Testing123 Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 (edited) Whoever said candle making was cheap lied...lol...Well it is, but starting a business ain't. I initially budgeted for $500, what was I thinking. I'm currently at the $1300 mark and I have yet to launch and sell a candle 😮 I still havemore stuff to buy. Yikes. What were your startup costs? Including testing, samples etc In full disclosure, this isn't my first business venture...I'm a serial entrepreneur; so I have a healthy appetite for risk and reward😏 The super positive side is that I've gotten good feedback from friends and family. Just letting word of mouth spread; building up my base and generating interest. Launch day is 30 days away... Edited September 13, 2018 by Testing123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 I haven't the foggiest clue in the world what mine were.....I just dove in and bought and bought and bought..... Trappeur 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Geez just business registration in IL and insurance added up to at least $1k before even making a single thing. Started with soap, which was actually easier. When learning candles another $500-1k initially to create safe candles with FO I already had, then way more than that when soy went to crap. The test candle graveyard is massive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 I've sold a lot of candles, melts, room sprays and soap, and I'm relatively certain I'm still in the red. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shari Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 (edited) It cost couple thousand I'm sure. Just supplies, then insurance, equipment, tents, tables etc......then the 1 1/2 years of making and testing. I don't do candles though. I makes soap and other B&B. I have supplies to play with melts but not sure I'll ever get around to it. Fragrance Oils are my black hole. Edited September 13, 2018 by Shari 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 On this site you can learn everything you need to know about how to make good candles, how to sell them, and why you shouldn't. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 @Sharigood points. Depending on where you intend to sell, that’s another set of costs. I forgot about the tables, displays, transport boxes, etc. and ez up. Then there was the banner, business cards, table coverings, etc. I change or update custom displays pretty much every season as I learn new things. ETA and booth fees, taxes, etc. For an an online presence, you need a web host, domain, web site, etc. etsy is much less spendy to start, but with more competition. as that old saying goes, it takes money to make money. Depending on your business model there can surely be easier points of entry and variances in start up costs. one of my wholesalers got into it pretty cheap. She slaps a label on my stuff and calls it hers. She still complains about the per unit costs, but then she had zero dollars sunk into research, development, etc. she buys and resells. She’s more profitable than I am per unit sold. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 8 minutes ago, TallTayl said: one of my wholesalers got into it pretty cheap. She slaps a label on my stuff and calls it hers. She still complains about the per unit costs, but then she had zero dollars sunk into research, development, etc. she buys and resells. She’s more profitable than I am per unit sold. I have one customer like this and it's pretty bad. She is damn lucky she has someone like me who caters to her whims and woas.....with private labeling, etc. I dread every time I deliver her orders weekly as I know I'm going to hear more BS about nothing. She would never get away with the crap she puts me through with any other candle company.....fini...If it wasn't for the fact that she orders so much from me, I would have ended our business relationship 3 years ago when she first opened her store. But...but one of these days she is going to say another wrong thing to me at the wrong time and I'm really going to let go and let her have it and tell her to take this last order of candles and shove them where the sun don't shine...and I will proudly walk away from this account with no regrets, easily.... Trappeur 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 I voted between $2k-$4k, but would have to go back and look - it's been over 20 years since I started making, and I did get my business license and all insurance in place that first year, even though I don't think I started selling for almost 3 years after making my very first ever candle. And I was constantly adding costs due to testing and all the different things I'd try, yearly insurance, licensing and other expenses, etc., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Almost nothing (I don't make candles, I'm an herbalist, I own an apothecary and alchemy studio and I make soap.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I just started out in June and I've already spent over $1,000 without even selling anything. I've made a ton of mistakes already but it's all a part of the learning process. Obviously I have a long road of testing ahead. But considering that candles are sold on perceived value, I am prepared to spend thousands if necessary on branding, marketing, packaging, and the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franu61 Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 (edited) Well, I went about it a little differently....bought an already established business. Purchase price was $3500. That included recipes, wholesale accounts, equipment and supplies (no premade product) I did not ever think about it, but it sounds like I got a bargain, lol. Course I did and still do lay out more money on new product testing and equipment upgrades, and insurance is a major, ongoing expense. Edited September 15, 2018 by franu61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I've been doing this for too many years to even remember at my age, but this is really hard to say. If you mean just the business portion, that's different. But if you're talking supplies included, really hard because some of us will have started minimal and some dove in and bought a ton right away. I'm responding based on cost to start the business alone, no supplies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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