QUICK GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR OWN PERFUME LINE

What makes a perfume acceptable among the users? The answer will always be a charming fragrance, but there is more to that. From proper packaging to stylish perfume bottles, nomenclature to market standards –there are a number of factors that you have to consider while starting your own perfume line. Proper knowledge in chemistry always comes in handy, and with that you need to have strategic business sense to market your products well.

One of the first steps will be to understand what your customers like or dislike while choosing a perfume. Like every startup, there will be challenges and pitfalls that you can get over easily with proper planning of cost, selection of the right supplier, and brand promotion. Here are your best steps to start the high-volume perfumery business with low margin –

Get a reliable source supplier

There will be numerous vendors to supply you the accessories like essential oils, chemicals, bottles, pumps, pipes, caps and more required for every perfume. At the same time, you will need screen prints, labels, packaging materials, proper artwork and logo for the bottle, which will play a significant role in creating a visual appeal of your perfume bottles. The vendor should be able to supply the quantity required for your orders.

For a startup perfume business, it is always recommended to go for the supplier offering the most affordable price while making sure that it has a good reputation and experience in this field. Check the shelf life of those accessories, especially in case of corrosion-prone materials.

Think of a unique name and design your own perfume bottle

Never mimic a name that is already present in the market. A name that is catchy, easy to pronounce and has an obvious meaning will perform well in a competitive market. The next step will be to get the brand name registered in accordance to your city and state office requirements to be properly licensed.

In case of bottles, you should look out for a unique shape and material that will help your perfume bottle stand out among other brands. Fancy and sturdy bottles are what the customer wants, that not only look attractive, but also keep the perfume safe.

Get your brand name or logo printed on the bottle, and add a sticker bearing the brand name in stylish font. Bottles can be made up of plastic, glass, vinyl or aluminum, and they can be adorned with processing methods like UV coating, frosting, polishing, hot stamping, silkscreen printing, painting, etc. Apart from the usual cylindrical, square and rectangular shapes, you can have your perfume bottles in unique shapes, and have them adorned with pearls, gems and crystals.

Selecting and buying ingredients for your new perfume line

It is up to you to decide which type of scent you want your perfume to emanate or whether you want to release a series of different scents. While men tend to like sporty, aqua and woodsy scents, women like flowery, sensual, elegant or oriental scents. That being said, you need to create contrasting scents according to gender or go for aromas that are suitable for unisex.

Essential oils of lavender, peppermint, rose, jasmine, cedarwood, bergamot, geranium, Ylang ylang, rosemary, frankincence and sandalwood are often used in perfumery due to their aromatherapy benefits. In terms of natural elements, you can choose flowery aromas such as cherry blossom, country rose, sea salt, camphor, resin, and so on. Choose the base notes carefully, as it needs to stay longer on skin while the top and middle notes evaporate after a few hours.

Always make sure to experiment with the fragrance and the amount of each ingredient. Keep a record of the duration of lasting for each sample. Take suggestions from people whether the scent is too strong and needs diluting or too mild to sense.

Find a packaging company that fits your requirements

The packaging tells a lot about the price of your perfume i.e. the more extravagant the packaging is, the more cost you can demand from customers. If you are creating a reasonable priced perfume, go for stylish yet simple packaging. Take help from a professional about the designing of bottle to come up with a unique and creative design. Make sure the packaging is durable enough to withstand rough handling while shipping and is eye-catching enough to attract customers among varieties of perfumes stacked up on a shelf.

Although initially you and your team might be able to handle packaging of limited number of orders, you would need a reliable packaging company to process your bulk orders when the business takes off.

Understanding your target consumers

According to your investment, the cost of the perfumes will be determined and that will decide your target customers. Low priced perfumes can be sold successfully in handicraft and cottage industry fairs, art shows, online shopping sites, and convenience stores or malls. Moderate to high priced perfumes tend to be sold in posh malls, drug stores, aroma and cosmetic stores.

Offer fragrance samples

Start marketing your product online i.e. social media and apps, advertise on pages, or go for a press release to reach out to a wider audience. Informative articles or posts often attract people to try your perfume out and you can also mention a bit about the fragrances used, the user-friendly method of manufacturing, and the effect of the scents.

Just as app developers release free beta version to check audience feedback and app performance, your best way to know what users think about the perfume is to offer them free samples. Tie-ups with other popular products will also be helpful to market your product. Free sample sized perfumes will attract customers to try it out.

Get into retail stores

Male fragrances sell more at fitness centers and men’s accessories outlets while female fragrances sell more at parlors, beauty and wellness based shopping stores. So, understand your target audience and choose the right retailers accordingly. You can also explore the world of online retailing, search for wholesalers and distributors around your locality, and supply the perfumes to these retail outlets.

Conclusion

The success rate in perfumery business is quite commendable if your product is reliable enough to perform well and stay safe. Make sure to keep your customers’ needs first, i.e. what they like, which chemicals are safe for application on skin, and how much they are willing to pay. Do not shy away from experimenting with different scents and create a brand presence with extensive marketing. Last but not the least, do not ignore the significance of choosing the right perfume bottles from a reputed manufacturer, that are beautiful and attractive, and at the same time sturdy and durabl