periwinkle Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I just started playing with candle making, and so far I am really loving it. I have been reading as much here as I can, and learning a lot. I know I am nowhere near ready to go into business, and at this point, I don't know if that is something I want to do. But I'm just curious how others decided to go into the candle making business, and how long you did it as a hobby before transitioning to a business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was living in SW Louisiana when Hurricane Rita hit the area. We had a shop down there that carried candles for Pagan groups. After the hurricane, they left because they had sustained so much damage and didn't want to fight with it anymore. So no one in the area had that specific type of candle anymore. I finally made up my mind and started making them myself. Then it progressed to other styles of candles because I didn't like the kind that Walmart carried (they looked like crap 99% of the time). I was making them for myself at the time, as a hobby and doing what I wanted with them. Then I met my (now) husband and we moved out to New Mexico. Shortly after moving out here, I decided to start making the candles for a couple of the Pagan supply shops here and the business took off. I've been adding to it since, and don't do just supply for those shops anymore. I'm one of the lucky ones. I was hobby making them for close to 3 years, formally launched the business in 2009. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Thanks for sharing! Cool story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyTru Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was very ill with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia and Lupus in 1999. I needed to move myself and my son in with my parents. Mom watched QVC religiously. She talked me into a gel candle kit. Lost job, sold house and car. Sold gel candles for a while at craft shows and switched to Soy in 2002 and the whole shebang took off like wildfire. I was the first soy person in this area. Lupus flared in 2004, so sold my business. In Summer 2008 after trying a few direct sales bombs, decided to go back to what I knew. Opened my new business. In December the Lupus went to my kidneys. I am on dialysis but I still make my soy candles!!! I'm not the type to not do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I used to make candles many years ago as a hobby, but like so many things it got put aside for kids/work/etc. Then, about 4 yrs ago we started thinking about retirement, and I'm someone who can not sit still - so my DH started researching and actually came across a candle business that was selling all. He bought it, and I started tinkering again. I moved pretty slowly for a few years and then the company I thought I was going to retire from eliminated my position out the clear blue sky! So, you guessd it - we built me a shop and decided it was time to get serious! But, fair warning, it's not easy! Building a good reputation, and therefore a good customer base, takes a lot of time and patience. ((oh, and $$$$$ )) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnalee Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Loved bath and body works candle moonlite path. Got one for christmas and it burned about half way. So decided I wanted to remelt it. I got on the internet and 14 yrs. later I'm still doing candles. When My daughter started college and it really carried me through those times when I needed the extra cash. Don't have a business and I don't do as many shows as I used to, but when someone comes up to me at a craft show and says I was looking for you...I love your candles, it makes it all worth while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classiccandle Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was looking for something I could do that would help me get out of my regular job. I thought I was a savvy businessman and was looking for something that met three criteria; 1) It had to be something I could do part time from home, 2) something that didn't require a lot of start up capital and 3) it had to be a consumable product. After searching for what seemed like months I stumbled across candles and decided to give it a try. That was in 2003. After about a year, and $5000 later, life took me down another path and I stopped doing it, although I was doing okay with it. In 2010 I revisited the idea and have been doing it again for about a year. I'm hoping to make a real business out of it that I can leave to my kids and grandkids when I go to my eternal home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamist Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 First it was for gifts, then it grew into friends wanting my candles, then started selling them to earn a little extra money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Funny....someone asked me today how I got into making candles.My daughter went off to college and I was advised to get a hobby to fill the hours I used to spend with her. My oldest daughter suggested floral arranging. meh. Ceramics? No, you just have to dust them. Candles! They never need dusting! Yes, I make candles because you don't have to dust them.It was a hobby for 2 years before I turned it into a business. I was treading water for about 4 years when the company that I had worked for for 21 years shut the door. The candle biz was barely supporting itself and couldn't support me so I closed the biz and accepted unemployment for 6 months. Candles are in my blood now though, so I am still a hobbyist and do a couple of craft shows each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Thanks for sharing all of your stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindy5140 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 (edited) Needed a hobby after my dad passed away so I started making candles. I started giving them as gifts and those gifts turned into orders. So about a year or less I got into the business part. I only sold a few scents to start out with then expanded, dropped products, added new ones, etc... Edited November 15, 2011 by mindy5140 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Soy Candle Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Puchased my wife a kit of Ebay for Christmas a couple of years ago. She claims she didnt have time to make candles so it sat. I got a serious injury that required back surgery and now am paralyzed in my lower leg and wear a brace to walk. While I was home going out of my mind with talk shows, I decided to try it and see what it was all about. I looked for websites on how to do this and found Craftserver. Well I must say it was a great thing to find this board but I blame iall of you for making me broke now! LOL We now have something else to do together every weekend that we really enjoy. We dont sell any but make them for ourselves and families and we also gift them.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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