how do i start a small business of candle making?

Answer 1

Start with a business license and tax ID. That will allow you to purchase your supplies cheaper from wholesale sources. Make sure to keep accurate records of income and expense relating to the business and keep those journals seperate from your personal financial records. Find a good attorney and/or accountant. Write a business plan to have a direction to take the business in regards to marketing, purchasing, selling, etc. The SBA offers free entrepreneural advice as does SCORE. Your local library will have various books on business start up and even some specific ones aimed at home crafters and even candle makers. You can sell on Ebay, your own website, at local craft shows, to local gift shops, by mail order catalogs, through home parties, through friends, etc. Talk to your local chamber of commerce about membership in which you'll get alot of assistance from neighborhood business people. Get a good press release of your rags to riches story for local papers to advertise. Keep your costs low, take tax deductions when possible, and demand the best product and customer service from yourself than you would from anyone else in the industry. You may have the same product as alot of companies out there but yours is unique because it's your brand and your image. Use those keys to your advantage as a unique position. Don't wait for your ship to come in ... swim out to meet it!

Answer 2

Start with the Small Business Administration. Look them up in your local phone book, though, because when I went to the web site they gave the nearest office as San Francisco for me, but in fact there is a "field office" at Cabrillo College, much closer. It is a joint project of Cabrillo (a community college) and SBA, and did not show up on their web site, because it has a different name: Central Coast Small Business Development Center.

It is amazing how much help they can be, and how inexpensively. I went to an all-day seminar in how to write a business plan, and I seem to recall it cost maybe $20, and the work book provided was easily worth that.

The reason I suggest you start there is that all small businesses run on paperwork and financing and a lot of things other than simply selecting or making a fine product and presenting it to customers and all the idealized images of happy customers and lots of money. The reality can be very different.

From what I have seen, the ones that work are the ones where there are at least two people involved, the practical one and the creative one. If you can manage to be both in your own self, good for you. Personally, I surrendered my ideas of running a small business not long after I went to this seminar. I would love to hang out at the cash register of a bookstore and schmooze with customers over my favorite books, share a cup of tea, etc. But that doesn't get the record-keeping and money-counting done.

I remember a lovely candle-making shop on Pier 39 in San Francisco, which has high tourist traffic. The creative guy had all his pots of wax in boiling water, and he dipped big molded candles in lots of colors and then carved them to reveal the layers of color. They were very pretty, sold for real good prices, and people loved to watch him carving them. He'd take special requests for certain colors and designs. And of course they sold nice tapers and scented votives and all the rest of the expected sorts of candles, too, along with candle holders and incense. The carving guy was very artistic, and did a great job. But he needed his partner at the cash register while he carved.

Answer 3

Charmed by Soy Charm Farmers Soy Charms Soy Suckers Charmers Inc. Baby Won't you Light my Charmed Soy Candle Charms-R-Us Soyelent Candles Be Charmed

Answer 4

assuming you already know how to make the candles, go to craft fairs to sell your candles in a booth. advertise in trade magazines. ask a local store to sell your candles for a share in the profit. start out small so you can keep up with demand.

Answer 5

try hoppy lobby in fort worth

Answer 6

First you need some wax and some wicks........