iHart:
sorry my reply is coming late. I don't know much about this product and how you can market it, but i have given it a thought. The best bet is to market it as souvenir and campaign/advert stuffs. You can approach politicians to use it as a platform to enhance their campaign. You can also approach "about to wed" couples and those preparing for burial to use it as souvenirs. You can setup facebook page or an advert here to promote it. You can also approach all these printing press and gives them samples to advertise to those who come to print wedding and burial programmes as a souvenir. Promise them some good percentage of what ever business they bring to you. Thats what i think about this but if i take out time to study it, i may begin to see better marketing strategy. Goodluck as you try it.

No p. Thanks a million bro. You are on point

iHart:
Relax, I am not avoiding the question, but I want to take things easy because I feel that answering your question outrightly may not make us to appreciate the "money" part of the business. But I am happy you have ran enterprises, so I will give you an old man's tale that can help you figure out the ROI.

here comes the tale; I have a proposed annual capacity of 60 tonnes, that is to say that I will target 5 tonnes/month. Note: the installed capacity is actually above 5 tonnes/month. I targeted to start operation at 30% (1.5 tonne/month), unfortunately I started at ~10% (475kg). To achieve that, I spend #172, 020 (including raw materials, labour, power and transport) and it gives me a total of 110 cartons containing 100 pieces each excluding offcuts. That is to say that I spend about #1563 to produce one carton, #15.63 per tablet. On a wholesale, I sell #1750 and #1800 per carton depending on negotiation and quantity demanded. On an average, I make #200 per carton. Now let met give you an assignment, deduce the ROI.

I lease gen (a 40kva generator), though I have "NEPA" I am yet to use it in production. I hire labour on contract. Any time I want to run production, I call in three more hands and I pay each #2000/day. I actually run that ~10% in a day. That is to say that my cost of production can still come down when i reach a full/regular operation as i will employ factory workers on a full time basis, paying them like #15000/month thus bringing down their salary to as low as #500/day. More so, by that time I would have integrated "NEPA" into the business. That will further bring down my cost of production and increase my profit and the ROI.

okeytus, can you please gist us your experience when you visited the factory yesterday? we will be glad to hear it

please I apologize that my reply is coming late, I lost my phone two days ago but all the same, it is well.
I was at isikwuato,op's factory site last week thursday because of consultation and business deal which still in progress, sincerely speaking I was expecting to see small soap machines since he said he constructed them by himself but instead, without exaggerating, his soap machines are better than those i have seen so far where i stay (Aba) and onitsha in terms of simplicity, standard and size (bigger than what is in the images). I couldnt believe he did it himself; so i didnt hesistate to contract him for mine too. I wont say much, things are better seen than described.
I forgot to take pictures but wont nxt time in case i decide to tell my story in future.
This thread is really a blessing to me, keep it up OP!

great job well done.
pls explain more on this, this picture make me to understand that the plodder is meant to shape the soap using the die/ eyelets.
considering the height of the box. it means after production, then cutting into bar then into plodder then cutting into smaller unit. better still pls help the production process.
thanks

Want to make money from the comfort of your home as a student, house wife, graduate And even as a worker?? Do you wish to be a consultant with a Swedish cosmetic company and make money to double your income? Just say hi lemme direct you on how to do so.
Or chat me up on whatsapp... 09057162054.

it is really frustrating to receive ban back to back. I just feel like not continuing but I won't give up.


...the next was about how I learnt soap making and what I really learnt. Soap making is bigger than what we may think. Its an art as well as a science. Later in the night I may update my story. Tomorrow we will talk and chat a lot. I just hope I don't get banned again.

lovebless:
great job well done.
pls explain more on this, this picture make me to understand that the plodder is meant to shape the soap using the die/ eyelets.
considering the height of the box. it means after production, then cutting into bar then into plodder then cutting into smaller unit. better still pls help the production process.
thanks

The soap going to the plodder are not poured into "box" or mould. The picture with soap in a mould are small scale or what you may call lab scale productions I did to test my recipes and learn more things about soap making.

iHart:
it is really frustrating to receive ban back to back. I just feel like not continuing but I won't give up.


...the next was about how I learnt soap making and what I really learnt. Soap making is bigger than what we may think. Its an art as well as a science. Later in the night I may update my story. Tomorrow we will talk and chat a lot. I just hope I don't get banned again.

Alright...Ihart still with you.

Now Mr President should know that Nigerian youth are not lazy.

Good one

...learning about soap making was fun for me.

Since nobody was willing to teach me soap making, by January 2017, I prepared application letters and moved out to apply for Job as a factory worker in soap companies. This was to be a very good decision I made. I applied to Envoy oil, trans communication, Orange drug, Promatex, Planet oil, The Coopers, and several small small companies. My application went through in some and in some i was turned back at the gate. By the end of February 2017, I have worked in four companies and learnt as much as I could. That same February I took another job that lasted for about three months. There was something unique about that last job. The company was new just like my own and the MD boasted on how he was going to sell thousands of cartons in a month. I was eager to learn how he was going to pull the magic. If not for some side problems that came up, that man was really going to do wonders. I endured for about three months for things to set so i can learn and then leave. Unfortunately things were getting bad as time went on. His machines were faulty, I advised him on what to do but he didn't want to take my advice. I spent more that 60k within the period I worked for him, and he paid me 20k. Hahahahahaha, isn't that funny? Well, my mission was to learn and I learnt something far more than 60k. Then after, I left to hustle for money to complete my project and commence business.

My training saw me learning a lot about soap making. I learnt a lot about soap recipes, raw material assays, soap qualities, cost minimization, profit maximization, raw material sourcing, marketing etc.. When I eventually started mine, I discovered that, of all the things I have learnt, there are other things you will learn when you start practicing.

...at the end it was clear that there is a big difference between "soap making" and "soap making business".



pictures from some soap factories I worked in.

...few tips on what i learnt in soap making:

i. PKO and PO are mostly used in soap making.
ii. PO is bleached before use
iii. PKO and PO are blended to improve quality
iv. Alcohol is used to make soap transparent.
v. Level of caustic, oil, water and other little additives affect soap hardness.
vi. Improving hardness improves transparency.
vii. With SAP value you probably have nothing to do with hydrometer.
viii. Using less material does not necessarily save cost neither does using more material increase profit(except for bulking materials). However more materials improves soap quality and appearance.

Tbosch:
I feel glad after seeing this post. I have always had a vision of owing a soap factory. Please sir I would be glad if you could create a forum where you will teach and tutor those who are interested in this business.
And seminar too.
Thanks and may God continue to increase you.

I have gotten too many request on whatsapp about teaching people how to make soap. I feel we should have a live meeting to learn as much as we can, form a network/forum of soap makers where everyone will come to share their experiences and we learn. What do you guys think?

for how long do you bleach your po... do you use machines/chemicals for the bleaching.. or put on fire?(cz I knw using fire,takes quite a while).

iHart:
I have gotten too many request on whatsapp about teaching people how to make soap. I feel we should have a live meeting to learn as much as we can, form a network/forum of soap makers where everyone will come to share their experiences and we learn. What do you guys think?

Not a bad idea...

Great500:
for how long do you bleach your po... do you use machines/chemicals for the bleaching.. or put on fire?(cz I knw using fire,takes quite a while).

I use chemicals. and it doesn't take long.



Picture: from left to right-palm oil, bleached palm oil and palm kernel oil.

iHart:
I use chemicals. and it doesn't take long.



Picture: from left to right-palm oil, bleached palm oil and palm kernel oil.

ok,love your lab table and beakers .Do you use equal quantity of po & pko?

Great500:
ok,love your lab table and beakers .Do you use equal quantity of po & pko?

that's not my lab table, its the surface of my 50kg Camry table scale.

I don't use equal quantity of PO and PKO. PO is used in a greater percentage than PKO. The essence of blending PO and PKO is to improve hardness and foam. PO tends to give a hard soap but with less foaming ability while PKO gives the opposite.

However, you can always tweak your recipe to achieve whatever quality you want without blending the two oils.

iHart:


that's not my lab table, its the surface of my 50kg Camry table scale.

I don't use equal quantity of PO and PKO. PO is used in a greater percentage than PKO. The essence of blending PO and PKO is to improve hardness and foam. PO tends to give a hard soap but with less foaming ability while PKO gives the opposite.

However, you can always tweak your recipe to achieve whatever quality you want without blending the two oils.

Ok ...

Ihart ...do you have a delivery vehicle?... and how about the group seminar hw are you going to go about it considering the fact that people from different parts of the country will be interested?

iHart:
I use chemicals. and it doesn't take long.



Picture: from left to right-palm oil, bleached palm oil and palm kernel oil.

What do you use to bleach the PO?

Great500:
Ihart ...do you have a delivery vehicle?... and how about the group seminar hw are you going to go about it considering the fact that people from different parts of the country will be interested?

Thank you so much for the questions.

No, i don't have a delivery vehicle for now. Like I have mentioned earlier, I just started on about 10% of my proposed capacity. That is to say my out is still small. As I scale up, I have to get a delivery vehicle.

About the seminar, I am still giving thoughts to it. I really want to have an interactive section with people, run some soap productions with different recipes, xray faults and remedies, display very simple and cheap tools to use for those who want to start in a small scale, among other things. I am still giving it thoughts because I want people to spend less on it,

Great500:
What do you use to bleach the PO?

we may have to discuss this in a live seminar. It is some common chemicals but Its not what I will put on the internet.

iHart:


Thank you so much for the questions.

No, i don't have a delivery vehicle for now. Like I have mentioned earlier, I just started on about 10% of my proposed capacity. That is to say my out is still small. As I scale up, I have to get a delivery vehicle.

About the seminar, I am still giving thoughts to it. I really want to have an interactive section with people, run some soap productions with different recipes, xray faults and remedies, display very simple and cheap tools to use for those who want to start in a small scale, among other things. I am still giving it thoughts because I want people to spend less on it,

Alright...love ur passion and desire to make a difference.

iHart:
we may have to discuss this in a live seminar. It is some common chemicals but Its not what I will put on the internet.

Hmmm Ihart, I understand sha.

...Story continues.

After I have learnt soap making and my machines are ready, I prepared myself for my first production. I got all the necessary raw materials, cross checked my recipe. Tested my machines over and over again to be sure they are working well. I boiled my first soap. I crutched my first soap, I plodded my first soap, I cut my first soap I was so so happy, everything came out well and my machines were able to withstand the load effectively and efficiently. Though I had little bottle necks here and there but I fixed them all. Its now time for marketing... This one is a different ball game all together. I had three strategies in mind,... in the next story I am going to discuss about my marketing strategy, challenges and the way forward...


picture: crutching my first soap.

iHart:
it depends on the level you want to start. The method you want to use and machines/equipment you want to start with. While some claim to have started it with #5000, starting it on a small scale using cold process will cost you between #100, 000 to #200, 000 or even more. But to start on the level i started, it will cost you from #2 million to over #5 million. All these depends on what you want and how you want to go about it.

Wow...wat a great inspiring message for an entrepeur.i stay in Onitsha,can u kindly give contact of the people you bought the machine or equipment.i want to start up on small scale of #200,000.i also want you to mentor me on the business.

adonai80:

Wow...wat a great inspiring message for an entrepeur.i stay in Onitsha,can u kindly give contact of the people you bought the machine or equipment.i want to start up on small scale of #200,000.i also want you to mentor me on the business.

I built the machines myself, go through the thread to see for yourself. With the budget you have, you can start something really tangible. What you will need is a small mixer, cutting table and some moulds. I can fabricate these equipment for you and with that I will mentor you.

iHart:
...few tips on what i learnt in soap making:

i. PKO and PO are mostly used in soap making.
ii. PO is bleached before use
iii. PKO and PO are blended to improve quality
iv. Alcohol is used to make soap transparent.
v. Level of caustic, oil, water and other little additives affect soap hardness.
vi. Improving hardness improves transparency.
vii. With SAP value you probably have nothing to do with hydrometer.
viii. Using less material does not necessarily save cost neither does using more material increase profit(except for bulking materials). However more materials improves soap quality and appearance.

Yes Boss! Mixing oils especially pocket friendly ones boost qualities like foaming

SoapQueen:



Yes Boss! Mixing oils especially pocket friendly ones boost qualities like foaming

when i saw your moniker, I was intrigued. I had to follow you and read all your comments and updates here. Don't mind me, I no dey use eye see or use ear hear anything soap

...but do you know that you can actually tweak your recipe to bypass oil blending and still achieve great quality in a cost effective manner?

iHart:
when i saw your moniker, I was intrigued. I had to follow you and read all your comments and updates here. Don't mind me, I no dey use eye see or use ear hear anything soap

...but do you know that you can actually tweak your recipe to bypass oil blending and still achieve great quality in a cost effective manner?

We have spoken before in the past. Remember? I called you from Warri! You are always so busy! Lol.

Tweak it like use only PKO and NaOH? If that's it, yeah. Coconut Oil has the highest foaming capability but it is pricey. Next best bet is PKO.

I took a break from bar soaps because it is too capital intensive for now. It will always be my one ,true love.

Congratulations Sir. Your girl is proud!

SoapQueen:



We have spoken before in the past. Remember? I called you from Warri! You are always so busy! Lol.

Tweak it like use only PKO and NaOH? If that's it, yeah. Coconut Oil has the highest foaming capability but it is pricey. Next best bet is PKO.

I took a break from bar soaps because it is too capital intensive for now. It will always be my one ,true love.

Congratulations Sir. Your girl is proud!

wait oh, is this J, the lady I met in Onitsha?

Clembos:
Now Mr President should know that Nigerian youth are not lazy.

We are ready to use that laziness to vote him out