Before you sell your first candle, you must master these 5 skills
Starting a successful candle business is an exciting venture, but before you embark on this journey, there are certain master skills you must acquire. These skills will lay a solid foundation for your business, enabling you to create high-quality candles that will captivate customers and keep them coming back for more. For this reason, today I would like to discuss the most important thing you must do in order to start a successful candle business. Additionally, I’ll be sharing my honest thoughts regarding the 84 candle rule.
I want to be very clear when I say that in today’s article, I will not be discussing how to start a candle business. Instead, I’d be discussing the most important thing you need to do before starting a successful candle business. As a result, I first want to discuss the 84 candle rule. This rule simply says that you must, “create 84 candles and give all of them away except for the 4 that you burn test.”
Now, I don’t necessarily agree with this statement. The truth is that you are not required to make 84 candles before starting your candle business. However, as a professional candle maker, it is in your best interest to take your time testing your candle’s performance. After all, your #1 priority should be to sell safe candles. As a result, testing is the foundation of creating safe and well-performing candles. When I first started, I tested many many different materials! I honestly don’t know how many candles I ended up making. But, it was throughout this process that I acquired and developed the following Five Master Skills in candle making:
No. 1: Mastering Candle Making Kits.
Candle making kits are awesome! These kits force you to learn the double boiler method. This is exactly how I started making scented candles at home. However, if you are really serious about starting a candle business, you will eventually require large equipment that goes beyond a simple starter kit. At this stage in your candle making journey, you’ll be required to invest in serious equipment.
No. 2: Mastering The Craft Of Candle Making.
At the very beginning, it is crucial that you completely focus on mastering the craft of candle making. This means, you are NOT learning about marketing, Google SEO, web development, etc. Let’s face it, balancing a business and learning a new craft is very challenging. When you are first starting a business, you are required to learn so much and it's very easy to feel overwhelmed. For this reason, my recommendation is to focus on learning the craft of candle making ONLY! Trust me when I say, you’ll have time to learn how to launch and run your business at a later time.
No. 3: Testing For Safety & Performance.
Testing is imperative in the candle making process. I truly believe that testing is the foundation of creating safe and well-performing candles for our customers. These tester candles are meant to help you understand what you need to do in order to adjust and improve your candle’s formulation. It is important that you take your time conducting a proper burn test for safety and performance. NEVER rush through the testing process. You want to make sure that your customers have the best experience burning your candles.
No. 4: Trying Different Vendors When Buying Supplies.
When you are running a business, the demand chain is critical. Being aware of how much inventory you need to hold monthly in order to have your business operations run smoothly is crucial. Making 84 candles forces you to check out different candle suppliers and figure out what they offer and who is giving the best deal.
No. 5- Making A Wide Variety Of Candle Types.
When you are first starting your candle making journey, you don’t know exactly what you are going to enjoy handcrafting. By making 84 candles, you are allowing yourself the opportunity to get your feet wet with a variety of candle styles to determine what resonates with you. I know it is exciting to start a business, but we first have to establish a very solid and strong foundation on the candle making fundamentals to ensure a successful business.
In closing, before you take the leap into launching your candle business, prioritize acquiring these master skills mentioned above. Alongside your creativity and passion, they will serve as the pillars of your success. Remember, by following the 84 candle rule, you have the opportunity to try different materials and types of candles. My biggest advice is to become an expert in the craft before you start sharing your candles with the rest of the world. Your ultimate goal should always be to build authority in the craft, before you begin selling your candles. So, lace up your apron, immerse yourself in the world of candle making, and hone these essential skills. Only then will you be ready to light up the world with your exceptional candles!
-NANCY DIANNE/FOUNDER
P.S We’d love to see how you style your #NANCYDIANNECANDLES. Tag us on TikTok @nancydianne_