Did You Bathe Today? With an All Natural Soap?

I've been an entrepreneur since I set up my first lemonade stand with a sign that said Free Lemonade, 10 cents! I knew Free sounded good but I also knew I had to pay Mom back for the lemons. And as most self employed business owners know, that remains the eternal question: Offering a product that people flock to like it's free while making enough to pay for the effort.

With our latest venture, we turned the tables on this theory. We manufacture line of handmade bath soap bars and bath salts and, at this time, donate all profits to charity. So we have the 'free' component of giving away the profit from our labors but the challenge of running a business that actually makes that profit.

While this may be a little different from your particular business, some of the strategies remain the same. I have been in sales and marketing for over 30 years, owning businesses online and traditional brick and mortar. Some basic principles remain the same throughout and that's what you want to concentrate on to be successful in your own venture.

Let's jump right in and talk about your product first. Product and Distribution must be determined before marketing can take place. Well established product lines and distribution channels will allow your marketing to guide itself. Advertising methods fit different products in unique ways and you must find the best fit for your product. But keep in mind, marketing your product, whatever it is, is the key to SUCCESS!

Having done some marketing in many forms, from cold calling to trade shows to online, I find now that a combination of all of these and many more work well. It's like not putting all your eggs in one basket. When one method is working, another might not be as they all go in cycles.

So we have a website, we promote it extensively and it includes a shopping cart for online sales. We also send a monthly newsletter to existing customers and prospects keeping them up to date on what we are doing and where the money is going each month. The website includes a blog that is updated frequently which keeps the website active for the search engines. Stats say that about 80% of people today search online when shopping locally. They search for locations, phone numbers as well as an easy way to shop without leaving home.

No marketing is complete without using social media. That's Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, etc. Again, this is where a very large percentage of people go everyday and you must be there among them not only for exposure but for validation.

We also utilize retail outlets in a brick and mortar environment. Soap is something people like to see and touch and smell. That helps tremendously with the sales process so we encourage it by having the products available all around the area. This often results in repeat sales online as people become familiar with the product.

The importance of Networking cannot be overstated. People do business with people they know especially when dealing with a personal care product. But I find this to be true when you are looking for a plumber or someone to work on your computer. Nothing replaces meeting someone face to face. Your location probably abounds in meetups and business associations. Just ask around and jump right in to get started.

Speaking of validation. Another great validation for your business is being published. A short e-book or full size, hard cover book can be seen as validating who you are and why someone should do business with you. Take a look at this unique but underused method of promoting yourself or your company. Or write an article like this to help others who are coming along the path you have walked!