Opinions Desired :-)

[racolvin]

I'm curious what you folks think about charging for "customizations"

Right now I have a preferred default color for my candles and I color all of them except the ones that I do as "natural/white", meaning no color added.

As an example, I color my "Christmas Tree" a dark green, while my "Birthday Cake" is left as the natural/white color of the wax.

I do charge extra if they want a candle in a color other than my default, since that qualifies as a "custom" job that I can't guarantee will sell to anyone else. For example, if someone wanted a French Vanilla candle colored in Black, I would charge extra for that since I couldn't make a couple extra for inventory purposes - no one else would want a black colored vanilla candle

I am considering going to the natural/white color (non-colored) as my default for all fragrances and having *any* color as a custom, extra-charge, item.

I know some of you don't do colors at all, so I'm interested in hearing the group opinions about this sort of approach.

[sudsnwicks]

I don't charge extra if they want, say, a black colored vanilla candle. But they would need to buy the minimum batch size that I am able to make.

[racolvin]

How do you handle that from a purchasing/logistical perspective?

By that I mean, it takes as long for me to make a single 16oz candle as it does for me to make four of the same thing. So if I spend X amount of time making a single black colored vanilla candle but I also have orders for 3 more of the regular white vanilla candle, do you just write off the lost productivity?

That's kind of where I'm approaching this from actually. Custom colors for single orders consume both my time and my economies of scale, so it seemed right to charge for that. I give them the option of paying extra for the custom, which offsets my lost time and productivity, or they can pay less and get the standard color that I may already have in stock or that I can make several of at the same time that I could put into inventory to be ready for the next order.

I realize it sounds like I'm picking at nits but given the fluctuating costs of materials, the time and effort, etc, it doesn't seem unreasonable to charge extra for the "custom" approach.

[bugtussle]

I think it would just depend on whether I needed/wanted the business. I will change colors more in the spring/summer. Always collect the $ up front. Carole

[sudsnwicks]

I agree it's rather inefficient to pour a single 16 oz candle when you could have done 4 in the same amount of time. I won't take the order if they only want one unless I wasn't busy at the time. Usually they'd need to get 3 or 4, preferably 6. That is for jar candles. I am a very small fry, so my batch sizes aren't big at all. For you, you may require a larger minimum. Or just charge more, if that is more convenient for you.