How to Start a Candle Business

How to Start a Candle Business
Looking to start a candle business? Here’s a step by step guide on how to start a candle business along with the benefits and requirements. Visit Square.
by Square Jun 17, 2022 — 6 min read
How to Start a Candle Business

There’s something about the flicker of a flame that is inherently entrancing. t.Candles are now key home decor items, not for the light they offer, but for how they treat our senses. They offer aesthetic beauty, indulgent aromas and a crackling wick can mean the flame even offers a relaxing soundtrack.

It’s unsurprising that candles are such a popular home purchase. What’s more, candles are relatively easy to make, meaning that those who invest in the necessary skills and materials could well have a business on their hands.

But how to start a candle business? Let’s explore.

Benefits of owning a candle business

Before we get to the how, let’s first look at the why. Why should you choose to start a candle business? There are a few good reasons:

Requirements to start a candle business

If you’re wondering how to start a candle-making business at home, the first thing you’ll need to understand are the requirements.

Skills and knowledge

The depth of skills and knowledge you need will depend on the type of candle business you plan to start. You might need skills and knowledge in:

Licences and permits

You won’t need much in the way of licences and permits to sell your candles, although there may be a couple of regulatory boxes to tick:

Insurance needed for a candle business

A candle business should find insurance that offers coverage against potentially debilitating events, including:

Essential equipment and materials needed to start a candle business

The first step in how to start a candle-making business is to get the necessary equipment together for making candles. Candle makers require the following items:

Where to find and buy candle supplies

Where can you find all the necessary candle-making tools and materials? There are two main ways to find suppliers:

Decide the type of candle to sell

The next step on your candle business journey is to choose exactly what type of candle you’re going to sell.

The candle business is quite competitive, so the best way to succeed is to find your niche. Try to choose a specific type of candle that you can market to a specific type of customer, then work to do it better than anyone else (this also makes stocking, marketing and running your business far easier.) There are a number of paths you could go down:

How to make candles (for beginners)

How exactly do you make candles? While there is a wealth of nuance to making truly gorgeous and unique candles – which is why we recommend taking a course – the basic method is as follows:

Get your tools and materials together: Collect up all the items listed in the ‘essential equipment and materials’ section above.

Glue the wick: Super glue the wick to the bottom of your jar.

Melt the wax: Melt your wax in the same way you melt chocolate – either in a double boiler or a glass bowl above a saucepan or pot of boiling water.

Customise your mix: Use essential oils to add aromas to your wax (60ml of oil per kg of wax.) If you want to add a unique tone as well, use colouring agents according to instructions.

Let it cool: Put your thermometer into the wax and wait til it cools to 55-60C.

Pour into jar: Use one hand to pour the mix into your jars, holding the wick with the other. Fill the jar about three-quarters of the way up.

Tie the wick: Tie the wick around a pen or pencil placed across the opening of the jar, to keep the wick straight and tight while the wax cools.

Do a second pour: Once the initial pour has cooled, fill the remaining quarter of the jar with wax (this helps to ensure there are no air pockets in your candles.)

Trim the wick: Once the mixture is completely set, trim the wick so a centimetre or two protrudes from the wax.

Label and decorate: Now that the candle is made, it’s time to get it ready for sale by labelling and decorating it!

Market your business

Candles made, it’s time to turn to business development. You can’t expect that sales will just come – you’ll need to go out and get them. Here is a comprehensive marketing guide for small businesses, but the most effective strategies include:

Payment solutions for candle businesses

At Square we aim to make starting your own venture as easy as possible, by offering a complete suite of affordable and easy-to-use payment solutions.

Now that you know how to start a candle business, what’s stopping you? If you’re ready to create and sell products that delight the senses, our team at Square is ready to help.

Square
The Bottom Line is brought to you by a global team of collaborators who believe that anyone should be able to participate and thrive in the economy.

Related

Keep Reading

Tell us a little more about yourself to gain access to the resource.

i Enter your first name.
i Enter your surname.
i Enter a valid phone number.
i Enter your company name.
i Select estimated annual revenue.
✓

Thank you!
Check your email for your resource.

x
Results for

Based on your region, we recommend viewing our website in:

Continue to ->