If you’re into beauty and business, the time will eventually come when you consider starting a personal care brand. 

The great thing about this sector is that there are so many success stories. Dozens of brands have managed to carve out niches for themselves, appealing to consumers looking for certain types of products. Product differentiation occurs on practically every level, from the way they smell to the chemicals in their formulations. 

However, if you’re planning on setting up a personal care business, there are some basic rules you’ll need to follow.

 

Find A Niche Appeal

If you’re planning on launching a personal care brand, you’ll also need to develop a niche appeal. If you don’t, there won’t be any reason for customers to switch from their existing brands to try yours. 

This part of the process is the most challenging. There are already so many brands in the market appealing to different groups, it can be hard to find a new avenue. There’s no set formula here – you’ll just need to be creative and come up with something unique. For a great example of a personal care brand with niche appeal, have a look at Unigloves. They use strong branding to set themselves apart in the hand protection field.

 

Get The Legal Go-Ahead First

Personal care products, as you might expect, are regulated because they come into intimate contact with people’s bodies. For that reason, you’ll need to get the legal go-ahead first. 

Be sure to check out the Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines and Inspections Checklist if you’re operating from any western country. You need to make sure that your manufacturing space (or one that you hire) meets these minimum requirements. 

 

Be Sure To Secure Quality Suppliers

Personal care products require both manufacturers and suppliers to supply the raw ingredients to the factory. You’ll need chemicals like acetone, sodium lauryl sulfate and botanicals. 

Getting these in large quantities and delivered in the quantities you need requires careful planning and good relationships. Before you begin selling to the public, create a supplier management strategy, and don’t be afraid to use backups. 

 

Learn As Much About The Industry As You Can

When launching a personal care line of products, it pays to learn as much as you can about the industry and how it works.

Most new brands don’t introduce a massive range of new products all at once. Instead, they focus on promoting a “hero” product and then supporting it using slight variation products. For instance, toothpaste brands will usually launch an “original” version of the product and then support it with a “sensitive” counterpart. 

In 2021, people looking to set up businesses in the personal care sector can benefit from numerous guide books. These present a formula for how you can win business and brand your products. 

 

Market Products Vigorously

Speaking of branding, marketing is essential in the personal care sector. You need to create advertising materials that make it clear how your products are different from the competition. Ideally, focus on your unique selling point and talk about why your solution is unique in the marketplace. If you think you’ll struggle to shift units, send out free samples in the post and offer them in-store.