These days people are living healthier lives. Most of us are trying to eat better, reduce waste, recycle more and use natural products. An organic hygiene products business is perfectly positioned to provide people with all-natural soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, and feminine hygiene products.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
DIY: How to Start an LLC
Start an organic hygiene products business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Organic Hygiene Products Business
- Form your Organic Hygiene Products Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Organic Hygiene Products Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Organic Hygiene Products Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Organic Hygiene Products Business
- Get Organic Hygiene Products Business Insurance
- Define your Organic Hygiene Products Business Brand
- Create your Organic Hygiene Products Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your organic hygiene products business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Organic Hygiene Products Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening an organic hygiene products business?
A lot of the cost of starting this type of business is for product formulation, manufacturing, and testing. Owners who do not have a background in formulating cosmetics can purchase existing formulations or pay someone to develop a unique formulation for them. Costs can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars depending on the formula’s complexity and its ingredients. After formulation, products need testing which cost hundreds more. Finally, they need to be manufactured, bottled, and shipped. The average costs per unit is between two and three dollars.
Another expense will be getting your products organic certified. Certifying a product as organic is a long and expensive process which can cost thousands of dollars each year to renew per product.
The typical startup cost for an organic hygiene product business is around $15,000 per product. This is in addition to all the other normal start up any other business requires.
Potential organic hygiene products business owners who want to start a company more inexpensively, should look into working with private label hygiene companies.
What are the ongoing expenses for an organic hygiene products business?
The ongoing expenses include manufacturing, shipping, rent, labor, insurance, and yearly recertification.
Who is the target market?
The target market for organic hygiene products is middle and upper class women who care deeply about their health and the environment and are willing to pay a premium for an organic alternative to national brands.
How does an organic hygiene products business make money?
These businesses make money by selling products straight to the consumer or distributing through a wholesale process to stores.
How much can you charge customers?
When it comes to how much consumers are willing to spend on organic hygiene products, the sky is the limit. Essential Wholesale & Labs, a private label company, suggests companies charge retail customers 5 to 6 times of the cost of the finished product and wholesale customer half of that price.
How much profit can an organic hygiene products business make?
Retail profits margins are around 80% and wholesale profit margins are half that. Of course, not all of that is profit, but it is possible to make millions of dollars selling organic hygiene products.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Owners of organic hygiene products can expand their product line to include a wide range of products including hair care, skin care, and feminine hygiene products.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your organic hygiene products business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your organic hygiene products business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
Federal Business Licensing Requirements
The FDA does not currently have strict regulations on the production of personal hygiene and personal care products; however, legislation has been put in motion to introduce such regulations, so it is important that you stay alert of new regulations in the personal care products industry.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an organic hygiene products business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market an organic hygiene products business
The target market for organic hygine products are typically tech-savvy, so reaching out to them through social media and online ads is a good option. Owners can utilize inbound marketing techniques to draw traffic into their online store and expose them to their line of products. Taking steps to establish your brand’s commitment to sustainable, health-conscious, and eco-friendly values will help customers trust your company as a go-to resource for all their hygienic needs.
How to keep customers coming back
Business owners can gain new customers for their products by offering free samples and complimentary makeovers at political and social events. Supporting ecological and social causes can help to generate a positive public image for your business and solidify customer loyalty.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
Most successful organic hygiene products business are run by people passionate about the products they sell and who are actively involved in a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. There is no room to for phonies in this business, since your customers will be quick to identify unwholesome ingredients that may have found their way into your product line. An organic hygiene product business demands a full-time schedule, so owners need to have a deep dedication to the business even if it is only a second source of income.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at an organic hygiene products business?
It can be very complicated to run an organic hygiene products business. There are a lot of moving parts. The largest of these parts is the manufacturing phase. The size and scope of manufacturing depends on the type and the amount of products a company requires. Since businesses usually outsource manufacturing duties, many owners spend a good portion of their days talking to manufacturers about their orders. The rest of the time, owners split between marketing to businesses and customers. Smaller companies tend to sell directly to customers either online and through retail stores. Larger companies have the brand recognition and inventory to sell wholesale.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful organic hygiene products business?
Marketing is critical in this industry. It is important to understand the marketplace and know how to market to this unique niche of customers. The more experience owners have in marketing, the better they will be able to position their brand. It is very helpful to have a background in formulating and manufacturing organic hygiene products, but it is not essential. Many owners decide to outsource development and production or to purchase and relabel third-party products.
What is the growth potential for an organic hygiene products business?
The overall growth of the industry is huge. Experts predict the industry will be worth close to 16 billion dollars by 2020. New brands entering this saturated market will need unique products and effective marketing to claim their share of sales.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting an organic hygiene products business?
Business owners should start small and grow slowly. Owners need to speak with their customers to ask for their opinions on which new products are worth developing. There is a lot of competition in this market and expanding too quickly can use up the capital necessary for marketing. Offer an unique selling proposition for the brand to make it stand out.
How and when to build a team
A team is essential from the start of this kind of business. Try to hire employees who are socially active and environmentally aware, since these kinds of people can be excellent brand ambassadors for the company.