Tess

Hey everyone!!

I am have some folks interested in purchasing my business. I am not planning on selling my company name, website or any other type of entity. I am just going to be selling my proprietary information if you will. Formulas, Wholesale accounts, suppliers etc.

For anyone who has any type of experience with this, please let me know. I am looking to have a reasonable price, but do not want to cut myself short. Any idea on a type of formula or any starting point will help. Thanks!

Well MR Missy, just a FYI.

I probably would not have purchased any of your products due to the enormous amount of negative responses about your "company". But rest assured, you pretty much sealed the deal in your rant.

IMO suppliers need to keep their business off the board. It is unprofessional. Part of running a business is knowing that you won't please everyone ALL the time. You should have learned by now that rebutting every negative comment toward you makes yourself look even more incapable.

The purpose of this particular thread area is to post "OPINIONS" about fragrance oil companies. Weather it's about the oil, the company, the customer service you name it. That is the purpose of this board.

You should have just left it at that before getting so defensive. JMO

NP

Oh stay away from Lonestars CandyCorn. Unless it has changed recently it is N-A-S-T-Y. It smells good, but it is like maple syrup in a bottle. Dark Brown and THICK!! I could not even get .25oz pp to incorporate .

Do a check on the usps website and compare from them to you. I would understand a slight increase to offset handling charges/packaging. But double is pretty drastic. Seems to me since you only ordered a small order monetary wise that they are trying to get a little more out of you.

I have seen some suppliers do this *orders under xx.xx add an extra 5" etc.

If there is a big difference after you check call them back and get an explanation. Talk to a manager not just the secretary. I would suggest finding a dif supplier. Jacked up shipping prices and slow shipping times, you can def find a better supplier.

JMO

Lonestart def has a better selection of supplies. Especially FO's

Both places have pros and cons. IMO Peak's fragrances have a more true to name fragrance. Lonestar has a more "to be expected" fragrance.

For ex.

Gardenia

Peak= smells like a true Gardenia flower

LSCS= smells more like a candle type gardenia

Cucmber Melon

Peak= Like actual cucmbers and melons

LSCS= what everyone expects (more like the BBW scent)

I had another candle crafter come over to check out my booth at a show last year and as he's talking my ear off, a customer comes and asks if I have a certain scent. Before I can even get anything out of my mouth, he says - Oh, I have that scent, come with me! - as he's pulling her by the arm back to his booth!!

Oh hell no. That deserves a biotch slap indeed. Next time you should set her ez-up on fire. That will deter her business alright.

Thank you Sock! All very good info. The brochure is definitely a generic type. It is in color (One side) and that has the product info. The inside is the order form. I am having brochures made for each "season". So just best sellers for that particular time. I think I am going to go with 8 Fragrances.

As for packaging, I think I may go with a *sorting fee*, that I will offer at the end of the fundraiser. I'll have to work details out but the price will vary depending on the order size. totally optional of course. If they choose to do it themselves, I will probably show them how to package the items myself.

Thank you again for all your replies!!

Yep it really sucks to get taken advantage of. It was a lesson learned. I never ship without payment now. EVER. So sad that one person has to ruin it for every one

Im sorry that happened to you too. Hopefully she'll see this and remember.

I banned a "customer" and blocked her email just recently. For months she "ordered" like clock work every 2 weeks. I'd go through all the trouble of figuring out her shipping and sending her a money request through PayPal and I'd never hear a word back from her till her next "order" (They were always a little different). lol I emailed her several times to ask if there was some kind of problem but she wouldn't respond to those emails either...

I have no idea how she feels about being banned, since I blocked her email address. lol

Hmm that is very strange. Could it be possible that a competitor may just be trying to waste your time?

Thanks all!

The forms are going to be the biggest PITB. I could print them out on reg. paper and black and white, but to me it does not look very attractive and professional. It would save money for the organization and myself, but I am wondering if it will inhibit sales too.

I've got a simple layout on color that I am having printed up by VistaPrint. I suppose I could stock up 25 at a time when they are on sale. I may have to go up on % this though, to cover cost. I am just afraid that by doing by %, that I could be setting myself up to shelling out more for the forms that the % I am charging.

Those of you who provide the forms free, how are you offsetting the cost?

Thanks again

Okay so I am thinking of getting into some fund-raisers. It has always seemed like a lot of work but I figure what the heck.

A couple things that are bumming me out is that I do not want to spend more on this than I make. I have my cost figured out for the product. I am selling at retail and splitting 50/50. Now I see most places provide forms for free. I have a brochure type order form that is going to cost me 1.00 for each one to print. So I am thinking I should charge 1.00 per form. But since all the websites I visited have free forms I am afraid this might be a head turner.

Then there is shipping. For those not located by me of course. I see many places ship for free. I obviously cannot afford to do this. However the organization might not either after shipping prices these days.

Finally what about packaging? I notice a lot of places offer separating orders for an extra fee per order, but if the organization were to chose to do it themselves, how do you ensure they pack it correctly to get it to the customer without breaking jars. I don't want them to chunk jars in bags without wrapping them and then I have to make up for the loss.

Any of you deal with these issues?

thx

I have. A lady placed an online order with me. I thought it was a friend of my dads, so I boxed and shipped it right away. When I went to charge the card after shipping it, I realized there was not a complete credit card number. I called throughout the weekend and got a hold of her husband. He said that she was eagerly awaiting the candles and that he would have her call me back with her CC info. Needless to say I never got paid. She never answered her phone after that, and she finally replied to an email stating that it was my fault for sending it to her without the proper info. She said she had meant to cancel the order that was why she didn't use the entire number :rolleyes2.

Well it was 60 bucks worth of product that I never saw. So back to the point I have locked her account with a notation on my cart as to why. It is the ONLY negative experience I have ever had in 6 years. So I am sure to recognize the name/location if she were to get ballzy enough to re-order.

I have a new batch and have not had a single problem. Now if your glass is dusty or has a "film" on it, it will not stick as well, and some may come off. I wipe my jars down with a paper towel and use a wick setter and bam they are done. If you like stick the thing on and pour hot wax immediately they are going to become unsecured. That is just common sense. I usually let mine sit for a couple min, without messing with them to make sure they get a good hold. I pour as cool as possible and don't have ANY problems at all. Even with big hotter wicks. HTH

On retail candles I put my biz name on the labell, then scent name, then web site, phone, city state.

On wholesale I put my biz name, scent, then the wholesalers portion I put

"Made specifically for XXXXXX, 555-555-5555, webaddy

I have the step by step instructions, but it's a pdf file and I don't know how to attach it here. Send me an e-mail address and I can attach the file and send it to you that way.

Might be a long post but we'll forgive you

You licked the oil off your arm???

But then again, that explains a lot to me !!! :tiptoe:

LMAO!

Thanks all! I am going to pour LSCS version of it tomorrow and see if I like it or not. I guess I should just take it to the shop owner to see if she likes it. She carried it before from another candle company. So I guess she will be able to determine if it is what it should be. You know it almost smells like Sandalwood.

I don't think I took a pic of mine. I may have to go to the shop and snap one. I did not wick mine, but intend it to work as a "tart" to melt in a melt pot. I was going to wick them but did not figure out a good way to secure it to the stem with the wick tab and all.

I just bought a cheap 25cent 1/2 dozen bouquet of fake flowers from wally world. Removed the flowers, stuck the wax roses on the stems. I filled a vase with the clear deco beads, and arranged the bouquet. Only thing I am not completely satisfied with is that the roses are really heavy and cause the stems to bend a little.

Oh and you jar was too nice for that first label.

The second label is much cuter BTW

I have got to agree with most. I depends on the market your looking for. If your going for the friends and family with an occasional farmers market, then I think it is fine. If you are going for something more let say marketable, you are going to need to do something more unique and eye catching.

Having been doing wholesale accounts with many businesses, I honestly have to say not one of them would ever consider those for their boutiques. No offense just being honest.

You mentioned this is the only board that has commented that.... well many people on here will not tell you it looks great but laugh at you behind your back. Or tell you it looks great because it is the nice thing to say. Most people here are business owners, and we value the opinion of honesty. You can either take it or don't. But you asked for honesty well that is what you'll get here. :smiley2:

That being said, I stated earlier it depends on your market.

Honestly I don't like the look of white labels. Looks to "printed at home".

Ditto ^^ I am sure with all the hard work you have been doing, that those Target brand pillars can't hold a candle to yours (Pun Intended ).

You know they may not be palm. I have seen a lot of mass produced candles mimic palm. They do a process that like shaves the wax and compresses them, giving a crystallization effect.

Keep on making your wonderful candles!

Have you guys read the replies?!?! OMG one idiot actually put vanilla extract and cinnamon in the candle to make a scented bacon candle. And she wonders why it is sizziling and popping. I really love the fact that NOT ONLY is the wax made from Bacon Fat which is going to be unpredictable any way, NOT ONLY is the wick made from BRAIDED YARN - had ROFL at that one- But to top it all off, the wick is all kind of uncentered and right up on the container, BUT THEN shes posts a picture of it! As if she is so proud. HELLO!!

I also really love the comment where she mentions using the metal bottle cap or some crap to "secure the wick" but she also says "Whatever else you can find/come up with to secure it will be fine. LOLOLOL

People like these make me wish I could smack them via IP address.

I have no idea what the "real" thing should smell like, but I got some from Candle Science this past fall. I was pretty happy with it in pillar candles but had not thought about it for soap or b&b. Recently, I had a customer order body butter and lotion in this scent as a gift for her stepfather. After I started working with it in those applications, I feel it does make for a nice men's scent. Haven't soaped it yet, though.

Yeah, I know. I didn't help you a bit. :tiptoe:

LOL don't worry any comment is helpful at this point. I am not so sure I like it. It is just OOB, but I am kinda skerd to test it lol.

One of my new wholesale accounts wants this FO in her religious shoppe. I have had requests for it before just never up and bought it. I got a sample once, I thought from Peak but never sniffed it. I bought this particular oil from LSCS. They seem to be the only one of my regular suppliers that had this. I really have not shopped around much. I was ordering wicks already so I threw it in basket. If anyone knows of a really good one, I would sure appreciate it too

I have noticed on my pours, that if the poured layer is still somewhat warm that the adhesion of the repour is much much better. When I forget to repour or fall asleep and the poured layer has had time to completely cool and get cold (like in a room temp of 60 or lower), and I go back to pour the next day, It does not adhere as well. The colder it is the more likely it will seperate. In this case I try to gun them quickly, OR I crank up the temp on my wax a bit (No set rule) I just like it to be hotter. That works fine.

Honestly when I do my pours correctly, I just dont let that layer cool 100%. I let it get hardened, but still very very slightly warm to the touch. Then I repour. I never change the temp of the wax at any time during that process.

I just recieved some of this. Not at all what I was expecting but I am sure it is accurate. Is supposed to be really incensey? (Yes I know it says frankinsence ). I just expected more of an undertone I guess. Not that I know what Myrrh smells like. Anyway just wondering.