Why Make and Sell Candles Online?

Start Your Candle Company Today!

Are you a DIY candle maker?

Is it time for you to profit off this, as a business venture?

Why not go full entrepreneur with it?

Creating candles is a fantastic way to start and grow a profitable stream of income, with minimal upfront investment. As a small business startup, candle making will not take a large toll on your finances, and there are many ways to sell them online, in markets, in stores, etc.

From our research, we discovered about 80% of all households in the US use candles.

So how profitable is the candle-making business? 🤔

The candle market is growing with no signs of slowing down

Sales of candles have significantly increased in recent years and experts expect this growing trend to continue.

$ Million
The global scented candle market by 2026

According to Verified Market Research:

  • The global scented candle market has upturned at 27% in 2020 and 2021. 
  • In US households, candles are used in 7 out of 10.
  • The US is the largest consumer of candles, with the UK second and Australia third.
  • By 2027, the market is estimated to reach a global value of $6.64 billion.
  • Approximately 35% of yearly candle sales occur during Christmas/Holiday sales.

The basic process of making a candle is:

Mixing – Mix together ingredients that you see as valuable to produce a final, usable candle.
Tools – The tools and ingredients required to create a candle are inexpensive. Everything you need for making a candle, including the tools and how-to knowledge, is available at Candlewic.com.

So what are the steps required to build your own successful candle company? We will break down in this guide, what is needed to get your candle business running like a well-oiled machine.

Why not go full entrepreneur with it?

Candles have become an essential home decor item. In addition to the aesthetic, lighting candles can instantly lift the mood in a room. Candles are used for aromatherapy and relaxation purposes too. The benefits of a candle are necessary for every type of person, in the world we live in.

The candle-making business can be highly profitable as the target market is large.

You can make candles from the comfort of your own home or private workspace. If the actual making of candles is not your thing, hire an employee or find a business partner to make the products for you.

Candle making is a valuable skill that anyone can learn.

The following are some benefits as to why starting a candle company might be the right choice for you.

Benefits of Building a Candle Business

Low initial investment:

Unlike many enterprises, a big investment is not required for starting a candle business. You can start your custom candle company at a relatively low cost and scale it into a profitable stream of income.

No geographical bounds:

One of the best parts about starting a candle business is that you are not restricted by geographical boundaries. You can make products in any size workspace and almost anywhere. You can sell your products anywhere in the world! Whether it’s via the internet, markets, live events — you can find the best way that suits you to get your candles to consumers.

Making candles is easy to learn:

You do not need an advanced degree or 10,000 hours of practice to make quality candles. The process is simple, and anyone can learn at any age. Candlewic has video guides and articles on how to make many varieties of top-selling candles, along with the tools and supplies.

Candles can be customized and uniquely branded:

Two major factors that determines sales in any business are: 1. Brand story.   2. Personalized uniqueness of products. It is difficult to sell commoditized, already-branded products that can be found on the market. Making candles is a unique and customizable process. When you or someone from your team personally makes a candle, it is unlike any other candle that has ever been made. The candle comes from your business, your brand. These factors attract customers and keep them coming back. You can make all sorts of candles in different shapes, colors, sizes, and scents that stand out from the competition. Brand stories alone are reasons potential customers will purchase a product, even if there are similar products available. This customization and personalization for a low start-up cost are not easily found in other business types.

You are your own boss:

Being a business means you do not have to answer to anyone. Work on your time and take liberties to make any decisions you feel will be beneficial to your company. Test strategies and implement systems you see fit. You have full say as to how your products are designed, manufactured, and distributed.

Types of Homemade Candles

There is a wide range of homemade candles. Choose to specialize in one or multiple styles. Candle-making allows you to do creative work in a variety of ways. The types of products created are not limited to what is included in this guide. Go to candlewic.com/learn for more information on candle types.

Vegan Candles

All ingredients in vegan candles are plant-based. They cater to many, including those who are eco-friendly and some who would rather not use animal byproducts.

Soy candles are a popular subcategory of vegan candles and derive from soybeans.

Scented Candles

Scented candles are sold based on smells. There is an endless variety of scents. The fragrances usually come from adding essential oils or perfumes to the wax mixture. Many candle makers create their own scents.

Beeswax Candles

Primarily made with beeswax, these candles are usually all-natural, with plenty of room for color and design experimentation.

Decorative Candles

Decorative candles add an aesthetic essence and charm to any room. The emphasis is on the look of the candle as opposed to the scent or effect and come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

The great thing about crafting candles is how personalized and customizable products can be made, based on preference and target market.

Now let’s guide you through the process of how to start a candle business online. Continue on to learn how to get your own candle business up and running as soon as possible.

How to Start a Candle Business:
A Complete Guide

Here are 7 Simple Steps to start a candle business:

  • Find your target market
  • build your brand
  • create a unique name for your candle business
  • construct a business plan
  • make candles to sell
  • build an online store
  • generate a detailed marketing plan

Step 1: Finding Your Target Market

The riches are in the niches. Laser focus on a specific type of dream customer to build your business around and tailor the products to.

It is essential to know the audience’s interests before making and marketing your product. Target that segment of the market, which is already buying candles or those who have shown interest in them. Existing and potential customers both have greater chances of purchasing the product. Do not waste your resources marketing to an audience that is not interested.

Find that interested target and implement a plan regarding what products are going to be sold.

There are many ways you can price and categorize your products. Study successful competitors and see how they structure their business.

Step 2: Shape Your Brand

Brand storytelling and adding personal touches to your business is necessary in order to flourish. Without shaping your brand, it is near impossible to build your audience, implement successful marketing efforts and tailor products for ideal customers.

A unique blend of fragrances

Standard scents such as vanilla, rose, sandalwood and other similar fragrances will place you among competitors. We suggest creating your own blends, by mixing two or more types of fragrances. You do not have to do this, but it is one way to stand out.

Making scented candles with fragrances that have not prevailed in the market previously may give an advantage over the competition. Craft unique, pleasant scents to keep the customer coming back!

A unique design and publish your brand story blend of fragrances

Another important factor that can help you get your company recognized is connecting with and relating to potential customers. It is important for consumers to feel connected to the brands they are purchasing from. Come up with a brand story to help your audience know more about the candles. Tell them about the origin of the brand. Discuss when and why you decided to make and sell candles. Create a captivating story that would stir up emotions in the readers’ heart.

Create a visual identity

Creating a visual identity includes but is not limited to making a logo, building personalized web/product pages and posting on social media. Doing so will make it easier for your customers to connect with and learn more about the business.

Step 3: Come up with a Unique Business Name

Think of a name for your business. Make sure it is short and simple. Something easy to remember and to pronounce. If you go overboard with the name, it will be too difficult for customers to remember and recommend.

Step 4: Create a Business Plan

Construct a proper business plan to ensure all operations go smoothly. Plans change, but failure to plan is planning to fail. A business plan will help you define strategy, spot challenges, allocate resources and help analyze business ideas.

It should include things such as, how much it will cost to start the company, what products are being made, where they will be sold and how much the candles cost. The plan should also discuss how traffic will be driven to product pages.

Set realistic goals and milestones that the candle-making business should achieve.

Step 5: Make Candles

Figure out what candles are going to be made and how. This information can be found at candlewic.com/learn. The tools and supplies needed for candle creation can be found at candlewic.com.

Start making candles today! With each candle crafted, you will get better and improve your skills.

Step 6: Build Your Online Store

Set up a platform to sell your candles online, such as  eBay, Etsy, Shopify, and Facebook Marketplace. Making an e-commerce store is the best option, rather than selling at different marketplaces because there is more freedom to express the brand.

Step 7: Create a Detailed Marketing Plan

Once the steps above are successfully completed, it is time to now drive traffic to the product pages and get sales.

A marketing plan needs to be precise, containing all strategies intended to execute on to sell the candles.

Here Are Some Ways To Market Your Candles Online:

Market the candles online through various platforms. Selling online allows you to reach potential customers from all across the globe. While there are numerous means through which you can sell candles online, we are going to list some common and effective strategies:

Instagram

Uploading aesthetic photos of candles on your feed consistently will earn you followers. Many brands have achieved great success on Instagram. Post behind-the-scenes clips too, to give customers a sneak peek inside the business.

Giveaways/Contests

Give away merchandise in exchange for follows, likes, comments and/or shares, which will increase the popularity of the brand and help gain followers and customers.

Email marketing

By directly interacting with subscribers via email, they can be incentivize to purchase. Entice customers by offering special discount codes and news related to the business to pique curiosity.

For successful results, continue to test different strategies. Keep doing what works, and remove what does not.

Conclusion

Starting any business is not easy, as it requires a lot of effort, hard work, patience, and consistency.

Making candles is fun, and low-cost and your creations help make people happy. Serious profit can be generated with a candle business. For all the tools and knowledge regarding actually making candles, go to candlwic.com.