Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => CRAFTING CORNER => Topic started by: The15thMember on December 16, 2024, 05:53:46 PM

Title: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on December 16, 2024, 05:53:46 PM
My sister is starting a small online business selling products that we create from our homestead.  Today I made up the first batch of lavender lip balms we'll be offering for sale. 
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Ben Framed on December 16, 2024, 08:53:40 PM
Thumbs up!
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Terri Yaki on December 16, 2024, 10:24:33 PM
Looks nice, good luck. A younger brother would make short work of that.  :cheesy:
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on December 16, 2024, 11:04:31 PM
No worries on that front, but I was a little concerned about the cat.  :grin:  Thankfully, she usually only gets up on the counters when no one is around, and the tubes don't take very long to set up.   
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: NigelP on December 17, 2024, 04:21:06 AM
As I don't know what the USA rules are for selling cosmetics you may well be fine. In the UK any product that is used dermatologically has to have prior testing via a registered company. Costs about $200. It's one of the reasons we have never sold beeswax lip balms, as start up costs too high.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Michael Bush on December 17, 2024, 06:09:29 AM
I would guess you would have to have some kind of permit in New York in addition to a business licence, a sales tax licence, liability insurance...
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Terri Yaki on December 17, 2024, 06:37:29 AM
Quote from: The15thMember on December 16, 2024, 11:04:31 PM
No worries on that front, but I was a little concerned about the cat.  :grin:  Thankfully, she usually only gets up on the counters when no one is around, and the tubes don't take very long to set up.   
My cats are pretty good. One of them doesn't do anything wrong but she's a miserable old loner. The other one will hop up next to the kitchen sink to look out the window. I guess it's a different view than she gets from the window sill in the adjacent living room. I don't mind her going there but I don't want her up anywhere else. She's pretty sure she's not allowed up there because I can often hear her hit the floor when I'm headed towards the kitchen. I use a flyswatter for discipline. It can't hurt them but I think they hate it worse than the cat carrier.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: iddee on December 17, 2024, 07:14:34 AM
Cats will never do wrong again if you bob-tail them. Cut their tails off an inch behind their ears and they will never mis-believe again.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Kathyp on December 17, 2024, 10:49:05 AM
QuoteAs I don't know what the USA rules are for selling cosmetics you may well be fine.

Depends on where you are. Lots of states have Cottage Industry rules that allow for small, home businesses of this type. FDA doesn't cover a lot of this stuff. That's a good thing, I think.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on December 17, 2024, 11:29:14 AM
Quote from: NigelP on December 17, 2024, 04:21:06 AM
As I don't know what the USA rules are for selling cosmetics you may well be fine. In the UK any product that is used dermatologically has to have prior testing via a registered company. Costs about $200. It's one of the reasons we have never sold beeswax lip balms, as start up costs too high.
The FDA only requires you label the package with what it contains (i.e. lip balm), list the ingredients, and label the net weight.  As long as you don't make any "medical claims" about the product, that's all you need.  So I can't say "for the care of dry and chapped lips" on the tube, because I haven't had that claim tested.  This applies to all bath and body products (lotion, soap, lip balm, etc.).  Most makeup cosmetics (blush, lipstick, eye shadow, etc.), have additional standards of compliance, since these products have a history of including shady or harmful ingredients like lead.  But I don't believe any product testing is required unless a "medical claim" is made. 
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: BeeMaster2 on December 17, 2024, 11:32:40 AM
Iddee you are terrible. I would bee concerned about any left wing cat lovers.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on December 17, 2024, 11:49:59 AM
This right wing cat lover is having a little trouble with it to be honest.  :sad:  We lost two of our kitties earlier this year, one in April and one in July.  :cry:     
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: Lesgold on December 17, 2024, 04:03:42 PM
Would love to sell lip balms at the markets. Unfortunately our laws are pretty hard and it would be costly to comply. A lot of people still do so but often don?t know or couldn?t be bothered researching the regulations. My public liability coverage would also be void if I did so. These days, I only make them for family use.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on December 17, 2024, 05:21:02 PM
That's really unfortunate that you guys overseas can't sell this sort of thing, both for you and your customers.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: iddee on December 17, 2024, 05:45:38 PM
Jim, that joke is older than me, and I'm ancient.

N.C. is a cottage industry state. Very few rules, as 15th said.
Title: Re: Small Business
Post by: The15thMember on January 04, 2025, 06:41:00 PM
We filled up a few jars today, just sort of as a test run, and boy, did they ever turn out nice!