Brandies22 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 selling your candles and bath and body products , this is my first month that i will be selling my products and was hoping that one day i could really turn this into a full-time business, i know it takes planning and a great product, thanks in advance for all of your infoBrandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chele Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Make as in profit or sales? Take care,Chele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marika Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 brandyI really think that is a very personal question and nobody in their right mind would answer it on a public forumMari:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marika Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Oh/oh...tool ate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Dani Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I agreed it's to personal.....everyone who invest into business and it's either win or loose... you can either go up the ladder or belly flop....how you go about business is how you make your money.If you work hard and push yourself and make scrafices to get big someday.It all depends on what you do to become successful!Someday I'll be floatin on profits but right now....what profit i make, I invest back to my company.HTHDani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 What's your personal income for the year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandies22 Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 sorry if i said it wrong, i really just wanted to know if you could support a family on this kind of a business, i didn't mean to offend anyone , sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Dani Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 sorry if i said it wrong, i really just wanted to know if you could support a family on this kind of a business, i didn't mean to offend anyone , sorrysupport a family on ramein noodles for a while LOLmac n cheese and few other cheap food for while...but be smart, do as what you can afford...you don't need it all tomorrow...work you way up to getting supplies you need. etc.took me a year to get everything, 2 years to test...and still is testing..had my site for 2 years and it just all takes time.Dani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandies22 Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 thanks Dani for your encouraging words , i know it takes time , and i really believe in what i make , and i love doing it , i know a lot of people would love to make a living doing what they love and i want that , so thats why i asked thanks againBrandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I think those here who truly support their family (make the house payment, the car payment, buy groceries) on their candles and b&b are actually very few. I don't think the majority of people here do it full time and rely solely on it for their income. For some, I'm sure it's a good supplemental income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellywax Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I haven't made anything...I know I have spent enough to buy a car But then again, I have another full time job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Deer Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I helped a friend with an online business many years ago that sold spiritual products. In the beginning, it brought in a few hundred dollars a month, but then more websites started to offer similar products and the competition for customers was tough. Financial success will depend on many factors... How many others in your geographic area are also selling similar products?Will you sell online only or at craft fairs?Will you be able to get gift stores or other stores to carry your products?What kind of profit are you aiming for? Can you be cost competitive with others who sell similar products?How do you plan to keep your base customers coming back for more?The biggest recommendation I can give you DO NOT PLAN TO LIVE OFF YOUR PROFITS FOR THE FIRST TWO TO FIVE YEARS!Most businesses fail because the owners try to live off of their profits before the business is well established. Give yourself and your business time to grow and mature. Be creative and always be willing to compromise and change.Best of luck to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbiepql Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 There are very few businesses IMHO that you can start without MAJOR capital or loans and expect to make a living and support a family. I went into this biz for a second/part-time income source, so I would be home instead of some place else for the rest of my waking hours of the day! My goal was to supplement an pretty hefty wage reduction when relocating and opting not to commute two hours a day to stay in my same pay braket. I put down on paper what I would need to make up for the loss of income and that was my goal for my candle business. Once that was reached I set a raised my goal to include paying off my hubby's master degree - maybe some day my goal will be for this biz to be my only job, but that is many goals away for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Even though the supplies are paying for themselves now... personally I may not see an actual profit from the initial start up costs for another year. And if I don't quit playing with new FO, (Chris, dammit!) I may never.I've decided the trouble isn't being able to raise your net operating income, the trouble lies with staying within your business plan and managing the middle of your P&L, the controllables... like new FO, R&D for new ideas, new packaging, shipping cost from suppliers, etc. If you can keep those costs down, your bottom line benefits and you will see a profit sooner. Most of us want to try every new thing that comes along... like FO and it nickles and dimes us to death and we never realize it.Doesn't that just suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainmadness Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I have been making soap for 6 years. I am now getting to the point that I could make a living off of it. Right now it is a supplemental income and plain and simply fun-money. I am planning on doing so in a year. The only potential issue that I see is budgeting myself to live on the money year round. Jan, Feb, March and April are fairly slow as far as sales but the rest of the year is busy. Grumpy had an excellent point also.... it is very easy to buy more than you really need. It is difficult to limit yourself sometimes.HTH.Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebug Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I am new here, and have spent in 1 month $150.00 on 3 orders from 3 different suppliers, more than that- I bought some cookie cutters for ornies and some bwfrom Michael's...I want to try HP soap this weekend, so I will spend some more.I fund this hobby by Mystery Shopping, aside from my full time job!I am hoping to find a business to suppliment my pension, when I retire.Good thing I have 15-20 years to testthe waters!This is an awesome place to learn and share, BTW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I'm similar to mountainmadness. It's decent profit/income for me, but not our family's sole means of support. DH works too. At this time, I am still raising my kids and I don't WANT it to be our sole means of support, because that would mean I'd have to work too many hours to spend time w/ my kids. I don't want them to leave home in a few years here, and mom's a virtual stranger. LOL So for me, it's more like a part-time job, even though I'm self employed. My kids are on board with me in the biz, though. They help out, and I pay them accordingly.But I started realizing actual profit within my 2nd year of biz, after I had paid off my start-up loan. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceCarvesWax Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Candles have been my whole income for over 10 years of my life. 4 years a long time ago and now over 6 years supporting me the wife and all 4 kids. Not many candle makers I know stick with it for very long. If they do its not their only income in the house. My philosophy is to NEVER have a store but to go to where the people are, don't wait for them to come to you. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizbizzyb Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 hmmmmm....I make decent money at it (I can't quit working yet)- thank goodness for the contacts i get thru my DH...However I have to have this...that...get this...that....My job at PayPal pays my house bills and my job at Kelloggs pays be my ordering unneccesary stuff for candles....I have boxes that I just opened from a year ago....I need rehab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanasnecessities Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 My family has been making soap and othe natural products for over 20 years, it has never supported a family, but has given us the freedom to follow our dreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candlewitch Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Bruce had alot to say. Read what he said a few times over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsbennis Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I need a second job to support the candle addiction....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrown Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 My philosophy is to NEVER have a store but to go to where the people are, don't wait for them to come to you. BruceI'm with Bruce. I have a fulltime job and the BB products I make and sale are just a little something on the side. Bruce said NEVER have a store. He really makes a good point. I have known several people that have opened stores and they have failed (this is not to say that it is not possible to open a successful store) but IMO it is much harder. There are several people on this board that have stores are are doing just fine. I would rather make the products and have a lot of wholesale accounts then to open up my own store. In the beginning I thought I wanted a store but after being in the business for a couple of years, watching and learning I feel that it would be better for me to just sale wholesale and focus on my products as oppose to worry about monthy rent for a store, store employees and all the other stuff that comes along with a retail store. This is just my opinion. I have some friends that have a candle business. They have been doing this for about 6 years now and they do very well. They have mastered getting into the good craft shows and they have alot of wholesale accounts. They are a husband and wife team and neither one of them work outside their business. I think both of them left their jobs 2 years into their candle business. They say they work longer hours now then they did when the had jobs outside their home. My point is that you can make good money but it does not happen over night and there is alot of HARD work that goes into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrown Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I need a second job to support the candle addiction....lol Me too. That co op board keeps me in trouble all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnS Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Well so far only craft shows/friends and most I ever made at a show was $350 so that isn't paying for all the supplies.Other shows maybe $200.I am lucky to get into 4 a year.Always something happens.Called about one show and Well no call back to say if any openings.Really like that. I have friends that come over and buy and at shows people do ask if I have a shop.That is my goal.BUT it will be in my backyard like most around here do.I have a building that I can convert into a candle shop/business.Will fix that up cute.Also plan on starting to get out and peddle.Just what I hate to do.Just this week wondering what to offer as samples and make a bunch.Take'em everywhere.I haven't put alot into it for the last 3 years but will next year.Husband retires and also we might have time on week-ends to hit other areas.So far we stay within 25 miles but alot of crafters have campers and come from all over.The people next to me at most shows are maybe 45 miles and just camp wherever a campground is.That is what we might do.Do have a website but no sales.So hope that takes off sometime soon.It doesn't cost alot so will keep it.Might do a makeover with another design.To dark for me and I like pastels. So I cannot say I make money and I know when tax time comes our tax preparer and husband will have something to say. LynnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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