Clear Black

45 minutes ago, Belinda said:

Everything looks great to me! I love the paint cans and your label and I'm  usually a primitive/colonial/rustic candle kind of person. It's all very well done and clean looking. I also like the about me section. By the way, is your daughter already studying to be an astrophysicist? ( I don't even know what that is!)  I thought she was a teenager or preteen in the picture.

Anyway, everything looks very nice and well organized! Great job! I hope you get many, many sells from your etsy store.

Lol yes, I mentioned above that I am camera shy and usually the one BEHIND the camera, so unfortunately that is the most recent photo I have of the two of together, that was good enough to put in the about me.  But yes, she is now college age, not preteen like the photo and an Astrophysicist studies all things to do with the universe. Her intellect is "out of this world" 🤣

16 hours ago, Sarah S said:

It looks awesome! I love the industrial feel of the containers with a strikingly modern and colorful label. Outstanding job!

The shop is visually appealing with a sense of modesty that I find refreshing.

My only critique, more of suggestion really, is think of some unique or special names for your fragrances that resonate with your story or your brand. For example, I was immediately drawn to the Maine Blueberry candle because I know you are from Maine and I thought that was cool. Same with the campfire one. Not that they all have to be Maine-related. With the Bitter Lion name, they could be mane-related. Badump-Ching!!!😂😂 Ok, bad jokes aside, something to think about that will help set you apart.

Overall I am super impressed, you have been working hard and it shows!! Great job!!!

Very good advice thank you. I actually have a list of “unusual” candle names and matching fragrances that as i grow I will be adding. 

1 hour ago, Fireside said:

😨

Thats not really bad at all though. Honestly, if you cant meet a minimum quantity of 500 labels or $200, you probably shouldnt be using a printing shop to do your labels. You would be better off printing yourself at home. Just my opinion, take it how you may

If, however, you do decide to meet the minimums the quality of a print shop is well worth it. You can really start to use some nicer paper stock materials that you would not normally have access to when printing at home.

18 minutes ago, iansmommaya said:

 

The cleansing balm I have them in now is 14.00 a tube. When I'm out of plastic lipbalm tubes and replace them with paperboard ones I'm thinking between seven and ten a tube. I use almost all organic and wildcrafted ingredients, my customers have super high expectations IE I actually know the family that harvests the Frankincense I use, none have complained about the prices.

Wow, that would be so awesome to have local connections like that for raw organic product. Lucky you!

32 minutes ago, Laura C said:

Very nice all around, you have a look that is all your own. Well done. 👍

Thank you! 😊

23 minutes ago, Candybee said:

I think your website looks neat, professional, and easy to navigate to find what you need. The only critique I could possibly comment on is your candle description using the word "industrial". I get that you use paint type cans as your candle containers but they are on the elegant side with your unique and lovely labeling. Industrial just does not seem fitting a descriptor and conjures up a whole different image to me other than candle. If it were me, I would change it out to "unique" or something similar or just drop it altogether. This is a very winded post for such a small point. 

Thats not a description though, those are the SEO tags. Search Engine Optimization. Etsy gives you 13 "tags" and they are supposed to be keywords that someone might type into the Etsy search bar. So, if someone types in "Industrial gift" I have a better chance of showing up in their searches. There are only so many keywords I can think of without being repetitive, so I thought INDUSTRIAL would be an ok tag.  Im still working on my SEO keywords, so I was going to try to find a better one to replace that soon. I just am mind stuck lol

Thanks for the feedback!! Any suggestions on SEO keywords are more than welcome!  

1 hour ago, CandleRush said:

Congrats!

I love the whole pkg.!

The containers, your color choices, the logo, so professional looking.

I bet You'll  have your first order soon!😀

 

Thanks CR! I'm going into this not having any expectations, just enjoying the ride is all. I have a well paying full time job that I cannot walk away from any time soon, so any sales, if any...will just be that little extra. I do festivals and fairs all year, and do rather well at them. But not sure if that success will ever translate into the digital world. Only time will tell 

42 minutes ago, Sebleo said:

One thing you could add to the About Me section is the story behind your business name!

Lol, thats the funny bit. There is no story. Sometimes its just a name.  I was just dabbling in illustrator making some logo designs, made that one and set it aside for about 6 months. Came back to it and had a fresh look at it again, then noticed that to me anyways, the lion looked really bitter looking. Like he was squinting or mad lol. Then I said out loud, dam that looks like one bitter lion. VOILA, it stuck. 🤣

9 minutes ago, Sebleo said:

Thank you so much!  I will check them out. And I know nothing about the different file formats. Good thing I have someone to help with that!

 

Was it just a slow turn around on your first order or is it slow with every order?

I would just expect at minimum 4-5 weeks for your order to arrive at door once you submit. It never seems like they are in a rush but their quality is worth the wait.

Also, most, if not all product labels are created in Adobe Illustrator which has the file extension .ai   There are other similar programs out there but you cannot match AI in its functionality and ease of use. Look into getting Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) It will give you access to all their software for a monthly subscription. You can cancel at any time, so work on your artwork for a few months, then unsub. Easy peasy.

27 minutes ago, Sebleo said:

 

I have the spot UV on my business cards- I love that type of finish! 

 

Edit: if you don’t mind sharing, I’d like to know where you got your labels printed. When I got my business cards in I said I would love to have labels like that. Just didn’t know it was a possibility. 

https://www.consolidatedlabel.com/

Very good quality, little slow on turn around time but Im a small business and they tend to focus on orders in the 10's of thousands. I usually order 3,000 labels at a time to keep costs down. You will need to upload any artwork in .ai format, so a basic understanding and access to Illustrator would be needed

EDIT: Just to add to that, its a one time $75 plate charge for the Spot gloss, $10 per version charge. Also, the instant quote feature wont have any Spot gloss option I believe and you would just have to call them and get an account setup, speak with your rep on what your needs are and they will work with you.

1 hour ago, Dirt Roads said:

LOVE the label!  The different colors for fragrances makes your page really stand out imo.

 

The Etsy tag says 16 ounce and you have 14 net weight oz on candle.      Is 16 ounce reflective of the container?  I looked and it seems some people list on Etsy by size of container.  I don't sell on Etsy so I have no idea of how it should be done.

 

Website not active yet?    I like the name bitterlion and it's nice you got the  .com for it.

 

But looks great! 

The 14 oz net wt is the weight of wax inside the 16 fluid ounce container even though its closer to 14.5 ounces of wax. Its listed as a 16 ounce because the container holds 16 fluid ounces. 

Go search some of the more popular 8 oz candles and even though it says 8 ounces, the actual wax weight is in the 7 ounce range. Not sure how to describe it really, I just put 14 ounces on the front even though the customer gets more than the 14 ounces 

53 minutes ago, MTMade said:

Beautiful!  I love, love your labels. Itching to see more pictures.... 🙂

Thanks!! The labels themselves are a silky matte vinyl that is suuuuper silky/soft to the touch, then the Lion logo/BITTERLION are both in a spot UV that makes it pop out from the rest of the matte. 

1 hour ago, Sebleo said:

Okay, @Clear Black, your product and label design is off the charts awesome looking!  The Etsy page looks great. 

 

Amazing job!  At first glance I can’t offer up any suggestions. 

Thanks a bunch!

41 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

A++++++++++

Aww, thanks so much 😊

Well, I did it. And although I still have a lot left to do, this is a start.  My ETSY shop is finally here and beginning to have a cohesive look that Ive been working towards. I think I am ready to share with you folks and ask your opinions as to my progress, but I am also VERY shy and it is taking me a lot of courage built up to be able to share this with you.  But, I feel I need to ask opinions that are not a family member or biased because they know me in person. SO ROAST ME ALL YOU WANT LOL!!  The good, the bad and the ugly, please say how you feel. It will only help me.  Ive asked how the best route to do this was and we still havnt figured it out, so instead of directly linking my shop in this thread as to not seem as though I am self-promoting, if you wish to look or leave feedback please look at my profile info for a link to the ETSY shop. Just copy/paste the link into a new browser window.

Now, like I said before, I still have loads of stuff to work on. Also, try to keep in mind these few things when roasting me lol:

• I have ZERO experience in product design

• I am very camera shy and literally have no photos of myself to use in the "ABOUT ME" section, but I am working on it.

• I am still in the infancy stages so my social media is set-up, but I need to build content for that

• I am also working on some more photos to "capture" the mood of a burning candle, so I can add a few to the photo section of each item

• I have more products lined up to be added, especially a larger two wick, 32oz  can, a wickless tart type item, air sprays and clamshells. I just need more capitol and reassurance in the brand.

Thats it for now folks, if you do have a look I thank you for taking the time. Ive learned a lot here in the years Ive spent and I am grateful for every bit of knowledge that has helped me along the way. You folks are great here. Cheers.

2 hours ago, iansmommaya said:

Thank you all! I think people really like them. Yes, it does take a second to explain how to use them and why I choose them over plastic but I love talking about them and my customers love them too.

The only place I can seem to find the black tubes is at papertubeco, and in size .3oz. At the very lowest price point they are at $1 each before shipping. So probably close to $1.25 each just for the tube.  Most people can get a regular tube of lip balm for almost that so do you mind me asking how you price yours and what is your customers response to that? Ive always wanted to lesson my plastic use, but these paper tubes are way high on the price for the raw material

1 minute ago, iansmommaya said:

I'm getting there. I think I'm close but honestly as soon as I'm done I'll start alllllllllll over.

Dont forget you can always use the wisdom and guidance of the forum members here for any feedback if you wish to share your branding thoughts here someday.

Good luck!

57 minutes ago, CandleRush said:

Question?

ARE consumers more inclined to make a purchase if shipping is free? Does the seller still make out this way? Pros, cons?

These are my business challenges! Math arg!

The short answer is yes. Etsy has even stated this many times over and on top of this it actually factors into your SEO ranking. Meaning, you will rank higher if you offer free shipping.  It has been shown that customers who are offered two options, Option #1 being a candle for $14 + $10 shipping or option #2 being a candle for $24 w/free shipping, they will more often than not go with the free shipping candle even though it will equal the same in the end. Something free is always more appealing and Etsy is now taking that into consideration in their SEO rankings.

33 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Is there still a thread that allows member websites? I thought I saw it recently.  I’ve been considering ways to allow for promo that I need to run past the mod team first.... 

Not sure either. The only advice I see being given is to update my profile with my Etsy link and that would be fine as well. I was also considering keeping it private as to also not make it seem as though I were just trying to promote.  I may just make a new thread and give instructions to visit the site through the profile link and leave feedback in that thread. 🤔

24 minutes ago, CandleRush said:

I noticed candle prices on Etsy are all over the place, some underpriced and some overpriced.

Frostbread is an established business and can fetch those prices now.

 

How exciting to get your shop up and running!

Thats the issue Im facing. I do feel I need to be competitive with established businesses there or there is no chance for me to compete. On the other hand I dont want to sell myself short. I also feel that Etsy itself is not a place where higher priced “boojie”candles will thrive. So im stuck in the middle. I think starting with a reasonable price leaves me room to adjust prices as needed if and when I do start getting sales. 

And yes very exciting! Ive built it, now just need to get working on pointing people my way! 😬 

I think by the end of this weekend I will have my Etsy shop done and I may ask you folks your feedback. I will ask @TallTayl first though and decide how to proceed with that so it doesnt come across as me trying to promote my site or anything. 

6 hours ago, CaptnKush said:

Under priced

 

Hmm, Ive half built my Etsy shop and this is the biggest point of contention for me at the moment. When customers look at mine selling for $23 vs say Frostbeards for $22 which are they going to choose? Even though mine is twice the size in volume are customers aware of this factor when looking at prices? 

I do believe I will be under pricing my candles but Im also a new comer competing with big dogs like Frostbeard. I dont believe I can build a customer base with pricey candles on Etsy, thats not really where people shop for high end candles ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

10 hours ago, CaptnKush said:

They are way over priced. 8oz straight jar $22  + shipping.

So what would be your honest opinion on a 16oz candle selling on ETSY for $23/free shipping? 

On 2/26/2019 at 5:48 PM, debyseb said:

I am looking for a self-sealing flat metal lid that will fit a 4" diameter jar. Would appreciate any suggestions. I do not understand why a company makes a jar for candles and no lid! I used the 20 oz. tureen, and they have stopped producing them and I am frantically trying to find a new jar. Thanks in advance.

You may have better luck posting this in the General candle section, this is the retail review section I believe. Best of luck

1 hour ago, CandleRush said:

Their jars and lids inspired me so I used them but a 9 oz jars. I have since changed my containers too many times!

Their labels look like they cover any adhesion issues if they exist. It would be great to know how they burn. They also offered a subscription too.

Subscriptions seem to be an ever growing trend these days huh?

On 5/31/2019 at 4:52 PM, CandleRush said:

I teach yoga workshops and that’s where the the money is for me, not my weekly classes. He also offers candle making workshops, my guess he is making tons! And yes, his YouTube channel is very successful. He’s carved out his own niche and brand. Good for him!

 

Yes, but with great success comes great responsibility. If he is feeding new chandlers his opinions as facts, then that can lead to some serious issues. He and his daughter seem like nice people, but I have to agree with some here about "false hopes" and "questionable advice" 

1 minute ago, bfroberts said:

I gotcha.  I've peeked at their store several times and always admired the creativity and success.  There was a blurb in there about burning the candles that has me wondering how well they burn.  I'm thinking they are gonna burn hot, which is a decision I struggle with in regards to my product, so I'm always comparing to others.  I think I will just buy one and check it out first hand.

What makes you worry about yours burning too hot? I'm sorry if you have posted before, but I cannot recall what your jar/packaging set up is. Do you use similar 8 oz jars as they do?