With only N10, 000 one can go into production of Liquid Soap business

Mrs. Lillian Peter Eze is one individual that is reaping from various entrepreneurial sectors. Before foray into entrepreneurship, Mrs. Eze maintained a promising career as a banker. But even with the secured paycheck at the end of every month, she yearned for freedom to spend more time with her family most especially her children. Her turning point came when she dumped her job to enjoy the liberty only entrepreneurship can guarantee.

“Basically, I wanted to have time to train my children. My husband and I were both bankers.  So, imagine two people working in banks trying to raise a family and bring up their children. The demand and pressure of work made me switch and I don’t have regret in going entrepreneurship at all.”

Since she made that switch, she has not looked back as she has delved into various aspects of enterprise. And one of her ventures is liquid soap business, a venture that could be termed a cash cow when considering its opportunities and profitability.

The production and sale of household cleaning products, including liquid soap is one small business that has transformed the living standard of the many individuals that have cashed in on this line of enterprise. The viability of this venture stems from the upsurge in its demand following the need for a high level of sanitation not only in the personal living of individuals, but also in their family and community. Liquid soap is a multi-purpose soap that can be used for laundry, washing plates, hands after meals and other household utensils. These brands are classified as daily need products, hence are in very high demand in almost all families.

Some of the active ingredients to prepare a liquid detergent are C. M. C, which is the thickening agent, S. T. P. P which is meant for the glittering effects, colouring which comes in different colours, Perfumes used to give the liquid formulation a good scent, foaming agents that make the solution to foam well, and water which is used for mixing the ingredients.

According to Eze, venturing into liquid soap making is not a difficult task; it requires only the knowledge of how to mix the chemicals in the right proportions. And with as little as N10,000, one can start up and begin to enjoy the gains of this business.

“You can start the business with N10, 000.  Money should not be a restricting factor for you not to start up a liquid soap business. One should concern oneself, but what you have can afford you to go into making of liquid soap, the quantity the money can afford. Also, one can be hardly run at a loss because liquid soaps have a long shelf life. The expiry date could be up to one year,” she assured.

After production another vital aspect in this business in marketing, and Eze urges that for those just starting, a lot of legwork is necessary to advertise the product.  According to her, since many people may not want to buy in large quantity; it is advisable to sell in small containers, at prices commensurate with the quantity. Eze also hinted that marketing of any business including liquid soap business starts from the people around. These include one’s kinsmen, friends and colleagues, and members of the religious organisation or groups one could belong to. She also adds that good way to market liquid soap business is by introducing it to laundry professionals, telling them the unique selling point (USP) of the product. Also, the social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instargram and even Blackberry are other good platforms to market liquid soap brands. She emphasised that it is necessary for any entrepreneur that wants to succeed to ensure that the product is off high quality.

“You should be able to understand your products. Quality is key if you target to get and keep your customers,” she said.

Eze continues: “But it is important that you a competitive price for your product. Again, it is vital to brand and package your product to set your product apart from others. You need to put in consideration the packaging, registering and getting the certification. These will get you going, and lift you business to a higher level.” She insists that seeking approval from agencies like NAFDAC would remove any barrier to sell one’s product at any terrain, even exporting to other climes.

Production of liquid soap exposes one to hazards. Risks are inherent in the business, according to Mrs. Bola Olajide, who also manages a liquid soap venture in Mushin area, of Lagos State. One of the risks is industrial accident. She explains that although this would be stressed during training, there are instances where some of the chemicals, if care is not taken, accidentally spill on the producer during the laboratory processes, thereby causing a great damage to the individual. Another type of accident is the one that may likely occur at the stage of bringing the chemical home from the market. According to her, some portion may accidentally leak or pour away. Such a situation, she says, may lead to a great loss. She also warned that one must be careless about storing the chemicals as she cautioned that strict care is taken to keep them away from children.

The story of Mrs Eze is of one having a ball doing what she loves doing. And with her enterprise, she is always eager to enthuse that her vocation offers better monetary reward than salaried job as a banker. Her eyes have been opened on gains of running a self-owned business and she has moved on to win more converts and bring more people including her husband into the rewarding circle of entrepreneurship. “My husband was formerly a banker, but he also dumped it for entrepreneurship and today we doing well. In fact, the rewards of entrepreneurship are immense,” she declares. “One of the things I enjoy is that it also allows me to work at my own pace. Again, I get to meet and impact diverse personalities from the high echelon to the low. I have also trained many individuals and they are now proud of what they are into. It is very beneficial to be skilled because it empowers one and makes you see what you can do for yourselves.”

She adds: “In our present day Nigeria, it is very paramount that we empower women because they need to take care of their children adequately and ease off the financial pressure from their husbands. Many husbands become proud of their wives when they excel in different fields of entrepreneurship.

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