#2 KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO COST $$$

Melanie Jane, at The Scent Academy, an online perfume training platform.

When you consider the start-up costs of creating your own perfume brand, there are many variables. Raw materials cost between €50 to €50,000 a kilo and many suppliers have a minimum order quantity of 1-25kg.

You can find suppliers that have smaller MOQs, but those materials are going to cost more in the long run if you're buying 10 ml of each one, and you're going to run out quickly. Don't forget to factor in shipping costs too.

How many materials will you need to purchase?

My starter kit, La Petite Parfumerie, has 63 high quality raw materials, and that's just for starters. Depending on how many synthetics you want to use in your fragrance, you'll need a lot more than that.

Then you’ll need the base, which is the alcohol or oil, if you're making perfume oils. The right alcohol is hard to find, and you must use the right oil that doesn’t make your perfume rancid. Jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil are the best choices for a longer shelf life.

READ THE POST ABOUT CHOOSING ALCOHOL

Or watch the video on YouTube

Don't forget the receptacles to put your perfumes in. You must invest in quality bottles and caps. Sure, you can buy cheap bottles, but will they be defective after a couple of sprays? You don’t need BLING. You can keep it simple, as long as you have quality.

How are you going to package those bottles? Will you put them in boxes or aluminium tins or perhaps custom-made bags?

The perfumery industry is notorious for the packaging costing more than the ‘jus’ itself.

'Jus' or juice is the industry term for the neat fragrance blend.

Design is a key aspect too, not just your logo but your packaging. Then you need labels. You can't just use any old ink and paper from your printer. Will you have traditional stickers, screen printing, engraving or plates?

Speaking of design, you’ll need a website to be credible, and so your customers can find you. There are many to choose from, personally I use Wix. I've been designing my own sites for the last 10 years, it's easier than you think, and you can update your own info whenever you like instead of relying on a designer or developer to do it. (This is good in the early stages, but as you scale up you'll want a professional to do the updates as you won't have the time).