Starting A Candle Business

Are you interested in starting a candle business? Making and selling your own soy candles could be the thing for you. Natural products is a booming market as more and more people become more aware and cautious of what they are putting on, in and around themselves and family. Soy wax is a natural, non toxic wax that burns cleaner and longer than paraffin wax.

There is a growing list of articles here to get you started on your candle business journey. I want to be able to show you how to get your candle business going from the ground up! Everyone loves candles, so if you love candles too and are looking for a wonderful business opportunity and are willing to put in the effort, then take a look around my site, get a few supplies and try making some candles to see how you like it and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions on what kind of info you'd like to see here!

Naming Your Candles-Should You Worry About Trademarks?

April 22, 2016 by SoyCandleMakingTime 7 Comments

Many of us just use the name that’s on the fragrance oil bottle from our supplier when naming your candles. While that is usually perfectly fine, there are cases where you cannot use that particular fragrance name.

Usually fragrance oil suppliers will have “Type” after the fragrance name if it is a popular name brand fragrance which could mean it is trademarked. That’s not always the case though, as I’ve looked up a few that had the word “Type” next to it and didn’t find a trademark on them.

A few examples of popular fragrances that are trademarked however are…..

Love Spell by Victoria’s Secret

Cotton Blossom by Bath and Body Works

Clean Cotton by Yankee Candles

Buttercream by Yankee Candles

Fragrance oil suppliers put “Type” on the end of popular fragrance names so you know that it is a dupe of that fragrance. They are able to use the name for their fragrance oils because the trademark for a fragrance like Love Spell is for use in candles, not the fragrance oil itself, so the supplier/oil manufacturer is allowed to use the name.

After reading some incorrect information a few years ago, I used to think that if you just put “Type” after the name then it would be fine, but after doing more research I’ve found that that is not the case. You can, however, add that it is “comparable to Love Spell by VS” or some similar wording.

Just because a name is trademarked doesn’t always mean you can’t use it though. If you do a search on TESS (US Trademark Electronic Search System , you’ll find that Cotton Blossom has several trademarks on it. They are for different things, however. Bath and Body Works has specified that it is for their bath and body products such as room sprays, bubble bath, body wash, etc…. so we cannot use that as a name for our candles.

There is another trademark on Cotton Blossom that is no longer active, but it was for ladies and children’s undergarments, so not related to candles or fragrance at all.

Usually these trademarks are only for the fragrance name, not the fragrance itself. That is why you can find duplications or copies of the fragrance from suppliers. From my research, if a company wanted to trademark the actual fragrance so it couldn’t be duplicated, they would have to get a chemical patent, and a very strict process where only a very few are approved.

Also, did you know?

If a company has a TM(™) by the name of the fragrance that means it is an unregistered trademark? Anyone can us the TM mark without registering anything, however it offers only limited protection. You will only find registered trademarks in the TESS search.

Registered trademarks are ones that have an R(®) next to the name. You CANNOT use the R on your fragrance name unless you have first officially registered it with the US Patent and Trademark Office and it has been accepted. Using the R without first registering it is a federal crime.

You can read more about the differences between TM(™) and R(®) in trademarking here: http://www.clickandcopyright.com/blog/tm-vs-r-which-is-right-for-my-trademark/

So if you have a fragrance name you would like to use, and you see that it has a trademark on it, be sure to check and see what the trademark is for. If there are none that are for bath and body products, perfumes and candles, then you should be okay to use it in naming your candles.

Search TESS here: http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4802:p3rnxj.1.

You can also easily search on the Yankee Candle Company website to see what fragrances they have trademarked.

Craft Fair Tips-10 Tips for a Successful Craft Fair

October 1, 2015 by SoyCandleMakingTime 6 Comments

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and getting the hang of your soy candle making if you’re new to it. I haven’t posted anything new for awhile if you haven’t noticed lol I’ve been so busy with this and that, remodeling the outside of our house (new insulation, siding, windows and more!) and a bit of writers block too.

It’s craft fair/bazaar season and the holidays are fast approaching! I’ve been wanting to do a craft fair post for awhile, but I wanted it to be super helpful, and since I have only done a few craft fairs, I decided I would enlist someone more experienced than myself to answer some questions for this one!

Laura Scheuy, from Candles By Laura, has been so kind as to offer up her tips on preparing for and having a successful craft fair selling your soy candles! So check out the questions and answers below, and give her some support by visiting her website and FB page which are listed at the end of the article as well.

If you have any other questions, be sure to leave a comment below too!

10 Craft Fair Tips for a Successful Show…

1. How do I find craft fairs in my area? In my experience, the best way to find events is by word of mouth. Talk to your fellow vendors, people in your community, participants in your hometown holiday craft fair. Ask them which shows they’ve done and if they have any recommendations. There are a number of Facebook groups that have been started just for this purpose, too.
Eventlister.com is an online resource that is also a great place to find local events. You can search by date and zip code.
Newspaper ads
Internet search

2. How much does it generally cost for a spot? Wide range – anywhere from $10 on up to $350 or more for a weekend event. Most shows I attend average $40 for an indoor 8’ x 6’ spot, but the outdoor farmer’s markets are much less for a 10’ x 10’ space.

3. What research should I do about the event before attending? (Is there a way to know which events would be best to attend?) Again, Eventlister.com is a great resource. For a minimal membership fee, you can read/write reviews for shows. Contact the event planner, ask them about the show’s history. Ask other vendors that have attended before what their experience has been. There are all kinds of Facebook groups as well.

4. How much inventory should I bring with me? It’s been said “A good day of sales is 10x the entry fee”. If the show cost you $25 to get in, bring a minimum of $250 in inventory, I usually double that. That’s a great start. Once you’ve gotten some experience and you return to shows year after year, this will change.

5. How early should I get there to set up? Each show/venue has its own rules, but I recommend no less than one hour to allow for hiccups, changes and it provides a less stressful set up if you’re not rushing. If your display is elaborate or you have a lot of product, you should certainly get there at the earliest time that is allowed.

6. What are some tips on setting up the display?

Fill your space whether it be with product, or height in your display.
Make it inviting. The more traffic in your booth, the better chance you have of making a sale.
The weather is also a factor. If it’s raining, I want to invite people IN my booth to get out of the elements, but on a beautiful day, I set up more in front so passersby can see my product at a glance.

7. Is it good to do sale or bundle pricing? While shoppers are enticed by a deal and it could bring more traffic to your booth, be sure your sale or bundle does not cut into your profit margin. Everyone likes to get something for nothing, but consider your worth. You are handcrafting your product, be sure you’re compensated appropriately.

8. Can I have a candle lit so people can smell it burning? That is entirely up to the venue hosting the craft fair or event, but if it’s allowed, I would encourage it. If open flame is not allowed, but electricity is available, wax warmers are a great way to change out the scents throughout the event.

9. Can I take orders if I run out of items? Sure! However, be sure to explain to the customer about all your shipping/delivery options to be clear that if they are out of your delivery range, you will ship them and that will be an extra charge.

10. What should I pack for the event? Oh my, now this is extensive and depends on the size of your space, but bare minimums:
Tent
Tables
Tablecloths
Chair(s)
Product Displays
Tent Weights
Your inventory, of course,
Cash box (small bills)
Credit card equipment (if applicable)
Business cards
Shopping bags
It’s always good to have a “toolbox” full of office supplies such as tape, scissors, pens, clothespins, clips, price tags, calculator, etc.
On a personal level, be sure to bring water, breath mints, snacks (that won’t get all stuck in your teeth) a bag for your garbage, a sweater or jacket and hand sanitizer.
This is just the short list.

On a final note:

Stand up! Do not sit behind your display on your cell phone and wait for people to come to you!

Engage with the people passing by. A simple “hello” and a smile. Instead of reading a book or making your craft during downtime, talk to your neighbors, walk around when you can! Learn from them! You’ll meet a wonderful group of people that are all in it for the same reasons you are.

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Laura Scheuy started her soy candle business, Candles by Laura, LLC, in 2007 out of a simple love for great scented candles. What started more than a decade ago as a hobby, turned into a full-fledged business in just a few years. Now Candles by Laura can be found in several retail shops in New England as well as weekly farmer’s markets, monthly craft shows and always in her online store, www.candlesbylaura.com. Follow Candles by Laura on Facebook at facebook.com/CandlesbyLauraBolton

Set up Shipping in Woocommerce-Build a Web Store Part 4

April 17, 2015 by SoyCandleMakingTime 1 Comment

In this 4th video in the series about building a web store for your candle business (this certainly pertains to other businesses as well!), I show you how to set up shipping in Woocommerce with a real time shipping calculator by the company AuctionInc. This calculator works with Woocommerce to give you real shipping rates.

For candles, a real time shipping calculator is very important. Without one, you would have to set up zones and figure out how much it might cost to ship items to different zones, and then specify the weights, and in what increments the shipping price will go up and so on……..

It’s a big pain in the neck! lol

With a real time calculator, you just set up the weight for each item and dimensions, and a few other things, and then when someone purchases, the shipping calculator gets the shipping price straight from USPS, UPS or whoever your preferred carrier is!

How To Setup Woocommerce in WordPress-Web Store Part 3

March 6, 2015 by SoyCandleMakingTime 4 Comments

First off, if you haven’t watched the first 2 videos in this series, you can click one below:

If you already have a WordPress site up and running, you can probably skip the first two videos in the series and go right into this one.

*And, like I talked about in the first video in this series, if you don’t have a web host yet you can check out Bluehost . Yes, it is an affiliate link, and I do make a commission if you sign up using that link (thank you in advance if you do!), but I have been with them for over 8 years and they have been great!

In this video, How to Setup Woocommerce in WordPress, I will take you through installing a theme that works well with Woocommerce called Storefront. It is a free theme made specifically to work with Woocommerce. I decided to switch themes after the second video since this theme works much more smoothly with the Woocommerce plugin and I wanted to make things as simple as possible for you!

I will also walk you through installing the Woocommerce plugin and setting it up to get ready to start selling your products! I go through most of the setup, except for shipping. We will talk about setting up shipping in the 4th video.

Since this is the first time I’ve done a series like this, I am not certain how many more videos there will be, but I am anticipating 2 more before we are done and ready to start getting traffic to your store!

Some things I still need to cover in the next couple videos:

Setting up shipping with real time shipping costs
Adding useful widgets
Customizing site colors, background and text
Adding header image/logo
Cleaning up any other loose ends!

I hope these videos are helping get your website/web store up and running, and please let me know if you have questions or if I’ve left anything out! I can take constructive criticism too 🙂 It will help me learn how I can improve future videos.

Thanks for watching, and if you like these videos, please be sure to click over to Youtube and click like on the video, as well as subscribing to my channel if you haven’t already!

How To Build Your Website-Get Your Business Online Part 2

February 20, 2015 by SoyCandleMakingTime Leave a Comment

Here’s part 2 of how to build a website and get your business online. In this video I pick up where we left off in part 1 (I showed you how to register for Bluehost, and get WordPress installed, choose and install a theme, and get your first blog post up.

In this video, I am going to show you a few things that need to be changed right off the bat. Title, permalinks and adding pages.

I want to keep each video in the series fairly short so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Sure I could show you all this in one video, but with everything we need to do to get our web store set up, I wanted to break it down into bite sized pieces and give you quick, simple, actionable things that you can do before moving on to the next video in the series.

So, If you find these videos helpful in building your website and getting your business online, I would LOVE it if you could click the like button right under the video on Youtube, and of course share, share, share 🙂

If you don’t have a webhost provider yet, be sure to check out my first video as I talk about Bluehost, who I have used for over 8 years. You can register with Bluehost through my affiliate link here: www.soycandlemakingtime.com/bluehost

Questions? Suggestions? Leave a comment below!