This is a question posed when I decided I wanted to create a candle business. The short answer is well there isn’t one. The way someone runs their business is completely up to them. But the answers that I found were varying.
On a Facebook page someone said they hadn’t made Any money until two years into the business. She was lucky that she had her husband support her while she did it.
Personally I haven’t made any money doing this. You probably wonder why I bother. Well I've chosen to start small and part of doing that is just maintaining the candle making as a hobby, where I spend the amount I need to for supplies, and sell them at the same price it cost me to buy materials and not paying myself for the time it takes to make the candles.
You are probably still wondering – which is fine. But I work full-time and this is just supposed to be my side hustle. I want to make money eventually but it isn’t the goal. The goal is to refine the process and then scale up as I get better at making candles, have regular stockists and a scent range that suits my style and what I think is missing from the candle market. I really am thinking that im happy ive done this because it gives me a chance to play around with my tastes and other peoples preferences before I commit to any one scent type, candle jar, supplier, or even stockiest. I’m feeling the market, learning, getting to know my craft and enjoying the process as opposed to chasing profit. I’m keeping money in the mind – don’t you worry, im just taking my time with it and not diving into it all head first, otherwise that’ll take the fun out of it.
The other reason why Im not so worried about money was because this was supposed to be an exercise for me to retrain my brain and learn a new skill. I had been on some pretty heavy medication after I had a mental health episode and I wanted to get creative and do something different. So on top of recovery and working and being a mum, I want to make sure that I am enjoying candle making before I think about money otherwise I may as well call it another job, and who wants to keep working? I’d much rather just go with the flow. But if you did want to make money with candles heres what you do
Learn the craft
Learn how to actually make a candle. I suggest buying a candle kit and looking at the instructions so you get a feel for it. Look up candle science and other candle makers on youtube to figure out the different ways to make candles and how to troubleshoot them if anything goes wrong
Buy cheap supplies
Don’t go over board with buying ingredients and use second hand items to melt your wax in. You can buy cheap candle jars online through candle supply stores online
Calculate your candle materials before you buy them
Make sure you are looking at your candle recipe and buying what you need for a batch of candles.
Make and sell one batch at a time
Sell in bulk lots so you make your money back quickly
Pay yourself
Pay yourself for the time it takes to make a batch of candles – this can be any amount you choose! Know your worth.
Look for stockists
Find places that will compliment your candles that you can sell your candles in and establish a wholesale and retail price based on your cost of materials and time it took you to make them
Fragrances
Choose a variety of fragrances that speak to you or that a different to what is already out available, you can also make your own custom blends.
Labelling
Do your own labelling, over time this can be expensive if you get them professionally done. Buy a printer and find an app to make your labels on with your business name and logo. You will also need to have warning labels you can either make yourself or buy premade. The label should also include the net weight of the candle scent type and burning time.
Seek advice
Seek advice from other creatives and candle makers and accountants, join facebook groups, and watch you tube channels to better help you understand what you are doing and answer any burning questions (pun intended) along the way.
