Bottlecrafters Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hi,New to candle making. (I just poured my first batch tonight, and hope to test tomorrow - the pour looks good so far) I have been reading these forums for several weeks, and have seen some posts where some say it takes them 1-2 years before they can sell. I know this is a naive question, but why?In my mind if I have a couple container sizes, limit it to a few fragrances to start. I test these different fragrances with a few different wicks in the various containers (maybe as few as 1-3 containers). I get these burning properly over the course of a few weeks (maybe several weeks), start selling these, then look to expand into other container sizes, etc.I'm sure I am missing many steps. Can anyone set me straight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Testing, testing, testing. It takes a decent amount of time to start up a product line because of that, especially when you're new to the craft. Usually the candles have to "cure" before you can do anything with them. Then you have to do multiple tests on all of the candle styles, wick, fragrance, color... all of them will change the results you get on the burn. Add in the idea that you have to test for fragrance throw to get the right level of scent you want and then you have to do the "what if" type tests. Things like power burning. Most of your customers won't follow the safety instructions you give on the candles. Most won't even look at them. So you're not only testing for optimal burn under good conditions, you're also testing to make sure your product isn't going to catch someone's house on fire if they never blow it out and the container busts. Some folks don't have the time to devote to solid testing because they have day jobs when they start the craft, ect. Also, it's a good idea to look into product insurance if you're going to be selling. And I'm sure other members of the board will probably chime in with some stuff I missed here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy, USMC Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) And you need to decide if you are going to be an LLC, decide on an accounting method, look at the IRS tax forms and figure out which one you will be using, go to the county seat and register your business, go to the local tax office and list your business property, register for a sales tax ID number. Then, depending on where you are manufacturing, you may need to arrange for the Fire Dept to do an inspection. Plus you need to check with your homeowners insurance (if you are working at home) to see if you will be covered; if you will have a separate facility you will need a separate policy. Oh, and a visit with a business lawyer should be thrown in there somewhere and don't forget to order all the jars, wicks, molds, FO's, dyes, pour pots, melter(s) that you will need to start. And add in the business cards and label design & purchase.Then if you are planning on selling over the internet you need to get your domain in your business name and probably hire a site builder - plus purchase all your packaging supplies since they will be shipped. And if you only plan on staying local you will need to visit all the shops you are considering offering your candles to and don't forget they will need samples. Many times it may take a year or 2 to just save up enough money to get started with everything required to be legal. And I'm sure I missed a couple of things also ..... Edited January 21, 2012 by Judy, USMC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Wow, both of you nailed it! I've been testing for about 10 months & still don't have a saleable product. Getting closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annie123 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Why? Because you want to put an excellent product outhere. You also need to think about the liability....Janet puts it very well.It took me 2 years before I felt comfortable selling my candles and the first thing I did was to get insurance. My insurance agent recommended an LLC because your personal asset will be separated from your business asset = if you get sued they can only go after your business.I started my business 10 years ago and I have seen a lot of people come and go. In all honesty this is an expensive business to get started, the cost of supplies and shipping the supplies keeps rising while the market is saturated by people who make candles (no offense to anyone on this site), there is a lot of competition and in this economy your effort may not pay off. So if this your passion go for it but if this is a way to get extra income think about it twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Take it from someone who started selling too early. I had been making and testing candles for a couple of months. I thought I had a darn good candle that everyone would love and want to buy. Wow was I naive. Nobody would buy my candles and I had to rethink everything. So I went back and retested my candles. I also reinvented all my promotional materials; my labels, craft show display, branding, flyers, brochures, biz cards. This all took a lot of time and money.Next time when I was ready to go out and sell it worked. It took me another year to get everything to where I wanted it. Even then it took another year of selling to learn how to improve and streamline my company to produce more sales and cut costs.I have been selling now for about 7 years and just last year finally had my best candles ready for wholesale. I have been wholesaling my candles for 2 years but it takes at least a year or two to make the improvements they really needed through your experience of test marketing them.The problem from starting too early before you are ready is if you put a product out that is not throroughly tested for safety and customer satisfaction you can ruin your reputation as a candle business before you even get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 People progress through the learning process at different rates for different products. An old rule of thumb is that it takes 10,000 hours to master a craft. Not saying you need to be a "master" to make and sell a great candle (or soap or quilt, or whatever), but there's no shortcut for time investment. Time and experience are what separate the great from the also rans. Over time you'll recognize how your product changes and ages. You'll standardize your production techniques and temperatures. A candle you make today will burn differently than one you make in 6 months or even a year. They burn differently in different seasons and in different ambient conditions. The time you invest learning your medium will allow you to recognize subtle changes in your raw materials from batch to batch and give you the tools needed to keep your candle system working well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottlecrafters Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Thanks for all the replies, helpful info.I already have an operational business, so permits, insurance, etc. is already taken care of.I did my first burn tests this morning, and I am seeing how the test phase will eat some time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Don't get discouraged. Just concentrate on getting your candles perfected. Testing can be tedious but it can also be fun to learn all about your wax and how it works and behaves with different additives and in different conditions. It will be more than well worth it when you have a great burning and safe candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauramw71 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I do B&B.. I've had many people ask me if I do candles too... So I thought, why not? I read, bought wax, wicks, already have FO.. Made some candles, they looked so pretty! Couldn't wait to let them cure a few days and light those babies up and make my house smell wonderful!.. Wow, this is a piece of cake right? WRONG!!! The first set I did.. NO hot throw.. at all.. Ok, those are for power outage days. The second set... AWESOME! Ok, what did I do different? Same wax, same jar, same wick.. different FO.. UGH!!! I decided this just wasn't going to be something I would want to add right now. The sheer amount of testing, testing, testing is something that I don't feel comfortable doing. Not just the money involved, but the time. People don't realize, until they actually try it for themselves the amount of time and money making a perfect candle takes. There are so many "Hobby Lobby or Michael's" kits out there that say - Make your own candles quick and easy! If you have the time and patience than you CAN make good candles! I have the patience of a rattlesnake, so I think I'll stick to my B&B. My hats are off to candlemakers! It is NOT as easy as many people think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I do B&B.. I've had many people ask me if I do candles too... So I thought, why not? I read, bought wax, wicks, already have FO.. Made some candles, they looked so pretty! Couldn't wait to let them cure a few days and light those babies up and make my house smell wonderful!.. Wow, this is a piece of cake right? WRONG!!! The first set I did.. NO hot throw.. at all.. Ok, those are for power outage days. The second set... AWESOME! Ok, what did I do different? Same wax, same jar, same wick.. different FO.. UGH!!! I decided this just wasn't going to be something I would want to add right now. The sheer amount of testing, testing, testing is something that I don't feel comfortable doing. Not just the money involved, but the time. People don't realize, until they actually try it for themselves the amount of time and money making a perfect candle takes. There are so many "Hobby Lobby or Michael's" kits out there that say - Make your own candles quick and easy! If you have the time and patience than you CAN make good candles! I have the patience of a rattlesnake, so I think I'll stick to my B&B. My hats are off to candlemakers! It is NOT as easy as many people think!You're right. I think some people decide to standardize, like, Okay, I'm using this particular wax, this wick and maybe one other wick, this jar, and this % FO load, and any FO that doesn't work in my system is out and try another one. Makes sense to me! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauramw71 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Exactly! I started out thinking ok, this wax, this jar, this wick, these FO's.. and of course they are ALL going to work perfectly! HAHA Yeah, doesn't work that way!! That's why I think I'll stick to my B&B! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Exactly! I started out thinking ok, this wax, this jar, this wick, these FO's.. and of course they are ALL going to work perfectly! HAHA Yeah, doesn't work that way!! That's why I think I'll stick to my B&B! lolLol I'm more and more drawn to B&B and tarts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceangazer1 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I started making candles in 2001. It's now 2012 and I STILL do Not like the way my candles burn. I drain myself with waxes, and wicking. How can I make a better candle, better throw, better burn? hmmm??? Do I think they are better than yankme's? Absolutely. Most are. lol. However because I don't think they are good enough to continue to sell. I am ridding the rest of my stock and just making tarts, soap and b&b. Now, tarts are another thing. How can you make them last? Some last longer than others. How does that happen? By testing blended waxes and fo's, by spending a TON of money figuring it all out. Tarts will be enough for me. Lately, I have been so addicted to CP soap that I don't ever want to touch or see wax again. I hope it stays that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coconut Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Once you choose a container, you will find you also have to pick a wax and a wick. Once you settle on all that and start trying different fragrance oils, you will find you have very different results from different scents. I got lucky on a couple of scents and was able to wick fairly quickly. But on others, it took me a year of intensive testing to find a good combo of wax and wick that worked. The percentage of FO you use may vary also. On some I had to back down to 4.5%, tried two different waxes, and several different types of wicks and wick sizes. When you consider that even a small candle takes about 20 hours to test burn, and you will need to do many test burns on a candle, it really takes a lot of time. If you work outside the home, takes lots more time as you have only your time off for testing. Then when you get a perfect candle, you need a non-candle maker to test for you. If I get really lucky, it takes at least 60 hours of testing to get a good small candle. I test with an unfixed wick, then a fixed wick, and then test the fixed wick again. Usually you wind up pulling out the wick and trying a different size or wick material.That's why it takes so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauramw71 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I pretty much gave up on candles for myself... eesh so much work! LOL So I got some tin containers, and am LOVING my wickless candles! Soooo much easier IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I am into my 3rd year making and testing candles and thought I was ready to start selling- and have - but now I am running into an issue I am not happy about and putting a stop on candle selling - melts, votives and tins are okay but my jars I need to re-visitLike oceangazer I do think mine are better than yankee but I always have SOMETHING I am not happy about In another post I posted a picture of a company that appears to be pretty big here in MI that does a lot of private labeling and I bought 1 to see how the worlds best soy candle was- appearance was very typical of pure soy but the oil was not incorporated at all and the mushroom on this thing is hideous- I NEVER want someone to think about my candles like I think of theirs- complete garbageMaybe I am to picky but I strive for quality and that is obviously a long time in the works- it takes soooo much time, money and testing- anyone that thinks otherwise is very delusionalIt can be done but not overnight and I too am thinking the world of melts is a happy place! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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