How to Start Your Own Makeup Line, Even on a Limited Budget

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How to Start Your Own Makeup Line, Even on a Limited Budget

By Sue Barrett

If you want to start your own cosmetic line, first decide on a specific and unique solution that you will provide to your customers. There are so many cosmetic products on store shelves today that unless you have a unique selling proposition, your product will get lost in the market. Understand what your target market wants and provide a product give them what they want.

If you have a product idea in mind, but you are not sure whether customers will buy it, you can do some low-cost market research by checking out online makeup forums like Ultimate Cosmetics or Makeup Talk. Read forum discussion threads, and you will easily find out what the market is concerned about and what they are interested in - simply by what users are saying.

More and more people are now looking for makeup with special features like natural or organic ingredients or convenient packaging that basically translate to higher value. You will find it easier to run a profitable business with a high value cosmetic line than makeup products with a low price point that do not offer significant value to the customer. People want value and if cosmetics are priced right, consumers are generally willing to pay more for it.

Developing your own makeup line takes time. Market research, product development, packaging and promotion all need to take place before your product hits the market. You need patience and determination to get through the launch phase of your business. That said, you do not need to spend years developing your product line.

If you are working on a limited budget, you do not have to develop products in a lab. Items like soaps, lip balms, fragrances and lotions can easily be created from your own home. Starting small, selling within your local community and growing your inventory and product line as you gain customers requires less start-up money and makes for a less risky venture.

There are a variety of ways you can bring your makeup line to market, even if you are starting small. Before going to major retail stores, reach out to smaller retail shops, salons or massage parlors in your area who may be open to consignment arrangements. You could open a mall kiosk, hold private home parties or set up or own website.

Packaging is important, as it is what your customer will see first. You also want to have a business name and logo that grabs attention. While you want a name and design that stand out, you also want to make sure that shoppers can easily understand what the product is and the benefits it provides by reading the label.

For home-based entrepreneurs, the internet makes packaging and design much easier. You can find wholesale packaging suppliers online for items like bottles, jars, lip balm tubes and plastic containers. You can also save hundreds of dollars on logo design by creating your own logo at websites like Logo Maker.

You can protect your business name and design with a trademark, Start by doing a search in the US Patent and Trademark database to make sure the name is not already trademarked. Register your business name with your city or county clerk and obtain a business license from your local government office.

Home Business Center, Inc lists a variety of do-it-yourself tools and resources that entrepreneurs can use to launch their makeup lines. Find out more How to Start a Makeup Line