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Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business

Myke Educate
Myke Educate
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Step-by-Step Guide to Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business


Are you looking to Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business with less than KES 2,000?

You're not alone.

Most people today want a side hustle that doesn’t require renting a shop or taking a huge loan.

Let’s be honest — the job market’s tighter than a new pair of jeans after Christmas, so creating your own stream of income is smarter than waiting around.

Good news?

You can Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business right from your kitchen.

It’s cheap, scalable, and the demand for cleaning products never dies — homes, salons, schools, offices, and car washes all need soap, all year round.

Let me walk you through every step. From making that first 20 litres to growing with SACCO loans and avoiding nasty shylocks.

Step-by-Step Guide to Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business

🧪 What You Need to Start

  • KES 1,000–2,000 for raw materials and packaging

  • Ingredients: Sulphonic acid, Texapon, STPP, Soda Ash, SLS, Caustic Soda (optional), fragrance, colour, clean water

  • Tools: Buckets, gloves, mask, spoon/stick, measuring containers

  • Packaging: Bottles, jerrycans, simple labels


Pro Tip:

  • Buy from local chemical shops

  • Use recycled bottles to save cost

  • Go with safe, eco-friendly options for conscious customers

🎯 How to Make 20 Litres of Liquid Soap

  1. Wear gloves and mask. Work in an open space

  2. Dissolve Caustic Soda (optional) in 1L water. Let it sit

  3. Dissolve STPP and Soda Ash in separate 1L water

  4. In main bucket, pour 5L water + Texapon. Stir

  5. Add Sulphonic Acid slowly while stirring

  6. Mix in STPP, Soda Ash, Caustic Soda one at a time

  7. Add SLS, stir

  8. Add fragrance and colour

  9. Top up with water to 20L

  10. Let settle 2–4 hours. Stir again and bottle

That’s it.

You just made your first batch. High five.

📈 Who Buys Your Soap (Target Market)

  • Homes: Door-to-door. Give samples. Label them with WhatsApp number

  • Salons/Barbershops: Offer 3L for KES 250, free delivery

  • Car Washes: Foam sells. Give a 1L test bottle, then upsell 5L bulk

  • Eateries/Butcheries: Emphasise hygiene. KES 30 refill options work

  • Schools & Churches: Bulk orders, show proposal

  • Offices/Apartments: Flyers on boards, estate WhatsApp groups

Packaging Sizes:

  • 500ml – KES 50

  • 1L – KES 100

  • 5L – KES 350

Offer bundle deals:

  • Buy 2, get 1 free

  • Refer a friend, get KES 50 off

🚫 Why You Should Avoid Shylock Loans

You want to Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business, not dig a hole.

Shylocks charge 10–30% monthly. You sell to repay. You stay broke.

Better alternatives:

  • SACCO loans

  • Hustler Fund

  • Trusted family/friends

Tip: Borrow ONLY what your soap profits can repay in a month.

📦 How to Scale Without Burning Out

  • Hire help for mixing, delivery, and labelling

  • Set up a small kiosk near traffic

  • Sell disinfectants, bleach, or bar soap

  • Offer B2B deals to salons, hotels, car washes

  • Invest in branding — make your soap look the part

💡 Example: With a SACCO loan of KES 20K, you can:

  • Buy ingredients in bulk

  • Get pro packaging

  • Scale up to 100L weekly

  • Serve 200+ customers


💰 How to Save and Grow With SACCOs

  • Join SACCO: Need ID, passport photo, KES 500–1,500 fee

  • Save weekly from profit — KES 500 minimum

  • Borrow up to 3× your savings

  • Repay on time = trust = bigger future loans

  • Use funds for ingredients, packaging, marketing, delivery tools

Example: Save KES 6,000 in 3 months = qualify for KES 18,000 loan

Bonus: Many SACCOs offer free business training

👥 Attract More Customers (Marketing 101)

  • Flyers at salons, eateries, and apartments

  • Short videos cleaning sufurias — post on TikTok, WhatsApp

  • Samples with WhatsApp contact

  • Referral campaigns

  • Door-to-door delivery

  • Use sweet-smelling scents that last

  • Eco or refill options

🔁 Final Tips for Long-Term Success

  • Start small, then grow

  • Quality matters — don’t sell watery rubbish

  • Save consistently

  • Avoid shylocks — they're silent business killers

  • Track profits, reinvest wisely

  • Treat every customer like royalty

FAQs

Q1: How much can I earn monthly from this business?
A: Start small and grow. Many make KES 10K–30K monthly depending on effort.

Q2: Is this business allowed legally?
A: Yes, but for bigger scale or institutional supply, consider getting NEMA and KEBS approvals.

Q3: How do I price my soap?
A: Calculate cost per litre, add profit margin (e.g. 30–50%). Adjust for location.

Q4: Can I use natural colours/scents?
A: Yes. Lemon, lavender, peppermint are customer favourites.

Q5: Is this business just for women?
A: Nope. Anyone with hands and hustle can do it.


So go ahead — grab KES 2,000, mix your first batch, and Start and Grow a Liquid Soap & Detergent Business.

The world is dirty — someone’s got to clean it. Might as well be you, and make money doing it.

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