12 to 60: Planning your 12 bottle perfume launch

    In my last post I discussed the advantages of launching a perfume with very limited production -- two dozen bottles -- yet yielding a hypothetical 400% profit. But, to make this strategy work, you must be able to produce your fragrance at a low cost per bottle. Today I'll discuss what you encounter in doing this -- producing 12 bottles of perfume at a cost of about $5.50 per bottle.

    The components you'll need are the bottle, a cap or spray (referred to as the "closure"), the label, and the fragrance itself. You have to shop carefully and, before making any purchases, plan the assembly. It is essential that your components fit together properly. Of particular importance is that the spray or cap is the correct size (called the "finish") for your bottles. Unless you are investing in a capping machine, you'll want bottles with a threaded neck in a size where screw-on spray pumps or caps are available.

    When you look for these components in matching sizes -- and small quantities -- you'll find that your choices are limited. To keep your cost down you must work with matching bottles and closures that can be purchased in small quantities at a low cost. You'll find some reasonable suppliers of bottles here. You'll find some simple guides to the selection of bottles here. Study these two pages before you start spending money on bottles.

    Getting sticker labels for your bottles is far less challenging that it once was. A number of printers will produce beautiful labels for you in small quantities at an affordable price. The only issue you may be finding a printer who offers a stock label in a size that works for your bottle. Note here that it is important to have your bottle on hand, or at least picked out, before you order your labels. And before you can settle on a bottle you must be sure that you have a source for affordable, leak-proof closures for it.

    An alternative method of producing labels for your bottles is to print your own on sheets of sticker paper. This has been my personal choice for a number of years. I design my label using desktop publishing software (Quark XPress), then fill an 8-1/2" x 11" page with as many of these labels as I can fit in the printable area. Then I place crop marks just outside the live area, two for each row, two for each column. Then it's just a matter of printing the labels with a desktop printer and cutting them apart. For this I use a #11 X-Acto blade. This blade is also good for separating the label from its carrier sheet.

    There are a number of possibilities for paper. Aside from being self-adhesive, you must select a paper appropriate for the product you will be using. Inkjet papers work with inkjet printers; laser papers work with laser printers. A mismatch will give you bad results.

    I've been using a waterproof inkjet paper from Graytex for good results. The smallest quantity available (15 sheets) can last a long time as you'll be getting multiple labels from each sheet.

    This leaves us with the issues of boxes, fragrance, and assembly -- topics for my next messages.