How to Sell CBD Oil from Home – Complete Guide

Introduction

The Cannabidiol (CBD) industry is projected to be worth 20 billion dollars by 2024. That is a lot for an industry that only exploded into the mainstream a few years back. It’s incredible, really. The rise of the industry has caught the eye of many, who have looked to start their own online CBD business. That is not nearly as easy as it seems, though.

Several factors and steps have to be optimized before the dream of a successful online CBD business can be turned into reality. This is what this article targets, with a comprehensive guide on starting and nurturing a successful online CBD business.

Let’s get started!

What is CBD?

CBD is an acronym for Cannabidiol and is derived from the cannabis plant. Cannabis contains compounds known as cannabinoids. There are more than 100 different cannabinoids in cannabis, and CBD is one of them.

While you may not be particularly fond of CBD, the chances that you have heard of its close relative, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is high. Yes, the same THC responsible for the “high” feeling many people get when they take marijuana.

CBD is not the same as THC, though. In fact, some people refer to CBD as “cannabis without THC.” That’s grossly oversimplified, but we have to admit that definition works. CBD is not psychoactive and will not give the same high, intoxicating feeling cannabis will give. This is because CBD products don’t contain THC. Well, CBD products can still contain THC, but in very minute amounts, that is not more than 0.3%.

Tetrahydrocannabinol is illegal in many areas of the world, including the United States, limiting its sale. However, CBD is widely legalized across the country, although there are still certain restrictions regarding the marketing of CBD products.

Unlike other cannabis products, people typically take CBD products for their medical benefits. It has been claimed that CBD can be used to relieve pain and anxiety.

CBD Products and Niches

CBD comes in many different forms and products. There are oils, capsules, edibles, vape concentrates, isolates, patches, etc. One form is not necessarily better than the other and depends on your target audience. For example, selling CBD capsules to older adults is tricky, as many of them may have swallowing difficulties. Adults will generally prefer taking oils or CBD tinctures. On the other hand, if your target audience is quite young, you may have better luck with edibles and vape concentrates over capsules. This article will focus on how you can sell CBD oil from home.

There are also different niches you can specialize in. One of the fast-rising niches today is CBD for pets. More and more vet doctors are prescribing CBD products for pets, which, as you would expect, is increasing the demand for CBD pet products.

You may choose to specialize in a broad or specific niche. By broad niches, we mean products that can be used for different purposes. A more specific niche involves products with minimal use. It is usually easier to get products in broad niches, but the competition is higher. Finding a market or suppliers in specific niches isn’t as easy, but there’s lower competition.

Legal Implications of Selling CBD from Home

Perhaps the most important recent development in the legalization of CBD is the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the commercial production of hemp in the United States. This law essentially allows manufacturers to grow industrial hemp and legally sell CBD products in the United States. This seems straightforward enough, right? Well, not quite.

Although selling CBD products is legal, the products must not contain more than 0.3% THC. Anything over that threshold will be regarded as a marijuana product and held to the same legal regulations binding the manufacture and sale of marijuana. Spoiler alert – the marijuana regulations are ridiculously strict.

Therefore, before you sell CBD oil from home or anywhere else, you must ensure the products do not contain more than 0.3% THC. We cannot possibly overstate this, as the FDA strongly frowns on the sale of marijuana marketed as CBD.

All of that is at the federal level of the country. The story is more complicated at the state level. There are things that you can do in some states without anyone batting an eye that will get you arrested in other states.

Some states will allow for the sale of marijuana-produced CBD products, while some states only allow CBD products from industrial hemp sources. Also, there are differences in what states allow regarding recreational use of marijuana-produced CBD products. The majority of states in the United States allow marijuana-produced CBD products only for medical use.

The point we are trying to make is how critical it is to check with state authorities about the legality of a product before selling and marketing it. Making wrong claims about the CBD products you are selling can get your business shut down, and even worse, attract serious legal suits for yourself.

How to Sell CBD Oil from Home – Getting Started

Not everyone who tries to sell CBD oil from home will ultimately succeed. We have noticed from experience the hasty nature of many young sellers and marketers. They are so eager to start selling that they neglect the fundamentals. That rarely ends well.

Before you can sell CBD oil from home, you have to consider a few important areas. Don’t omit this stage of the process, as it can spell the difference between the success and failure of your business. Some of these areas are:

1. Choose your niche

This step should be one of the first you take when getting started. It is very critical to the eventual success of your business, making it all the more surprising that many ignore it. You can’t just decide to “figure it as you go” or “cross the bridge when you reach there.” A lot of planning and research has to go into the niche you want to specialize in.

Consider your location, the demographic, your target audience, and what the product aims at solving before choosing a niche. Additionally, when starting out, you should focus on just one niche for maximum attention and have a sense of direction. You can diversify later.

2. Obtain relevant licenses and requirements

Many people who want to sell CBD oil from home believe that many of the regular requirements for forming a business do not concern them. We don’t know where this idea came from, but it couldn’t be more wrong.

Your online business is still a business, and there are still licenses you need to get before you can be authorized to sell CBD oil from home. Common examples are business and resale licenses. The licenses and requirements you need to sell CBD oil from home may differ from state to state, so don’t forget to contact your local and state government authorities for clarity.

3. Consider the legal regulations of the state

Let’s be frank with you. Starting a CBD business and nurturing it to maturity is quite challenging. Meanwhile, tearing down an established business is a breeze. Neglecting legal regulations is perhaps the fastest to get your business shut down. If you’re unlucky, regulatory authorities will pursue lawsuits. You may even end up in jail.

The FDA strongly frowns at improper manufacture, packaging, and marketing of CBD products. This makes sense considering how easy it is to incorporate THC into CBD products, effectively turning them into marijuana products. In light of that, check with your state and local bodies to ensure all your actions are protected by law.

4. Get a certified supplier or manufacturer

Most people that want to sell CBD oil from home are not willing or even able to manufacture the products they want to sell. There’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, it is an excellent way to minimize financial risks.

However, you need a trustworthy and quality supplier or manufacturer. Get reviews about the manufacturers and suppliers from businesses they work with or have worked with. This step is crucial before you start to sell CBD oil from home, as many consumers will associate the products with your brand.

In other words, if the manufacturers screw up, consumers will take it as you screwing up and will be discouraged from patronizing you. Trust us; your customers would not be a tad bit interested in the blame game you may be playing with your manufacturer when screw-ups happen.

5. Build your website

Well, of course! You want to sell CBD oil from home, which means you will be very much relying on online tools for the proper marketing and sale of products. While you may not have a physical shop, a website serves as your online shop. It goes without saying that it needs to be functional and welcoming.

You don’t have to overspend on a website, but it must be top-notch. You need the best developers to handle the task, and we know just the right people!

Selling CBD Oil Online

Now that the opening formalities are out of the way, let’s consider the actual selling of the products. The steps below will assist in the sale of CBD oil products.

• Continually build your brand

Your brand is your selling point. You need to build and develop a brand for your business continually. Give customers something they can connect and relate with. If you get your brand right, the chances of making tons of profit is a lot higher.

• Market your products

Well, this just makes sense. How can you expect to sell CBD oil from home if no one knows you sell CBD oil from home? You need to market your products and widen your audience properly. This task may look daunting at the start, considering the already established players in the industry. However, with the right strategies, you can get your business to the top of the summit – where it belongs.

When marketing, take extra care not to lie about the product’s benefits. Only say what you are sure of and what you can legally say. Also, be careful when marketing on online platforms as they usually have all sorts of regulations and restrictions on CBD products marketing.

• Use the right platforms

Since you will sell CBD oil from home, you will have to rely a lot on online platforms to do the marketing, advertising, and even actual selling for you. Many platforms can help out with this, and you just have to make sure you use the right ones.

For example, social media platforms are great sites for online marketing. However, you need to know which platforms to focus on, considering your target audience. If your target audience is older adults, you will have more luck marketing products on Facebook than on Instagram. However, if you are appealing to a younger audience, you may want to consider Instagram and Twitter.

In short, find the platform that suits you best and maximize it.

• Develop a proper customer service system

Have you ever been a victim of horrible customer service? We have, and we hated it. Everyone does. You must not make the mistake of a poor customer service network, especially when starting your business.

Instil into your customer service system the values and principles of your business brand. This is one area where you cannot afford to make mistakes. Wrong information travels faster than correct information. You can do 100 good things and no one cares, but everyone loses their mind over just one bad thing. Therefore, you need to have an effective system for controlling and managing customer grievances and challenges.

Challenges of Selling CBD Oil from Home

Like every other business, the CBD online business has its challenges. Knowing these challenges is the first step to handling and dealing with them.

1. Capital

Although not as much as physical businesses, you still need a considerable amount of money to sell CBD oil from home. The bulk of the money will go into branding, licensure, website development and management, and advertisement. Sourcing for capital can be pretty challenging because of the reluctance of many lenders and financial institutions to invest in the CBD industry.

2. Advertising

Advertising your CBD oil products is tricky. You have to be extremely sure what you say is acceptable by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Even if you say the right things, there is always the chance the platform you are advertising on will not support it. This is very common on social media platforms, usually having strict regulations on the marketing of CBD products.

3. Insurance

Like capital, insurance is difficult to sort out in the CBD industry because many insurance companies simply aren’t convinced by the prospects of the CBD industry to invest in it. Nonetheless, you have to find a good one so you don’t bear all the financial risks of the business.

4. Standing out

Although the competition in the CBD industry is not out of the ordinary (yet), businesses still have a problem standing out among other cannabis businesses. Many people automatically lump CBD businesses with cannabis businesses, which usually affects CBD businesses more as the perception of other cannabis products isn’t great.

Conclusion

Starting and nurturing any CBD business is hard, and even more so when it is an online CBD business. Although the potential for profits is very high, the actual realization of these profits doesn’t come that easy. There are several steps that sellers have to take to guide them to their desired state of business. Also, sellers need to be aware of challenges before dipping both their feet in the water.

In this article, we have highlighted these steps and challenges on the way of sellers, with the ultimate aim of reaching the desired state of the business. That’s not all we are good for, though!

At Digital Octane, we provide outstanding CBD website design and development services and advice and support for CBD startup businesses.