10 Ways to Improve Your Package Design

1. Understand the Consumer

We design packages for consumers, not for the boss, the legislator or the trade. To find out what the consumer likes or wants, first of all, think of yourself. What would you like? A pack that’s easy to open, a back panel that’s easy to read, a brand you trust, a clear product denomination, a pack easy to hold in your hands and easy to dispose of or recycle? It is not more complicated. Forget buzzwords like insight or focus groups, just use your own intelligence and common sense. With this, you will get at least 80% right and that is more than enough to achieve great packaging.

2. Understand the Meaning of Simplicity

The person who best formulated this was Coco Chanel some 80 years ago when she coined the now famous phrase: “Always reduce, never add,” and the architect Mies van der Rohe, who coined the often repeated, but seldom followed phrase: “Less is more!” Enough said. There is no doubt too much (useless) information on today’s packages.

3. Understand Positioning

Call it what you like: genetic code, DNA, spirit, core value, brand essence, big idea or the like, a package design must strengthen the idea behind a brand (or product). There must be a synergy effect. A package design is always part of something bigger (see below) and has therefore to be in line with the idea mentioned above. And the idea must be big and simple.

4. Understand Hierarchy

There is always something that is more important. It is very rare that two things matter the same, especially in package design. The responsible person for a package, be it the marketing director, the big boss or the technical director, must be able to make a hierarchy list for those who develop the package design to follow. This is very seldom done and therefore the final result becomes “a little of everything,” which is equal to bad packaging.

5. Understand Legislation

This is the area where things often “go wrong” as we do not differentiate between a must (i.e., a legislative decision) and a guideline or rule or best practice. Furthermore, a law can be interpreted in more than one way. For instance, does the front panel on a carton mean only the front or also the side panels? It all depends on at which angle you hold the pack. In order to not fall into the trap of printing “almost everything,” which means small illegible text, ask yourself obvious questions like: Does the consumer really need this information? Does this information help to sell more? Is the information understood?

6. Understand Material

Have you ever held a can of juice in one hand and a carton pack fresh from the fridge in the other? Well, do it once and you will understand why the aluminum or steel can feels colder. One of the first decisions to make when developing a new package is which material or material combination should be chosen to best express the uniqueness of the product inside. It is just common sense that carton packages with transparent windows have today become very popular as most consumers want to see what they buy.

7. Understand Layout

There is a deep-rooted syndrome among most marketing people. It is called “the upper left-hand corner syndrome” as marketing executives believe that a package is seen as a book and that one has to start “up left” with the corporate brand. Nothing could be more wrong. A package can have any layout. It is the product idea that dictates the layout and visual impact that should be achieved.

8. Understand Ecology

Today we are “bombarded” with nutritional messages often too complicated to be understood by the average consumer. At the same time, we learn about global warming, the dangers of CO2 and the depletion of the ozone layer. Would it not be a good idea to use the packages to educate the consumers about ecology (not only recycling) and how we all, by changing our life style, could participate to make this Earth an even better place?

9. Understand Economy

Economy, when it comes to package design, is to not only look at the retail package. In order to understand what a great package design does to promote a product and make it a great success, one has to see the total picture. Only then can one decide where to spend the money. The total picture is a matter of total communication, including retail package, display carton and point-of-sale material, shipping carton, advertising (print, television, etc.) to make the product stand out and be remembered through a great package design.

For instance, a thin, corrugated shipper needs a strong, rigid, retail package and vice versa. A great and interesting point-of-sale unit can work wonders even with a rather simple retail package. Before starting a package design project, decide where to put your money!

10. Understand Total Packaging

Until this day, when I am writing these lines, after more than 40 years in package design, I have never been at a meeting where all of the following responsible persons were present: project leader (usually a brand or product manager), package designer, technical packaging engineer, advertising account executive (or even better, the creative director), legal advisor.

As mentioned above, total packaging is both a marketing and technical issue. It is a matter of retail package, display unit and shipper, as well as taking the key decision up-front as to what the main visuals should be (form, colors, logotype, etc.) to be communicated through all packaging and media.

To do this is not an easy task. I therefore often say: Do not wish it were easier, wish it were better!

Establishing Your Own In-Home Business Making Skin Care Products

With the growing awareness of the hazards that everyday skin care and household products can cause, consumers are becoming more interested in more natural products. With the growing availability of herbal and complimentary ingredients and ready-made natural products, consumers are now able to take more control of the quality and safety of the products that they use on their bodies and in their homes.

The increased awareness in health and well being has created a great demand for natural soaps, lotions, skin care products and natural fragrances. Natural skin care products are often packaged beautifully, and they make wonderful gifts.

Many businesses that produce natural skin care products are operated from home, or originally began as an in-home business. Unlike the claims of “get rich quick” operations, starting an in-home business creating skin care products will not make you rich quickly, but neither will most get rich quick schemes. An advantage to starting a skin care product business is that you become your own boss and can begin slowly with minimal start up costs. Like any business, there are specific legal, marketing and accounting matters that need to be addressed.

This article provides an overview of the basic requirements needed to begin your own skin care business from home.

Learning/Education

If you choose to produce skin care products, you will need to decide what types of skin care products that you’d like to make and educate yourself as much as possible. You will need to plan to experiment with a variety of readily available recipes and learn how to customize recipes and create products that will turn potential customers into buyers. Learning about the ingredients and available preservatives is also a must.

Some individuals focus on just making either soaps, lotions, bath salts, scrubs, fragrances, aromatherapy blends, hair products, or other skin care products. Others, however, choose to create a huge line that includes many of the previously mentioned skin care product types. You will need to decide what types of products you’d like to start making and learn all that you can. Bath salts are probably the easiest to begin making and are very popular with consumers.

A vast selection of skin care making books exist. Thoroughly read and explore the recipes included in books for an excellent way to get started. Not all local booksellers, however, provide a good inventory on skin care making books. Although Web sites are not usually able to cover the same amount of information as books, Web sites can provide a lot of helpful information and recipes.

Taking classes with a qualified instructor is an ideal way to obtain hands-on experience, get answers to your specific questions and meet others who have the same interests as you. Contact your city’s continuing education department to see if they offer any courses.

Networking with others who are interested in making skin care products is also a good way to gain valuable knowledge. Search for and join toiletries and skin care eGroups on MSN and Yahoo. Not only will you expand and share your growing knowledge, you will have the opportunity to correspond with a lot of individuals that share your interest.

Marketing

One of the first decisions that you should make is the selection of your business name and logo. Choose a name that is not overly long and that is easy to remember. It should reflect positively on your business and products. From a legal standpoint, it’s important that you don’t use a name that is already in use by another business. A lawyer or your business professional can provide information on how you can ensure that you do not choose an already taken name. If you plan to create a Web site for your business, try to coordinate the name of your business with a domain name that is available, and then buy the domain name so that no other company grabs it up from you.

When you first begin making your products, your first customers will probably be your friends, family and colleagues (if you work outside of the home). Your family and friends can be a wonderful source for providing honest feedback about your products. It is wise to solicit their honest opinions before you begin selling your products. Once you are ready to sell your products, encourage your friends and relatives to tell everyone they know about your business and products. Your promotional efforts can be simple or elaborate. Plan to spend adequate time to promote your business and develop marketing materials. For the greatest opportunity for success, read as much as you can about marketing, especially small business marketing. Below are a few ideas to get you started:

• Create a catalog or flyer that details your products, and provide copies to everyone that you know.
• Set up a Web site so that you can easily accept orders and reach customers outside of your local vicinity.
• Organize skin care parties where you demonstrate your products and provide incentives for women to hostess your party.
• Display your products at craft shows and street fairs.
• Visit the spas, gift shops and health stores in your area. Bring samples of your products and offer to sell your products to them wholesale.

Packaging Your Products

Large corporations know that the outward appearance and packaging of their products can play one of the most crucial roles in the success of their products.

Your packaging needs to play several roles. It needs to protect your product for the entire duration of its shelf life, it needs to clearly identify the contents of the package, it may need to confirm with INCI ingredient labeling requirements and it needs to help compel customers to purchase it. Take the time to create attractive packaging that meets all of the above goals. When shopping, pay attention to how other similar products are packaged. Don’t copy another company’s packaging, but use your research as inspiration for creating your own unique packaging concept.

In-Home Business Setup

To create your products, you will need a kitchen equipped with the appliances and kitchenware necessary to manufacture your products. Some products, such as clay facials and bath salts, merely require measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, and spoons for stirring and adding the final product into your choice of packaging. Other products such as lotions, balms and soaps require additional equipment and supplies. Most equipment, however, can be obtaining fairly inexpensively. Keep an eye out at second hand stores and garage sales for the equipment that you need. Often, you can find inexpensive kitchenware that has never been used and would be perfect for using exclusively for production of your skin care products.

Although it is not absolutely necessary, access to a computer for maintaining your business records and creating marketing materials is useful.

Obtaining Bulk Ingredients

It is important to find a supplier that can provide good pricing and excellent quality on the ingredients that you need. When choosing between suppliers, be sure to compare prices. Quality can also differ greatly between suppliers, and quality ingredients is paramount. When comparing prices, be sure to also take any special promotional offers, discounts, preferred customer discounts and shipping and handling fees into consideration. There are several ingredient suppliers on the Web, and they most likely will be able to provide a larger selection of ingredients than you may find locally. One of the largest suppliers on the Web is From Nature With Love (www.fromnaturewithlove.com). From Nature With Love offers over 1,750 ingredients and supplies, and they offer product technical help and basic formulation assistance by telephone and e-mail.

Business Requirements

Even if your business is operated from home, there are several things that need to be addressed.

Choose Your Business Entity: Most in-home businesses begin as a sole-proprietorship, and this is the easiest way to begin. You may also choose to setup your business as a partnership, corporation or LLC. Discuss the pros and cons of each entity with your accountant, lawyer or business professional.

Business License: Depending on your locale, your city and/or county may require that you obtain a license to conduct business out of your home. Annual licensing fees can be very low for in-home businesses that do not receive customers to their door. Contact your City Clerk to inquire about the licensing that is required to begin your business. You should also find out if your county or state requires licensing.

Property Insurance: Consult with your homeowners insurance agent to see if your homeowners insurance will cover your business. Typically, it will not. Once you begin using your kitchen or home office for business purposes, you may risk being able to make a claim on these areas should a disaster occur. As you begin acquiring inventory and supplies, you may also want to insure these items against loss in a possible disaster.

Liability Insurance: In addition to protecting your assets, it’s wise to consider protecting yourself from liability should a customer claim harm or damage caused by use of one of your products. Ask your insurance agent about the availability of liability insurance. Join one of the toiletry making or soap making eGroups to ask other business owners for recommendations on the agents or insurance companies that they use.

Accounting, Taxation and Inventory: In order to maintain proper records of your sales, expenditures, profits and inventory, it’s important to keep proper records. It is also necessary so that you can properly report and file your taxes. A selection of small business accounting books abound on the subject, or you may wish to obtain an accountant who can advise you on the proper method for bookkeeping. Your accountant can also advise you on how to properly maintain a record of your inventory and the cost of goods sold. Contact your state government to learn what you are required to do to collect and submit sales tax for sales made to residents of your state.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article provides insight into what is needed to begin a successful in-home skin care product business. As mentioned earlier, such a business will not lead to quick riches. It, however, is worth serious consideration by those that are seeking a legitimate in home business, are interested in making skin care products and are willing to put time and ambition into the endeavor.

How to Start Your Own Skin Care Line

Step1
Research current trends in skin care. For example, there are many skin care products that include only natural ingredients. Other products focus on anti-aging, teen skin care or adult acne. You can find information online, in fashion magazines, academic journals or by talking with cosmetologists in your area.

Step 2
Educate yourself in the making of skin care products if you aren’t already familiar. Those who have a background in cosmetology are well suited for this type of business. Take a cosmetology course at a vocational school or college to learn more about the beauty industry and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards all beauty products must adhere to. Other courses to consider taking before launching a skin care line include:

-Business management
-Bookkeeping
-Sales and marketing
-Finance

Step 3
Choose one or two products such as soap, cleanser or moisturizer when starting your skin care line. These products are popular and are a good way to introduce your line to new customers. Contact a commercial cosmetics company that specializes in creating skin care products for small businesses. Tell it which ingredients to add and it will create the product for you. You can also mix your own ingredients if you have the expertise.

Step 4
Create a business name and company logo to use on packaging materials. Contact a cosmetic packaging company to help design the bottles and other materials needed for shipping and distribution.

Step 5
Create marketing materials including business cards, brochures and fliers to help promote your skin care line. If you want to sell your products online, create a website that highlights products and ordering information.

Step 6
Conduct personal consultations with local clients to develop and maintain long-term relationships. Contact local spas, salons and other businesses and ask if you can perform on-site consultations with their customers.

Starting a Skin Care Business