Selling home made product

dee

Free Member
Apr 20, 2006
2
2
hello all,
I want to sell my homemade herbal hair oil. I am really not sure of where to start. What do I need to do to before I start selling the product. I want to start selling in summer fayres, friends and family first and then want to sell it on eBay and Amazon etc.. please help. I will really appreciate some guidance on how to proceed with this..
 
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There are many books, forums and online blogs about Amazon and eBay selling etc, it's a good place to start. When you register on eBay for selling, make it a business account and also register as a sole trader (https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader), this way you are official from day one. It will make things a lot easier as you proceed.

Also, keep a basic record of in's and out's, purchases and sales. You will need these.
 
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dee

Free Member
Apr 20, 2006
2
2
Thank you so much for your reply. I was wondering no about product testing regulations ect and do I have to have a company set up. Also what about any legal implications to sell products online. Or can I just buy bottles and get some labels and start selling. Yes I will keep excel sheets to keep all the records but just thought it might be a complex thing before I can start selling it. It is all herbal and I use it for myself and the kids so everything is safe in there.
 
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Scalloway

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Jun 6, 2010
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Cliyento Web Design

Hi dee,

Definitely start by getting the legal aspects taken care of - what cosmetic laws/regulations do you need to adhere to etc.

I'd also look into insuring yourself against claims if your customer had a negative reaction to the chemicals in your hair product - definitely have a read up on this.

Have you done any user testing of your product? What do family and friends think, would they buy it and how much for? Consider the market you are entering and what your potential customers want. I'd advise you also ask some strangers what they think of the product, as friends/family might give you a positive review as to not offend you!

Work on a logo, branding and a website (we can help with that!). You may not need an online store to start with, but having a logo and website that provides information and contact details to reach you is the best way to maintain customers and reach new ones.

Good luck with your venture, and I wish you all the best.

Regards,

Reece
 
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Definitely start by getting the legal aspects taken care of - what cosmetic laws/regulations do you need to adhere to etc.

I'd also look into insuring yourself against claims if your customer had a negative reaction to the chemicals in your hair product - definitely have a read up on this.

Agree with Cliyento Web Design. You might find it difficult getting paid by card if you don't get this figured out, and you could waste a lot of effort elsewhere if you don't have this clear.

Best of luck.
 
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paulears

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Jan 7, 2015
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Suffolk - UK
The legislation is going to be your main hurdle - setting up a business is so simple in comparison. A great source of info here https://www.lowimpact.org/starting-your-own-business-how-to-sell-hand-made-soaps/

Much of the requirement of the law concerns the safety of the individual ingredients, and most off the shelf ones you may be buying - the oil itself if commercially made - will already have the data sheets you need. Anything you make totally yourself, like from herbs you grow, might be more tricky. You'd need to be able to prove the variety of Basil (I'm making this up, obviously) you grow is the same as the variety you managed to find the chemical composition of.

A few years back, I experimented with fog fluid for the smoke machines I have, because the commercial stuff is very expensive, and I figured I could buy the components individually and make my own - for my own use, not for resale. Then I discovered a data sheet for one of the constituents that appeared to suggest it could under some circumstances (being burnt) be carcinogenic. The data concluded that when atomised it was safe, but when burnt it was not. The machine I had at that time squirted the fluid onto a hot element to produce the smoke, so was it merely heated (ok) or was it burnt? I frankly, I didn't know - so I abandoned the idea.

If you look at data sheets for vegetable oil it seems harmless, although, this example of a data sheet from Australia contains the usual "what to do" sections you'd have to produce. http://www.wilmar-international.com.../07/SDS-Food-Grade-Refined-Vegetable-Oils.pdf

I discovered most oils used in herbal remedies all have these safety sheets available, so as long as you use known ingredients, you should be able to produce all the information the law requires you to have, but it looks like it just means a bit of hard work, and investigative skills.

If this doesn't put you off - you could have a nice, quite individual product to sell. Understanding the legislation will be the key. Good luck.
 
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