Candybee

12 hours ago, Craft89 said:

I do have two more questions:

 

1) Do I need to heat the candle jars before pouring the wax into them? If so, how? To what temperature? And how do I measure the temperature of the jars?

2) Should I pour the wax at the center point of the jar or closer to the side?

 

Thank you!

Heating the jars is a matter of preference and not required. Most candlemakers do not heat their jars.

I only heat my jars during the cold winter months when my house is cooler. I use palm wax and to get the full crystal pattern I need to make sure the glassware is not cold in the bottom. I use a heat gun and do a quick heating inside each glass just before I pour.

For soy candle makers you may need a different method. Some heat their jars in the oven while some use a heat gun like myself. Often it is in the winter and not year round. Others never heat their jars. You will need to try both ways to see what works for you. This being summer you should not need to heat your jar anyway.

Second, how you pour the wax into the jar is not important. The important part of pouring wax is the right temp of the wax. You will need to follow the heating and pouring temp directions of the wax manufacturer.

Fillmore has a nice fresh cut grass type fragrance. Not sure the name but I have used it before and its very nice. 

My fav green is Elements Juniper Aloe. Another one I love is CS Fresh picked cucumber. Not grass types but general green types.

My advice if you are just doing this for a hobby is to buy a candle making kit from one of the suppliers listed state suppliers list. The kit should have all you need and honestly can save you a bundle of money. Once you have some practice making candles with the kit you can determine if you wish to persue the hobby further. Candlemaking is an expensive hobby and there is no way to get around that.

1 hour ago, kandlekrazy said:

I don't think it's weird at all especially if using products from the sea.  Maybe deciding on what you want to implement in your logo will help with a name.  Like waves, seashells, kelp.  IDK just throwing ideas out there.  Personally I'd go with Mermaid in the name, but I'm a Mermaid at heart, lol.

 

Funny you mention mermaid, my logo is a mermaid on ocean waves in the new biz theme colors; pool blue and aqua. I will be using the mermaid logo as my company branding logo, and two secondary logos on some of my individual products; a vector black on white mermaid and a vector black on white seahorse.

Anyway, I just can't decide on using the word "sea" or "mineral" in the biz name and keep going back and forth on this one detail.

Is it too weird to have a sea themed business name in a landlocked area not anywhere near a beach?

I am currently owner of a soap biz specializing in olive oil soaps.

Next year I plan to register a new biz with a new name, theme, branding, and focus. I will be specializing in products made with ingredients from the sea that help remineralize the skin such as sea salt, sea clay, and kelp products in both soap and bath.

I have been wanting to do this for a few years now but held back because I did it once before years ago when I went from a primarily candle biz to a soap biz. Changing things up means a loss in some of my customers so I take this seriously.

But I keep rethinking the new business name. Should it or should it not have the word Sea in it? Is it weird in a landlocked area to do so? Does it even matter? I will be located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia known for its civil war history, battlefields, the valley is also known as the "breadbasket" due to all the apple orchards, extensive farmlands, etc. Its full of "country" folk and tourists trying to get away from the metropolitan area of DC. 

So I could use some thoughts, advice on the names I am thinking of.

I want it named after me this time and kept simple.

Names I have come up with and like are:

Candy's Soap & Sea Bath

Candy's Soap & Mineral Bath

Candy's Soap & Bath (a bit too simplified but doable)

Sea Minerals Soap & Bath

Soap & Mineral Bath

The first 2 are my favorite. Any advice would be helpful. If you have a new name you want to throw out please do.

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

True. A positive word from a friend is worth more than a million dollar billboard. Friends bring friends to shop. Reminds me of the Faberge Organics shampoo ads from the 80’s... I told 2 friends.  they told 2 friends and so on, and so on an so on.

Oh... oh!! I remember that!

Here is a resource for you Starting a Business in Florida

To obtain a business license you must apply through your county/city/town. They should be able to direct you to what you need to do next. In Virginia I had to get a business license, register its name, and get a zoning permit. Since I live in a town the county also requires you apply for a license but not for home based businesses.

For additional help, go to the Small Business Association website and look for your local affiliate office and give them a call. You should bookmark the SBA website and make it your newest best friend as it has a wealth of information for the small business owner and start up business.

Also, you will need to register with your state department of taxation for a tax ID number to sell. Be sure to check out the requirements as you may be able to sell without registering in some states. In Virginia, you don't need a license if you make less than $800 per yr. I don't know what the rules are in Florida so be sure to check it out. It was free to register in Virginia and I am required to do my sales and use taxes quarterly. But when I first started I had to do it monthly. So make sure you find out the schedule for filing your sales tax and what the tax rates are. In Virginia when I first signed up they mailed me a kit with payment slips, a schedule to file, and a state tax rate chart.

You will need to decide what type of entity you want your business to be; sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, S corporation. And do you want it to be a LLC, etc. Each entity has its pros and cons and you need to be familiar with each to make the right decision.

You will also need to look into getting product and liability insurance if you plan to sell. You can find information on where to apply if you do a search in the business section of this forum.

I get my insurance through the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild. They have an insurance program for members. But you must be a member and soapmaker to get the insurance. If you qualify they will also insure candles but you must be a soapmaker too.

There are more insurance companies to check out so shop and compare for your best deal and coverage.

On 8/31/2020 at 2:51 PM, karinz40 said:

What are your favorite christmas scents?  Now that I am lerning to make 8 oz tin candles i want to send something  to my family members in Ohio for Christmas, that is if I am able to make a good candle by then.

I love CS Frasier Fir, Mistletoe, Frank & Myrrh, and Christmas Hearth, Fillmore's Cedar Garland, Nutmeg & Ginger, and Christmas Tree, and of course FB Cinnamon Broom.

4 hours ago, Shari said:

I make sugar scrubs but never thought to add silk amino acids.  Curious now.  I would think the emulsifier  would keep it together, might need a bit more than usual.  

Thanks Shari. I will be trying out WSP emulsified sugar scrub recipe. The emulsifier is emulsified wax and the preservative Phenonip. I am new to making sugar scrubs so will be testing it out to see if I like it.

2 hours ago, Dana said:

Dalmation Sage (Salvia officinalis) is the type used for cooking, so I would recommend that. HTH

I was really leaning towards the dalmation. It does smell more like the cooking herb. Just can't get past that bitter note. I suppose I will have to shop around and try other suppliers to see if I can find one that is speaks to me. Thanks!

17 hours ago, birdcharm said:

I am one of those people who distrust Facebook, so I've never signed on, but I can imagine that it could become annoying to see too many people posting photos with "look what I just made" type of stuff and in the photo there is a candle with a huge wick, off-center, that's been cut with a pair of pinking shears. 

It's even funnier and tragic when you see 50 followup posts saying "that's beautiful" or "great candle". My jaw always drops as I'm thinking are you all blind or are you kidding me? you're proud of that hideous fire hazard waiting to happen?!!!!🤣

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

 I had to grow into events through persistence and a lot of resources. The first year a few people may try your stuff. The second year, if they see you,  a few more may try. If you can make it through the third year and start making money then you’re onto something.

 

Same here. I do mostly farmer's markets year round and many of the same craft shows each year. Even with great products you still need to build a customer base and that can take several years just to get a good solid base of customers. Repeat customers that look for you each market or each year's craft show. That is why I can get individual sales of $50-$100 for soap alone or candles alone all day long. My products range from $5 to $15 with one or two a little higher priced.

My typical sale with repeats starts at $35-$50 and goes up from there depending on how long they are buying for. New customers typically buy one $5 bar of soap. I can see the skepticism in their eyes. But I know once I can get them to buy one thing, even if it is small, they will probably come back for more.

My big spenders buy in bulk. I even have customers that buy several hundred dollars in product at one show or market to last them several months or a year. One man buys $200-$300 dollars of SOAP at a time several times a year and that is before his daughter and wife hit my booth (they like to shop around like girlfriends) and hit my booth usually after.

I didn't get sales like this when I started out or even after the first year or two. It took me 3-4 years to get that kind of customer base. My knowledge of my products is what sells them for me. Also, when I have repeat customers in my booth, they sell the tar out of my soaps and products when a new customer comes into the booth asking for an opinion on something they want to try. Sometimes all I have to do is stand there and smile and my customer(s) with make the sale for me!!

26 minutes ago, Crafty1_AJ said:

Most small businesses don't make it for the long haul; they close within a year or so of start up.  IMO, it takes a unique combination of creative person + entrepreneurial / business savvy person.  You don't see that combo very often.

Exactly! Those are the get rich quick newbies that don't realize you have to actually know what you are doing and how to be a sales person and an accountant. They just wanted to make something fast and easy and skip the apprenticeship altogether and become rich quick! After all, you just melt wax, add scent, a wick, and pour into a jar, right??!!!!

...and if so, what else do I need to use in the sugar scrub to keep it from seperating out and what preservative should I use?

I still have FOs left over from last year and some candles too so I will pretty much be making what I did last year. But my personal fall favs are apple, pumpkin, and cranberry types. I think some that are must haves for me are FB Cinnamon Broom, CS Pumpkin Souffle, CS Cranberry Marmalade, CS Harvest Apple and MacIntosh Apple.  I do blend the majority of my scents so I have uniques scents.

I am always on the lookout for a lovely smoky campfire type and a nice toasted marshmellow. Fortunately PFO just brought back MW Autumn Embers that I am thrilled about because that is the one campfire scent I could not replace that was a super best seller for me!! Yippy!!!

So now, onward on the lookout for a good toasted marshmellow!

I make and sell mostly soap year round with candles during the fall and holiday season only. So I don't have a problem with the candle makers so much but it seems everyone and their mother is making hand made soap and I see many that talk about their soap selling business but ask questions an experienced soaper would know already. It just boggles the mind how hopeless some of them are.

But it is also that time of year, fall, when the newbie candlemakers and other crafters start showing up in droves on social media like forums, youtube, instagram, and especially facebook asking questions about how to make their candles etc at the same time they start selling them.

So this time of year I kind of expect it. By January they tend to mostly disappear except for only the very serious minded one. Only those who are determined to learn the craft and learn how to market and sell will survive the season or their first year. So the come and they go and honestly I have learned not to stress out about it as they mostly aren't real competition in the first place.

Can't tell you how many times I have had customers tell me they like my soap, candle, lotion, lip balm, or whatever, the best out any they have tried and always look for me just to buy from only me. Or the customers that tell me they tried a candle or a soap from another seller and how inferior it was or how dry the soap was or it didn't feel the same, smell the same, etc., etc., etc.

I have a specific logo in mind. A silhouette thats black and white.

Even if its propagating when you make edits to a site and click on publish they should show up right away not in 24 hrs. That is for old school sites. When I publish my editing on my website I see the changes immediately. On my old, old, old website it had to propagate. Haven't seen that in many years.

Sounds like their is something in the system that posts updates after 24 hours. Maybe there is also a setting that can be changed for updates so they are immediate instead of 24 hours? It is nice to see you can put a background pic on the site. 

I take that back. After spending a few minutes on the board I am finding other problems. The top right notifications/messages section is unreadable. I can only find it if I move my curser over it. Otherwise you can't see it. Plus, if you have multiple notifications or messages once you click on it the number indicator then becomes unreadable. Well it did before, but since you can't see this section you have to move your curser over it to find it so you can click on the rest of your messages. Hope that makes sense.

Color scheme is a bit easier on the eye with the exception that the heading title "Craft Server" is really hard to read. 

Yes a poster board cut to size/width of your lightbox works like a charm. But I have also used books, fabric, sheets, etc. Next I am gonna look for some cute tiles or flooring like fake marble or wood.

Same here re the prices. I only use 2 FOs from them as I had to replace others due to their high shipping. But they have the best Lemon Verbena and Barbershop 1920's and they are best sellers for me. 

I will assume that any FOs WSP keeps will go up in price but if you buy the minimum dollar amount the shipping is free. Of course nothing is free and I believe the shipping is worked into the higher price of the product. But I still buy from WSP because when I compare the total cost of product plus shipping they often come out ahead of the competition and have more of the product I need. So if WSP ever closes I am in trouble!!!

I noticed. Good luck working it out. I am not fond of the new look myself but at least it is easy to read. Just a bit weird looking.