veranellies: The Hive and wholesaling

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Hive and wholesaling

This past weekend I did a mini photo shoot and put some new listings up at my shop ( I always love getting all my soaps together for a photo op - They are so bright and colorful together) I now am offering small discounts for multiple soap purchases. The more bars, the bigger the discount. I offer them in groups of 3 / 5 / 10. The

I also created better categories. My clay (unscented) soaps are now sectioned off with categories: Oily/ Acne; All sin types; Dry/ Sensitive. This should definitely help people that quickly want to know which facial bar would be best for their skin type instead of having to read through the entire description of each soap. I wish you could have more characters in a description though. But I made it work best I could.

I do have a few other updates coming that I am really excited to share. But I'll make separate posts for those once time comes closer to launching them. Have to keep a few secrets!

So here is my question to all you business owners out there. (It's a multi-parter)

1. Do you offer wholesale?

If yes..then

2. Do you have a formal contract?

3. Do you check and ask for the potential buyer's shop location and business resale id number to research them?

4. How do you calculate out your wholesale price? - A flat 50% off your retail price? Do you factor in the shipping price when calculating the amounts (ex. I sell soaps on Etsy for $6, but technically a buyer is paying more than that depending on shipping - so are you placing your MSRP at your Etsy price PLUS shipping (then offering the 50% off that?)

Ok. That's a lot of questions, I know. I'm just trying to get a grasp on what other people do. Its also hard because I can't charge a crazy price for my soaps. I don't get the luxury of tacking on money for my time etc. If I were to really use the "calculators" out there - my soaps would be way to expensive for anyone to buy haha. It kind of places you in this small confined box of what you need to make, to make a profit - but that leaves not much room (if any) if someone inquires about wholesale.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you all have to say!

Comments (4)

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FormerlyLisaS · 632 weeks ago

I am in love with Pine Barren. Absolutely IN LOVE! It smells absolutely amazing! Yours is by far my favourite mail to open. Thanks again for being so awesome, and making totally awesome soap! I brag about it all the time to whomever will listen. And also on Instagram, where people can't help but notice, right?! I am going to do up a post on my (tiny little) blog in the next week or so about how amazing your soap is. Can I yoink some product shots?

I have no insights in to wholesaleing. This is a purely "you're awesome" kind of comment. Good luck with everything!!

1 reply · active 632 weeks ago

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trisha · 632 weeks ago

Awwwww, you just totally made my day! Isn't that pine barren one awesome?! i love when i open the containers they are in- yum! and thanks for bragging about my soaps and goodies, that is just..well so awesome of you!! link up and use whatever you want!

xxx
trisha

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Tim · 632 weeks ago

If I went into a boutique to buy a fancy artisan soap I would expect to pay more than $6. You know me, I'm more of a blue collar kind of guy, but I get the world these things exist in. You HAVE to factor in your time, if you don't that's like me only expecting my company to pay me for how much gas I spent driving to the job. What about the hours spent on the business? You have to pay yourself, it's expected/accepted.

1 reply · active 632 weeks ago

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veranellies 79p · 632 weeks ago

I understand but it's a fine line with what I'm doing. When you are painting or making plushies etc - you are spending very little on materials for each item you produce - the main factor people are paying for essentially is your time and talent to create whatever you just made- because its art.

but when you are doing something like this (or even when i was doing the dog treats) its hard, because people have a notion in their head - "hey i can drive to big box store x and buy "soap" for 2 bucks." obviously those aren't my target customer haha but you get what im saying - they arent looking at it as "an art form" or craftsmanship. they are looking at it as "a bar of soap" so i can't just charge a stupid amount of money for them, you know?