sockmonkey

Those look PERFECT, and just the names alone make me want to pop one in my mouth! I would probably lose my mind if I could smell them!

Those look great. The Papaya Mango is my favorite though, with the different colors and shapes. It looks like it would have taken forever to make.

Normally, it's not a shop that has to be "loyal," it's the other way around--a supplier who is "loyal" to a shop and won't offer their product to nearby competitors, so you shouldn't let that idea prevent you from approaching any shop about your tarts. If you don't make a huge profit off of the tarts, consider adding accessories such as warmers--cups, plates, trays, lamps, etc., to melt them in. If you buy a large volume you can lower the price enough so that the price will be attractive to the shop owner to buy them from you, instead of buying them direct and having to make a large opening order just for warmers. If necessary, a co-op here could help you with getting warmers cheaply. The same goes with other supplies you might need, such as packaging--clamshells, labels, etc.

In my opinion you can still use kraft labels with the contemporary jars. It creates a more modern "green" look for them, which appeals to many younger folks in the higher income brackets. You can ditch the crows on those labels and replace them with a simple leaf or stripe. If you could post pics of your candles, I think that would really help generate ideas.

That has happened to me before too, but only on occasion. On one occasion I contacted them about it and they told me to type in the complete web address, http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/. I normally never bother putting http, etc. in front of WSP, but when I did as instructed, the security warning did not appear again, so I guess the person who told me to do that knew what they were talking about.

YIKES! Thanks for the heads up.

Same here--FOUR MONTHS. That was before they started charging $15 for samples. There is no way I would do business with them.

I would look in craft stores for ribbon with wired edges and wrap it around a dowel. Here's another method of making curly ribbon: http://www.instructables.com/id/Curlykorker-Hair-Bows/ To make yours longer, I would imagine you could use a longer dowel or maybe even wrap one strand around the dowel twice to double the length.

Talk about lazy...I use a Soap Kettle. It's even less trouble than the microwave!

I don't think you're really doing anything to get your name out there by selling warmers that any other retail store might have. Your candles, however, are a way to get your name out there since they are your unique creation. If you are determined to sell the warmers, I would try to find a way to buy them cheaper--either through a different source, or by purchasing in larger quantities to lower the cost per unit.

Sometimes people do post "RE: Buyer Beware" comments when they know something shady is going on. If you do post though, she will probably know it's you. If all you did was correspond through email you should be fine, but if she has your home phone number she might be able to track you down!

I poured m&p in clamshells to use as packaging, so I'm sure it will work fine for chunks.

Maybe I didn't ask the right questions. Regarding the things you listed-- bakery exotic floral fruity inspiration animal sensual Do you make candles/b&b for each of these, or are you just referring to scents? Is there a common theme or color in the packaging for any of your products? Who do you have in mind when you create your products--low budget customers, high end, fundraisers, teens, wholesale clients, adult females, etc? If each one of the items above represents a line (not a scent) you carry, that seems awfully ambitious for someone trying to launch their company. One thing I thought of regarding a one word name for your company is that sometimes people will actually combine two or more words to create one name. I know that no one would use this for their company name, but as an example, Purple Pig becomes Purplepig. With a little more information, the ideas will probably start pouring in for you.

What are the different styles you use? For example, if you have a safari themed line and a elegant French line, we need to know those things. Also, if there is a common ingredient you like to use, like beeswax or soy, that is also useful information.

The fact that you're questioning it tells me that you know in your heart you shouldn't do it. I would hate to turn away business, but I also would hate to be accused of ripping off my competitor. I think I would be inclined to tell the customer that you became aware that your competitor makes a candle that sounds just like she described, but that in good conscience you cannot duplicate their creation. Instead, you would be willing to create a different adaptation exclusively for them. My hope would be, that in doing that they would have more respect and trust for you as a vendor, realizing that you aren't likely to sell them out either just to make a buck if the opportunity ever presented itself.