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Written by Bob Sherman
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Tuesday, 28 November 2006 |
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Word Count: 602 Candle Making As A Business
In these difficult economic times with companies cutting back, out sourcing,
and scaling down many people are being forced to take lower paying jobs to make
ends meet, or even worse having difficulty finding any job they are qualified
for.
One area that has been popular among those looking to augment their reduced
income or even replace their entire income after being laid off has been candle
making. At first this trend began with hobbyists because the line between candle
hobbyist and candle business is easily blurred. But now there many folks
entering candle making that have no interest in it as a hobby.
Candle making as a business has much to be said for it - you are your own boss,
you can be creative, make your own hours, and best of all you are out of the
corporate rat race. It also has its difficulties - you will work harder than you
would as someone’s employee, success or failure rests on your own shoulders.
The first step in entering the candle business is learning to make good candles.
Although it is easily learned, candle making is far more complex than most
people realize. Those who think it is just melting wax and pouring it into a
mold with a wick are in for a rude awakening. It is vital to make good candles
if you want to succeed in this business. Do some research, buy a good book or
two, or even take a course such as those offered at Artisanschool.com
Next, practice. When you are done, practice some more. Test burn and give away
as many candles as possible. But request honest feedback, because it’s important
to know what others think of your products. Never sell a single candle until you
are sure it is as good as you can make it because it takes 10 satisfied
customers to offset the damage to your business done by one dissatisfied
customer (unhappy customers talk about it to friends much more than happy
customers).
Specialize - Select one type of candle and do it well. This is called niche
marketing and for a start up candle business, is the best way to go. You will
not be able to produce or supply a vast product line so don’t try. Select a
small segment of the candle market and try to dominate it. Preferably this niche
will be something large manufacturers can’t or won’t make. Trying to compete
with huge manufacturers or cheap imports is a recipe for failure.
Marketing is an area where you can get really creative. Popular marketing
strategies include word of mouth, craft fairs, home parties, open houses, web
site, and fund raisers to name a few. A retail storefront is also within range
of those who desire a full time business, but has greatly increased overhead
making it that much harder to turn a profit. Don’t limit yourself to common
marketing strategies since creative marketing may sell far more candles.
Scented candles are the largest portion of the market and the easiest candles to
sell in most cases. Your scented candles should have a strong scent throw when
burning or you will not get much repeat business.
Summary
Learn (How to make good candles)
Practice
Choose (a niche market)
Market creatively
Bob Sherman is the author of Candle Making, From Beginner To Expert, Candle
Marketing, several e-books, and hundreds of candle making project articles. He
has over 35 years of experience and is the tech support expert at
onestopcandle.com
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