How to Start Your Own Candle Business
Over the years people have started their own candle business in many different ways and for many different reasons. For some, the candle business may have grown out of a hobby they enjoyed, for others it may be because of the loss of a job. Or perhaps it stemmed from the desire to start a company and finding through research what a great business the candle industry can be.According to the National Candle Association, 7 out of 10 households burn candles. Talk about a great opportunity! If 70% of prospective people desire your product, you are off to a great start. The key is starting your candle business off right, so that you give it the best opportunity to succeed.Finding the proper way to start your candle business is always difficult. If your business started as a hobby you probably have mastered the candle making side of things, but you may not know how to run a business. If you researched a business and how to start a business you probably have never made a candle. The key, no matter where you are starting from, is to do as much research as possible on both subjects. Running a candle business requires you to serve many functions, especially in the beginning. You are the Production Supervisor, Salesman, Marketing Director and Accounting Manager.If you have already done the research on how to start your business, then the Candlewic website is the perfect resource for learning how to make the candles. To get started, it is always recommended to keep things simple. Focus on a single type of line, i.e. containers or pillars. This way, the inventory of your waxes is kept to a minimum and you are not trying to learn a number of different techniques and processes. The Candlewic site has an excellent video on making soy wax candles(LINK)If Soy is not your cup of tea, it is still worth watching this video to learn the basics of the candle making process. Here is another excellent video on how to go about choosing the proper wax for you(LINK).If you still have some unanswered questions after reviewing these videos, let our friend and resident expert Chandler help you out.
Chandler can help you get started no matter what type of candle you want to make. The step by step process can be great for learning to make pillar, votives and other natural wax candles. Another great site to learn as much as possible about making candles would be:
Without a doubt, one of the best resources to be found is ALL the back issues of our Newsletters. We have covered a wide range of subjects related to candle making and we strongly encourage you to read as many of these as possible:If you are looking to take the first step, be sure to download our catalog to see all of the items you need to make candles. The National Candle Association estimates the candle business to gross over 2 billion annually. Many opportunities exist out there to grow your business.The actual starting of a business will require you to use multiple sources to get all of the information you will need. Unfortunately, one of the hardest realities in today’s business climate is that before you sell your first candle you must be sure to have some type of insurance. Sometimes a homeowner’s policy can cover you if you do it as a “craft” or “hobby business.” The requirements vary from state to state, so start researching this very important topic.One of your most valued resources can be the Small Business Association (SBA), which covers many topics on starting a business.One of the great unknown resources we have written about before to help get guidance on starting or running a business is an organization called SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). This non-profit organization consists of retired executives who will meet with you to discuss starting your business, or if you have already started one, how to effectively grow your business. They offer a wide range of effective free services, such as one on one meetings, online email counseling and local workshops. The network they employ has a wide range of expertise with their membership. They also have an excellent website which provides most things you will need to know about starting and running a business. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to make sure they have a good starting point for their business. For more information on SCORE be sure to check out their website.The key to starting and growing any business is to get as many people involved in your research as possible, so you completely understand what you may be getting involved with
