Recently, a strictly-for-fun candle maker got in touch with us via our blog and let us know that she makes candles for friends all the time and that she’s constantly being told to start her own candle making business. This entrepreneurial candle maker wanted to know how to get started.

Our advice to her went as follows:

Thanks so much for touching base on our blog. Many people have traveled down the same road – making candles at home for themselves, then for family and friends, and lo and behold after receiving positive feedback, they end up selling them to make money in the process. Going into business can manifest itself in many ways. You can make a few candles and sell them at a flea market or to friends and neighbors. You can do fundraisers with local schools/sport teams/dance schools. etc.., which are very popular and lucrative means of growing a business, or you can become a manufacturer and sell candles on-line, through retail shops, as a wholesale supplier, or through rep firms. Many people start small and almost stumble into a “business” by following one or more of these paths.

If you wish to expand your hobby into a business, you really need to think the process through and decide how big and how many headaches you want to tackle. Do you want to do this yourself or hire employees? Are you going to work from your home or set up shop in a rented or purchased facility? Will you make small batches, similar to what you probably do now, or invest in large production melters, filling and labeling equipment? Many things to think about! The cool part is that whatever your future plans may entail, the process of producing a quality candle is basically the same. The challenge comes in being able to control quality and production, with yourself or others, as you increase the volume of candles so that you can assure your customers that they will get the same smell and color in your candle each and every time. If you can master this, it will be your greatest selling point and eliminate your largest headache and time waster that may otherwise keep you from running a successful business.

The Candlemaker’s Store services all levels of candle makers from the occasional hobbiest to mid-sized and large candle manufacturers with our extensive offering of candle making supplies and volume price points to allow you to select the appropriate quantity price point to maximize your buying opportunity to reduce and control costs in these difficult economic times.

We wish you the best of luck in your decision making process and whatever path you may choose in the future and please let us know if we can help in any way possible.

Thanks so much,

The Candlemaker’s Store

Our best advice to amateur candle makers considering turning pro is to first come up with a plan of attack. Like any business endeavor, starting your own candle making business takes considerable thought and preparation.