msant Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I posted this in the 'Business Side of Things'. But I wanted to reach other veggie wax makers too in case someone misses my post! I really need advice on this one. I started selling my candles last year. The soy candles are double wicked in the 8 oz country comfort jar. I've gotten feedback from a couple of people. It seems that people have had issues with one wick not working right, or the label is not bright, or the logo looks like a big splat of color instead of an image. I'm also not 100% happy with the candle look and double wicking, and now container/function. The cost is $18 which is high for that size and I know I have to redo the cost analysis and choose more affordable materials. Anyway, my question is this...my husband advises me that it would be best just to go to local gift shops and stores and try to get the candles in a couple of stores so at least I'm still promoting my business. I am having a hard time going out with a product that I am not 100% satisfied with and with a company name, logo, and packaging that I'm testing to change. Wouldn't that ruin the trust between myself and the store owners if I'm promoting this product and then turn around in a couple of months time with all these changes? Don't know what is the business way of looking at this that would be best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftsbychris Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I would wait to promote. You only want your best product out there. Something you are proud of. And something people will want to come back for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moneypenny Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Hi and welcome to this wonderful board and to the joy of a soy candle business! I have been making soy candles for 6 years now and I really love it! However, in the beginning I did hit some rough patches and some forks in the road like you are right now. You are excited about your business and you want to keep promoting it, very understandable. However, it does sound like you are not completely satisfied or comfortable with your product at this point. I was definitely in your shoes a few years ago and I changed waxes, wicks, jars, and logos to get the look that really worked for me and my customers. There are so many facets to this wonderful business! Wholesale is a wonderful thing but my advice to you is to really work on your wicking issues and your logo before you walk into gift shops to sell your product. You will feel so much better having 100% confidence in your candles and really be able to build a wonderful relationship with the shop owner. Just my .02 but I think it is so much more important to really work out the issues with your product before you promote your creations to gift shop owners! Best of luck and I really hope this helps you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfly Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I agree, I would wait. You should never sell anything unless you feel 100% good about it, plus that will prevent confusion for your customers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin146 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I also agree you need to wait until you get the best candle you can make out there. If you keep selling duds word will travel fast and you won't make any sales. Just my 2 cents worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scifichik Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Test until you've got a product that is completely successful, then work on the labeling, then promote. Don't be bummed if it takes a while to achieve perfection. Anything worth doing is worth doing better than everyone else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 My advice would be not to even think about putting them in stores until your happy that your formula and wick is perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Not sure why you even put a candle out there with faulty wicking to begin with. Its never a good idea to promote a candle that hasn't passed its testing phase. You can ruin your business that way before you even get started. Some good suggestions here; finish testing first. Make sure you have a properly wicked and safe burning candle before you put it out there to sell.Rework you labels. Go out to gift shops, scour the web, look for ideas, go to craft stores, try to create something entirely new and different. If that doesn't appeal to you there are some websites that help you create labels or have ready-made labels or hire a professional label designer. Check out design schools or work at home mom websites. There are some really good designers you can find who will do lovely work on the cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I would not put any candles into a retail environment that I was unhappy with or knew were faulty. To do so would be promoting your business in a negative light and you dont want that. Wait untill you are 100% happy and then try selling them..not before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Where I live, an $18 eight oz candle wouldn't sell. The price is too high to be competitive. If the jar is sold as an eight oz jar, are you really pouring 8 oz of wax into it? If not, you must label the jar according to the weight of the contents.I'm a manufacturer/wholesaler and my wholesale cost for a 6.5 oz candle (that's the weight of the contents poured into a 8 oz container) is generally between $4-$4.50, depending on the type of wax I'm using, the amount of FO, the wick, the labels, etc.Try to look at it from the consumer's perspective. Would you personally buy a candle from a company that sells candles that don't burn correctly? That's a waste of money and a disappointment. If the consumer won't buy more, the wholesale customer won't reorder. And that wholesale customer will tell her cousin that has the shop 3 blocks away not to buy from you. Before long, all of your potential customers will know your name, they'll know not to buy from you.I think you have the right instincts. Listen to your gut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I'm just guessing that you are charging $18.00 dollars because you don't buy your materials in bulk? and the cost is eating you up? That has to be your first priority to get the cost down and at the same time employ a system that works and does not require constant worry about performance. Personally, I would go to another container that is cost effective and look at buying your raw materials in bulk. Labels are tricky things that require serious consideration. It sounds like you have a ways to go before going public with your product (to me) but you will need to invest the money if you ever expect to be competitive in this market. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joleen33 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I'm not selling candles yet but I have been selling other crafts for years I know that if your product isn't top notch the customers won't be shy to complain to the store owner and then they will never want to do business with you again. If your product is top notch you can get by with less the the greatest displays but you can never get away with inferior merchandise if you want to stay and grow in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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