Candle Making Business

Is Starting a Candle Making Business Right For You?

Many people love to make candles or other crafts as a hobby who wouldn’t do well having it as a full time career. You must really love candles, so much that you won’t mind making candles all day, every day if it comes to that in order to fill orders.

You have to be financially able and willing to make samples to take pictures of for your website, or to make enough candles to keep stock for selling at craft shows and fairs. You will have to have a place in your home or elsewhere to store these finished candles so they won’t melt or lose all their scent in the heat.

You have to be willing to travel to these fairs and events, to seek them out and market yourself as a person who should be invited to these shows, if they are by invitation only. You need to be willing and able to pay any fees associated with being a part of craft shows, and energetic enough to sell enough product to make up for the cost of materials, travel and fees.

In summary, you’d be good at running a small candle making business if you are:

• creative
• self-motivated
• outgoing
• a people-person
• at least somewhat financially secure (six months to a year of savings in the bank, a second income in the family, etc.)
• business savvy (able to keep track of expenses, price items, file taxes, be aware of legal issues, etc.)

If you have any question as to whether you are up for starting your own home-based business consult a friend who works at home, a lawyer or an accountant (or all three). You might also seek out your local small business development office for advice on how to go about setting up your own business, including any local regulations you need to follow or permits you need to buy.

Setting Up

If you are serious about setting up a candle making business, or any other kind of crafty business, it pays to be cautious in the beginning. Keep your day job if you have one, sell to family and friends and at small shows on the weekends before devoting a lot of time, money and energy marketing your candle making business.

If you find that you enjoy working professionally with your craft and start making money from it, invest that money in your business by building up your inventory or starting a website.

Eventually you will find the time is right to take your business to the next level. When you have accumulated enough savings that you feel comfortable working on your business full time and you have sufficient business to bring in some regular money, you might want to quit your day job or start working part-time so you can devote more time to your business. Or you might want to keep your candle making business as a side project that brings in money you can use to build your savings or for a vacation.

The key to success in any crafty business, is having regular clients who buy from you. This could mean you need to get your product into some local gift stores so you can sell more and more regularly, or simply that you have a few big craft fairs you attend each year where you can be assured you will sell out of all the stock you bring.

Finding these opportunities takes hard work and salesmanship, but it is critical to your success. You can also sell your products online, through your own website or a crafts portal where many people sell their handmade wares. Or you can set up a store on eBay or another auction site. There are many possibilities.

Resources for Your Candle Making Business

• Candle Business Corner is full of information on setting up your candle making business, marketing, making high-quality products and much more. This is a one-stop shop for setting up your candle making business.
• Candle Cauldron has recipes, tips for throwing candle parties, formulas for figuring candle burn times and many other tricks of the trade.
• The International Guild of Candle Artisans offers information, a gallery of amazing candles, safety tips and a suppliers index.
• The National Candle Association is a wonderful membership organization devoted to the art and safe use of candles in the home.

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