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We use Sage50. Accounting, inventory and manufacturing all in one spot.

I like that we can set items up as an assembly. Punch in the quantity for your batch and it prints out a bill of materials, deducts raw materials from inventory, tracks costs and ties it all in with sales giving you an accurate view of your profitability.

http://youtu.be/eciZZNMjYlo?list=UU3_yQCLx6s3ad52w85oWtQQ

Off topic a little, but I have to ask....what does HTH mean? 

Hope this helps or hope that helps

I just registered our company name this week! Sostrata LLC.

Sostrata is a class of butterfly. I came across the name about a year ago. One night while spending time with family and friends at our rustic getaway we noticed a really large butterfly or moth (it was about the size of my hand) fluttering intently about a yard light attached to an outbuilding. My mother had an insect book handy and we tried to figure out what it was. As I was thumbing through the book I saw the name Sostrata and loved it.

The Sostrata name and logo portrays our commitment to recognize the beauty in everything and everyone around us, to be mindful of the impact we all have on our surroundings and endeavor to preserve the delicate balance of nature and life.

If someone can show me ONE just ONE case of a candle company being sued with PROOF, i.e. court papers, dated newspaper etc. I would love to see it. I have been in this business for 15 years and not once has anyone been able to give proof ... one person tried some years ago but when asked to produce some kind of paper ANY kind they could not. Just sayin'.

Here is one open case. Curious to see how it goes.

http://cookcountyrecord.com/news/260976-clear-candle-corp-sued-after-woman-sustained-burns

https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com/cookcounty/FindDock.asp?NCase=2013-l-014013&SearchType=0&Database=2&case_no=&PLtype=2&sname=Phyllis+Peterson&CDate=12%2F12%2F2013

I am currently trying out Magento Community Edition hosted by Nexcess. I also looked into Volusion a bit.

I'm not familiar with the following but I've seen others use them to some degree:

• http://www.shopify.com
  
• http://www.diyestores.com
  
• http://www.weebly.com
  
• http://www.bigcommerce.com
  
• http://www.etsy.com
  
• http://www.outerboxdesign.com
  
• http://www.ecrater.com
  
• http://www.storenvy.com
  
• http://www.webforu.com
  
• http://www.shoppal.com
  
• http://www.homestead.com
  
• http://bigcartel.com
  
• http://www.tomatocart.com
  
• https://www.zen-cart.com
  
• https://wordpress.org
  

Cheers!

I'm getting anxious to move in and put the room to use! I couldn't resist putting a few things in there to see how they fit. So far so good! I can see how storage is such a high priority though. I still have one open wall that I can work with if needed (the west wall where all the construction tools are sitting on an 8ft table). Some of that space is set aside for curing soap. The rest of the wall is TBD at a later date. Most likely a dedicated cabinet for EO and FO and some type of secure, safe place to store the containers of sodium hydroxide.

I have room under the one counter for a pull-out 5ft rolling worktop that will be for additional pour space and light storage - like the wicks I keep in the kitty litter containers in the pic below. Some pegboard and under cabinet LED lighting has been installed as well. Unfortunately one set of under cabinet lights were defective so only one side of cabinets is currently lit. I exchanged the lights this weekend but haven't had time to install them yet.

One problem I have is the concrete floor. It's cold. Very cold. It sucks the heat right out of the room. The temperature without supplemental heat is 61F during the day and most likely even colder when the main house temp drops over night. I poured a few test candles the other night and forgot to turn on the space heater. All of the candles cooled too fast and cratered horribly. The tops formed a crust and the underside cooled and pulled away. It was pretty bad. Since there were only about a dozen I used a heat gun to re-melt the top 1/16 to 1/8 inch to fill the voids. We'll see how testing these goes. I'm not sure if I will be able to trust the results.

I may put the carpet remnants back in (at least one) to insulate the floor a bit. They are cheap 4x8 chunks of very low nap carpeting I got from Home Depot years and years ago.

That's it for now. It's coming along. Mostly finishing details left. Tape drywall seams, spackle screw holes and prime/paint. Stain and install remaining trim work for ceiling, walls and floor. Build the soap curing area and eventually the pull-out worktop.

As an aside: This morning my attorney sent over the initial draft of company documents for review (for a multi-member LLC). Articles of organization, bylaws, meeting minutes, member control agreements, etc... Exciting stuff! It's all starting to get real, real fast

I wish I could have had a sink and running water. Now that would be really nice! I considered it, but the plumbing required to the location wasn't in the budget. I've done all the work myself up to this point to keep costs low. I think I'd have to hire out the plumbing job to get it done right :/ Too much concrete to cut through.

For my day job I try to utilize low cost advertising during slower sales periods and shy away from more expensive advertising options like pay-per-click and shopping engines that tend to have poor ROI during non-peak sales periods.

Put your customer list to work. Direct, targeted email marketing to your customers is a great way to communicate. Email content based on past purchase history for repeat customers or general advertising content for new prospects is pretty economical and effective. Liquidate some old stock to create cash flow or feature new offerings to generate profits. Do you have any regional holidays, events or customs you can work with? It's tax time here in the US. A lot of people receive tax refunds over the next couple months and a lot of retail marketing will revolve around that in some shape or form.

Poking around online for additional resources that may be relevant turned up some ideas for advertising, marketing, networking and business growth:

• Create or update your website and invite your customers to check it out
  
• Set up a Facebook page. Check out Woobox. It is great for creating Facebook sweepstakes and giveaways to attract more prospects.
  
• Create a video and post it on YouTube and invite people/customers to view it
  
• Send out promotions or features with your invoices to generate future sales
  
• Create a newsletter (and a mailing list) if you don't yet have one
  
• Look into local community charitable events and see how your business may be able to fit in and help out
  
• Build your professional network online with sources like Linkedin
  
• Join professional and/or business organizations like the NCA or IGCA
  
• Ask retail customers for referrals
  
• Advertise your business on your vehicle
  
• Create a brochure and prospect local shops for wholesale accounts
  
• Update eBay listings
  
• Set up online accounts on local business directories like Yelp
  
• Donate a prize to local or college radio stations for giveaways or contests
  
• Include links to your social media in your online and print communications
  
• Handwritten thank you notes to your customers make a nice impact
  
• Put relevant QR codes on your advertising to promote quick and mobile access to specific or additional information
  

I'm still working on getting my personal business up off the ground (very soon!) and these seem like some pretty good options to consider. Some cost money and some cost time and effort.

Marketing to your customers is a lot like learning and perfecting your craft. Research, testing and logging results so you don't repeat mistakes or continue to achieve poor results is paramount. Everyone's customer base is as unique as their business. Hopefully some of these suggestions will spawn more ideas that will suit your needs

For my day job I try to utilize low cost advertising during slower sales periods and shy away from more expensive advertising options like pay-per-click and shopping engines that tend to have poor ROI during non-peak sales periods.

Put your customer list to work. Direct, targeted email marketing to your customers is a great way to communicate. Email content based on past purchase history for repeat customers or general advertising content for new prospects is pretty economical and effective. Liquidate some old stock to create cash flow or feature new offerings to generate profits. Do you have any regional holidays, events or customs you can work with? It's tax time here in the US. A lot of people receive tax refunds over the next couple months and a lot of retail marketing will revolve around that in some shape or form.

Poking around online for additional resources that may be relevant turned up some ideas for advertising, marketing, networking and business growth:

• Create or update your website and invite your customers to check it out
  
• Set up a Facebook page. Check out Woobox. It is great for creating Facebook sweepstakes and giveaways to attract more prospects.
  
• Create a video and post it on YouTube and invite people/customers to view it
  
• Send out promotions or features with your invoices to generate future sales
  
• Create a newsletter (and a mailing list) if you don't yet have one
  
• Look into local community charitable events and see how your business may be able to fit in and help out
  
• Build your professional network online with sources like Linkedin
  
• Join professional and/or business organizations like the NCA or IGCA
  
• Ask retail customers for referrals
  
• Advertise your business on your vehicle
  
• Create a brochure and prospect local shops for wholesale accounts
  
• Update eBay listings
  
• Set up online accounts on local business directories like Yelp
  
• Donate a prize to local or college radio stations for giveaways or contests
  
• Include links to your social media in your online and print communications
  
• Handwritten thank you notes to your customers make a nice impact
  
• Put relevant QR codes on your advertising to promote quick and mobile access to specific or additional information
  

I'm still working on getting my personal business up off the ground (very soon!) and these seem like some pretty good options to consider. Some cost money and some cost time and effort.

Marketing to your customers is a lot like learning and perfecting your craft. Research, testing and logging results so you don't repeat mistakes or continue to achieve poor results is paramount. Everyone's customer base is as unique as their business. Hopefully some of these suggestions will spawn more ideas that will suit your needs

I had some time to install a couple cabinet doors. One side is done. It's slowly coming along.

Thanks SuzyK!

Had a few minutes to dry fit a few things tonight. Work top and cabinet doors.

Alright. Time has a way of passing by in the blink of an eye. I had a little time to work on the craft room this weekend. I slapped up some sheetrock, installed the recessed lights and covered the ceiling, began work on some rustic cabinets, and got the foundation going for a work surface.

The price of LED lighting is slowly coming down. I put in 4 recessed task lights above the work surface and 2 general purpose lights. All are under 10 watts each.

Do any of you have a preference of a candle supply distributor? I already know about LoneStar and Peak.

In no particular order these are some of the suppliers that I'm very comfortable with that really got me started

• Peak Candle Making Supplies - Peak is nearly a one stop shop for me covering about 80% of my needs. I keep coming back to them for their selection, prices and great customer service.
  

• Natures Garden - NG fills in some of the gaps for our soap and B&B products plus they have some awesome fragrances and candle supplies to round out an order.
  

• Candlewic - Good prices on containers, custom wicks, and other supplies as well as reduced shipping offers that can be nice to take advantage of
  

• Candle Science - I keep these guys on my radar for candle supplies
  

• Lone Star - Waxes, supplies, FO's and such
  

• Northstar Country Candle Co - Situated (geographically) close to me but too far to drive, grrr :/
  

Never an issue with any of those companies. If you have a wholesale supply company near you (driving distance) it would be really be worth your time to give them a close look. The cost of shipping supplies can be a big expense.

Wax melting/scent infusion stations. That's just all kinds of awesome right there. My process is a little different but I dig what you've got!

Cheers!

Happy new year everyone!

Time for an update. I took advantage of the having the day off. I ran two electrical circuits. One circuit on the South wall and one on the East wall.

My son and I put some insulation in the walls to help with temperature control in the finished room. We'll do the ceiling as well once I figure out my lighting scheme. I think I want to do recessed lights since the ceiling height is under 7 feet. Pretty low :/

I've got drywall ready to install when I have time. Most likely this weekend

The carpets on the floor are temporary to protect the newly painted floor. We've been moving a lot of things in and out lately.

That's all for now. Cheers!

Very nice work.

Excellent! Thanks for the followup

I'd really like to know how it goes if you would like to share. It can get down right frigid in MN. I hope they arrive perfectly!

The way that reads to me is that it may require a second pour for containers larger than 16oz. Maybe less to do with the way it would wick/burn and more to do with how it cools, craters, and the top finish in very large containers?

That's my take.

Its a concern for me as well but I'm not sure there is much to do.

I bring candles into work to get opinions on CT and fragrance appeal. Many times the short drive to work is enough to cause major "wet spots" in near perfect containers. Some will work themselves out warming back up to room temp but most stay put. I've fixed some with heat, but just to see if I could.

I don't use color and haven't seen any frosting issues. No cracks yet either. All have been jar candles so far though.

Nice job. Those look great!

It's hard to say. Like others have mentioned wax in a solid or liquid form weighs the same. Cold or heat will not change the mass of the wax.

There is a gremlin somewhere in the process.

Yes hyperbole. NO ONE has said to tell people your RECIPE. Full disclosure for INGREDIENTS... but...

You're right. I missed page 5 where they explicitly stated they are not suggesting that one provide recipes.

Again... just because someone knows what's IN your candles doesn't mean they can make your candles exactly the same way...which is exactly what beaconterraone stated "unique artistry of design."

I will respectfully agree to disagree. The exact ingredient list and sources for each in a skilled artisans hands can produce a final product so close in resemblance and performance it won't matter if the manufacturing differs slightly.

The clone and knockoff industry is fairly substantial. Take a look at your FO suppliers. How many [type] fragrances do they offer? Why do they offer them? I'd venture to say because there is a demand for the product, the copy is very good and the price is cheaper than the original.

Disclosure matters. More to some than others. Some people are happy to make gifts for friends and family. Some may want to make a little cash on the side. For those who depend on their craft for their sole income being copied and undercut can be devastating.

It is our artistry/design/craftsmanship that make our candles unique.... 10 people can use the exact same ingredients...and have 10 various results...don't think so?? Just look at this board...some people use the same recipes, but produce individual results.

I agree. How many of those people are attempting to make your candles and directly compete with you? I will concede probably none. But to completely disregard the possibility may not be in one's best interest if they are trying to grow their business.

I don't have any issue providing customers with enough information to make an informed purchasing decision. I'll go further to help fellow chandlers in a close community. Individuals will have their own level of disclosure that they are comfortable with for various reasons that I can acknowledge without being mystified.

I have stated my opinion repeatedly and have no further desire to engage in this "conversation." If you don't want to tell people who ask (for whatever reason) anything about your ingredients...then don't I will continue to tell people as much information as I want regarding my products

Fair enough. Best wishes and happy crafting!

Good luck at the craft fair! Sounds like an interesting venue. The price is right and the setup sounds nice. Hopefully you get some good foot traffic being inside and are able to clear out some year end inventory.

No sympathy for the cold here, lol. It's 30° (-1c) and falling with 6-9 inches of snow likely tonight. We most likely won't see an above freezing temp before late February or early March Settling in for the big freeze.

Let us know how it goes!