#053 We lay out a practical selling roadmap for candle makers who feel confident making products but unsure how to find customers. We break 60+ sales ideas into 12 categories so we can choose the right channel for our time, margins, and goals. 
• building online and direct sales through Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Facebook and Instagram shops, and TikTok Shop 
• positioning Etsy listings for gift buyers and using the Etsy Seller Handbook as a guide 
• expanding through wholesale with line sheets, catalogs, and pricing that can sustain 50% of retail 
• starting local with boutiques, gift shops, decor stores, florists, garden centers, and specialty grocery programs 
• using Faire for exposure and letting big accounts find us 
• growing revenue with private label for boutiques, bands, podcasters, realtors, breweries, distilleries, and wineries 
• creating events and experiences through pop-ups, markets, pouring parties, and Airbnb Experiences 
• landing corporate and B2B gifting orders for onboarding kits and client holiday boxes 
• building recurring revenue via monthly or quarterly subscriptions and VIP memberships 
• driving seasonal sales with gift guides, PR outreach, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday planning 
• multiplying reach with collaborations, bundles, and limited edition artist partnerships 
• using fundraising and cause campaigns to build community and volume 
• selling custom and personalized candles for weddings, memorials, retirements, birthdays, and milestones 
• pitching hospitality partners like boutique hotels, spas, salons, vacation rentals, and upscale restaurants 
If you have other ways that you are selling your candles, I would love for you to drop those in the comments below. Also, if you find this episode helpful, I would love it if you would like and subscribe.

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#52. We answer the question we get nonstop: what we would do differently if we had to restart our candle business today. From product focus to SEO to wholesale, we lay out the exact moves that save time, cash, and years of trial and error. 

• leading with candles to build cash flow, delaying room sprays and most accessories until demand is proven 
• treating accessories as add-ons, avoiding bulk buys that trap cash in slow-moving inventory 
• starting on Etsy for built-in shoppers while building Shopify early for owned data and long-term growth 
• using SEO basics across Shopify and Google tools, focusing on titles, metadata, and search intent 
• pricing by choosing a clear customer avatar, then working backward from shelf fit and value expectations 
• setting margins that fund ads, promos, and email incentives, avoiding the pain of raising prices later 
• pursuing wholesale early with boutiques that already serve the target buyer, using a seasonal outreach plan 
• avoiding SKU overload at launch, keeping scents and vessel options tight until customers guide expansion 
• learning from a bulk label purchase mistake, validating demand before investing heavily 
• keeping retail staffing lean, paying well to retain talent, and choosing locations built for foot traffic 
• tracking simple business data consistently so scaling becomes repeatable instead of guesswork 

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#51. We answer listener questions that hit the real pain points of candle making, from knowing when a recipe is truly ready to sell to keeping fragrance strong through the full burn. We also share how we source supplies and how we built a candle brand from zero customers by getting specific about niche and ideal buyer.
• Knowing you are done testing when the same candle recipe burns perfectly more than once 
• Re-testing wick, wax, and oil combinations to confirm safe repeatable results 
• Fixing fragrance fade with cooler pours, proper stirring, and avoiding an overly hot wick 
• Calculating fragrance oil by percentage and starting tests around 8% 
• Setting realistic hot throw expectations for soy wax versus paraffin or coconut blends 
• Choosing reputable suppliers and avoiding unreliable sourcing that breaks consistency 
• Building brand awareness by defining a niche and designing for one ideal customer 
If you could do me a huge favor, that would be just to like and subscribe to this. Then if you want to have a question of yours answered on an upcoming episode, please put it in the comments below.

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#049. If you've ever felt like your candle business is taking more than it's giving, this one is for you.

In this episode, I'm answering a question from Jessica, a candle maker who has a retail shop open two days a week while still working her full-time job to cover the overhead. She put it perfectly: she's robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

Sound familiar?

I break down exactly how to get a grip on your candle business finances, especially when you're part-time and every dollar has to work hard.

Here's what we cover:

Why your first year is really about data collection, not growth
How to do a 90-day expense and revenue audit right now
The bank account move that makes tracking so much easier
Why I call it the thermostat vs. thermometer approach to expenses
Supply ordering timing and how to stop over-buying
How to keep your product lineup lean and still grow revenue
The candle of the month strategy that creates FOMO without big upfront cost
How wholesale, fundraisers, and email can extend your revenue without extending your hours
What "protecting the floor" means and why it changes how you make decisions

We've been through these tight seasons ourselves. From our kitchen table to three brick-and-mortar stores and over 170 wholesale accounts, the seasons of up and down never fully go away. But once you understand them, they stop feeling like failure.

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We break down candle pricing using real numbers, starting with true cost of goods and ending with a price that can support growth. We also explain why a simple multiplier often fails and how a clear customer avatar makes pricing feel obvious instead of stressful. 
• defining cost of goods sold for candles including materials and packaging 
• accounting for supply order shipping fees handling fees and tariffs 
• using software to track COGS pricing and inventory 
• avoiding random 2x 3x 4x pricing without customer data 
• choosing one ideal customer and pricing for that buyer 
• researching boutique price bands to set a realistic target 
• working backward to reduce costs while keeping perceived value 
• planning for overhead like markets payroll rent design and marketing 
• understanding keystone wholesale pricing at 50% of retail 
• deciding whether direct to consumer or wholesale fits the margins 
• using markets to test pricing fit versus customer fit 
Check out makersmanager.com to learn more. 
If I can help you with anything when it comes to your pricing, just leave a comment below.

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#047. We answer community questions about how to find customers, earn repeat sales, and promote a candle brand without relying on ads. We share practical ways to define your target audience, choose sales channels that fit your margins, and use social media to drive email sign-ups instead of empty follower growth.
• defining a specific target customer and building the entire brand around them 
• using price point research and boutique shopping to understand buyer habits 
• choosing the right markets and using in-person selling as product validation 
• moving beyond friends and family through fundraisers, wholesale, and private label 
• improving online store traffic with SEO, Google Analytics, Search Console, and Merchant Center 
• using local Facebook groups without getting banned by focusing on value posts 
• avoiding low-quality giveaways that attract the wrong audience and hurt engagement 
• treating email as the main owned marketing channel and posting with four content pillars 
Go To Candle Businesspro.com Slash Social Media 
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We answer five real questions candle makers ask when they are trying to go from hobby to a profitable, scalable brand. We share hard-earned lessons on scents, vessels, inventory mistakes, and practical ways to get more customers to your website without wasting money. 
• starting a candle business from home and growing step by step 
• choosing sales channels beyond online and markets, including corporate gifting and mobile pouring parties 
• picking safer best-selling candle scents and avoiding polarising fragrance choices 
• simplifying vessels to reduce inventory risk and strengthen brand recognition 
• using seasonal vessels and limited editions without getting stuck with leftover containers 
• improving website conversion and getting more traffic through niche communities and local groups 
• testing low-cost marketing ideas, including partnerships and QR-based guerrilla marketing 
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#045. We answer listener questions on how to grow a candle business without getting swallowed by competition, and we explain how to choose sales channels that match your strengths and your life. We also share practical steps for wholesale outreach, safe candle shipping, and a testing plan that helps you dial in a consistently great candle.
• finding your candle business superpower and leaning into it
• choosing sales channels that fit your skills and capacity
• setting realistic part-time income goals and avoiding burnout
• making markets work after fees travel and time costs
• targeting the right wholesale stores based on customer fit
• building a line sheet with close-up label photos
• writing outreach emails that feel personal and explain sell-through
• packing candles with a 6x6x6 box bubble wrap and peanuts
• reducing breakage and worrying less about melting
• burn testing with one variable at a time and documenting results
If you have questions that you would like for me to answer on an upcoming episode, I'd love for you to put those in the comments below here on YouTube.
If you're listening to this on your podcast player, send us a message over at Candle Business Pro.com.
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So subscribe to this channel now, and you'll be the first one to get alerted to that episode coming out.
If you could like and comment this as well, that would boost this up a little bit for us.

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#044. We answer rapid-fire candle making questions with the exact choices and testing habits that support a real candle business. We keep it practical: pick reliable wax, simplify your testing, and build inventory only after customers show you what they’ll buy. 

• why we use Golden Brands 464 soy wax and when coconut soy makes sense 
• how to avoid “designer waxes” that can disappear 
• a simple Q-tip and jar method for fragrance oil blending ratios 
• how to think about best-selling candle scents by niche and target audience 
• a starter scent lineup built around non-offensive crowd pleasers 
• how long it can take to feel confident selling a candle and why documentation matters 
• beginner candle making setup with one vessel, one wax, one wick line, one oil 
• why supplier-recommended wicks are usually the right starting point 
• the three key temperatures for heating, mixing, and pouring 
• how many candles to make per scent at launch and how to market the journey 

If you have candle making questions definitely drop them in the comments below I’ll happily answer those on an upcoming episode. 
If you enjoyed this video I’d love for you to like and subscribe share with another maker if you’d like to do that as well. 

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#043 Your first candle sale is not a marketing problem, it’s usually a foundation problem. We sit down and map the real early steps of starting a candle business so you can stop guessing and start building something stable: learn the craft, test with structure, and document every detail so your candles get better fast instead of repeating the same mistakes.

We also talk about resources that are actually worth your time. There’s a lot of candle business advice online, but not all of it comes from people running a real business. We share how to spot trusted sources, when Facebook groups help (and when they don’t), and why mentorship can shorten your learning curve. If you want a clear path, we cover what to focus on first and what to ignore until later.

Then we get practical: what supplies you need, what a realistic candle business startup cost can look like, and how to keep it lean by starting with five or six scents instead of going huge on day one. We dig into the reality of a home-based candle business too, including dedicated space, storage, and basic ventilation so you don’t burn out or overwhelm your household.

Finally, we zoom out to the bigger candle business plan: defining your target customer and niche, keeping a simple product line, picking where to sell (Shopify, Etsy, markets, or wholesale), and using markets as proof of concept. Customer feedback and reviews become your roadmap for what to launch next.

If this helped, subscribe for more candle making and candle business training, share it with a maker friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What are you working on right now: testing, pricing, or picking your first scents?

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