Starting to sell...

[Absyrtus]

Hey guys...

I started making mostly natural candles, mostly for myself, but my family and friends are getting interested in them. Unfortuatnely, i'm still in the experimental stage. Some of my candles turn out gorgeous, and some turn out so ugly I'm afraid to let them out of the basement... yet, metlling down a finished candle that is perfectly good (except for looks) seems foolish (esp. when you consider the loss of EOs.

When you guys started out, did you have a lot of ugly candles? Did you feel bad when family ordered a candle and all you had to give them was a candle that supposed to be marbeled, but turned out looking like cow print?

I'm assuming I'll improve my techniques, and have a greater percentage of success... but I don't want people to get the wrong impression about my candles. I'm striving to make gorgeous candles, that smell great and are as nautral as possible. I'm afraid if I sell them something ugly, even though most of them know me well, and I tell all of them that I am just starting and am experimenting, that they won't order from me again.

What do you think?

[mystical_angel1219]

I assume you are speaking of soy candles?

If its surface appearance issues, a heat gun is your best friend. Color issues will involve changing your techniques. A marbled soy candle will not look the same as a paraffin candle no matter how hard you try. Colors in soy will always be different because of the opaque nature of the wax. I would recommend using liquid dyes in soy.

My suggestion to you would be to perfect your product before selling.

Always keep in mind~ "you never have a second chance to make a good first impression". Do you always use the same formulation? Consistency in your product is key. Take good notes on your testing. Your potential buyers will not turn into "customers" if your product is inferior. If you are still in the "experimental" stage of candlemaking, perhaps selling at this point is not a wise idea. Never convey to a customer that you are "starting and experimenting"~ unless you are just giving them a small candle to test. Its not a professional approach to marketing. Your business image will be something that can make or break you.

In a nutshell, if I think one of my candles is ugly, it doesnt leave the house. I either burn them myself or melt them into tarts and give them away as freebies. You must have pride in your product, period.

[Absyrtus]

I agree... but this is family we're talking about here . I bought a triple beam balance the other day that should really help me keep consistant. there is just so much trial and error! Not all EOs are the same potency, not all colors seem to be either -- it's just difficult without tons of laborious (and expensive) experimentation.

[RobinInOR]

Ah, but what about friends of family who see your stuff, and get a bad first impression of something? That can snowball pretty quickly..

I'd wait until I had a bit more consistency. That's why I don't use expensive EOs, only the more reasonable ones - there aren't any shortcuts to testing.

[Absyrtus]

So when you guys started out, what did you do with all of your over/under colored, over/under scented, and generally sub-par candles?

[wookie130]

Well, I've made many "inferiors." And I just burn them for myself...and then change the variables slightly on the next batch. If they are "superior", then I consider giving them to others, or selling them.

[mystical_angel1219]

So when you guys started out, what did you do with all of your over/under colored, over/under scented, and generally sub-par candles?

I either burned them myself or gave them away to close friends as emergency candles. A candle is a just a candle when there is no electricity.... LMAO!!

But you can also make tarts out of the overly scented ones as well. I had so many tester candles they were taking over the house so I will gladly let others have them to clean up the clutter.

[Bev]

I burn my "rejects" myself. My sister helps me out with some of them ... she doesn't care what they look like and is more than happy to get something for nothing. I didn't start selling until I had consistency! I'd hate to think of having sold some of those first efforts to someone ... it would have been terribly embarrassing and a bad business decision.

[sudsnwicks]

For the over/under colored, over/under scented ones, I just use them myself. My house smells very nice due to all these candles, LOL.

[smore's]

IMO if you're selling to your friends and family members, let them know that you are still in the experimental stages of your work. If they were that horrible, I'm sure you would know, as no one except maybe your mom would buy them. Don't expect to make perfect candles just starting out. Good luck!

[7Angela7]

Are you trying to sell beyond friends & family right now?

[Scented]

So when you guys started out, what did you do with all of your over/under colored, over/under scented, and generally sub-par candles?

I don't use EOs, but what I did was cut 'em up and remelted (as I don't make solid color candles) or I used them as testers.

[KristinesShower]

Well, you could always chunk up the mess ups and put them in a plain candle and sell them as confetti candles. You wouldn't believe how fast they go if you want to sell them or how great of a present it would be to someone!

We take alot of our "not so great" products, put a nice bow on them and take them down to our local homeless shelter or battered women's shelter.

Granted, I don't send alot of candles their way, but we do alot of soaps and lotions that end up being oopsies & they love them!

[PrairieDweller]

I agree with mystical angel. I so badly wanted to create a "bloopers" page on my website to get rid of fuglies..not substandard, I'm talking candles that sit long enough to frost badly or I miscolored or scented the wrong thing but otherwise perform and burn perfect.

A good friend of mine advised me not to, saying it gives a bad impression. As for beginner's issues as you have. Burn them yourself or give them to close family ONLY. Friends are too fickle.