Hi, we’re Katie and Eric Roering; the founders of Fontana Candle Co. In 4 years we took our hobby of making candles in our basement, and selling them at craft shows and makers markets and we turned Fontana into a nationally recognized eCommerce brand. This year we are doing 7 figures of revenue and have 9 employees. So how did we do it? 

Welcome to the candle couple podcast, where we will share the nitty gritty of scaling our e-commerce brand quickly. We are spilling the tea, so hopefully we can help you scale your brand quickly too. 

Last Episode we talked about Procurement Success, because you need enough supplies and ingredients to make enough candles to make 6 and 7 figures. But now, it is important to talk about another key to operations success: having a place that is set up to help you (and not hinder you) to make your revenue goals.

 As we talked in our first episode, there are low barriers to entry for candle businesses (and almost all eCommerce businesses). Most people start them out of their home, which is a really great way to help your cash flow while you determine if you have a viable business. When we started our business, we operated out of our home for ten months before signing the lease on a small warehouse space. So, how did we know that our business was ready for that move? And how much revenue did we end up making out of our home? 

Join us as we talk about all the financial considerations, insurance impacts, legal considerations, and even considerations when needing to hire employees. If you have an at-home candle business, you won't want to miss this episode!

 Resources: 

What Percentage of Rent Should You Pay? https://smallbusiness.chron.com/percentage-rent-should-pay-according-business-gross-income-71111.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candlecouplepodcast

We are now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify 

Timestamps: 1:33 

Our history of starting in our home

 3:14 What percentage of revenue was our rent at our first warehouse? 

3:40 Problems operating out of our home

 6:08 Are you legally allowed to operate out of your home? 

7:20 Moving out of our warehouse and back into our house

 8:11 Not enough room at home: outsourcing to a 3PL

 9:14 What is a 3PL? 

11:20 Cost analysis for a 3PL

 12:01 How much revenue did we really make at home? 

13:11 Insurance Considerations

 15:10 More financial considerations

 16:05 We've outgrown our space now 

16:50 Commercial spaces can be really hard to find

 18:20 Space requirements with employees

 18:50 Having a commercial realtor is a key to success

 21:39 Using us as a benchmark: We did $1 million in a 3,000 sq ft space 

Disclaimer: Everything shared in our videos is from our own personal experience, and is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Always seek legal guidance from a business attorney and certified public accountant. Everyone is responsible for their own business structure and business practices, and we will not be held accountable. Since we love the companies we talk about so much, we may have an affiliate relationship with them. If you make a purchase through the above links, we may earn a small affiliate commission. There is no additional cost to you.