I hate the big search engines. It takes forever to get a decent rank on the natural searches. So what does that mean for someone like me? MONEY, and lots of it. I have been relying on the coupons I have found or have been sent for ads like google's adwords, overture, yahoo and the like. This pay per click ads will quickly kill a small soap business. The average pay per click bid for a first or second page ads is more than $0.85 each. So if you don't set your total daily budget you could spend more than $25 a day for your ads.
I have been running ads for Soapy Sue's Soap Shoppe for over 2 months now. Although at present they do now really cost me anything. Now to put it in perspective, I have had a total of $250 in free ads with adwords, I set my daily budget to $5.00 a day to make it stretch. I use all the click in a couple hours or less and maybe, usually not, I will get a sale. At that rate, if I paid for the ads, I would actually be in the hole! The average handmade soap sale is generally between $30-$50, materials and packaging is approx $10-$20, and the sales through the ads for me have been average 1 every 3-4 days maybe.
So now I am searching for ways to optimize my handmade soap business website and link, link, link to directories and the like. I have also been exploring other advertising options. The road to a good natural search result for your site is time. Time, time, time. Being impatient by nature it is seriously killing me! Anyone have suggestions?
Soapy Sue Soap Shoppe
Handmade soap
Monday, May 31, 2010
What about my day job?
I am forever on the run it seems. I work outside the home 30+ hours a week, have a super hyper 4 year old and run my soap business. I sometime wish that I could just put everything down and just chill with me, myself and I. The three of us would probably have a good time for a while. Unfortunately I am the type of person that would feel guilty after an hour or two and off I'd be catering to family, work or business.
My solution has been to join the gym. I know you are probably thinking, "What? Didn't she just say she wanted to chill?", I know, I know. However, the gym has given me some me time and has allowed me to focus. I feel as though I am back on track with my plans for my soaping business. Hopefully within the next year I can cut out the day job and only have the business to focus on. Ahh.... that would be the life!
My solution has been to join the gym. I know you are probably thinking, "What? Didn't she just say she wanted to chill?", I know, I know. However, the gym has given me some me time and has allowed me to focus. I feel as though I am back on track with my plans for my soaping business. Hopefully within the next year I can cut out the day job and only have the business to focus on. Ahh.... that would be the life!
Monday, May 3, 2010
New Spring/Summer Scents
Ok, so the warmer weather is coming. I am in a serious bind for unusual, great smelling scents or scent combos to add to my spring/summer soap line. I have the usual soap scents as you can see here http://soapysue.com/handcrafted-soap and here for the glycerin line http://soapysue.com/glycerin-soap. Aside from fruits, sea scents and florals, what else is there? I did combine orange and honeysuckle and it turned out great. However, I am not an expert on florals for sure. I don't use flowery scents for myself very often. I am more of a earthy, warm scent kinda gal.
Please I am begging for your help! Any help would be appreciated.
Please I am begging for your help! Any help would be appreciated.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Linerless Molds
Ok, any soapmaker out there dreams for mold that you don't have to do anything to. Make the soap, pour leave for awhile then unmold. That is the dream...the reality....hmm, it a bit different. I am a little upset over a couple purchase I have made in the last few months. Lets go back to the beginning...
I have always used wood mold my hubby or father has made, lined them with freezer paper, and poured my soap. Always perfect, all the time. Now why in the world would I change? Well I am a lazy gal sometimes. I don't know what it is about taking the time to line a mold but it is the equivalent of peeling off wallpaper to me. I hate it. So I thought, hey, I'm going to buy a couple of those linerless molds I've seen on Ebay.
So I buy 3 linerless molds total from 2 different individuals. One was a tray type mold the other 2 were regualr log type molds. For the 3 molds I spent roughly $150. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I mean literally waiting by the door for my second favorite man (sorry hubby), the UPS guy. Finally they arrive. These molds are gorgeous! I whip up my trusted recipes and go to work.
The first one was made in the tray mold. I have dreamed of making these gorgeous swirls. Well the swirls were ok, but I recked half of them because they stuck to the bottom of the mold. The log molds didn't fair any better. When I was finally able to pry the sides off it took chunks of soap with them. A fluke? MAybe so I did it again with a different recipe, same thing. So now if I want to use these "linerless" molds, I need to line them........... So $150 later, I am back to using my wood molds ( I have like 10 of them!).
I have always used wood mold my hubby or father has made, lined them with freezer paper, and poured my soap. Always perfect, all the time. Now why in the world would I change? Well I am a lazy gal sometimes. I don't know what it is about taking the time to line a mold but it is the equivalent of peeling off wallpaper to me. I hate it. So I thought, hey, I'm going to buy a couple of those linerless molds I've seen on Ebay.
So I buy 3 linerless molds total from 2 different individuals. One was a tray type mold the other 2 were regualr log type molds. For the 3 molds I spent roughly $150. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I mean literally waiting by the door for my second favorite man (sorry hubby), the UPS guy. Finally they arrive. These molds are gorgeous! I whip up my trusted recipes and go to work.
The first one was made in the tray mold. I have dreamed of making these gorgeous swirls. Well the swirls were ok, but I recked half of them because they stuck to the bottom of the mold. The log molds didn't fair any better. When I was finally able to pry the sides off it took chunks of soap with them. A fluke? MAybe so I did it again with a different recipe, same thing. So now if I want to use these "linerless" molds, I need to line them........... So $150 later, I am back to using my wood molds ( I have like 10 of them!).
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Bad Soap Batches
One thing I hate more than anything is a soap batch gone bad. In fact I have had probably 5 batches gone wrong in the past month. There is nothing wrong with the soap other than it turned out totally ugly, or the scent went funky. I mean the totally ugly soaps are completely my fault. They are the result of my overmixing color and ending up with a baby poo brown insteand of the wonderful yeallow and red swirl I was aiming for. Other times, it can be because I get into the sloth mode and don't mix fast enough. Either way, it ends up in a box with all the other rejects.
Scent morphing , on the other hand, really makes me mad. The scents I use to make soap aren't by any means cheap so it is extra frustrating when it is the scent that goes wrong. I figure if I am buying a fragrance that is cold process soap safe, I sorta expect it to do what it is suppose to in my soap. I mean, they tested it for safety right? Thank goodness this doesn't happen often but when it does I am truly fuming! I also have a collection of these fine specimens in a box. Unlike the ugly ones, no one in my family wants to use them. Lol, who want to use a stinky soap?
My solution to these common problems? Well, my family never runs out of soap. There is generally 5 different varieties in my shower at any given time. If there was ever a world soap shortage, I could make a small fortune off the duds. The stinky soaps, I save for the dog. I figure she won't care, considering she is just a dog that smells half the time anyway. By my calculations, I have enough soap at present to wash my dog 3 times a week for the next 15 years or so, considering she is a little pug. The real solution is there is no solution. If I want to be creative and make new product, I have to take the good with the bad even if it gets under my skin.
Scent morphing , on the other hand, really makes me mad. The scents I use to make soap aren't by any means cheap so it is extra frustrating when it is the scent that goes wrong. I figure if I am buying a fragrance that is cold process soap safe, I sorta expect it to do what it is suppose to in my soap. I mean, they tested it for safety right? Thank goodness this doesn't happen often but when it does I am truly fuming! I also have a collection of these fine specimens in a box. Unlike the ugly ones, no one in my family wants to use them. Lol, who want to use a stinky soap?
My solution to these common problems? Well, my family never runs out of soap. There is generally 5 different varieties in my shower at any given time. If there was ever a world soap shortage, I could make a small fortune off the duds. The stinky soaps, I save for the dog. I figure she won't care, considering she is just a dog that smells half the time anyway. By my calculations, I have enough soap at present to wash my dog 3 times a week for the next 15 years or so, considering she is a little pug. The real solution is there is no solution. If I want to be creative and make new product, I have to take the good with the bad even if it gets under my skin.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
New Handmade Soap Blog
Soap Sue's Soap Shoppe's new blog is here to help others, answer questions about handcrafted products, discuss new techiniques and even offer advice in the soapmaking business. I love helping others discover the joys of soapmaking.
If someone had suggested to me 15 years ago that people actually made soap by hand, I would have laughed at them. I mean really, why would someone want to do that? Well, I was seriously hooked after my first attempt. I like handmade soaps better than anything you could buy at the store hands down. I am completely in control of every aspect of the process. That is a pretty awesome concept to me!
Soapmaking allows one to be a scientist and an artist. That is a winning combo in my opinion! I am always trying new recipes and oil combos. I absolutely love making soap. I get excited from the moment I melt the oils until I put the wrapper on the soap.
I have experience in all aspects of soapmaking. I have been a soapmaker for many years and have been a soapmaking supplies supplier and a soap seller. I have made soap using several of the methods out there, cold process, hot process, crockpot, double boiler, HPOP, you name it. I also like making liquid soaps on occassion. Although I find them very time consuming.
Check us out at http://www.soapysue.com/ . I would love your input and suggestions.
If someone had suggested to me 15 years ago that people actually made soap by hand, I would have laughed at them. I mean really, why would someone want to do that? Well, I was seriously hooked after my first attempt. I like handmade soaps better than anything you could buy at the store hands down. I am completely in control of every aspect of the process. That is a pretty awesome concept to me!
Soapmaking allows one to be a scientist and an artist. That is a winning combo in my opinion! I am always trying new recipes and oil combos. I absolutely love making soap. I get excited from the moment I melt the oils until I put the wrapper on the soap.
I have experience in all aspects of soapmaking. I have been a soapmaker for many years and have been a soapmaking supplies supplier and a soap seller. I have made soap using several of the methods out there, cold process, hot process, crockpot, double boiler, HPOP, you name it. I also like making liquid soaps on occassion. Although I find them very time consuming.
Check us out at http://www.soapysue.com/ . I would love your input and suggestions.
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