1. It was just under a year when we started our first website and began to sell (other than friends & family who started as testers and wanted to buy). Yes it was a good choice, in the beginning it supported the purchases and when I started doing markets and wholesale I made decent $. I also made decent $ in the past 2-3 yrs since I quit all my wholesale accts and just sold in my stores.
2. Yes & No, started small with fo, think I had 6 scents, 1 wax, 1 jar, 1 tin and grew with the business $.
3. Yes, most of my client base came from my wholesale accts (my email was on every label.)
4. I personally walked into every resale site I wanted to wholesale to and provided them a sample melt and or candle.
5. I've pretty much always worked outside of candles, so my fun (zen) job was candles.
6. I did many when I was younger, not in the past 10 years since owning the antique malls.
7. Tried Etsy for a bit but I really wanted to sell gift sets on there and did a few only. That was back when everything offered on Etsy had to be handmade so I couldn't include a warmer.
8. Started as a partner with my niece, she got too busy for it all 10 years ago.
9. Never a candle storefront, but sold in both my antique malls.
10. Yes
11. Area in my home that has been designated a workshop (last house had a studio apt below us that I used, this house has an added on section that I was using.
12. This is so subjective to wax, time etc. Someone with 6 scents & 1 jar or just melts who dedicates a whole lot of time to candles could possibly be ready in 2 months. Most people start with way more scents and want multiple containers and begin to try new waxes with the first that fails them in any way. The only advice I can give here is to pick a wax and work thru the issues to make a good, safe candle. Once you're in business if you want to start testing other waxes on the side, that's great. Unless you're rich you'll waste a whole lot of time and $ testing multiple waxes at once.