk and continue to make one herself. This freed her up to wear her marketing hat enough to generate new sales (and spend quality time with friends and family). If you have great products but you don't have enough time to sell them efficiently, the products don't move. In an industry where product movement is crucial, this is not a good situation to be in. If you find yourself here, consider having at least one or a few of your products made for you.

2. Has Consumer Demand Outstripped Your Ability To Make Products By Hand From Scratch?
You don't really have a lot of products in your line, but the few you do have are in such demand that you simply cannot make them all by yourself anymore. You are a bit wary of hiring low paid contractors or employees to make things for you because you don't have the time or inclination to deal with things like personnel contracts or state unemployment compensation funds. Maybe contracting with a reputable company to help you is the answer for you. Most companies that manufacture products in bulk will do much of the work for you and you don't have to deal with multiple contracts or individuals.

3. Are You Finding That Your Love Of Your Business Dwindles As Your Continue To Mix 'N Stir Everything Yourself?
Are you just plain tired? So tired that you're wondering what in the world possessed you to go into this business anyway? So tired that you're ready to sell the business and quit? Well, maybe it's your time for that, but maybe not. Before taking any drastic steps, consider buying some products in bulk so that you can free up enough time to enjoy the creative process of business ownership. Maybe you need a vacation -- or maybe you just need some help to grow your company to the next level.

If you answer "yes" to any of the above questions, you may want to consider buying in bulk. Bear in mind that as is frequently the case in life and business, if you want to save money, you're going to be spending more time. If you want to save time, you are going to be spending more money. You have to decide what balance is correct for you at any particular point in time to make the best decision for you and your business..

Consider these things when choosing a bulk manufacturer.

2. What Preservative Systems Do They Use?
Depending on your customers, this question may be very significant. If they have become accustomed to preservative free products and expect that from you, you cannot buy bulk products with preservatives and expect to please your present customer base. Some bulk suppliers use a variety of preservative systems, so you can choose. Others use only specific types of preservatives, and still others claim to use no preservatives at all. Be sure to ask so you can not only know that the product itself is acceptable, but also that the preservative in it fits your company vision.

4. Do They Offer Labeling Assistance?
Some companies will help you label your products in accordance with FDA and other regulations at no additional charge.

5. Do They Tell You How Many Additives (fragrances, color, etc.) You Can Add Without Compromising The Product?
This is obviously quite helpful if you are going to change the product in any way. Adding scent, color, etc. to a product that has yielded certain shelf life testing results could be introducing changes to the product that are significant enough to change the test results. If that's the case, you will want to know in advance. Asking the supplier to give you some guidelines for manipulating the products to suit your own needs after they leave the bulk company's shelves is the best way to make sure you change products without changing significant things such as texture, smell and shelf life. 

6. Will They Bottle & Label For You?
If you buy products by the gallon and then pour and label them yourself at your own facility, you'll pay one price. If you buy products already poured into bottles but not labeled for you, you'll pay another price. If you buy products that have been poured and labeled, you'll pay still another price. Find out what your options are so you can make an informed choice.

7. Do They Offer Bulk Discounts?
Usually, the more you buy the less you pay. Find out what their price breaks are and try to take advantage of them.

8. Will They Make Products Just For You, Using Your Formula Or One They Develop For You?
Be prepared to pay significantly more for custom formulating as it costs the bulk company considerably more time and money to custom manufacture just for you. If they will use your formula, ask them to sign a confidentiality agreement and request sample sizes first (you may have to pay an additional fee for this). Once you receive the sample, be sure to find out exactly what steps you must take to make sure that the bulk product you receive has the same consistency as the sample when it is broken up into smaller sizes at your facility. In other words, if you are happy with the sample, be sure to find out that the contents of the gallon container will have the same consistency and characteristics as the sample when you prepare the products for sale at your place of business. As the supplier to let you know if there are any special melting or mixing instructions (for example refraining from heating the product past a certain temperature) to re-create the texture, smell, color, etc., of the sample. Find out in advance the exact fee for samples. If you wind up needing more than one sample as you narrow down the exactly product you desire, it's good to know in advance how much each "re-formulating" fee is.

9. Ask For A Written Agreement And Read It Carefully Before Signing.
Remember that everything is negotiable on both sides so if you have questions or want to change anything, just ask. The worse that can happen is they decline to make the change for business reasons. That's always understandable -- but it's best to know ahead of time what their position is. Read all agreements carefully before signing. Know what to expect from your supplier and know what responsibilities you have.

Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
Founder & President, The Handmade Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com