Potions for Trade & Profit

"Sure, there are other places that make their own potions now; pretty much most of the bigger towns have a potions factory. But we're the ones that showed it could be done!"

— Wres Kirnt, CEO of Potent Potions 

History & Usage

History

Potions have been made through history, but it was only when settlements began needed potions in large enough numbers that the crafters couldn't keep up that the idea of a potions company was entertained. A shrewd witch realized that xe could either continue burning xemself out making all of the potions xyr community wanted, or xe could hire others, teach them how to copy the potions xe had created, and have weekends off. 
In 1742, Binara Wright created the first ever potion copying business. Xe didn't try to craft new potions, but xe hired twelve people who didn't have the ability to invent, gave them jobs at decent wages, and taught them xyr potions. Xe was the leader of the industrialized potion movement. 
Because of how xyr business was integrated into society, others soon sprang up, and about fifty years after xe opened xyr first business, another shrewd business being, Mirt Xedsa, began the first potion R&D business (which exploded into ruin three years later).

Cultural Significance and Usage

The significance of creating a potion-making houses sent waves into the culture. People started seeing that potions could (and should) be well known to the buyers. The government and better brewer business came together to make sure there were inspections of potion-copying businesses, that the businesses and potions had standards to be held to, and that the public had a right to know how potions were made, the effects they had, etc. This one idea brought about several other businesses and services.
In addition, the number of people who bought and used potions grew. Now that there was no stigma of buying "backwater alley waste" (not when all the ingredients were listed)

Refinement

Most items used in potions need to be refined in very specific ways, which is part of what the business is supposed to do. There are people that will: cut, chop, chip, slice, stuff, sliver, mash, extract pulp, and perform the various 101 ways that ingredients are created.  
The reason that many businesses now continue to focus on a select list of potions is because buying al of the ingredients, preparing the ingredient, and bottling the potion takes time, money, and needs to be refinanced by the selling of potions. This is why there are still craft masters that sell individual potions and businesses have decided to focused on.

Manufacturing & Products

Many manufacturers choose a business model and focus on that. Listed below are three of the most common ways a business usually makes and sells potions:

1. Buy Cheap, Sell at Markup: in this case the ingredients are bought cheaply (such as using bruised oranges if orange pulp or juice is called for), and the most common potions are sold at a slight markup in price.
2. Rare Focus: the ingredients bought are rare and hard to find, therefore, only high-level crafters can make this, and the resulting potions area sold at an expensive rate. 
3. Common Ingredients: cheap or expensive, only ingredients which can be used in several potions can be used, so there is no waste of "one of a kind" items. 

Byproducts & Sideproducts

Many potion businesses do product byproducts, such as orange peels in the case when only pulp or orange juice is called for by the potion they're making. Because of these, many of the companies will partner with other places in the community; compost companies, perfume companies, etc. are happy to either split the cost to get materials that they need too, or even to pay less than market price for the items they need so they don't have to worry about byproduct as well. 
As for side products, potions tend not to have any. They are made for specific purposes, and watering them down or strengthening them (without research conducted), is the quickest way to waste money and supplies since the potion will either stop working or it will cause more problems for the person consuming the item.

Hazards

Depending on the potions being made, there are many different hazards to watch out for during the refinement process. The most basic worries are machinery based. Taking again the example of oranges, to get juice they need to be mash; to get pulp they need to be mashed and cut open. This means there is a chance a worker can be caught in the machinery. There are also the additional hazards of electrocution, hypothermia, and heatstroke. If a being works for a potions factory, it's required to have medical insurance (either through the company or not in the case of work pertaining to a potion R&D department, an employee's file needs to have a last will and testament, and the document needs to be updated (or signed that no updates are needed) on a monthly basis. 
Due to the hazards one my encounter, potion businesses require employees to wear safety gear. These requirements may be more or less specific depending on which company a being is working for since making different potions require having different types protection.

Environmental Impact

Like most other companies, there can be a large environmental impact. Washing leads to plenty of grey water, excess heat and cold need to be vented at specific times, and then there is the question of what to do with byproduct waste that can't be sold or given to another company. The average potions company tends to reuse their storage containers and hire/use electric vehicles for their transportation needs.

Reusability & Recycling

Most potion bottles can be reused, but there are several potions that "cling" as residue. With this in mind, a spell castor made a type of clinging material that is activated by spell. It stays attached to the material until the potion is completely used, makes the information about the potion accessible, and can be reused after being sent back to the company that spelled it in the first place (not the potion creator).

Distribution

Trade & Market

There are different types of potions sold on the market. Some potions are sold at slight markups to individual customers, some are sold to the community at a big enough discount that usually there's no profit (hospital, prisons, etc.), others are sold to businesses for a profit that makes up any previously given discounts. This can all be done in town, or exported to other places as well. 
Currently, Potent Potions is the leader of potions manufacturing. They also have a large enough R&D department that they usually come out with a new potion every other year. They were a small company made up of people who split from Portable Potions, a logistics company that shipped potions across the country.

Storage

Potions, depending on what's in them, need to be stored in different ways. There are some that need to be refrigerated, others that require light, some that require darkness. The good thing about logistics of transportation is that most potions can be placed in a crate that has the technology to do what's required (light, dark, cold, heat, etc.). Thankfully, since potions are made at the factory from items, there is no need to pressurize tanks.

Law & Regulation

While there are enough laws to satisfy ten lawyers, there are several basic laws regarding potions known as the 5 Laws to Distribute Potions (different from the 5 Laws to Craft Potions):

1. Potions must have clearly labeled effects and side effects that are accessible for all consumers.
2. Potions sold to community services (hospitals, prisons, etc.) must be in bottles marked as such.
3. Potions cannot be sold to individual consumers above a 5% profit rate.
4. Potions cannot be sold to minors under the age of 15 (ID must be checked).
5. Potions cannot be made/sold that "force a subjective lifestyle change."