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A friend of mine had to give up their job due to a medical condition and even though she was entitled to disability benefits she knew she needed something else to assist her financial situation. She wanted to do something that would bring in some extra income without affecting her social security checks and she wanted to do it legally. By studying the guidelines regarding “substantial gainful activity” she discovered a way to make enough money working at home. The answer lay in soap making supplies which she could use to make her own soap and sell on a colleague’s website.
This was a hobby she enjoyed previously so it was a natural step to take when she was thinking how to raise extra cash. Conveniently, she still had some of her old soap making supplies around the home that she could use up to make her first batch. Then when the initial batch was sold, she would use the proceeds to buy additional supplies to continue. This was ideal as she did not have to invest any money up front until she had started selling her merchandise.
While she had no initial plans to buy any supplies, she suspected she would have to do so soon as it had been a while since she last made her own decorative soaps and she knew there had been some changes to this craft in recent years. For example, the website she had used before to purchase all her equipment and ingredients was no longer available so one of her first tasks was to find a new supplier. Apart from all the raw materials involved, she was going to need molds, kits and cutters as well as getting some tips from fellow craftsman on new techniques, trends and consumer preferences. By getting on the internet and reading related message boards, she could also learn which essential oils and scents are most in demand at present.
With some past experience to go by, she knew what kind of supplier she wanted to do business with. She wanted one that was large enough to provide wholesale soap making supplies, with reasonable minimum order amounts, and most importantly they had to be reliable when it came to shipping the materials ordered. A diverse range of products from which to choose was also a priority along with equipment like melt and pour bases, organic ingredients and butters. If the website also sold other body care products, then this too would be a bonus as there would be the possibility of offering her products to this customer base at a later date.
While my friend is working on getting her business established, she is still a bit concerned about her financial security but seeing her old soap making supplies has given her hope and inspiration for the future. Being unable to hold down a regular job was a big worry for her but this way she knows she can at least bring in a small income in addition to the benefit checks she receive.