clane

We are all waiting lolol... I have also had quite the conversation with a mold or two of mine. What I learned the hard way? Don't get too smart and etch the inside of a pillar mold for different heights... you will buff every candle for the rest of the life's mold!

Anyone remember a supply company called Walnut Hill?

That is good to know. Thanks!

What a great idea!!!!! Now see, why didn't I think of that?

How bout 'dip me in chocolate' . You could call them Spa Dippers, or Dippers or DipMees... Ok, more coffee lolol

I was going to say papermart too. Has anyone ever ordered from them?

I agree with everyone to a point. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is, however, there are some free things out there. My site is hosted by Star Host and they host it free because I have 'traffic'. Not sure what their pricing is regularly, but I have tons of space and have had so far 100% up-time. I will email my host and see what his pricing is... As for site design, I do have 15 years experience in web development, however, Joomla as a content management system is quite easy to use. However, you might not need something quite that component/mambot/module heavy if you are only selling one or two venues. You could try Zen Cart or Cube Cart, both free and pretty easy to set up. Let me know if you need help!http://www.candletech.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_highfive.gif :highfive:

Ok, years ago I did the craft show circuit and for some reason I thought I would not have to pay my dues twice once I got back into candlemaking. What I am learning tho is that a website is great except, quoting a friend that has the most profound common sense, "well, most people like to smell them before they buy for the first time" lol. Believe it or not, I actually had not factored this into my business plan... So, what I have found is that those folks around me who have smelled the products order well and the web site is great for them but to increase my market base, I am going to have to do a few shows I guess. Ugh! I am looking for any suggestions out there to streamline this process. Displays, finding the right shows in Northern Ohio, how much product to prep, etc. I would really appreciate the input!!!

To a couple of you... I am in Ohio (North) and I have a local butcher shop I frequent. They freezer wrap my purchases. You may want to check with your local butcher and see if they will either sell you some or perhaps point you to their supplier. To the Cinnamon Color person... I use a bright flame red red because my cinnamon tarts smell how the cand "Red Hots" taste. Cinnamony with a sweet undertone that keeps you popping more, dispite the pain lolol

"bits and bobs" - I love that!!!

Hey Nancy T - have you tried the rose scent from ICS? I just ordered and made for a customer and it is the most realistic smelling rose I have come across! I am thinking about renting a space at my local indoor trade market. The space is $50 for Fri Sat & Sunday. I just hate making all that product ahead of time. I get more excited about custom orders... know what I mean? I would like to find a unique way to have potential clients get excited about smelling the samples and then place an order but also know folks get impatient and love cash and carry... Anyone come up with a convincing argument for that yet? Hope everyone has fun pouring this weekend!

I have been chatting with a few in the same dilema and am in the process of freelancing what is necessary until I get my virtual candle shop what it needs. My site is http://www.chandlerlane.com and all of the graphics are mine (designed by me) including all of my labels. If I can be of help in the pinch, please let me know. No problem with work and then compensation so you do not have to worry about a rip-off. I am just one of those folks who recognizes that whatever you do under a bushel will soon be in the light lol. Let me know if I can be of assistance!

You are welcome! Also, Wholesale Supplies Plus (Cleveland, Ohio) lists right on their site the percent of vanilla in each scent they offer. I like nearly every scent I have purchased from them (again, the convenience of no shipping cost, just gas). They are pricey though.

That is the God's honest truth! My own Aunt who has burned my candles for years just recently hosted a small luncheon and called me and shared with me "I think I got a defective votive... it just ran all over the place within an hour". I said Aunt S*&^, did you burn it in a snug votive holder? She said, well, no, I used those new sherbert glasses I got for Christmas... my word!!!!

What is anyone's most uniqe idea for generating individual customers? Years ago I had a physical shop and I was in the right place at the right time and an opportunity fell into my lap. A new pizza place had started up in town and was going door to door in the business district handing out try-free coupons to generate lunch trade. I made a deal with them that 1), if I tried their pizza and it truly was good; and, 2) that if they let me come in on Friday and Saturday evening the upcoming weekend and tape a flyer to each pizza box being delivered that I would spread the word to all of my customers and foot traffic. It ended up their pizza was really really good and I did get to attach my flyer and my free marketing idea hit my perfect target market: folks home on Friday and Saturday night, ordering pizza and enjoying a good movie. The perfect candle-burner! Now, fast forward, after a 15 year hiatus, I have a virtual shop and looking for ways to generate more sales. The competition is stiff out there. A few days back I put together an order form, price list, catalogue and a free sample and delivered 14 sets at random on my street and I have a couple of virtual candle parties in process but am looking for any ideas folks have. It would be appreciated!!!

I make my own labels and packaging. And you just kind of gave me an idea that is probably an answer to a prayer! I made candles way-back-when and then, you know how life sometimes does, I had to quit my business and go in another direction for a bit and settled into nonprofit work as a fundraiser/technical consultant/PR in the community and economic development arena. After several years I found myself with a steady set of clients (mostly work out of my home office except when meetings out of town/state are required) and as of a year or so ago decided to slowly transition back to my first love, candle making. However, this time I had an advantage as I had picked up bunches of experience on web and database development, marketing/branding, etc. So, on the side I continue to consult for the nonprofit orgs and mainstream developed my own web site and product. Product and site are going well; close to 20,000 hits on my site since launch October 23, 2007. However, sales wise, it is much more difficult with a virtual storefront vs. the old way, public physical shop. Long and short of it is though that while I am plugging along one sale at a time and testing new recipes. My overall goal is to back fully away from my nonprofit consulting on a national level and eventually start my own foundation to service community and economic development needs solely within my own community. Foundation dollars will come from my Chandler Lane Handmade products and hopefully when leveraged with other dollars in the community perhaps sponsor a few little league teams and a handful of community cleanup efforts... The long and the short of it though... I would be more than happy to send you an email with a screenshot of my labels and see if I can help you with yours within your budget. Freelance work will keep me in my niche (handmade!) and I enjoy graphic design thoroughly. If I can help you or anyone else, just email me! So, here's my classified... "Perfectionist available for freelance work while candles are curing..." lol.

I haven't bought from them but did read about ICS on another board and bought their sampler pack and a couple other scents. I am extremely please with what I received and I have received great feedback from my customers so far.

I do use quite a few of the NG scents as they are right in my own backyard and I skip shipping costs. That being said, I have learned to ask what percent the vanilla in each is before I buy. For instance, their blueberry is very vanilla-ee and with my wax blend it makes the throw - if this makes sense... how to say-- air-blendy. As one of my customers said "it smelled good, but not like a blueberry, just 'berry-ish'". On the other hand, the same customer buys my black cherry tea lights and I use the NG cherry and it is very very very cherry. Sharp cherry. That's my experience with NG- One thing I will say though about NG - their customer service is fantastic and all of the staff I have met is very accomodating and helpful. Nice to see folks like this.

Thanks guys for your input. I saw somewhere where someone took beeswax sheets, cut to votive height and rolled the votive in the wax. I was thinking of experimenting with this but somehow include a 'bottom' so it is truly a votive burning container. I will let you know how it goes. I have some low smoke zinc wicks for sale under classifieds but would be willing to trade someone for beeswax sheets, fo's and/or car fresheners I can scent myself... Look forward to hearing back!

I just found this board a short bit back and havent really posted much but as boards go, this is one of the best. Everyone seems very nice and the advice so far (from my own personal experience over the years) seems to be right on spot. The one piece of advice that I will give is this: no matter how excited you get, take good notes on EVERYTHING you make. You may think you will remember exactly what you did, what you added, what you left out, what temp, etc., but you won't. And the worst thing imaginable is to revisit something you made last month and find that 'it' actually burns or smells better than what you made this month and then to not rembember exactly what you did. It took me years to develop the self discipline to finally slow down and write down but there is nothing more valuable you can do for yourself. Other than that, enjoy!

The other day I was surfing the web and came across an idea for an 'all natural' votive holder. The reason I am looking is because I cannot tell you how many people burn a votive after assuring you they have 'votive holders' and then ask you why it ran all over the place... So, rather than buy and include a glass votive holder with every candle, especially samples, I am trying to come up with a way to provide the votive 'ready to go'. Maybe even something I can dip them in for a one-time use type thing... Thoughts? I really would like to give out samples but it won't do me any good if they walk away with the wrong impression just due to burning incorrectly... One thing I did do though was to buy disposable muffin tins at Walmar and cut them into individual muffin-size. I took some tarts from a show or two that didn't sell, drilled a hole in the bottom, inserted a wick and then put them in the tin and added a ring of whipped wax on the top outer edge. I called them "Chocolate Cream Pie" as the scent was Chocolate Drizzle. No problem giving those out as samples because all they have to do is light and go but they are very time consuming to make... Looking for thoughts! Thanks in advance!