We are frequently asked how a candle crafter can turn a passion for candle making into a successful business.
With so many folks out of work and looking for ways to put their skills and creativity to good use, the crafter has easy access to a business that can yield significant long term income.
For over five years, I’ve watched thousands of candle makers start very small. They build a part-time candle making hobby into a million dollar wholesale and retail business.
So the real question is: what separates the successful candle manufacturer from the hobbyist? The salient features are (1) a well thought out business plan, (2) a solid product differentiation strategy, (3) adequate capital and (4) a strong advisory team.
I would recommend starting with a business plan. This is fundamental to the business’ transformation into a professional candle making operation. If you have never written a business plan, there are many resources available to assist you.
Start with the local SBA. Free meetings with Score, the SBA retired executives group, will enable you to speak with a very experienced advisor. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors and see if they know any good books you can read that will help you think in a strategic way about your business. You can pick up many of them at the local library.
Once you have a handle on business planning, put together a draft and make sure you know your financials cold. Then meet with professional advisors to make sure your plan is sound.
Another and equally important aspect is differentiation. This involves intense market research. You need to differentiate your candles from the pack; (1) find a unique glass jar or container shape that gives your candles a signature look, (2) label and package your candle containers in a visually appealing way to make a strong first impression, (3) choose stand-out fragrances and “green” waxes such as Elevance’s NatureWax C3 soy, (4) make your colors trend right for the season, and (5) give your company a polished and professional image.
The results would astound you. Libbey glass containers, for example, sparkle on store shelves giving you an edge on less vibrant glass jars; C3 is designed to adhere to the glass walls in a unique way that gives your colors special vibrancy; undiluted soy-certified fragrances have great throw; a professional name and logo make your candles look like they came from a major manufacturer. The bottom line: the image is the reality!
The last and most critical component of starting a business is money. You need to have adequate capital (or credit lines) to get through the start-up phase, buy your supplies in bulk to lower your costs and increase competitiveness, and cover any slow periods where cash might be tight or you are waiting for payments from customers.
Spend some time with your advisors and test your cash on hand and credit lines against your projected sales and cash receipts to ensure that you will be able to weather the chaotic and exciting start-up period of your candle business.
This self-discovery and research process, although time consuming, is essential. A candle maker’s chances for success improve dramatically and most that follow this process are able to distribute their candle jars through a wide variety of retail and wholesale channels.
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Set of 72 White Unscented Votive Candles and 72 Holders $39.99 72 Clear Votive Holders and 72 Votive Candles. All for one low price! Very Popular, Set of 72 White Votives and Matching Glass Votive Holders from Quick Candles. Candles are Made in the USA. Unscented White Votive Candles with 10 Hour burn time each. Classic votive candles. Perfect for restaurants, parties, weddings, event, or just using around the home. The candles are 1.5″ in diameter and 1.5… |
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Set of 72 Premium Clear Glass Votive Holders $27.99 Votive Candles require a Votive Candle Holder to maximize the burn time. TheVotive Candle Holder will help pool the wax and allow you to get the full burn time. Quick Candles highly recommends using our Votive Candle Holders to achieve the best results. The item featured here is (72) Clear Glass Votive Candle Holder. Candles sold separately. Our Clear Votive Candle Holders are made of high q… |
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Clear Glass Votive Holders (1 Dz) $6.00 Our Set of 12 heavy-duty votive candle holders are the highest quality votive holders you’ll find anywhere! The walls of the glass are nearly 3/16″ thick. With proper care, these holders should last a lifetime. Tip: A half teaspoon of water in the holder will make it easy to remove any remaining wax once the candle has burned out and cooled. Votive candle sold separately. We offer a larger quantit… |
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COLOR OF HEALING- COLOR THERAPY $29.95 Learn how color healing can help physical, emotional & spiritual health…. |
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Apple shapped iron sconces with red votive glass $14.99 Set of 2 apple shaped iron wall sconces with a red glass tea-light holder in the middle. Decorative even when not lit…. |
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2 Pc Spiral Wall Sconces – Gold $10.95 Iron spiral sconces make a great decorative accessory for any wall. Set your room for a romantic mood with a golden finished candle holder with frosted glass…. |
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2 Pc Heart Wall Sconces – Gold $11.99 Darling wall sconces will add a soft glow to any wall in your home. This decorative accessory features gold tone hearts with clear glass holders…. |
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This Is Rocket Science $7.97 … |
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Walter Beasley [Self Titled] 1. I’m So Happy 2. On the Edge 3. Call Me 4. Jump on It 5. Back in Love Again 6. Tenderness 7. Nothin’ But a Thang 8. Where 9. I’m So Happy [12" Mix] Walter Beasley’s self-titled 1987 debut for Polydor Records offered this new talent on the smooth jazz block as a triple threat: Beasley showed himself not only to be a talented saxophonist, but a fine songwriter and vocalist as well. Though… |
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Teapot Warming Stand, Glass Warming Stand with Tea Candle $12.95 Stunning glass teapot warming stand keeps tea warm and enhances your tea experience…. |
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Glass Candle in Floral Hatbox $15 Spring into Spring with this colorful Glass Candle in Floral Hatbox. Features a large jelly bean scented glass candle tucked away in a decorative hat box with a flower top and handle. Sold individually. |
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Glass Candle w/ A to Z Stickers $10 Fun scented Glass Candle w/ A to Z Stickers will make your party or any occassion special. These fun themed candles come scented with angel food cake and include a to z adhesive stickers with one of each letter in the alphabet. Perfect for weddings birthday parties or any other occasion where you want to spell something out. Sold individually. |
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Glass Candle w/ Satin Bag – Black $4 This beautiful glass candle comes in a very nice satin bag and makes a great gift or addition to any home. The color of the satin bag is the same as the color of the candle wax. It has a burn time of 25 hours and comes in assorted colors. Unscented. |
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Ruby Beaded Candle Holders – Large Taper Holder $6.5 For holiday dinners and other happy occasions these glass beaded candle holders are irresistible accessories. These Ruby Beaded Candle Holders are also perfect to create a sultry romantic feel to any room almost reminiscent of a nightclub. Sold Individually. |
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Scented Glass Candle w/ Leather Wrap – Green Oasis $17 Imagine your home as a paradise for your senses full of evocative fragrances and beautiful decorative botanicals. Create the tropical paradise of your dreams with our Scented Glass Candle w/ Leather Wrap. Available in three different scents and color. The green oasis is scented with tangerine peel and ginger the jaffa orange is scented with orange flower and the paradise yellow is scented with pineapple crush. Sold individually. |
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Shaved Ice Cream Candle in Glass Candles – Green $10 Fun scented Shaved Ice Cream Candles in Glass will make your summer party or any occassion special. These fun themed Shaved Ice Cream Candles come creamsicle scented and are available in 4 colors green blue orange and pink. Sold individually. |
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Shaved Ice Cream Candle in Glass Candles – Orange $10 Fun scented Shaved Ice Cream Candles in Glass will make your summer party or any occassion special. These fun themed Shaved Ice Cream Candles come creamsicle scented and are available in 4 colors green blue orange and pink. Sold individually. |
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Shaved Ice Cream Candle in Glass Candles – Blue $10 Fun scented Shaved Ice Cream Candles in Glass will make your summer party or any occassion special. These fun themed Shaved Ice Cream Candles come creamsicle scented and are available in 4 colors green blue orange and pink. Sold individually. |
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Amber Glass Stemmed Holders $9.5 Bring some sunshine and light into any room with our attractive Amber Glass Stemmed Holders. Perfect for either a 15 hour votive or sphere candle (not included). These make a great accessory to any holiday dinner. Purchase one of each size for a great table display. Sold Individually. |
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Amber Glass Stemmed Holders $10 Bring some sunshine and light into any room with our attractive Amber Glass Stemmed Holders. Perfect for either a 15 hour votive or sphere candle (not included). These make a great accessory to any holiday dinner. Purchase one of each size for a great table display. Sold Individually. |
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Wine Glass In Keepsake Bag $9 This Wine Glass In Keepsake Bag is a perfect table favor for your wedding or shower and makes a memorable gift. Wedding cake scented to create a delectable scent of sugar cane sprinkled with sweet cream batter whipped butter to create a vanilla cake impression with vanilla bean and chocolate. These will give any table a special touch of elegance. Sold individually. |
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Hanging Coffee Glass Set – Black $4 Coffee tea or milk anyone? This hanging coffee glass set will surely perk you up in the morning or evening. Comes with two lightly freesia scented candles housed in a nice metal container. |
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Pewter Candleholder w/ Glass Rocks – Small Holder $20 Imagine your home as a paradise for your senses full of evocative fragrances and beautiful decorative items. Create the home paradise of your dreams with our Pewter Candleholder w/ Glass Rocks. Available in two sizes each holder is made of 100% pewter and comes with dangling glass rings as shown. Sold individually. |
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Pewter Candleholder w/ Glass Rocks – Large Holder $24 Imagine your home as a paradise for your senses full of evocative fragrances and beautiful decorative items. Create the home paradise of your dreams with our Pewter Candleholder w/ Glass Rocks. Available in two sizes each holder is made of 100% pewter and comes with dangling glass rings as shown. Sold individually. |
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Lime Matic Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle – 8.5 oz $5.5 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This 8.5 oz Lime Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect and has 3/4 inch opening. Lime glass with heavy weighted bottom. Comes with cork and holds up to 8.5 oz of liquid. |
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Clear Matic Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle – 13.2 oz $6 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This Clear Matic Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect and has 3/4 inch opening. Clear glass with heavy weighted bottom. Comes with cork and holds up to 13.2 oz of liquid. |
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Fuchsia Matic Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle – 8.5 oz $5.5 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This 8.5 oz Fuchsia Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect and has 3/4 inch opening. Fuchsia glass with heavy weighted bottom. Comes with cork and holds up to 8.5 oz of liquid. |
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Frosted Tealight Holder w/ Wire Mesh – Blue $5.5 This Frosted Glass Tealight Holder w/ Wire Mesh is a simple yet elegant way to display the ever-popular tealight candle. This holder can be used with any standard tealight or votive candle. Frosted glass adds an extra formal appearance to the product. Available in 4 colors: white blue green and yellow. Sold Individually and includes one unscented tealight. |
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Buri Tealight Holder w/ Glass Insert – Sold Individually $16 Imagine your home as a paradise for your senses full of evocative fragrances and beautiful decorative items. Create the home paradise of your dreams with our Buri Tealight Holder w/ Glass Insert. This holder will create instant ambiance and provides a nice decorative effect too. Comes with the glass tealight holder tealight not included. Sold individually. |
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Fuchsia Drop Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle – 8 oz $5.75 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This 8 oz Fuchsia Drop Glass Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect and has 3/4 inch opening. Fuchsia glass with heavy weighted bottom. Comes with cork and holds up to 8 oz of liquid. |
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Frosted Glass Tealight Lamps – Green $7.5 The perfect accessory to create a festive atmosphere this holiday season. These frosted tealight lamps provide a nice glow and are perfect to place around your living room or dining area. Come in green or red and are sold individually. Tealight not included. |
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Clear Glass Reed Diffuser Vial $1 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This 8oz Apothecary Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect. Available in a 2 oz or 4 oz size. Stopper not included if you need one please purchase one of our Rubber Stoppers. |
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Clear Glass Reed Diffuser Vial $1.5 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills. This 8oz Apothecary Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect. Available in a 2 oz or 4 oz size. Stopper not included if you need one please purchase one of our Rubber Stoppers. |
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Mini Wedding Luminaria $3.5 Comes with votive glass. For use only with tealight. |
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Clear Apothecary Reed Diffuser Bottle – 13.5 oz $5.75 Looking for replacement bottles for your reed diffusers or just need a reed diffuser bottle for our reed diffuser oil refills.This Clear Apothecary Reed Diffuser Bottle is perfect and have a 3/4 inch opening. Clear glass bottle with heavy weighted bottom. Comes with cork and holds up to 13.5 oz oil. |
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