# Partnership in Soap Company



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Recently my daughter has been helping me in my soap business. Honestly, it's no fun doing everything by myself, and I cannot be in two places at one time with the various markets and craft shows I'd like to do so I asked her if she would like to be part of the buisiness and she said yes. 

For this business to get bigger I do need help, especially since I have another part time business where I travel a lot. 

I'm not quite sure how to divide up the business. She would like to make candles and I'm thinking maybe she could make those at her home, with no worries about the lye and the baby on the way. She'll do the local market on Sat. and I will do other markets and shows on the weeks those are available. 

Anybody have any ideas for how to divide up the profits, and work? Do any of you do business with your daughters? Advice? Ideas? She has so many more good ideas than I have, and it will be so nice working with her and getting to see her more often. I'm really excited. I didn't get the opportunity to spend much time with her when she was growing up as she lived with her dad, (NOT by my choice), so I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to work with her and also to help her out by including her in the business.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

My daughter is doing all my lotions now, and is even doing an organic one, and a high end perfume dupe line. I simply don't have time. I wholesale in a lot of stuff, I offer it first to my daughters....soy candles (or even flameless candles), smelly jelly and room perfumers, Lee's ceramics and in the spring I am going to do small bottles to pour into her diffusers with tiny tealight soy candles underneath, lipbalms in small pots, Tammy's arnica and all purpose blams, I am trying to get a better price on high end wash cloths right now. The ideas are only limitied to what she wants to do, just make sure it compliments what you are doing, don't just add one more thing to your tables that doesn't make a profit, have them be something you combine for trio's in cute bags, or holiday baskets. Although I pay someone to wrap soap, I do not let anyone soap yet...one day I likely will pay someone to pour the big square block molds, there is no talent to that  Vicki


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Vicki,
That's kind of what I was thinking...letting her do the things she's comfortable with. I think right now I need to pay her a wage as she's been helping with packaging and making labels and things like that, or give her a percentage of sales....something like that.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

When my mom asked me if I wanted to start helping with grooming, I started out with making 10% of all sales- mind you I was 14 so at the time it was alot of money and I was pretty much only bathing dogs and cleaning the kennels,shop ect. When I was actually at the point of using the clippers I got a raise of 20% of everything she made. When I finally graduated to being able to handle everything on my own without her being there I made 35% Which was pretty good - I didn't have to buy any clippers or grooming supplies, the clients were already in place and always growing- thank you yellow pages  All in all I think it was a fare wage and it's something I fell back on when we first moved down south, and kept it up for about 2 years. 

Just an example- hope it helps!

Lynn


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

I have incorporated Lindsey as assembly line assistant and packaging helper. The things she can do. I normally just take her shopping for what she wants (she's on SSI and can't have that added income just yet). But if I do a show and she is helping I pay in her cash $10.00 an hour, just over minimum wage here. 
Tam


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I really like the sales percentage idea. I think that's a good motivation for selling more, plus I wouldn't have to keep track of hours or anything. I'll see what she thinks of that.


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

If you want to be "legal", you'll want to hire her as contract labor and not an employee (unless you want to pay taxes and workers comp for her). That means she does things on a percentage or on a per item. Not on an hourly basis. 

PJ


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks PJ, I'll look into that.


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

Contract labor can work up to $600 per year and you don't have to do anything. After $600 you issue them a 1099, but you don't have to pay any taxes on them. Much better than hiring employees for a growing business! 

PJ


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