How to Start Your Candle Business from Home - Step Guides
Source: DHgate, Tag: E-Commerce Tips
Are you one of those people who love candles, the mood they set, and the scent they bring about? You should now start thinking of turning your passion for candles into a money-making opportunity.
With the right mindset, materials, and marketing strategy, you can start a candle business in the comfort of your home. In this guide, you will learn why a home candle business idea is the best at the moment and how to start a candle business from home. You could be excited about the prospects of doing a home business to earn extra cash from your hobby. So, let the fun begin.
Why start a candle business from home?
Homemade candles have emerged as the most crucial home décor product, and MarketWatch projects this industry to grow to $5 billion by 2026. Recent years have witnessed the commercial use of candles grow spontaneously. Spas and massage parlors are increasingly using scented candles to create a soothing effect, while restaurants are using them to create an aromatic environment for clients.
The national candle association indicates that more people are buying candles for aromatherapy purposes such as relaxation and stress reduction. Further, a quick check on Google Trends will show you that the global demand for homemade candles has constantly risen.
In addition to the increasing popularity of this in-demand item, the candle business offers you more benefits, including:
Low-cost entry: while the cost of making homemade candles may vary depending on the material, candle makers can start their business with little upfront cash.
Easy to sell anywhere: whether you would like to sell your home décor products at local markets or craft fairs, these items sell well online and offline.
Scalable art to learn: masters and newbies in crafting will find the recipe for making homemade candles easy to follow.
Easy to customize: there are limitless categories of candles that you can make. This makes it easier for you to customize your products and differentiate them from direct competition.
Having developed a clear understanding of what we can get from starting a candle business from home, let's now see how we can go about it.
Steps to start a homemade candle business
Step 1: conduct a market research
This step involves identifying the target audience that you will probably try to reach through your marketing strategies. The target audience would likely become the people who will eventually buy your products.
When deciding on your market, bear in mind the demographic features of the intended audiences, like age, gender, location, and interests. Additionally, identify several market groups to guide your branding, marketing plan, pricing, and platform.
The candle industry has three major categories of the target audience that you must consider:
Prestige: This comprises the new luxury candle market segment that is growing rapidly. The price of prestige candles ranges between $30 and $200. This type of candle is popular for its premium packaging, fragrance, and focus on brand storytelling.
Middle-market: candles that fall in this category appeal to a wider audience. You are most likely to find these items at retail outlets. Mid-market candles often have natural scents such as coconut, grape, and rose water. A piece of this product costs about $10 or more.
Mass market: the market comprises the lowest-priced market. Further, candles in this market have classic scents such as vanilla, and a piece goes at about 5 to 8 dollars. The most familiar brands for this market segment include Bed Bath and Yankee candles.
Settle on the market segment you would like to serve. If you decide on retail stores like Macy's, then the mid-market is your segment. However, if you want to sell strictly from your website or other online marketplaces, then the prestige segment is your calling.
Selecting your market wisely is crucial in determining everything starting from the type of materials, the brand you build, and the packaging style. The moment you have a market segment in mind, determining the type of candles to make becomes easier.
Another crucial thing to note while doing your market search is to identify the type of candles customers are going for. Are they buying eco-friendly, vegan candles or prefer paraffin wax candles?
The type of candles you sell will determine your business's brand.
Step 2: Build your brand
Creating a brand is crucial in building an audience, influencing marketing strategies, and helping you make better products for your market segment.
The candle industry has witnessed significant growth in the past decade and will require an excellent brand to break through.
Here are some strategies to make your brand stand out in the highly competitive candle industry.
Unique fragrance blends
The fragrance is the most significant factor consumers look for when buying candles. According to the national candle association, three-quarters of candle buyers indicated that fragrance is an "extremely important" consideration in the choice of candles. Therefore, one sure way of beating the competition is the use of unique and interesting fragrances.
Let your brand develop a new blend of fragrances, immediately turning the market curve for you. Instead of going for basic floral and woodsy fragrances, opt for more sophisticated scents that buyers cannot find anywhere else.
Brand Story
One of the fastest ways to connect with consumers is by using an interesting brand story. This is basically a narrative that tells your audience about your brand. Make sure your brand story is captivating and honest. The story must make potential buyers feel something that could drive them to take action, to either signup or buy the product.
Visual identity
Your brand's visual image comprises your logo, images of your products, website, and package, which forms an instant impression of how people will perceive your candle business. Therefore, make sure that you pay special attention to the aesthetic of your candles for the brand to stand out. Since the consumer would want to use the candle for their fragrance and as a home décor, your products' design must meet this need for your brand to edge out completion.
Step 3: Name your candle business.
So far, your candle business is taking shape nicely. All along, you must have had some ideas of the name of your business; you can bring it out now. At this point, make sure you keep the name short and simple for buyers to remember and pronounce it easily. Avoid long and difficult names to encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
If you cannot settle on a more appealing name, use internet business name generators to get fresh ideas.
Step 4: Come up with a business plan
A comprehensive business plan is a critical component for the success of your candle business. This road map guides the setup and operation of your enterprise—defining your plan, pinpointing potential challenges, understanding the required resources, and analyzing the entire business idea before launch is essential.
The business plan provides answers to pertinent questions such as the goal of your brand, its direct competitors, market segment, and the structure of the business. Once you have identified the objectives of your business, keep them in mind as you build your brand.
Step 4: Make candles.
This is an opportunity to exercise your creativity in doing what you are passionate about. Once you have decided on the type of candles you want to make, ensure that it is of high quality. This is essential because good candles are critical in helping people relax, adding decorative flairs, and setting the room's mood. On the other hand, a low-quality candle can be disastrous.
Therefore, before making candles, ensure that you have the requisite knowledge and skills to make high-quality candles.
Once everything is in place and starting the production process, ensure that you have mastered a perfect burning time, good quality wax, and balanced fragrance intensity. When trying to find a perfect match for your fragrance, experiment with different blends until you get what you desire.
Since there are many types of candles that you can make from home, here are some examples that you can try out.
Aromatherapy candles
This is the most popular candle type and is marked as providing specific benefits related to particular scents. The candles are renowned for having essential oils that enhance physical and mental health. For example, they use lavender aromas that are usually linked to sleep and relaxation.
Vegan candles
There have been increasing concerns about the materials used to make candles. Most consumers are avoiding candles made of animal byproducts such as bee wax. Vegan candles come in handy at this juncture as they are made of alternative ingredients like natural oils and soy wax. Therefore, you can also try making vegan candles using soy wax or plant-based wax to cater to the increasing demand for these products.
Soy candles
As the name suggests, the candles are made from soybean wax and have emerged as a very common variety of candles. Consumers opt for this candle because it burns cleanly and for long periods. You can also consider making soy candles because the raw materials are readily available, and there is a high demand for them.
Once you have mastered the art of making candles and you have even made some, you can now get your products to the market.
Step 5: Build an online store
since your candles are ready to go, it is crucial to know where to sell them. One of the best places to start is your online marketplace. While creating an online store may be harder than listing your products on established online platforms, the marketplaces are expensive and will eat your profits. Therefore, take time to build your online store, which will, in the end, be more profitable and serve as a digital home for your business.
Step 6: Create a marketing plan
Once you have homemade candles and an online store, it is time to sell your products.
Online Marketing
Online marketing is the most appropriate means to sell candles. Many digital platforms are at your disposal to get your products to the consumer. Some of them include social networks and your e-commerce platform.
Even though not all digital platforms will succeed in marketing your products, here are a few digital sites to get you started.
Instagram: many brands have succeeded by utilizing Instagram. You can market on this platform by curating a feed of pictures that display the best of your candles and brand. Further, you can share scroll-stopping images of your products to attract buyers.
You may also be interested in using influencers and brand ambassadors on Instagram to amplify the reach of your product.
Pinterest is the other popular digital platform for discovering new brands and products. Home décor is a crucial category on Pinterest, making the platform an ideal tool for promoting the candle business.
Tiktok: this is a highly visual site that has gained massive popularity in the recent past. When you market on this platform, you will help the customers to know your products more intimately, prompting them to buy them.
FAQ
What type of candles sells best?
The best-selling type of candles include:
Soy candles
Vegan candles
Aromatherapy candles
Decorative candles
What's a good price for a candle?
The price of a candle will depend on its category. For example, a prestige candle will cost you between $30 and $200, while you will pay $10 for a mid-market candle.
What color candle sells the most?
The white candle is associated with a huge amount of value, making it to be sold more for different purposes.
Who is the target audience for candles?
Candles are mainly meant for women with families.
What season do people buy candles the most?
The highest candle sales are often posted during the Christmas season.
Conclusion
It takes passion, dedication, and hard work to start a candle business at home. Therefore, if you love candles and would like to make extra money, you can follow this step-by-step guide to start your candle enterprise.