Having an aromatherapy business can be one of the most rewarding ventures of your life, if you have a passion for essential oils. How do you get started? There are two main things to consider when you’re starting your business: Developing a great product and developing a great plan to sell those products. Here’s how to do both.
Developing a Great Product
Having a great product is what will have you succeed in the long run. You want people to love your oils so much that they buy them again and again and tell their friends.
Spend a lot of time mixing oils and creating new scents. Buy other people’s essential oils and see how they made theirs. Talk to other aromatherapists. Become part of the community.
Then, make your first few oils and ask your friends how they liked the product. Ask for suggestions and honest feedback. Make sure you talk to friends who are willing to tell you the good and the bad � Not just friends who would tell you it’s great no matter what.
If you have a real winner, you’ll see the “light” go off in their eyes. In other words, they’re not just saying it’s great, but you can see in their eyes that they loved it.
Making Your First Few Sales
Perhaps the best place to start an aromatherapy business is selling in festivals, trade shows and farmer’s markets.
Festivals like Harmony Festival, Green Fest, Movement Play, Lightning in a Bottle, Raw Living Foods, Bhakti Fest, etc are all great places to find people who love aromatherapy.
If you start showing up at all these festivals, not only will you make sales, but you’ll also become part of the community that you’re selling to. That’ll help you reach success much faster.
Trade shows and farmer’s markets are also great places to sell your oils.
Expanding
Once you’ve made your first couple hundred sales, then you may be feeling the urge to move beyond festival hopping and farmer’s markets.
There are several next steps you can take.
One great way to expand your business is to sell your oils on commission at spas, beauty salons, or bed & bath stores.
Just approach the business owners with a commission split proposal, make sure they know there’s no risk to them. They basically get to add more value to their customer’s experience by having you show them the benefits of aromatherapy, while getting paid without having to spend a penny.
Once you have a fair amount of traction, then the next step is to start talking to distributors and stores. Start with small stores at first. Once you’ve proven that your product can sell in retail, then start to approach chains like Whole Foods and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
An aromatherapy business can be a great way to earn a great living while doing something you love from the bottom of your heart. Start small and work your way up.
