Candle sales are estimated to be in billions of dollars every year, which means there is a lot of room for new businesses to step in and start a candle making business that is both fun and profitable.
It takes a relatively small investment to get started, and it’s a great way to express your creativity while delivering some very popular products.
Whether you’re going to sell directly to customers through your website or rely on resellers and boutiques and gift shops to display your creations, you’ll need to go through the same steps to get everything set up and ready to turn your hobbies and interests into a career.
1. Decide What Will Make Your Business Different
There is competition in any business, and the candle making industry is no different. So the first step in building your business is to determine your unique selling point so you can stand out from the crowd.
Are you going to be known for the most creative designs? High end containers? Unique scents? Are you providing the most affordable candles? Do you deliver every product in special packaging? Do you use a crazy naming scheme for your candles?
All of these elements create something memorable about your business, which is something you can build your brand on. So the first thing you need to do is decide what that brand is so you have a strong foundation moving forward.
2. Prepare for the Initial Costs
You can start a candle making business for a relatively small investment, and many people begin with just a few products and some raw materials. At the very least, though, you’ll need to invest in:
- Wax – Paraffin, gel, soy, beeswax, etc.
- Wicks
- Melters – Either a double boiler or more industrial-strength equipment
- Jars – Or other creative containers
- Molds
- Dyes
- Fragrances
- Packaging supplies
- Measuring instruments
- Marketing assets – Website, ads (online and off), social media, business cards, etc.
It can be a challenge to estimate how much of all this you’ll need at first. You never want to be caught with insufficient inventory, but you don’t want to sit on materials that aren’t selling, either. It will take a little experimentation, but over time you should be able to zero in on the best inventory levels.
3. Make Everything Nice and Legal
When people look into how to start a candle making business, this is inevitably the part that causes the most concern. What was a hobby is now a job, and if you’re making money from it, there are some legalities that need to be observed.
That doesn’t mean this part has to be too overwhelming, though, and you shouldn’t hesitate to get some professional help.
In general, though, it simply means taking care of a few things.
First, form your business as a legal entity. An LLC is a common choice, but so are sole proprietorships. It depends on the size of business you intend to form.
You will also need to register for taxes, because unfortunately, no one gets to run a business for free.
And, along those lines, there may be some licenses and permits you need to obtain, depending on your location.
4. Get Your Business Finances in Order
You can get started in this business for a relatively small investment, but you still need to have a plan for your finances.
This means first opening a business bank account to keep your personal finances separate from your business finances. Your accounting processes should also be set up before you start doing business. You need to make sure all your income and expenses are accounted for.
You should also look into business insurance, especially if your company grows to the point where you have employees helping you out.
5. Set Up a Safe and Efficient Workspace
This is particularly important if you’re starting your business in your home. Again, there may be a number of zoning laws that may require certain setups for safety reasons, especially since you’ll be working with a heat source to constantly melt your wax.
In general, though, you’ll need a space that is well-lit with enough space to set up an assembly line/assembly process. You’ll also need room for all your raw materials as well as a climate-controlled space for your finished candles. Then, if you see an increased demand for your product, and are ready to upgrade to industrial wax equipment, you’ll need enough room to operate those machines safely, too.
6. Connect with the Best Vendors
A candle-making starter kit may be enough to dip your toes into this business, but if you keep growing you’re going to need more supplies than you can profitably source from your local hobby store.
You will need to find some reliable wholesale vendors that can deliver the quantities and quality you expect.
Your final products are only as good as the materials that go into them, so make sure your vendors fit your requirements.
7. Start Making Candles
Start small. You may have ideas for 15 or 20 different candles, ranging from the very basic to the very beautiful. You may want to make pillar, floating, and votive candles with multiple colors and artistic jars. But you don’t want to get overwhelmed right out of the gate.
Start with an initial product line that is easy to manage and evolve. As you get the hang of the business, you can start branching out into new products and looking at more equipment that makes filling candles much easier and more efficient.
8. Start Selling Your Candles
Not many people have an immediate “in” with well-known distributors, so you’re likely going to have to do the legwork on your own.
Find local craft shows and gift shops that are open to your products. This is a great way to start because people can physically see your products, hold them, smell them, and start to imagine them sitting in different rooms throughout their homes.
The next place is to start selling is from your own website. This can take some extra work to set up, but when it is running well, it will keep working for you night and day, every day.
9. Build a Brand
Give your business a name that is memorable and relevant to your products. You’ll also need a professional logo that will look great on all your products and your marketing materials. This may require a slight investment, but maybe not as much as you think.
Now, you can start putting your company out there on social media (since it’s free) and making connections with your customers.
Your brand is your reputation, so build your brand on delivering the highest-quality candles. Then, your customers will only think of you when they’re ready to buy another candle or two.
10. Stepping It Up for More Profits
When you’re ready to take your business to the next level, you’ll need some specialized equipment for melting and mixing wax.
Coogar Products allow you to go from mixing and pouring a few dozen candles a day to thousands a day. Our products ensure each candle will have the same quality and consistency of fragrance and color, so you won’t lose any of the reputation you’ve worked to build.
You can make changes to the fragrances or colors quickly and the pouring devices let you create your products with a minimal amount of waste.
If you’re ready to grow your business, visit our Products page to see the various equipment we offer to help you streamline your candle making process and increase your profits.
Owning Your Own Candle Making Business
There will always be something exciting about being your own boss and owning your own company, especially when it means you get to do what you love and express your creativity. You get to build and invest in something that is truly yours, and have fun while you do it. There’s no better time than the present to start thinking about building your own business.
