Skin care production is viable business

Prince Savior Iche is the own­er of the popular ‘Authentic’ range of herbal skin care prod­ucts. Iche started his production in his small kitchen. Against all odds, his brand sold rapidly. And before he could say Jack Robinson, demand for his brand became overwhelming in Nigeria and beyond. Today, Iche runs a big factory in Ijegun, Lagos, where he has hundreds of workers on his payroll.

One of the biggest advantages inher­ent in making skin care products is that, it is a small business that easily makes one become his or her own boss. An­other is that one can begin slowly with minimal start up costs. Just like Iche, many business owners that ventured into production of natural skin care products operated from home or origi­nally began as an in-home business.

Demand for herbal skin and house­hold products thrives because of in­creased awareness in health and in­creased interest in achieving well-being via more natural products. Also, with the growing awareness of the hazards that chemicals in everyday skin care can cause, consumers opt for herbal and complimentary ingredients and ready-made natural products. This is because consumers want to take more control of the quality and safety of the products that they use on their bodies and in their homes. All these have created a great demand for natural soaps, lotions, skin care products and natural fragrances.

The first step towards tapping into this line of venture is to first learn and be educated on the rudiment of the production. “One should choose what types of skin care products that you’d like to make and educate yourself as much as possible. You will need to plan to experiment with a variety of readily available recipes and learn how to cus­tomize recipes and create products that will turn potential custom­ers into buyers. Learning about the ingredients and available preservatives is also a must,” he said.

Starting up in this busi­ness requires minimal capital. And according to a business consultant, Mr. Nuel Osaretin, it could cost as little as N50,000 to be­come a skin care manufac­turer. He emphasized the importance to start small but have a wider focus of growing big. “It is quite easy to start this business and be financially indepen­dent. Starting this business depends on the level you want to start. An entrepre­neur with as little as N50, 000 can start up so also somebody with N1mil­lion.” Osaretin further hints that networking with others who are interested in making skin care prod­ucts is another good way to gain valuable knowledge and the business.

According to this con­sultant, skin care produc­tion venture is a highly profitable enterprise. “You can make profit as high as N500,000 profits monthly or more depending on how much you invest in it. If you start small, you can make profit of N50, 000 or more.”

Devising avenues to market fin­ished product could be a knotty is­sue, but, according to Iche, one should first start marketing his prod­uct to friends and family. This is be­cause they can be a wonderful source for providing honest feedback about your products. “When I first began making my products, my first cus­tomers were my friends, family and neighbours. Initially, I used to give it to them free of charge but at a point I started selling it. And many of them that used my product confirm the quality. I also look out for critics among them.”

Another business consultant, Mr Richard Boboye, adds that word of mouth is another veritable means to help market once product. “Once you are ready to sell your products to the public, encourage your friends and relatives to tell everyone they know about your business and products.”

Setting up a website to easily ac­cept orders and reach customers out­side of the local vicinity is another avenue one can use to push the brand in the market. Also, displaying prod­ucts at shows and street fairs is an­other veritable means.

Nwala Bede, also a cosmetic man­ufacturer, suggests visiting spas, gift shops and health stores in one’s area. “Show them samples of your prod­ucts and offer to sell your products to them wholesale.”

Proper packaging of products is an extra edge one could decide to give his product. “So, it is important to package your product in a colourful container with clean, clear designs to attract potential buyers. Seeking registration of your brands with the necessary and legal regulator my bodies like NAFDAC, SON and CPC, is quite import. Such registra­tions might be tortuous but it pays off later on. “Such registrations, au­thenticates the product and make it genuine,” Nwala said.