Candle Bussiness Help

[davidmyless]

Hi. I am 22 and I am looking to start a candle-making business one of the things I was wondering about is at what point should I buy a big candle wax Melter? Also, how would I reach out to a company to make a healthy relationship with them.

 

[japancool]

This sounds awfully familiar.

Also, how would I reach out to a company to make a healthy relationship with them.

You pick up the phone and talk to them.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It's a crowded market, so I suggest you start at home using as cheap items as possible and try to sell them, if it works you can think of bigger things but I guess making them is by far thee easiest part, selling them to non friends will be the very hard part

 

[WaveJumper]

Think I would wait until the day before I needed to make any candles best to leave it right to the last minute then panic.

My son's unit used to be owned by someone who sold those Yankee candles still smells of candle wax even today.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

making them is by far thee easiest part, selling them to non friends will be the very hard part

This. There must be thousands of people in the country having a stab at wax melts and candles.

I know two people that have done it. My sister actually tried briefly and had some really nice branding done and some unusual scents and in particular tried the route of giving detailed back stories to her scents - like these recipe pages where you have to read 15 paragraphs about how somebody developed their love for a particular recipe as a baby whilst living in the outer hebrides blah blah blah....hers was the same with scents of seville oranges inspired by growing up in our grandparents holiday home in Spain, etc. Anyway, after the inevitable flurry of orders from our various family whatsapp groups she couldn't get any further with it. More to the point, she said the whole process was incredibly tedious and boring - she hated actually making them!

Another friend also does them but they just pop-up around Christmas time, mothers day, valentines day and that's about it. They'll have a big push then to make gifts and candle gift sets etc and they do OK as a bit of pocket money a few times a year (again probably all to the same friends and family to be honest!) but outside of these periods they said it just wasn't worth bothering.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi David, Home Fragrance is the biggest section of our turnover.

We started by using a local lady making them at home but found her unreliable and the product often inconsistent and her costs meant our margin was low.

We then discovered a company who has been making them since 1899 and have not looked back. We sell their products to UK, France and USA.

It is a market flooded by home producers. Just spend some time on Twitter and they have Etsy shops galore.

Yes you will need every tool you can to get costs down, but first you need to see how you would be different to all the others. Also you need to have decent packaging and lots of marketing.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

@davidmyless Before committing to anything, please prepare a basic business plan.

Understand how much you can make with the hardware and how much you would need to sell to recover the costs and, more importantly, make a living.

 

[Siwajuscents]

Hi. I am 22 and I am looking to start a candle-making business one of the things I was wondering about is at what point should I buy a big candle wax Melter? Also, how would I reach out to a company to make a healthy relationship with them.

Hi I started selling candles, diffuser and waxmelts about a year ago now, I started on Etsy and now have my own website. I average about 10 - 15 sales a month ( so still very small at the moment but i am able to balance it around my full time job) I still have not invested in a wax melter yet. I would suggest waiting till you have constant sales before investing in a one as you want to make sure you get value for your money. You want to make sure it is not sitting being underutilized. As for building a relationship i would suggest sending an email to the wholesaler you are interested in working with to discuss your needs

 

[Socio South West]

Hi I started selling candles, diffuser and waxmelts about a year ago now, I started on Etsy and now have my own website. I average about 10 - 15 sales a month ( so still very small at the moment but i am able to balance it around my full time job) I still have not invested in a wax melter yet. I would suggest waiting till you have constant sales before investing in a one as you want to make sure you get value for your money. You want to make sure it is not sitting being underutilized. As for building a relationship i would suggest sending an email to the wholesaler you are interested in working with to discuss your needs

Good advice from a competitor there @davidmyless

 

[MBE2017]

Recently bought a candle from a small local maker, they have been going for ten years, small workshop and retail unit, in a very busy village in a high turnover tourist area.

The owner is driving a 53 reg Fiat Panda, and looking around even with internet sales and ten years of clients, plus thousands visiting their unit each year, it is no more than a hobby business, something to just keep them active.

I think there are much easier businesses to start.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

Wow! now that's a lot of negative responses. Way to knock a 22 year old down UKBF.

I understand being realistic but some responses on here can just be completely soul destroying.

Yes what everyone is true but if everyone thought like that then nothing would ever evolve. All it takes is to come up with a new and interesting concept for a candle or some unique scents and you could be well away.

Especially if you go down a subscription based setup. The nice thing about candles is, they burn and perish. Therefore candle lovers will keep coming back.

You don't actually need thousands of customers, just a decent regular subscriber based. Even at an achievable 300 subscribers with a £5 profit margin would make you a tidy £1,500 p/m. Add some unique sales and maybe a few b2b orders and you've got yourself a tidy little business.

My wife during lockdown started making candles just as a hobby. I won't give her secret away but she came up with a very simple, yet unique twist on the traditional candle. Without too much effort at all, mainly word of mouth on Facebook she was shifting about 20 a day. Gave it up when we had our son last October but she was amazed how something that was essentially just something to do during lockdown very quickly became a bit of a money earner for her.

 

[Picture Bute]

Wow! now that's a lot of negative responses. Way to knock a 22 year old down UKBF.

I understand being realistic but some responses on here can just be completely soul destroying.

Yes what everyone is true but if everyone thought like that then nothing would ever evolve. All it takes is to come up with a new and interesting concept for a candle or some unique scents and you could be well away.

Especially if you go down a subscription based setup. The nice thing about candles is, they burn and perish. Therefore candle lovers will keep coming back.

You don't actually need thousands of customers, just a decent regular subscriber based. Even at an achievable 300 subscribers with a £5 profit margin would make you a tidy £1,500 p/m. Add some unique sales and maybe a few b2b orders and you've got yourself a tidy little business.

My wife during lockdown started making candles just as a hobby. I won't give her secret away but she came up with a very simple, yet unique twist on the traditional candle. Without too much effort at all, mainly word of mouth on Facebook she was shifting about 20 a day. Gave it up when we had our son last October but she was amazed how something that was essentially just something to do during lockdown very quickly became a bit of a money earner for her.

My daughter did something similar during lockdown and made loads via Facebook and Instagram, but it completely died on its arse when the lockdowns ended. I was selling about 1000 printed mugs a month during lockdown, but again, that ended when lockdowns did. During lockdown, people had nothing to do and just bought anything and everything.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

A big wax melter looks to be about £300?

 

[MOIC]

Have an ethical and sustainable approach by using the following:

• Natural ingredients only
• Soy wax
• Hemp wicks
• Containers from recycled materials
• Biodegradable packaging.
• Target vegans

Cater for a niche market.

Visit craft markets, local boot fairs, related exhibitions.

Good luck.

 

[Scottishgifts4u]

I think you’re simplifying the market if you expect ‘one company’ to be your target.

As it’s been said, getting regular sales is going to be the difficult bit. The last gift trade show I was at there were dozens of people selling candles.

Whether you want to invest thousands of pounds in a stall to an event like this is doubtful. Your market should be small shops, craft fairs and markets.

If you haven’t gone round all the suitable shops in your town/city/area personally and tried to persuade them to stock your products then do so before expecting a big company to swoop in and be your saviour.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

My daughter did something similar during lockdown and made loads via Facebook and Instagram, but it completely died on its arse when the lockdowns ended. I was selling about 1000 printed mugs a month during lockdown, but again, that ended when lockdowns did. During lockdown, people had nothing to do and just bought anything and everything.

How much of it dying on its arse though would due to lack of progression of the business and marketing because it was so easy during lockdown - no future planning was done.

As they say, "Anyone can sell an umbrella when it's raining".

If data was utilised, offers provided to existing customers and additional offers were put in place then I am sure your daughters sales would have undoubtedly dropped but not died on their arse.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

Have an ethical and sustainable approach by using the following:

• Natural ingredients only
• Soy wax
• Hemp wicks
• Containers from recycled materials
• Biodegradable packaging.
• Target vegans

Cater for a niche market.

Visit craft markets, local boot fairs, related exhibitions.

Good luck.

Couldn't agree more with everything you have said.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

I think you’re simplifying the market if you expect ‘one company’ to be your target.

As it’s been said, getting regular sales is going to be the difficult bit. The last gift trade show I was at there were dozens of people selling candles.

Whether you want to invest thousands of pounds in a stall to an event like this is doubtful. Your market should be small shops, craft fairs and markets.

If you haven’t gone round all the suitable shops in your town/city/area personally and tried to persuade them to stock your products then do so before expecting a big company to swoop in and be your saviour.

Sounds advice. I totally agree about the local fates and small shops that may sell them. I have seen a trend recently with stand alone coffee shops having little stands where they sell local products. Win-Win, likely generates a customers and they make a few quid from the sales.

 

[Picture Bute]

How much of it dying on its arse though would due to lack of progression of the business and marketing because it was so easy during lockdown - no future planning was done.

As they say, "Anyone can sell an umbrella when it's raining".

If data was utilised, offers provided to existing customers and additional offers were put in place then I am sure your daughters sales would have undoubtedly dropped but not died on their arse.

I'm not disagreeing with you on any of that. What I really meant was, the OP has probably seen people during lockdown making a financial success of selling candles, wax melts etc etc that can be easily made with a low barrier to entry. (Same can be said of vinyl cutting, sub printing etc). by the end of all the lockdowns there were far too many people doing all these kind of things. Some will survive and improve and grow, loads more wont.

 

[Adam Le Grand]

I'm not disagreeing with you on any of that. What I really meant was, the OP has probably seen people during lockdown making a financial success of selling candles, wax melts etc etc that can be easily made with a low barrier to entry. (Same can be said of vinyl cutting, sub printing etc). by the end of all the lockdowns there were far too many people doing all these kind of things. Some will survive and improve and grow, loads more wont.

I take you point. Funny your mention the vinyl cutting and sub printing. The company I work for is a Printers. We definitely saw an increase in all kinds of quirky processes over lockdown where people were clearly experimenting.

Oh and for anyone following my posts who maybe a little confused by me saying I work for a printers. I know I have also mentioned that I work for an eCommerce fulfilment company. Quite simply, the business started as a printing company 36 years ago but although we maintain the print arm of the business we have diversified into eCommerce fulfilment.

I can imagine people saying, "this guy just makes up what job he does depending on the post" haha!