The beauty industry is a $483 billion a year behemoth. There are many ways that you can get into the business, and the barrier to entry has been significantly lowered thanks to things like e-commerce and private label manufacturing. Virtually anyone can have their own brand nowadays, but it doesn’t mean that it’s easy. You’ll have to face fierce competition and go against giants with much more resources than you. If you have a solid plan and execute it well, however, you could have a chance at being successful. If you’re located in Florida and want to know how to launch a beauty brand in the state, here’s what you’ll need to do.
Choose Your Business Model
Before you do anything, you need to look at what kind of business model you want to use. Do you want to manufacture your products from scratch or use a private label service? Do you want to keep inventory or use a dropshipping model? Do you want to put your products on shelves or sell them independently?
These are all questions you will have to answer as they will influence which types of permits you will need. It will also affect how much money you’ll have to invest and what type of liabilities you’ll open yourself up to.
Get Registered and Licensed
Before you can operate a business in the state of Florida, you will need to register it with the Florida Department of State, the Florida Department of Revenue, and the IRS. There are also multiple permits you will need to apply for if you want to manufacture and sell cosmetics. These are in place to protect the public and make sure that your products are safe and unadulterated. One of the permits you will need to look up is a Cosmetics Manufacturer Permit. You will get it from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Get Insurance
You will also need to get sufficient insurance coverage as this is a business that could open you up to many legal liabilities. You will need comprehensive insurance that will cover property, professional errors and omissions, your workers, and any vehicles if you intend to make personal deliveries or travel as a salesperson. The best solution here would be to look for Florida business insurance. A good business insurance package will cover all bases and protect you against potential legal action.
Start Building Your Website
If you’re going to be using the e-commerce approach, you will need to build a solid website. If you don’t have the expertise yet and don’t have money to spend on a professional site, you can start with a Shopify site. You should know, however, that these have limitations. For one, your site will always remain on their servers. This means that you never truly “own” the site and will be tied to Shopify’s fate forever. Second, they have design limitations that could be frustrating to you if you want to build something special.
This is why you should consider setting a bit of money aside to have a real website built. It may be more expensive, but it will help you establish your brand better. This could also result in more sales if you have it built by people with experience and a proven track record building these kinds of sites.
Start Building Your Brand Online
The next step is building your brand online. You should have an Instagram account and use it wisely. Try to form partnerships with influencers on there, and offer some free packages. We suggest that you start searching for people who make tutorial videos. Check if they fit your demographic, and see how many followers they have. Approach those who have a substantial following, and ask them if they would like to showcase your products. Some may agree to do it for free, but you can also decide to pay if you feel it’s worth it.
We also suggest that you get familiar with things such as PPC advertising, Facebook advertising, and SEO. These tools, when used together, will allow you to get the initial traction needed to build your brand without sending thousands and thousands on marketing campaigns that could be hard to measure.
If you want to start a successful beauty brand in Florida, this is what you’ll need to do. Make sure that you have a solid plan from the beginning, and look at what others are doing in the space for inspiration.
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