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How To Start a Candle Business in 2024 (Guide and Examples)

In this guide, learn how the candle business works, from developing products to selling online and everything in between.

If you’re an entrepreneur who is eager to burn the midnight oil with a new business venture, we’ve got a potential business idea for you: selling homemade candles.

When it comes to creating a product that’s practical and hot (literally and figuratively), learning how to make candles is a skillset that’s useful even for the hesitant DIYer.

So, if you’re curious about how to make homemade candles and start a candle business, it's time to learn how you can make money online with this trending product.

Start your online candle business

• Why make and sell homemade candles?

Types of homemade candles

How to start a candle business, candle business tips, starting your candle making business, candle business faq, why start a candle business.

Candles are an essential decor item—an industry set to eclipse 10 billion in global sales by 2032, according to Expert Market Research . 

In past years, the commercial use of candles has seen a sharp increase, with spa and massage using scented candles for aromatherapy, and restaurants creating soft, moody environments for customers. 

Consumers buy candles as home decor accents as well as for relaxation and stress reduction, according to the National Candle Association . Taking a quick look on Google Trends shows us that global interest for homemade candles is consistent. And while candles may be used for various purposes across the globe, most of the searches for homemade candles are concentrated around North America, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa. This is great intel for candlemakers looking to find a market for their DIY products.

In addition to the popularity of this hot product, candles offer business owners a number of other benefits, including:

• Low cost entry. Granted, some homemade candle varieties require pricier materials than others, but in general, candlemakers can create their wares with very little cash up front.
• Easy to sell anywhere. Want to sell your home decor items at craft fairs and local markets? Homemade candles travel well, so you can sell them both online and offline.
• Scalable craft to learn. Whether you’re a DIY master or a crafting newbie, the base recipe for basic candles is easy to follow. As you’ll notice from our handy infographic below, the formula is simple.
• Easy to customize. With so many types of candles, it’s easy to personalize your products and differentiate yourself from direct competitors.

From the standpoint of a DIY business, learning how to make candles is a skill that can be transformed into a viable income stream. But before we tackle the topic of creating homemade candles of your own, let’s take a look at the popular types that are piquing shoppers’ interest.

🏬 Success Story: A family candle business helmed by three kidpreneurs

Three young brothers were looking for a way to make money for college—and Nerf Blasters. Their hand-poured candle business became more than a side project. 👉 Read their story

One of the big advantages when it comes to making candles for your business is the variety—there’s likely a type of candle out there that will catch the eye of any potential customer.

Not sure where to start? Here are some of the top types of homemade candles you can explore when planning your candle business opportunities.

Soy candles

Soy candles are made from a base of soy wax. This wax is derived from soybeans and, therefore, is made from vegetables (opposed to regular oil- or paraffin-based candles).

Not only are soy candles made from a renewable resource, they also burn cleanly and for longer. That way, customers get more bang for their buck when it comes to getting a longer-lasting candle.

Scented or aromatherapy candles

This is one of the most common varieties of candles. Scented or aromatherapy candles offer a spectrum of scents for customers looking to spruce up their homes with pleasant smells.

Whether they’re meant to mask a normal household stench or simply create a unique scentscape, these candles come in dozens of scents—so there’s a smell that will appeal to almost everyone.

Aromatherapy candles makers market their products as offering specific benefits that correlate to certain scents. Generally, the recipes for these candles use essential oils that are meant to enhance physical or mental well-being. For example, lavender scents are often associated with relaxation.

Vegan candles

There’s a growing segment of shoppers that are concerned with the materials businesses use to make their products—particularly any animal ingredients. Basic candles often contain animal byproducts like beeswax, which isn’t desirable for some consumers.

But here comes vegan candles to the rescue! Vegan candles use modified formulas with ingredients like soy wax, plant-based waxes, fragrance oils, and natural fragrances.

Decorative candles

When entering a homeware store, you’ve likely noticed candles that come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Some candles are made purely for decorative purposes—they aren’t necessarily scented and aren’t made from special ingredients. They simply add a certain something to a space in your home.

Decorative candles often come in complicated shapes, feature accessories, and employ complicated designs.

Helpful resources

• What Is an Enterprise? Definition and Example
• 64 Small Business Ideas for Extra Income in 2024
• Do market research
• Build your brand
• Create a candle business name
• Write a business plan
• Make candles to sell
• Build your online store
• Create a marketing plan

1. Do market research

Your target market are the people you want to reach with your marketing efforts. These are the buyers who will be most interested in your products and most likely to convert to customers. In the candle industry, target markets are broken down into three categories:

• Prestige. Luxury candles are a new and quickly growing segment of the candle market. Pricing may vary. The average prestige candle can sell for between $30 and $100. Prestige candles are known for their premium packaging, fragrances, and emphasis on brand storytelling. 
• Mid-market. These mid-tier candles have broad appeal. You’ll likely find them in retail outlets like Target. Mid-market candles typically have unique scenes like rose water, grapefruit, or basil, and cost around $10 per candle. 
• Mass market. These candles are the most affordable on the market. Brands like Yankee Candle and Bed Bath and Beyond take up most of this segment. You’ll find standard scents like vanilla or ocean breeze, and will cost around $5 to $8 per candle. 

Decide on which market you’ll go after. Do you want to get into retail stores like Home Goods or Macy’s? Then mid-market may be the best route. Want to only sell through your own website and other online boutiques? Prestige candles may be your calling. 

Choosing your market will guide everything from sourcing materials to building your brand and packaging. Once you have a segment in mind, you’ll want to decide on the types of candles you’ll create. 

2. Build your brand

The second step in starting a candle making business is building a brand . A brand helps you build an audience, influences your marketing efforts, and makes it easier to create better products for your customers. 

A good brand strategy is crucial for candle businesses in particular. The industry has grown so significantly over the past decade that it can be challenging to break in. 

Let’s look at three ways you can stand out in the saturated candle market.

Unique and interesting fragrance blends 

Fragrance is the most important buying factor for consumers today. Research by the National Candle Association shows that three-fourths of candle buyers say it is “extremely important” or “very important” in their selection of a candle. 

One way to stand out from the competition is with interesting fragrances. Developing a new blend immediately carves a place in the market for you. Rather than offer standard floral and woodsy scents, opt for more complex and sophisticated smells buyers can’t find elsewhere: scents that make people think or remember something or feel a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Brand story

A brand story is the fastest way to connect with buyers. It’s a narrative that shapes and communicates your brand to people. It’s the foundation on which your mission, message, and voice is built. 

Brand stories, especially in the candle business, are captivating, human, and honest. It should make people feel something, which then drives them to take action—whether it’s a signup, purchase, donation, etc. 

Take Keap Candles story for example. The founders, Harry Doull and Stephen Tracy, were unhappy with their jobs in tech. They want to do something more meaningful and inspiring with their work and turned to candle making. 

To find your story, ask yourself:

• Why am I making candles?
• Who am I making candles for?
• What impact do I want to have on them?
• What impact do I want to make on the world?

Visual identity

Your visual identity (which includes your logo, photography, website, social media, and packaging) is the most direct way to influence how people feel about your candle business. 

When it comes to your candle brand, you want to pay close attention to the aesthetic of your products. Customers will use your candles for their scents and a home decor complement, so you want to design products in-line with your audience.

For example, Boy Smells brand is bright, sensual, and accessible to all genders.

The brand adds this identity into all its marketing assets, from website to social media. 

Once you interact with Boy Smells, chances are you won’t forget it. That’s the power of strong visual identity. 

Read more: Stand Out in the Market with Distinct Identify Design

3. Create a candle business name

At this point your candle business is shaping up nicely. You’ve probably come up with a few business names along the way, and now’s the time to decide on one. 

Be sure to keep your candle business name ideas short and simple. That’ll make it memorable and easy for buyers to pronounce. If your name is too difficult to remember, you’ll miss out on free word-of-mouth marketing. 

If you’re still stuck on a business name, use Shopify’s business name generator to stir up fresh ideas. All you have to do is enter a keyword, click Generate Names, then browse thousands of auto-generated name ideas for your company.

4. Write a business plan

A business plan  guides your entire operation when creating a candle business. It helps define your strategy, pinpoint challenges, understand what resources you need, and analyze your business idea  before launch. 

Ask yourself: What is the end goal for my brand? Who are my direct competitors? Do I want to be sold in retail outlets like Target or Nordstrom? Or do I want to start an ecommerce store  and sell directly to my customers? 

Identify your business goals and keep them in mind as you build out your candle making brand.

5. Make candles to sell

As we’ve demonstrated, there are plenty of candle types you can create in your own kitchen. Here, we’ll show you how to make a basic soy candle. You can take the same basic ingredients, tweak them slightly, and create your own customized recipe.

Gather your materials

For this homemade soy candle recipe, you’ll need:

• Wicks (preferably cotton)
• Essential oil of your choice
• Double boiler
• Thermometer
• Pen or pencil

While you likely have some of these items sitting around your house, you can easily procure the rest without busting your budget. You can find soy wax in bulk on sites like AliExpress or Bulk Apothecary for around $10 per pound.

Merchants looking to source jars or other glass containers can look on AliExpress for a variety of bulk-buying options, or check their local thrift store or dollar store for inexpensive containers.

See our guide on Aliexpress !

Essential oils are available at your local craft store or on Etsy or Amazon . The remainder of the ingredients can be found at almost any grocery store.

Prep your wax and container

Now, let’s prep your materials to get your candle wax ready. Take your soy wax and put it into your double boiler on your kitchen stove to melt (if you don't have a double boiler, use a glass bowl on top of a larger saucepan or pot). Fill the bottom pot with water and the top with the soy wax and turn the burner to medium heat. Stir the wax with your spatula, making sure you break up any chunks.

While the wax is melting, take your wick and glue the end to the bottom of your glass container. Allow glue to dry, which will keep your wick in place as you pour your wax.

Customize your candle mixture

Once your wax melts, take your preferred essential oil and stir into your mixture at a ratio of one ounce per pound of wax. If you’d like to change up the color of your candle wax, stir in chunks of non-toxic crayons.

Once your ingredients are melted and mixed, let it cool to 130–140 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the mixture with your thermometer to ensure it reaches the correct temperature.

Prep your pour

Now that your wax mixture is cooled to the correct temperature, it’s time to pour it into your jar. Hold the wick upright with one hand and pour the mixture out of the pan with the other. Fill up three quarters of the jar with the hot wax mixture.

To keep the wick upright, tie its end to the pen and set it across the opening of your jar.

Finishing your candle

Allow your wax to firm up before beginning your final pour. You may see a small sinkhole in the wax around the wick—don’t worry, that’s normal. Take the remaining wax mixture and pour the remaining quarter into the jar. Allow the rest of the wax to set completely. Once the wax is firm, snip off the excess wick with some scissors, and your candle is ready to burn!

6. Build your online store

Now that your candles are ready to go, where should you sell them? A great place to start is your own ecommerce store . 

Creating an online store sounds like a daunting task compared to listing your candles on online selling sites like Amazon. But these marketplaces cut deep into your profits and don’t let you express your brand freely. Your online store is not only more profitable in the long run, but acts as a digital home for your brand. 

When it comes to building an online store, Shopify is the simplest way to start. You can build an ecommerce website without any coding or huge budget. 

7. Create a marketing plan 

You’ve got the recipe for success—now it’s time to figure out how to sell your soy candles (or other homemade candles).

One of the easiest—and most lucrative mediums—for selling candles is online. You can use multiple digital platforms, like social media and your own ecommerce site, to reach potential customers around the world.

While every digital medium won’t be a successful sales platform for every merchant, here are a few places entrepreneurs can try to help them get started.

• Instagram. Many lifestyle brands found great success by focusing on Instagram marketing . Curate a feed of beautiful images related to your brand, stage photos of your candles to show off to customers, and reach a larger audience. You can also use Instagram to reach out to brand evangelists or micro influencers  and provide a behind-the-scenes peek at how you make your candles.
• Pinterest. Home decor is a major category for users of Pinterest, which is one of the largests platforms customers use to find brands and products. So it’s wise for homemade candle merchants to consider Pinterest marketing as a pillar in their strategy.
• Snapchat. As another highly visual platform, Snapchat is another viable option for maker merchants. As one of the fastest-growing social media platforms with more than 200 million users, DIY hustlers can use  Snapchat marketing  to reach an increasing audience.
• Giveaways and contests. As part of a social/content marketing strategy, you can use some of your merchandise as prizes in a series of giveaways and contests. Not only can these contests help you gain followers and build brand awareness, but you also have the opportunity to show off how well your products work.
• Email marketing : Deliver your message (as well as promos, discounts, and other brand news) right to your customers’ inboxes.

Although selling online is a viable avenue for merchants, don’t be afraid to try selling IRL.

Homemade candles are compact and travel well—which makes them ideal for selling on the go. Your sweet-smelling home decor items are ideal for displaying in craft shows and pop-up shops and gives merchants the opportunity to get in-person feedback directly from potential customers.

Still not sold on selling in person? Going IRL for sales has a number of other benefits, including:

• Getting direct feedback. If you’re eager to improve your products (or just dying to hear what customers think), selling in person is a great way to do it. Meet your target customers face-to-face, address their pain points, and get ideas for potential new products.
• Discover wholesale opportunities. Ready to scale your business? Or looking to explore selling B2B ? Markets and fairs are ideal events to meet wholesale buyers and establish a foundation for such a relationship.
• Build your online following and email subscribers. Whether you’re aiming to grow your social audience or build your email list, use pop-up shops and markets to connect online. When visitors show up at your booth or shop, ask them to subscribe to your email list or follow your branded social channels for new products, discounts, and giveaways.
• Networking and inspiration. Connecting with fellow makers and entrepreneurs is also a major part of the draw for festivals, markets, and fairs. Meeting other merchants can inspire you with new ideas and help you come up with new solutions to shared problems.

Although physical sales require different skills than sitting at your desk, a little know-how and the right tools can make it simpler to make sales on the go. Use a mobile point-of-sale system like Shopify POS to help you set up your shop or booth at your next flea market, farmer’s market, craft fair, and/or maker fair, and keep transactions quick and simple.

Whether you’re starting a candle making side hustle or kicking off full-time, keep these candle business tips in mind:

Take amazing product photos 

Great product photography is key to convincing people to buy your candles. Make sure you can clearly see the shape and label of your candles. Up for a challenge? Stage an image of the candle in use in your home so shoppers can envision it in theirs. You can hire a professional photographer to take your photos or take high-quality photos with a smartphone .

Create more selling opportunities 

Having recurring customers is more profitable than constantly finding new ones. Test different cross-sell and upsell opportunities to drive more revenue from your existing customers—such as travel-sized versions of your most popular candles, or limited-edition scents. You could also offer subscription boxes , like Frostbeard Studio . The brand offers a Candle of the Month Club, where customers get a brand new candle every month for a set price. 

Expand your product line 

Brands like Tofino Soap Company repurpose their scents for products like soaps, shampoos, balms, perfumes, and other  things to make and sell online . It’s an easy transition for many candle makers because the scents are already developed, you just need to create the new product. You can then upsell customers based on scents they buy often, create scent-centric care packages, and reach new audiences.

Push holiday sales 

Approximately 35% of candle sales happen during the Christmas holiday season, according to the National Candle Association , with 76% of buyers viewing candles as an appropriate holiday gift. Prepare for this season by creating holiday campaigns with special promos and ads targeted at potential buyers.

Stay on top of consumer trends

Stay up to date with what’s going on in your niche. Use resources like Meta Foresight , Think with Google , and Nielsen to understand customer pain points and track breakout trends. You can use this insight to come up with new product ideas, fragrances, and marketing campaigns to promote your brand.

You’ve gotten this far, which means you now have a great grasp on how to get started with your own homemade candle business. With the tools and knowledge above to help you make and sell your homemade candles, you can move forward to create your own income stream using your DIY skills.

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Is candle making a good business?

How much does it cost to start a candle business, is candle making profitable , how do i start a candle business from home.

• Create a business name
• Market your candle business

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Candle Making

Back to All Business Ideas

The Blueprint for Starting a Candle Making Business

Written by: Carolyn Young

Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.

Edited by: David Lepeska

David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.

Published on October 29, 2021 Updated on July 1, 2024

Investment range

$1,040 - $1,680

Revenue potential

$60,000 - $180,000 p.a.

Time to build

0 - 3 months

Profit potential

$30,000 - $72,000 p.a.

Industry trend

Here are the most important things to consider when you are opening a candle business:

• Location (physical and online) — Consider a hybrid model that combines both online and physical presence. This approach allows you to leverage the benefits of both channels. You could start online and sell on Etsy and participate in local markets or pop-up shops to build brand awareness and interact with customers directly before deciding on a physical store.
• Niche — A niche helps you stand out and appeal to specific customer interests or needs. Choose eco-friendly, themed, luxury, or aromatherapy candles.
• Equipment and materials — Find a reputable supplier for the wax, wicks, fragrances, dyes, molds, and other tools you need. 
• Packaging — Boxes, bags, and decorative elements are important for packaging candles, especially if you are shipping or presenting them as gifts. Also, create custom labels for branding and provide information like scent, burn time, and safety instructions.
• Register your business — A limited liability company (LLC) is the best legal structure for new businesses because it is fast and simple. Form your business immediately using ZenBusiness LLC formation service or hire one of the best LLC services on the market.
• Legal business aspects — Register for taxes, open a business bank account, and get an EIN .
• Offer candle subscription box — Subscription models provide predictable, recurring revenue, which can help with cash flow and financial planning. Use your website, social media, email marketing, and other channels to promote your new subscription box. Special promotions or discounts on the first box can help attract initial subscribers.

Interactive Checklist at your fingertips—begin your candle making business today!

You May Also Wonder:

How long do homemade candles last?

Homemade candles typically last for 12-15 months if stored in a cool, dry place. They burn approximately one hour for each inch of their length. The burn time can vary based on the materials and wicks used.

How do you ship candles?

Since candles can be fragile, it is best to package them in durable boxes and fill the interior with tissue paper or bubble wrap to cushion them during transit. For certain candles and climates, you may want to include frozen gel packets within the box to prevent any melting. See this  guide from Paper Mart  for some more tips and tricks on candle shipping.

Are scented and other specialty candles safe?

Yes, scented and unscented candles – using the appropriate materials – are safe for use. Both synthesized and natural scents have been widely tested and deemed safe. Wicks and wax sold by candle makers and suppliers are also safe, as they must be approved by the relevant regulatory agencies. For more info on candle safety, consult this  comprehensive FAQ  from the National Candle Association.

Do you need insurance to sell candles?

No, insurance is not required to sell candles in the US. However, many candle makers buy liability insurance to help shield against any potential legal action. Ultimately, candles deal with fire, so there always liability concerns for sellers. The Armatage Candle Company provides a  useful guide  on candle maker insurance.

Is candle making a profitable business?

Candle making can be a profitable business, but success depends on various factors such as market demand, product quality, pricing, marketing, and effective business management. If you sell online, you’ll have to spend some money on digital marketing to get traffic to your site.

Is a candle business hard?

Starting and running a candle business can have its challenges, including sourcing quality materials, developing unique scents and designs, managing inventory and production, marketing and competition, and maintaining consistent quality.

What type of candles sell best?

Some popular candle categories include scented candles, soy candles, natural or organic candles, decorative or artisanal candles, and seasonal or themed candles. 

Can I use essential oils in candles?

Yes, you can use essential oils in candles to add natural fragrance. It’s important to choose oils suitable for candle making and to adhere to guidelines for safe use. Typically, essential oils should make up about 5-10% of the total wax weight.

Step 1: Decide if the Business Is Right for You

Pros and cons.

Every business has its pros and cons, and it’s a good idea to weigh these factors to decide if starting a candle business is a good fit.

• Flexible — Set your own schedule and work when you want
• Rewarding work — Chasing your passion, expressing your creativity in candles
• Simple business model — Make and sell candles — not complicated
• Minimal startup costs — Few materials needed; sell online
• Good money & scalability — With low costs, profits can be strong; grow as you wish
• Heavy competition v Due to the low barriers to entry, there are many custom candle makers out there that you will have to compete against
• May need a supplier — In order to effectively grow your business, you may need to pair with a supplier, which will decrease your autonomy
• Repetitive work with no safety net — You’ll receive no salary for your candle-making; earnings will rely on you churning out candles
• Difficult to build customer trust and loyalty — With no face-to-face interactions, your candle website may have a hard time building a loyal customer base

Candle Industry Trends

Increased demand for home decor products has helped expand and broaden the candle-making market in recent years. Today’s custom-made marketplace offers innovative scents, multiple colors, organic ingredients, and a wide variety of shapes and sizes. One inventive maker even sells a candle shaped like a hand, with wicks on the end of each finger! The price? A cool $65.(( https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/light-my-fingers-candle ))

These days, pumpkin candles do well in the fall, peppermint in winter, and citrus in the summer. The candle industry has grown alongside the spa and yoga studio market .

Industry Size and Growth

• Industry size and past growth — Candle manufacturing in the US is valued at $2.9 billion and it’s recovering from the pandemic slump.(( https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/candle-manufacturing-united-states/ )) 
• Growth forecast — Business intelligence advisory Verified Market Research expects the global candle industry to grow 8.21% annually through 2030.(( https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/candle-market/ )) 
• Number of businesses — There are 1,784 candle manufacturing businesses in the US.(( https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/candle-manufacturing-industry/ ))
• Number of people employed — The industry employs more than 8,000 people.(( https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/candle-manufacturing-industry/ ))

Trends and Challenges

• Increasing consumer preference for personalized candles
• Great interest in wooden wicks
• Rapid growth of ecommerce
• Labor shortage
• Environmental concerns

What Kind of People Work in a Candle Business?

• Gender — About 65% of candle makers in the US are female, while about 35% are male.(( https://www.zippia.com/candle-maker-jobs/demographics/#gender-statistics ))
• Average level of education — 44% of candle makers have a high school diploma.(( https://www.zippia.com/candle-maker-jobs/demographics/#degree-level-types ))
• Average age — The average age of a candle maker is 43.4 years old.(( https://www.zippia.com/candle-maker-jobs/demographics/#age-statistics ))

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Candle Business?

The startup costs for a candle business depend almost entirely on your starting inventory, which is the largest cost. In general, to get you started in a modest capacity, startup costs will range from about $1,000 to nearly $1,700.

You will need several different items to launch your candle business, including special equipment you’ll need to purchase. Websites like Candle Science , Candles and Supplies , and CandleWic offer a comprehensive selection of candle-making equipment. Here is a list to get you started:

• Aluminum melting pitcher
• Aluminum pouring pot
• Glass thermometer
• Wick bars and holders
• Molds, wax, wicks
• Fragrance materials
• Measuring cup(s)
• Clothespins

How Much Can You Earn From a Candle Business?

Candles can be made for a relatively low cost and sold at a high margin, from 30% all the way to 75% in net margin. The total potential earnings for a candle business depend on your level of production. For example, if you’re selling candles at $10 each and they cost you $5 to make, then you make $5 for each sale and your gross profit margin is 50%. 

In your first year or two, you could work from home and sell 500 candles a month, bringing in $60,000 in annual revenue. This would mean $30,000 in profit, assuming that 50% margin. As your brand gains recognition, sales could climb to 1,500 candles a month. At this stage, you’d rent a storefront and hire staff, reducing your profit margin to around 40%. With an annual revenue of $180,000, you’d make a tidy profit of $72,000.

Candleers, a candle-making advisory, estimates that the average candle maker earns $50,000 per year , with the bottom 10% making less than $25,000 and the top 10% checking in at more than $100,000. Simply put, annual earnings will depend on how many candles you are selling and at what price point you are selling them.

Ultimately, your candle business’ earnings will be heavily dependent on the cost of inventory and the cost of making the candles. Your per candle price should be determined by your costs and how much you hope to earn from each sale. Candle-making has relatively low fixed costs, so this ratio will be among the most important aspects of your business.

To find the right price, research the prices of your closest competition.

What Barriers to Entry Are There?

• Knowledge of candle-making — This is a basic barrier for any candlemaker. While not the most difficult process in the world, learning candle-making requires time and focus.
• Access to top suppliers — The most successful candle makers typically secure relationships with top suppliers such as Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, and others.
• Designs must be up-to-date — Candle makers need to keep up with the latest customer desires for new scents, shapes, and styles.
• More than a full-time job — A candle maker’s earnings depend on the amount of time and energy they are willing to devote to the work.

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Step 2: hone your idea.

Now that you know what’s involved in starting a candle business, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market. 

Market research will give you the upper hand, even if you’re already positive that you have a perfect product or service. Conducting market research is important, because it can help you understand your customers better, who your competitors are, and your business landscape.

Why? Identify an Opportunity

The first thing an aspiring candle business owner should do is assess their skills and knowledge about candles in relation to the larger market. You can find good opportunities with some simple research into the most popular candles and their makers. Try to answer questions like: What are the most popular candle websites and what are their bestselling products? Which price points are most appealing? At which cost could you produce the same candles, and what materials would you need to do so?

Your business brand will be determined as a result of your research and the market opportunity you choose to target with your candle creations. You might go in for wildly shaped or exotically scented niche-market candles, or go for a mass market product. The choice is entirely up to you!

What? Define Your Offerings and Candle Types

Make a list of all of the candles you might like to make. Some of the popular candle types, each appealing to different segments of buyers, include but are not limited to:

• Scented and aromatherapy candles
• Twisted and other sculpted candles
• Decorative and other artistic candles
• Vegan candles
• Soy candles
• Odor-eliminating candles
• Bug repellant candles
• Long-lasting candles

Each candle could require different ingredients and a different process of creation. You should consider which type of candles you’d like to define your brand. This will determine your material needs, production schedule, and marketing.

How Much Should You Charge for Your Candles?

Most homemade candles you’ll find online are priced in the $15 to $30 range. Specialty candles that provide a special scent or artistic design will of course be more expensive than straightforward candles of traditional shape and size.

You should price your candles based on your costs and your profit expectations informed by market norms. It’s best to do a good deal of market research before settling on your price points.

Once you know your costs, you can use our profit margin calculator to determine your markup and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.

Who? Identify Your Target Market

Different candle types will be popular for different market segments, and at different times of the year. As noted above, citrus and fruit-scented candles will be popular in the warmer months, while mint-scented candles will do better in winter.

Women tend to be bigger candle buyers than men, and homeowners buy more than renters.

Spas and yoga centers, restaurants, retailers, and other small businesses that rely on candles to create a certain ambiance will also be in your target market.

Depending on the type of candle you produce, some will meet the desires of a specific customer – such as eco-friendly, vegan candles, or highly decorative candles. And keep in mind, the more original and exotic your niche, the more you may be able to charge!

Where? Choose Your Business Premises

In the early stages, you may want to run your business from home to keep costs low. But as your business grows, you’ll likely need to hire workers for various roles and may need to rent out a storefront. You can find commercial space to rent in your area on sites such as Cra igslist , Crexi , and Instant Offices .

When choosing a commercial space, you may want to follow these rules of thumb:

• Central location accessible via public transport
• Ventilated and spacious, with good natural light
• Flexible lease that can be extended as your business grows
• Ready-to-use space with no major renovations or repairs needed

Step 3: Brainstorm a Candle Business Name

Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:

• Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out
• Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better
• The name should be relevant to your product or service offerings
• Ask around — family, friends, colleagues, social media — for suggestions
• Including keywords in the name, such as “candle” or “wax,” boosts SEO
• Choose a name that allows for expansion: “Bright Flame Candles” rather than “Aromatherapy Candles”
• A location-based name can help establish a strong connection with your local community and help with the SEO but might hinder future expansion

Discover over 410 unique candle business name ideas here . If you want your business name to include specific keywords, you can also use our candle business name generator. Just type in a few keywords, hit Generate, and you’ll have dozens of suggestions at your fingertips.

Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these. 

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Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead with domain registration and social media account creation. Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick your company name and start with the branding, it is hard to change the business name. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider your choice before you start a business entity.

Step 4: Create a Candle Making Business Plan

Here are the key components of a business plan:

• Executive summary — A brief overview of the candle making business, highlighting its mission, goals, and key points for potential investors or partners
• Business overview — A detailed description of the candle making business, including its history, mission, vision, and legal structure
• Product and services — Clear delineation of the types of candles offered, their unique features, and any additional services, like customization or fragrance options
• Market analysis — Examination of the candle market, identifying target demographics, trends, and potential growth areas for the business
• Competitive analysis — Assessment of other candle makers in the market, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the business
• Sales and marketing — Strategies for promoting and selling candles, encompassing pricing, distribution channels, and promotional activities
• Management team — Introduction of key individuals involved in the candle making business, emphasizing their relevant skills and experience
• Operations plan — Detailed explanation of the day-to-day operations, including the production process, sourcing materials, and quality control measures
• Financial plan — Overview of the financial aspects of the business, encompassing startup costs, revenue projections, and budgeting for ongoing operations
• Appendix — Supplementary materials such as detailed financial statements, market research data, or any other supporting documents

If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.

Step 5: Register Your Business

Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — a prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.

Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s done, you have your own business!

Choose Where to Register Your Company

Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you are planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to candle making. 

If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind that it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state. 

Choose Your Business Structure

Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your candle business will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely.

Here are the main options:

• Sole proprietorship — The most common structure for small businesses makes no legal distinction between company and owner. All income goes to the owner, who’s also liable for any debts, losses, or liabilities incurred by the business. The owner pays taxes on business income on his or her personal tax return.
• General partnership — Similar to a sole proprietorship, but for two or more people. Again, owners keep the profits and are liable for losses. The partners pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) — Combines the characteristics of corporations with those of sole proprietorships or partnerships. Again, the owners are not personally liable for debts.
• C Corporation — Under this structure, the business is a distinct legal entity and the owner or owners are not personally liable for its debts. Owners take profits through shareholder dividends, rather than directly. The corporation pays taxes, and owners pay taxes on their dividends, which is sometimes referred to as double taxation.
• S Corporation — This refers to the tax classification of the business but is not a business entity. Either a corporation or an LLC can elect to be an S-Corp for tax status. Here, income is passed through directly to shareholders, who pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.

We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization , and answer any questions you might have.

Form Your LLC

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We recommend ZenBusiness as the Best LLC Service for 2024

Step 6: Register for Taxes

The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number or EIN. You can file for your EIN online, by mail, or by fax. Visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN.

Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate on a calendar year (January–December), or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.

The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist , and taxes can be filed online.

It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you are completing them correctly.

Step 7: Fund Your Business

Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:

• Bank loans — This is the most common method, but getting approved requires a rock-solid business plan and a strong credit history.
• SBA-guaranteed loans — The Small Business Administration can act as a guarantor, helping gain that elusive bank approval via an SBA-guaranteed loan .
• Government grants — A handful of financial assistance programs help fund entrepreneurs. Visit Grants.gov to learn which might work for you.
• Friends and family — Reach out to friends and family to provide a business loan or investment in your concept. It’s a good idea to have legal advice when doing so because SEC regulations apply.
• Crowdfunding — Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer an increasingly popular low-risk option, in which donors fund your vision. Entrepreneurial crowdfunding sites like Fundable and WeFunder enable multiple investors to fund your business.
• Personal — Self-fund your business via your savings or the sale of property or other assets.

Bank and SBA loans are probably the best options, other than friends and family, for funding a candle business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept. 

Step 8: Apply for Candle Making Business Licenses and Permits

Starting a candle business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.

Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits. 

You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more. 

You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package . They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.

If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.

Step 9: Open a Business Bank Account

Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account .

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your candle business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.

Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account. 

Step 10: Get Business Insurance

Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.

Here are some types of insurance to consider:

• General liability — The most comprehensive type of insurance, acting as a catch-all for many business elements that require coverage. If you get just one kind of insurance, this is it. It even protects against bodily injury and property damage.
• Business property — Provides coverage for your equipment and supplies.
• Equipment breakdown insurance — Covers the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that has broken due to mechanical issues.
• Worker’s compensation — Provides compensation to employees injured on the job.
• Property — Covers your physical space, whether it is a cart, storefront, or office.
• Commercial auto — Protection for your company-owned vehicle.
• Professional liability — Protects against claims from clients who say they suffered a loss due to an error or omission in your work.
• Business owner’s policy (BOP) — This is an insurance plan that acts as an all-in-one insurance policy, a combination of the above insurance types.

Step 11: Prepare to Launch

As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business. 

Essential Software and Tools

Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks.  

You may want to use industry-specific software, such as Craftybase to track material and product stock, log expenses, and update pricing. You can also use NetSuite Commerce to manage your online and in-store transactions.

• Popular web-based accounting programs for smaller businesses include Quickbooks , FreshBooks , and Xero . 
• If you’re unfamiliar with basic accounting, you may want to hire a professional, especially as you begin. The consequences of filing incorrect tax documents can be harsh, so accuracy is crucial.

Develop Your Website

Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism.

You can create your own website using website builders . This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.

However, people are unlikely to find your website unless you follow Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) practices. These are steps that help pages rank higher in the results of top search engines like Google. 

Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:

• Social media showcase — Use Instagram, Pinterest, and Etsy to display your unique candle designs and share the stories behind each scent and collection.
• E-commerce SEO — Optimize your online store to rank highly in searches for handcrafted and specialty candles, ensuring visibility to potential customers.
• Engaging online experience — Develop an interactive website that allows customers to easily explore and purchase from your candle collections.
• Distinctive branding and packaging — Design your product packaging to reflect the quality and uniqueness of your candles, making them instantly recognizable.
• Introductory offers — Attract new customers with discounts on their first purchase or special bundle deals.
• Regular email newsletters — Engage your customer base with updates on new products, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and special offers.
• Candle care blog — Share expert advice on candle maintenance, the benefits of various waxes and scents, and insights into the craft of candle making.
• Customer spotlights — Feature customer reviews and photos on your platforms to foster a community feel and show real-life applications of your products.
• Candle making workshops — Offer interactive workshops where customers can learn to make their own candles, enhancing their connection with your brand.
• Pop-up shops — Utilize pop-up shops at fairs and markets to physically showcase your candles and directly engage with new customers.
• Local business partnerships — Collaborate with local businesses, like spas and cafes to offer your candles, expanding your reach and customer base.

Focus on USPs

Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that set it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your candle business meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire. 

Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your candle business could be:

• Regional or seasonal scents
• Twisted and unusual designs
• Aromatherapy candles
• Eco-friendly and vegan candles
• Visually satisfying online store with a customizable selection
• Lifestyle and decor recommendations with every candle order
• Branded Pinterest posts detailing candle ideas
• Reusable candles

You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain but your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a candle business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been making candles for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections. 

The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in candles. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. Online businesses might also consider affiliate marketing as a way to build relationships with potential partners and boost business.

Step 12: Build Your Team

You may not need any employees if you are starting out small from a home-based office. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various job roles. The potential employees for a candle business include:

• Candle maker
• Label maker
• Packer and shipper
• Marketing strategist
• IT specialist for your website 

At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need. 

Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed , Glassdoor , or ZipRecruiter . Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent. 

Step 13: Run a Candle Business — Start Making Money!

Scented candles are widely thought to melt stress, induce or improve sleep, provide therapeutic care, and more. That’s why candle making is a nearly $3 billion market in the US and remains one of the top business ideas globally. Now that you have all the information you need to start a candle business, it’s time to take the first step in your entrepreneurial journey. 

If you do proper research to better understand what your target market needs and craft a brilliant marketing strategy, you can light your way to success and start making a great profit!

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• Decide if the Business Is Right for You
• Hone Your Idea
• Brainstorm a Candle Business Name
• Create a Candle Making Business Plan
• Register Your Business
• Register for Taxes
• Fund Your Business
• Apply for Candle Making Business Licenses and Permits
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get Business Insurance
• Prepare to Launch
• Build Your Team
• Run a Candle Business — Start Making Money!

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How To Write A Winning Candle Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business but can be especially helpful for candle businesses who want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every candle business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a candle business plan.

A candle business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Candle Business Plan?

A candle business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Candle Business Plan

There are several key components of a successful candle business plan.

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a candle business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your candle company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your candle business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your candle firm, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen candle business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a candle business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the candle industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a candle business’ customers may include:

• Homeowners who want to improve the scent of their homes
• Business owners who want to use candles as a marketing tool to make their businesses more inviting
• People who want to buy candles as gifts for friends and family members
• Wedding planners looking for unique wedding favors

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or candle services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your candle business via word-of-mouth, trade shows and events, or public relations.

Operations Plan

This part of your candle business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a candle business include reaching $X in sales. Examples include signing up X number of new customers or adding X new products to your line.

Management Team

List your team members including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific candle industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Candle Business

Balance Sheet

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Candle Business

Cash Flow Statement

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup candle business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Candle Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Create a Winning Candle Business Plan

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch or grow your candle company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

Include a detailed financial plan and supporting documentation in your appendix. Doing so will give you the best chance for success when seeking funding from investors or lenders. Finally, make sure your management team is solid and has the experience and expertise to execute your vision.   

Finish Your Candle Business Plan in 1 Day!

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Why & How to Write a Candle Company Mission Statement

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How to Start a Candle Business: A Step-by-Step Guide With Tips and Insights [2024]

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Candles are one of the most lucrative industries in the world. A recent study found that the candle industry was valued at $7.15 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $13.38 billion by 2028.

That’s 13.38 billion reasons to start your candle business.

Over the past fifteen years, our team has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses build their brands. We’ve mentored and advised dozens of candle entrepreneurs on building and growing their online and retail candle businesses.

This guide shares the actionable insights, tips, best practices, and expertise we’ve developed after helping over one hundred thousand brands. The guide is filled with insights and practical tips to help you learn more about the candle industry and the step-by-step process of starting your own candle business .

How to Start a Candle Business:

• Identify your nice
• Validate your candle business idea
• Create your business plan
• Make candles
• Register your business
• Get small business funding
• Develop your branding
• Refine your marketing strategy
• Select how and where you sell candles

1. Identify your niche

Although the candle industry may seem saturated, there are still many opportunities for new business owners.

All it takes is brand differentiation , which entails finding and defining your niche in this billion-dollar industry.

Around 35% of candle sales occur during the Christmas/Holiday season. And about 65% of candle sales are non-seasonal. Here are helpful facts to help you understand the opportunity in the candle industry:

• The retail price  for a candle ranges from $1.99 for a votive to $35 for a large pillar or jar. Premium and luxury candles can cost $200 or more.
• According to the National Candle Association (NCA), buyers view candles as appropriate gifts for holidays (76%), housewarmings (74%), hostess/dinner party gifts (66%), thank you’s (61%), and adult birthdays (58%).
• The NCA also found that consumers in the U.S. use candles within a week of purchasing them and that the U.S. market offers more than 10,000 different candle scents.
• A study  by Global Industry Analysts found that the global market for scented candles is at an estimated US$354.1 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach US$542.4 Million in 2026.
• Container and jar candles are currently the most popular types of candles in the U.S. market.
• Over the next few years, soy wax will become increasingly popular due to its low carbon footprint, slow-burning, and long-lasting fragrance. The candle industry is a growing and incredibly lucrative one. It’s a market that has a steady and large following.

To differentiate, you must determine the following factors:

Your target audience

Your target market is the audience you aim to reach with your marketing efforts . These people are most likely to become customers and buy from you.

When determining your target audience, consider the demographics of your intended market , such as their age, location, gender, and interests.

Identifying the various market categories to inform your branding, marketing strategy, platform, and pricing is essential.

There are three significant categories of target markets in the candle industry:

• Prestige. The luxury candle market is a new and rapidly growing segment. A prestige candle can cost as little as $30 or as high as $200. Luxury candles are known for their premium packaging , fragrances, and emphasis on brand storytelling .
• Mid-market. Candles in this tier appeal to a broader audience. They will likely be found at retail outlets such as Macy’s or Target. Most mid-market candles come with natural scents like rose water, coconut, grapefruit, or basil and cost at least $10 apiece.
• Mass market. Mass market candles are among the lowest-priced in the market. This category’s candies come in classic scents like vanilla or ocean breeze and sell for $5 to $8. Most of this segment is dominated by brands like Yankee Candle and Bed Bath and Beyond.

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Your target industry

Besides your target audience, you should also consider your target industry, especially if you plan on selling to businesses such as spas, restaurants, and retail stores.

Knowing your total addressable market (TAM) will help you assess the opportunity and the likely growth you might see in your target industry.

Candles have seen an increase in popularity in commercial spaces. They are used in spas, massage centers, and restaurants to achieve the warm and intimate ambiance for which these establishments are known.

Candle products are also gaining popularity, with independent brands, fashion houses, and beauty retailers as complementary products to their main product line.

2. Validate your candle business idea

Before investing significant time and money into your candle business, validating your business idea is crucial. Idea validation ensures a market for your product and reduces the risk of launching a product no one wants.

Here’s how to validate your candle business idea:

Step 1: Conduct market research

The first step in idea validation is to understand the market. Look for information about who buys candles, the types of candles they prefer, and why they purchase them.

This knowledge will allow you to gauge the potential demand for your products. For example, a soy-based candle business might be viable if you find a growing trend in eco-conscious consumers who prefer organic and eco-friendly products.

Step 2: Assess your competitors

Identifying your competition will help you understand what’s already available in the market and identify gaps you can fill. If you notice a lack of luxury scented candles in the market, and your research suggests a demand for such products, this could be an opportunity.

Step 3: Create a minimum viable product (MVP)

A Minimum Viable Product has just enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future product development. For instance, before going in on a full line of aromatherapy candles, you could start by making a small batch and selling them at local markets or online to gauge customer response.

Step 4: Get feedback and iterate

Collect feedback from your early customers to understand if your candles meet their expectations and identify any potential improvements. For example, if you’re selling beeswax candles, ask your customers about their experiences with them – Do they like the scent? How about the burning time? You can refine your products based on feedback to better meet your customers’ needs.

Step 5: Conduct a financial analysis

Calculate the cost of making your candles, including raw materials, packaging, branding, and shipping. Also, consider the costs of business operations like marketing and licenses. Compare these costs with your potential selling price to ensure your business is profitable.

Remember, the idea validation process is iterative and includes learning, adapting, and ensuring your candle business has a potential market. Following this process increases your chances of success and decreases the likelihood of launching a product that doesn’t meet market demands.

3. Create your business plan

A business plan is crucial when starting any business, including a candle business. It serves as a roadmap for your business and can help you secure funding. Here’s how to create a compelling business plan for your candle business:

• Executive summary. This is an overview of your business. Include your business name , what you do, and what makes your candle business unique. For instance, if you’re launching a candle business that uses only organic materials and promotes sustainable practices, mention this here.
• Company description. Detail what your candle business does, the problems it solves, and who it serves. If your business creates bespoke, hand-poured candles for eco-conscious consumers, state this here.
• Market analysis.  This section requires information from your market research. Discuss the candle industry, trends, target demographics, and your competitors. If you’re entering the luxury scented candles market, discuss the market size, growth potential, and key competitors.
• Organization and management.  Outline your business structure, who the key team members are, and what their roles are. For example, you might handle everything from production to marketing in a small candle business.
• Services or product line.  Describe your candles and their benefits. If you’re selling soy-based candles with therapeutic grade essential oils, detail the scents available, their benefits, and why they’re a better choice than synthetic ones.
• Marketing and sales strategy.  Discuss how you plan to attract and retain customers. If you’re selling handmade beeswax candles, you might consider partnering with local craft stores or selling at farmers’ markets. Consider building a strong presence online on platforms popular with your target markets, like Instagram and Etsy.
• Funding request.  If you’re seeking funding, explain how much money you need and what it will be used for, such as buying raw materials or marketing.
• Financial projections.  Provide a forecast of your business finances for the next five years. Include revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Appendix.  An optional section where you can add any additional supporting documents.

A well-structured business plan not only provides direction but can also help you check the feasibility of your business idea. It highlights potential challenges and allows you to devise strategies to overcome them, thereby increasing the chances of your candle business’s success.

Here are some of the critical elements you need to feature in your business plan:

Sourcing for raw materials and supplies

Securing high-quality materials and equipment is crucial to your candle business’s success. Here’s how to source the best resources for various types of candle businesses:

Types of candles and corresponding materials

Different candles require specific materials. Paraffin candles, the most common type, require paraffin wax and any choice of fragrance. Soy candles, a popular eco-friendly choice, require soy wax and essential oils for a natural scent. Beeswax candles require beeswax, which is naturally scented and is often left unscented.

Sourcing wax

Wax is the backbone of your candle business. You can source wax from local craft stores or online suppliers. Some notable online suppliers are CandleScience and The Flaming Candle Company. They offer various waxes, including soy, paraffin, beeswax, and coconut.

Sourcing scents

The scent is a vital part of a candle. You can turn to CandleScience or The Flaming Candle Company for synthetic fragrances. Companies like doTERRA and Young Living offer many options for natural essential oils.

Sourcing wicks

Wicks are an essential part of candle making. You must choose the right wick based on the size and type of candle you’re making. Candlewic and Wooden Wick Co. are good sources for a variety of wicks.

Sourcing containers

The container you choose for your candle can add a unique touch to your product. Glass jars, metal tins, and ceramic containers are popular choices. Specialty Bottle and SKS Bottle & Packaging are online stores that provide a wide range of options.

You’ll need a melting pot, thermometer, scales for precise measurements, and heat-resistant containers for pouring. These items can be found in local stores or online.

Buying in bulk

Once your business scales up, consider buying in bulk to save costs. Most suppliers and wholesalers offer discounts for larger orders.

Remember, the quality of your materials directly impacts the quality of your candles. Spending more on high-quality ingredients can help you create a premium product that stands out in the market. Be consistent with your suppliers to ensure uniformity in your products.

Define your products and services

The products or services your business will offer must be clearly defined. Ask:

• Will you sell scent-based products?
• How much will you be pricing them?
• How will you obtain the supplies you will need for your candles?
• What will the cost be for these supplies?
• What is the cost of production?

A business plan is there to guide your entire operation. It allows you to define your strategy, identify challenges, determine your needed resources, and evaluate your business concept before launching.

4. Make candles

Finally, we get to the fun part! In the product development stage , your creativity, ingenuity, and craft shine.

Creating a high-quality product is crucial because when the candle is good, it can help a person relax, add a decorative flair, or set a mood for the room. A wrong candle, however, can be disastrous.

So before moving to the next step, take some time to learn how to make high-quality candles and develop your signature scents if you sell scented candles.

At the product development stage, you would need to pay attention to mastering a good burn time, perfecting the quality of your wax, and balancing the intensity of fragrances for scented products (the scent should neither be too faint that it is barely noticeable nor too strong that it can be obtrusive).

You can experiment with different fragrance oil blends and containers until you find the perfect match.

Here are some candle types that you can mull over as a basis for your product development:

Aromatherapy candles

This is a common candle variety. Candles with aromatherapy or scented candles offer customers varying scents for sprucing their homes.

Aromatherapy candles are marketed as offering specific benefits associated with particular scents. It is common for these candles to contain essential oils that promote physical or mental health. Lavender aromas, for instance, are often associated with sleep and relaxation.

Vegan candles

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the materials businesses use when making their products. Some consumers don’t want candles that contain animal byproducts like beeswax. Vegan candles address this concern using alternative ingredients such as plant-based waxes, soy wax, and natural oils.

Soy candles

Soy candles are one of the most popular candle varieties today. They are made from a base that contains soybean wax. In contrast to regular oil- or paraffin candles, this wax is derived from soybeans.

One of its unique selling propositions is that soy candles burn cleanly and for extended periods in addition to being made from renewable resources.

Decorative candles

You will most likely find these candles in a homeware store. These candles are primarily made for aesthetic purposes. They are typically not scented or made with unique ingredients. They enhance the look of residential or commercial spaces.

Narrow down your choices by asking the following:

• Will you be selling decorative or traditional candles?
• Are you selling luxury candles or affordable candles?
• What type of material will you be using? Wax, soy, or vegan?
• What unique skills do you have that can help you to differentiate your candles in the marketplace?

Choosing one or a few candle types can help you perfect your craft and define your niche.

5. Register your business

One of the critical milestones in starting a business is registering your company with your secretary of state or regional business authority. Several factors go into registering a business, including the type of business you have, the size of your business, and the state in which you live.

Your business plan will help you decide your legal business structure .

Registering your business with the secretary of state or regional business authority is an essential milestone. Every new business requires a license or permit at the federal, state, and/or local levels. Note that some states require you to register your new business if the trade name under which it operates differs from its legal name .

Sole proprietorship, partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation are some of the most common forms of business entities.

Choosing the correct business entity is a significant decision, and it’s not a decision that should be rushed. Your business structure will affect your taxes, risk level, etc.

Hire an expert to form your company and save time. Our trusted partners can help: Northwest ($39 + state fee) or Bizee ($199 + state fee) . We recommend Northwest. After evaluating the leading registration companies, Northwest stands out as our top choice due to its competitive pricing, exceptional customer support, and commitment to privacy. Pay just $39 + state fees and you'll get a free year of registered agent service, articles of organization, privacy, and client support from local experts.

6. Get small business funding

Any business endeavor requires some startup spending, and a candle business is no exception.

The costs of supplies, marketing, production, insurance, legal counsel, and more will require capital.

How much does it cost to start a candle business?

According to  SmallBizTrends , candle business startup costs typically “range from $9,500 to $78,000, with an average around $44,000.” Here’s how those expenses look when starting a candle business:

• Production equipment – $500 to $5,000
• Supplies (wax, molds, wicks) – $3,000
• Insurance and legal fees – $500 to $3,500.
• Permits and licenses for the business – $50 to $700.
• Business software – $50 to $500.
• Small business insurance – $500 to $2,000.

Few entrepreneurs and small business owners have enough savings to pay cash when starting a candle business. But there are plenty of business financing options . For example, consider the following:

Business credit cards

Business credit cards may be a good choice for new business owners because they require a lower credit history than a loan. Most credit cards offer a 0% interest rate during the introductory period, equivalent to having an interest-free loan if you pay off your balance before the introductory period expires.

Business lines of credit

The business line of credit is more flexible than a standard business loan, as you can only borrow as needed.

Startup funding

New business owners should consider startup financing options such as SBA microloans or grants. In addition, crowdfunding is becoming increasingly popular as an option for funding startups.

7. Develop your branding

Effective branding ties your business idea, target audience, and products together. And in an industry as saturated as the candle market, a unique and memorable brand identity is paramount.

A lackluster brand in this competitive market will not succeed.

That said, there is more to a brand than just a recognizable business name and company logo.

Understanding market segmentation

Before establishing your brand, you need to understand your market segment. Are you serving luxury seekers who want premium candles, or are you targeting consumers who prefer affordable yet quality products? This decision will help shape your branding strategy.

Brand pillars

Understanding your brand pillars is a critical part of establishing your brand. They will guide your business decisions and help you maintain consistency as your business grows.

• Purpose.  Your brand purpose isn’t about making money; it’s the reason your brand exists. It should reflect the value your business hopes to add to customers’ lives.
• Vision.  Your brand vision is a strategic beacon that indicates where your company is headed. It sets a defined direction for your business growth.
• Mission.  Your brand mission describes what your company does to achieve its vision . It outlines the steps your business will take to fulfill its purpose.
• Values.  Your brand values are the guiding principles that your business uses to guide its actions. They symbolize what your company stands for.

To build an even stronger brand, you should consider your brand archetypes . This will enable you to create a brand that audiences recognize, relate to, and empathize with on a deeper level.

Finally, remember that how you tell your brand story matters. Strong brand stories create loyal customers who become zealous advocates for your brand.

Crafting your mission statement

Your mission statement is a brief description of your business’s overall purpose. It should answer three key questions: What does your business do? How does it do it? Why does it do it? A well-crafted mission statement can inspire your team and solidify your brand’s identity.

You can’t build a strong brand without consistency and the focus to extend that consistency throughout your business. To build a brand, you must establish what consistency looks like and what feelings you want to evoke.

You also need to consider these visual elements when developing branding for your candle business:

Logo design

Brand identity begins with a strong logo. Having a well-designed logo  is crucial to a successful brand experience .

And while it’s tempting to find a logo generator , this option  will not help you differentiate your brand. It’ll cost you more in the long run because poor branding will weaken your brand.

Fonts and Color Palettes

The same consistency should be followed when selecting fonts  and color palettes for your brand identity.

Consider using only one or two distinct typefaces across your product designs, website pages, social media accounts, and marketing collaterals whenever possible.

When it comes to color, stick to a similar principle by choosing three to five colors to create your brand palette .

Identify your primary and secondary brand colors early on and use them appropriately. You can also look into  color psychology to help inform you of the cultural and societal meanings colors convey in branding.

8. Refine your marketing strategy

You can begin marketing your company by choosing a business name and developing your brand.

A well-thought-out  marketing strategy  is crucial to getting your products in front of your target audience.

Social media is an excellent place to begin, which is free, easy to use, and fun.

Email marketing is also an affordable option that you should also consider.

9. Select how and where you sell candles

Like many other business-to-consumer products, online is one of the most lucrative ways to sell candles. Multiple digital platforms, such as social media and your e-commerce site , can help you reach potential customers worldwide.

And you can now create digital catalogs and jazz up your product showcase. It’s all about bringing life to your products and making things interactive for your future customers. Add more than just photos and descriptions – think videos, gifs, and anything else that sparks joy. Plus, here’s the cool part: you can see how folks interact with your catalog, helping you figure out what works best to boost your sales.

There will be different digital platforms for different merchants, but here are a few places new candle business owners can start.

Instagram has helped many lifestyle brands build a sizable following.

Market on Instagram by curating a feed of images that showcase the best of your products and your brand. Share scroll-stopping photos of your candles to attract customers.

You may also use Instagram to engage brand ambassadors and influencers who can use their following to amplify your reach and provide  social proof .

Pinterest is one of the largest platforms people use to discover brands and products.

Home decor is a significant category on Instagram, making Pinterest a great marketing tool to promote your candle line.

Invest in building a portfolio of stylized and professionally-shot product images. And if you can, also add lifestyle images featuring your products. It lends your brand an aspirational quality that catches the attention of many in your target audience.

TikTok is a popular social media platform that has gained massive global popularity recently, raking in over 1 billion monthly users.

This is another highly visual platform where creative video content is the common denominator.

When marketing on Tiktok, help people to get to know the brand more intimately. You can feature behind-the-scenes edits, unboxings, customer testimonials, and product drops.

You now have a roadmap to get started with your candle business. Good luck!

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How to Start a Candle Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In a world where ambiance and personal expression hold paramount importance, the allure of candles transcends mere illumination—they embody emotions, memories, and unique fragrances. If you’ve found yourself captivated by the enchanting world of candles and are contemplating turning that passion into a thriving business, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to our comprehensive guide on “How to Start a Candle Business,” where we illuminate the path to entrepreneurial success in the scintillating realm of candle making.

Candlelight has a timeless charm, and the market for distinctive, high-quality candles is ever-expanding. Whether your goal is to make unique designs for special events or handcrafted candles for cozier homes, this guide will be your lighthouse, leading you through the crucial procedures and business plans needed to launch a successful candle company.

Beyond the flicker of a flame, a candle business is an artistic endeavor and a business venture intertwined—a journey that involves creativity, market insight, and strategic planning. So, let’s embark on this journey together as we delve into the intricacies of market research, meticulous planning, hands-on preparation, effective marketing, and the crucial legal and financial considerations that will pave the way for your candle business to illuminate the market. Are you ready to turn your passion into a glowing success? Let’s light the way!

Market Research and Analysis

Before delving into the mesmerizing world of candle making, it’s imperative to shed light on the importance of thorough market research and analysis. This initial phase lays the groundwork for a successful candle business by providing valuable insights into industry dynamics, consumer preferences, and potential competitors.

Understanding the Candle Industry Landscape:

The candle industry is more than just wax and wicks—a diverse landscape with niches ranging from artisanal creations to mass-market productions. Begin by immersing yourself in the various segments of the industry. Understand the prevailing trends, emerging innovations, and consumer demands that shape the market. A comprehensive grasp of the industry landscape will empower you to position your business uniquely and cater to the evolving preferences of candle enthusiasts.

Identifying Target Market Demographics and Preferences:

Candles have a universal appeal, but different demographics may have distinct preferences. To tailor your products effectively, create a detailed profile of your target audience. Take into account variables like geography, gender, age, and lifestyle. Visualize your ideal customer’s preferences by creating a demographic table that outlines their favorite scents, preferred candle designs, and the occasions they associate with candle use. This table will serve as a strategic tool, aligning your products with the desires of your target market.

Example Demographic Table:

Analyzing Competitor Offerings and Market Trends:

A keen understanding of your competitors is a strategic advantage. Analyze the products, branding, and marketing strategies of existing candle businesses. Identify gaps in the market or areas where you can offer a unique value proposition. Additionally, stay attuned to market trends. What scents are gaining popularity? Are there emerging materials or sustainable practices in candle making? By staying abreast of these trends, you position your business to ride the wave of consumer preferences and stay ahead in this dynamic industry.

In this phase, information is your most potent tool. With insights into the industry, your target audience, and market trends, you’re ready to mold your candle business into a distinctive and sought-after presence. Let the glow of knowledge guide your path to success.

Planning and Preparation

As you embark on your journey to establish a candle business, meticulous planning and preparation serve as the cornerstone of your enterprise. Dreams transform into tangible strategies in this phase, guiding your steps toward a flourishing candle empire. Let’s illuminate the path ahead by delving into the essential aspects of planning and preparation.

Developing a Comprehensive Business Plan:

A business plan is your roadmap to success—a detailed blueprint that outlines your business goals, strategies, and operational framework. Define your business concept, target market, and unique value proposition. Dive deep into market research findings to inform your marketing, sales, and production strategies. Additionally, include financial projections, growth milestones, and contingency plans to ensure resilience in facing challenges. A well-written business plan acts as a roadmap for your first moves and is a living document that changes as your company does.

Setting Clear Goals and Objectives:

Goals provide direction, and objectives offer measurable milestones on your entrepreneurial journey. Create a table outlining your short-term and long-term goals and specific, achievable objectives that align with each goal. Whether expanding your product line, increasing sales revenue, or enhancing brand visibility, clarity in your goals fosters focus and accountability, propelling your candle business toward success.

Example Goals and Objectives Table:

Estimating Startup Costs and Securing Funding:

Launching a candle business requires financial investment, and accurately estimating startup costs is crucial for fiscal planning. Create a comprehensive table detailing the various expenses of starting your business, including materials, equipment, packaging, marketing, and operational costs. Once you’ve tallied your expenses, explore funding options such as personal savings, loans, or crowdfunding to secure the necessary capital and bring your candle business to life.

Example Startup Costs Table:

Equipped with a strong business strategy, well-defined objectives, and a sound financial basis, you’re ready to take your entrepreneurial endeavors to the next level. With determination, foresight, and strategic planning, your candle business will soon illuminate the market with brilliance.

Practical Steps to Launch

As the foundation of your candle business takes shape, it’s time to transition from planning to action. Practical steps are the building blocks that transform your vision into tangible products ready to enchant customers. In this phase, we delve into the hands-on aspects of launching your candle business, from sourcing materials to crafting a captivating brand identity.

Sourcing High-Quality Materials and Supplies:

Quality is paramount when crafting exceptional candles that captivate the senses: research reputable wax, fragrance oils, wicks, and container suppliers. Prioritize suppliers who offer high-quality, sustainable materials that align with your brand values. Establishing strong relationships with suppliers ensures consistency in product quality and reliability in the production process, setting the stage for a successful candle business.

Mastering Candle-Making Techniques and Product Development:

Candle-making is both an art and a science—an intricate dance of wax, fragrance, and flame. Invest time mastering candle-making techniques and experimenting with different wax blends, fragrance combinations, and pouring methods. Provide various candle products, such as beautiful pillar candles and quirky soy wax melts, to suit different tastes and events. Through continuous experimentation and refinement, you’ll hone your craft and develop signature creations that set your candle business apart.

Creating a Compelling Brand Identity and Packaging:

A strong brand identity, which strikes a visual and emotional chord with your target consumer in a crowded field, is your beacon of uniqueness. Create a brand identity that captures the spirit of your candle company, including your values, brand story, and distinctive style. Select typefaces, colors, and images that arouse the desired feelings and impressions.

Complement your brand identity with carefully crafted packaging that enhances the allure of your candles and reinforces your brand message. Remember, packaging is more than just a vessel—it’s an extension of your brand identity and a tangible expression of your commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

As you embark on the practical steps to launch your candle business, embrace the creative journey with passion and perseverance. With each candle crafted and each brand element refined, you’re one step closer to illuminating the world with the magic of your candles. Let your creativity shine as you bring your vision to life, one candle at a time.

Marketing and Sales Strategies

With your candles ready to enchant the world, it’s time to shine a spotlight on your brand and connect with your audience. Marketing and sales strategies form the nucleus of your business growth, empowering you to showcase your creations and forge meaningful connections with customers. In this section, we unveil the strategies that will illuminate your brand’s presence and drive sales to new heights.

Creating an Online Identity using Social Media and a Website:

In the current digital world, a business’s ability to succeed online is paramount. Create a polished website that serves as your online storefront and displays your candle selections, company history, and order options. To increase organic traffic and exposure to your website, improve its search engine optimization. Ensure you are well-represented on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to accompany your website. Share captivating visuals, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engaging content that resonate with your audience’s aspirations and lifestyle. Cultivate a community of candle enthusiasts who eagerly await your latest creations and updates, fostering brand loyalty and advocacy.

Implementing Effective Marketing Campaigns to Reach the Target Audience:

A strategic marketing campaign is the beacon that guides potential customers to your brand. Ensure your target audience’s preferences, goals, and pain points are reflected in your marketing campaigns. Use email marketing, content marketing, influencer partnerships, and other digital marketing strategies to engage your audience and increase conversions. Write engrossing narratives that showcase your candles’ creativity, skill, and sensual delight. Use analytics to monitor the success of your marketing initiatives, and then adapt as needed to optimize return on investment and enhance results.

Exploring Diverse Sales Channels, Including Online Marketplaces and Brick-and-Mortar Stores: Diversifying your sales channels expands your reach and accessibility, tapping into different consumer segments and purchasing behaviors. Create a table outlining the various sales channels available to your candle business, including online marketplaces, brick-and-mortar stores, pop-up shops, and craft fairs. Evaluate each channel’s pros and cons regarding reach, cost, and brand alignment. Embrace a multi-channel approach that integrates online and offline sales channels to cater to your customers’ diverse needs and preferences.

Example Sales Channels Table:

By harnessing the power of digital marketing, cultivating an engaging online presence, and diversifying your sales channels, you’re poised to illuminate the market with your brand’s brilliance. Let your passion for candles shine through every interaction, fostering lasting connections and driving sales growth.

Legal and Financial Considerations

As your candle business gains momentum, navigating the legal and financial landscape with precision and foresight is essential. Compliance with regulations, sound financial management, and strategic pricing are the cornerstones of long-term success. This section delves into the critical legal and financial considerations that will safeguard your business and fuel its growth.

Understanding Legal Requirements, Permits, and Regulations:

Before lighting the first wick, ensure your candle business complies with relevant legal requirements, permits, and regulations. Create a table outlining the specific regulations applicable to your business, including product safety standards, labeling requirements, and business licensing—research federal, state, and local regulations governing candle manufacturing, labeling, and sales. To operate lawfully and prevent possible fines or penalties, obtain the required licenses and permits, such as zoning permits, business licenses, and sales tax permits. Establish a robust compliance framework to uphold product quality, safety, and consumer trust, positioning your candle business as a reputable and reliable brand.

Example Legal Requirements Table:

Setting Up Accounting Systems and Managing Finances:

Sound financial management is the bedrock of a sustainable business. Implement robust accounting systems to effectively track income, expenses, and cash flow. Select accounting software that facilitates easy financial reporting, spending monitoring, and invoicing that fits your company’s demands. Establish precise protocols for managing accounts payable and receivable, issuing client invoices, and balancing bank statements. Review financial accounts, such as balance sheets and profit and loss statements, regularly to determine the state of your company’s finances and identify areas for growth. You can guarantee your candle business’s long-term health and profitability by keeping accurate financial records and encouraging sound financial practices.

Pricing Strategies, Profit Margins, and Budgeting:

Choosing the appropriate pricing strategy is crucial to maintaining competitiveness and increasing profitability. Create a table to analyze your pricing strategies, profit margins, and budgeting considerations. When setting candle prices, factor in variable costs such as materials, labor, and overhead expenses. Calculate your desired profit margin and adjust pricing to achieve your financial goals. Develop a budget encompassing all aspects of your business operations, from production and marketing to administrative expenses and contingencies. Regularly review and adjust your pricing and budgeting strategies based on market dynamics, cost fluctuations, and business performance to maintain financial stability and drive sustainable growth.

Example Pricing and Budgeting Strategies Table:

By prioritizing legal compliance, implementing sound financial management practices, and adopting strategic pricing and budgeting strategies, you’ll fortify the financial foundation of your candle business and pave the way for sustainable growth and profitability. Let fiscal responsibility be the guiding light that leads your business to success.

To sum up, beginning a candle business requires commitment, imagination, and careful preparation. By navigating through the essential steps outlined in this guide—from market research and practical preparation to strategic marketing and financial management—you can illuminate the path to success. Remember, each flicker of effort contributes to the brilliance of your candle business, and with passion as your fuel, there’s no limit to the heights you can achieve. Let your entrepreneurial spirit shine bright as you light up the world, one candle at a time.

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How To Start A Candle Business In 2024

Published: Jan 12, 2024, 5:57pm

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Important Disclosure: The content provided does not consider your particular circumstances and does not constitute personal advice. Some of the products promoted are from our affiliate partners from whom we receive compensation. Read More

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Table of Contents

1. put a business plan together, 2. register your candle business, 3. prepare to make your product, 4. build a website, 5. choose additional channels to sell your candles, 6. calculate your sale price, 7. market your candle business.

Candles set a mood, create subtle lighting and can smell divine. And whether they’re bought as gifts or as a staple part of a grocery shop, they’re never out of vogue. So, if you have creative tendencies, a candle business could present the perfect side hustle. The materials can be affordable when buying wholesale, and the production process is fairly simple.

So where do you start? We’ve broken it down into seven steps.

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The first step is to put together a business plan. It should also include your target audience, strategies for reaching your candle-buying niche and more general ideas for marketing.

You’ll need to decide on the size of your candles, what type of wax and how many different scents you’ll want to produce. This will determine your workflow and prices.

You should also decide a name for your business, making sure that the name you want to use isn’t already taken (this is easy to do at the  .Gov website ). Choose something simple and easily recognisable. Notes it’s also possible to have a different brand name (‘trade’ name) to your registered business name.

If like many fledgling businesses, you’ll initially be the only employee of your candle enterprise, you’ll need to start out as a sole trader. This is ideal if you want to start as a side hustle and see if you can grow from there. You can learn more about sole traders, as well as partnerships or limited companies, at our 10 Steps To Starting A Business guide. You will also need to register your candle business with HMRC (and Companies House for limited companies).

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People tend to love candles with eye-catching designs, in addition to appealing fragrances. Even if you’re not a graphic designer, you can work with Adobe Photoshop or Canva to create simple, elegant designs for your candles. If you’re interested in a more complex design or prefer to outsource to a professional, you can use Creative Market, Fiverr or Upwork to commission a design from a professional creator.

Source product materials

Finding product materials is the next step. You can find receptacles for your candles through a bulk item supplier such as Alibaba. Additionally, you could look into restaurant wholesalers near you if you wanted to use something such as a mason jar or a decorative glass. Finally, using recycled materials such as wine bottles or jam jars could be visually appealing.

There are many types of wax that can be used for candles: paraffin, soy, beeswax, granulated wax and more. You’ll want to do a few trial samples with your chosen wax to make sure it’s giving the scent you want. Your candle wax supplier will also likely be able to advise you on wicks, dyes and scents that work best with your candle wax.

Source packaging

Shipping is normally the largest cost for a small business. When you’re putting together a plan for shipping, you’ll want to consider speed, cost and what kind of materials will surround the candle to keep it safe in transit. Using recycled materials might attract a target audience of conscious consumers, but you’ll have to price the candles accordingly.

Design your labels

If you’ve chosen to design your logo on your own with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop or Canva, you can do the same for labels. It might be easier to create a standard label for candles with customisable sections for changing the scent, the size or the name of the candle. If you want custom designs for each scent, you might want to employ a designer from the services listed above so you can focus on the product.

The label should include your business name, the scent of the candle, the size in fluid ounces and more information that customers might want to know. You might want to include where the candle is made, what the wax is and your company’s website.

Even if you plan to sell via a third-party platform such as Etsy, you should build your own website. Not only will having your own business website increase your brand’s visibility online, but it also helps make your business appear more credible and professional, while also opening up the opportunity to direct sales. To make the process easier, choose an easy-to-use website builder with e-commerce capabilities.

Here are the best platforms for building an online store :

• Shopify : thousands of templates for customer experience, ability to sell gift cards, thousands of app integrations for e-commerce
• Wix : less expensive, custom domain included, unlimited products, only ships with USPS
• Weebly: extremely intuitive website builder, great for beginners, ability to switch website themes and retain content, e-commerce integration with Square, limited customisation options.

Picking a content management system also depends on how much time you want to invest in your website, in addition to the upfront costs.

In addition to your website, you will most likely want to sell your candles across multiple channels, such as Etsy , Amazon, and even Instagram . This increases your exposure online, which will help your candle business land more sales. Additionally, building relationships with local retailers could also be a good way to sell your candles directly with minimal shipping costs.

Generally, you will want to aim for a 25% to 50% profit margin on your candles. Calculating anticipated expenses early will be important in determining prices.

If you need to host your products on Etsy or Amazon and have to build more monthly expenses into your business, you might have to price your candles a little higher in the beginning, with changes depending on sales volume in the future.

Additionally, most online payment processors charge a small fee of around 20 pence, plus 2% of the transaction, so you should work that into the candle prices as well. If you’re making all of these custom candles, you should determine how much time you can spend, especially if this candle company is starting as a side business.

Starting with free or low-cost marketing is the best way to get off the ground, especially if your business is on the side for now. You should start by searching out Facebook groups, subreddits or other social media communities of fragrance lovers. You can also offer barter exchanges to influencers for posting about your candles.

You can also join some local entrepreneur groups to network and get advice from more experienced professionals. You might be able to make connections and find new avenues for marketing your candle business.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are candles easy to make.

Candles are generally considered easy and inexpensive to make at home, which makes them a good business opportunity. Once you have the materials and the basic method down, you can make many easily.

How do you create a seller account on Etsy?

To create a seller account on Etsy, go to Etsy and create a business account. From there, you can set up your shop preferences, including your shop’s name.

After you’ve created your Etsy seller account, you can then create product listings from within your account dashboard.

What is the average profit margin on a candle?

The average profit margin on a candle is around 25% to 50%.

Keep in mind that this can vary based on a variety of factors such as the average cost of materials, shipping, labour, and your unique niche or target market.

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

Kelly is an SMB Editor specializing in starting and marketing new ventures. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and she holds an MSc in International Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she manages a column at Inc. Magazine.

I've been involved in personal finance and property journalism for the past 20 years, editing websites and writing for national newspapers. My objective has always been to offer no-nonsense information to readers that either saves or earns them cash.

• Sample Business Plans
• Retail, Consumers & E-commerce

Candle Making Business Plan

Growing demand, low startup costs, high margins, and a diverse market make candle-making a great business choice, especially for those who enjoy DIY projects and artistic expression. However, starting a business with proper planning can ensure your business is safe.

Are you looking to start writing a business plan for your candle making business? Creating a business plan is essential to starting, growing, and securing funding for your business. So we have prepared a candle making business plan template to help you start writing yours.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free candle making business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How to Write a Candle Making Business Plan?

Writing a candle making business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section of the business plan intended to provide an overview of the whole business plan. Generally, it is written after the entire business plan is ready. Here are some components to add to your summary:

• Start with a brief introduction: Start your executive summary by introducing your idea behind starting a candle making business and explaining what it does. Give a brief overview of how your candle business will be different.
• Market opportunity: Describe the target market in brief, and explain the demographics, geographic location, and psychographic attributes of your customer. Explain how your candle making business meets its needs. Clearly describe the market that your business will serve.
• Describe your product: Briefly describe what products customers can expect from your business. Also, incorporate brief information mentioning the quality measures you implement, keeping product quality and consumer satisfaction in mind.
• Management team: Name all the key members of your management team with their duties, responsibilities, and qualifications.
• Financial highlights: Provide a summary of your financial projections for the company’s initial years of operation. Include any capital or investment requirements, startup costs, projected revenues, and profits.
• Call to action: After briefly explaining your business plan, end your summary with a call to action, inviting potential investors or readers to the next meeting if they are interested in your business.

Ensure you keep your executive summary concise and clear, use simple language, and avoid jargon.

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2. Business Overview

Depending on your business details, you’ll need different elements in your business overview. Still, there are some foundational elements like business name, legal structure, location, history, and mission statement that every business overview should include:

• The name and type of your candle business: mention whether you are a homemade candle manufacturer, factory-produced manufacturer, organic candle-making business, or any other candle manufacturing business.
• Company structure of your candle business, whether it is a sole proprietorship, partnership firm, or something else.
• Location of your business and why you selected that place.
• Mission statement: Add a mission statement that sums up your business objectives and core principles. This statement needs to be memorable, clear, and brief.
• Business history: Include an outline of your business’s history and how it came to be in its current position. If you can, add some personality and intriguing details, especially if you got any achievements or recognitions till now for your incredible services.
• Future goals: It’s crucial to convey your aspirations and your vision. Include the vision of where you see your business in the near future and if you plan to expand your business overseas, to another state, or another city.

This section should provide an in-depth understanding of your candle making business. Also, the business overview section should be engaging and precise.

3. Market Analysis

Market analysis provides a clear understanding of the market in which your candle making business will run along with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. Your market analysis should contain the following essential components:

• Target market: Identify your target market and define your ideal customer. Know more about your ideal customer and what type of products they prefer: scented candles, unscented candles, novelty candles, beeswax candles, tea light candles, decorative candles, and more.
• Market size and growth potential: Provide an overview of the candle making industry. It will include market size, trends, growth potential, and regulatory considerations. Highlight the competitive edge and how your business is different from the rest.
• Competitive analysis: Identify and analyze all other candle making businesses in the local market, including direct and indirect competitors. Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and explain how your business can offer qualitative services.
• Market trends: Analyze current and emerging trends in your industry, such as technological changes or customer preferences. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends. For example, the candle business has a seasonal market, so explain how you plan on dealing with that.
• Regulatory environment: Describe any regulations or licensing requirements that affect candle making, such as business & tax registration, candle labeling requirements, safety regulations, etc.

Some additional tips for writing the market analysis section of your business plan:

• Use various sources to gather data, including industry reports, market research studies, and surveys.
• Be specific and provide detailed information wherever possible.
• Include charts and graphs to help illustrate your key points.
• Keep your target audience in mind while writing the business plan.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section of a candle manufacturing business plan should describe the specific products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

• Create a list of the type of candles your candle business will offer, including scented, decorative, taper, pillar, soy, etc.
• Shipping and delivery: Explain how your business will handle the shipping of your products and if you will charge any additional fee for these services.
• Emphasize product quality: In all descriptions of your products, emphasize the importance of product quality and how your candle making company will ensure it.

Overall, a business plan’s product and services section should be detailed, informative, and customer-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

• Develop your unique selling proposition (USP): Clearly define your business’s unique selling propositions, which can be your expertise in the market, customizations you offer, prime project locations, and so on. Determine what sets your business apart from the competition and what benefits your target market.
• Determine your pricing strategy: Develop a pricing strategy that is competitive and affordable yet profitable. Consider offering promotions, discounts, or packages for your candle making services to attract new customers.
• Marketing strategies: Develop a marketing strategy that includes a mix of online and offline marketing tactics. Consider social media, email marketing, content marketing, brochures, print marketing, and events.
• Sales strategies: Mention your sales strategy as in – offering competitive pricing, seasonal discounts, product customizations, attending trade shows and events, etc.
• Customer retention: Describe how your business will retain customers and build loyalty, through loyalty programs, by offering free samples or personalized service.

Overall, your business plan’s sales and marketing strategies section should outline your plans to attract and retain customers and generate revenue. Be specific, realistic, and data-driven in your approach, and be prepared to adjust your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

When writing the operations plan section, it’s important to consider the various aspects of your business processes and procedures involved in operating a business. Here are the components to include in an operations plan:

• Hiring plan: Tell the staffing requirements of your candle making business, including the number of employees needed, their qualifications, and the duties they will perform. Also, mention the perks you will provide to your employees.
• Operational process: Outline the processes and procedures you will use to run your business. It includes manufacturing, inventory management, distribution, Quality Control, etc.
• Equipment and raw materials: Describe the equipment and raw materials used in your business operations, such as pouring pots, molds, wick holders, stirring tools, scales, wax, labels, packaging materials, etc.

By including these key elements in your operations plan section, you can create a comprehensive plan that outlines how you will run your candle making business.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of the individuals responsible for running the candle making business. This section should provide a detailed description of the experience and qualifications of each manager, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

• Key managers: Describe your management team’s key members, roles, and responsibilities. It should include the owners, senior management, sales and marketing managers, packaging and shipping managers, QC inspectors, and people involved in the business operations, including their education, professional background, and any relevant experience in the candle making industry.
• Organizational structure: Describe the organizational structure of the management team, including reporting lines and how decisions will be made.
• Compensation plan: Describe your compensation plan for the management team and staff, including salaries, bonuses, and other benefits.
• Board of advisors: If you have a board of advisors for your business, then mention them along with their roles and experience.

Describe your company’s key personnel and highlight why your business has the fittest team.

8. Financial Plan

When writing the financial plan section of a business plan , it’s important to provide a comprehensive overview of your financial projections for the first few years of your business.

• Profit & loss statement: Create a projected profit & loss statement that describes the expected revenue, cost of products sold, and operational costs. Your business’s anticipated net profit or loss should be computed and included.
• Break-even point: Determine how your candle-making business will break even or generate enough revenue to cover its operating costs. This will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to make a profit.
• Financing needs: Estimate how much financing you will need to start and operate your candle making business. It should include short-term and long-term financing needs, such as loans or investment capital.

Remember to be realistic with your financial projections and provide supporting evidence for your estimates.

9. Appendix

When writing the appendix section, you should include any additional information that supports the main content of your plan. This may include financial statements, market research data, legal documents, and other relevant information.

• Include a table of contents for the appendix section to make it easy for readers to find specific information.
• Include financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These should be up-to-date and show your financial projections for at least the first three years of your business.
• Provide market research data, such as statistics on the size of the candle making industry, consumer demographics, and trends in the industry.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Provide any additional documentation related to your business plans, such as marketing materials, product brochures, and operational procedures.
• Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the information they need.

Remember, the appendix section of your candle making business should only include relevant and essential information supporting your plan’s main content.

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This candle making business plan sample will provide an idea for writing a successful candle making plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready candle making business plan to impress your audience, download our candle making business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a candle making business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful candle making company. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your candle making business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your candle making business.

How to get funding for your candle making business?

There are several ways to get funding for your candle-making business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your candle making business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought options for startups.
• Venture capital – Venture capitalists will invest in your business in exchange for a percentage of shares, so this funding option is also viable.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your candle making business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and idea better than you, so we recommend you write your candle manufacturing business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your candle making business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any candle making business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to start a candle business in 8 steps

• 11 min read

Whether you’re looking to take making candles as personal hobby to the next level or dive head-first into starting a new business , you’ve come to the right place. This step-by-step guide for how to start a candle business will outline everything you need to know.

What is a candle business?

A candle business is one that produces, markets and sells candle. This type of business can range from small-scale artisanal operations to large manufacturing companies. Famous examples include Yankee Candles which was started by a teenager looking to make a homemade gift for his Mother.

Why should you start a candle business?

The candle industry is thriving. The global candle industry  is expected to record a CAGR of 5.2% from 2024 to 2033 . In 2024, the candle market projected to reach a valuation of USD $14.943.2 million.

There are a number of reasons why a candle business makes for a good eCommerce business idea .

Low startup costs: Candle-making doesn’t require a lot of tools or equipment to start. You could essentially run to your local craft store with little startup capital  and get started today (though later you might want to upgrade to premium materials). This isn’t generally the case when it comes to how much it costs to start a business . Consider candle dropshipping also.

Easy to learn: There are tons of free online resources, recipes, and tutorials to help you understand the craft of candle-making (including this handy resource hub by the National Candle Association ). You can experiment with fragrances, containers, waxes, and wicks at your leisure and customize your candles however you’d like.

Better-than-average profit margins : What may cost you just a few dollars to make can typically be sold at a 25% to 50% markup , making operating expenses  relatively affordable.

Master the craft of candle-making

Choose your niche and develop your branding

Estimate your startup costs and secure funding

Write a business plan

Make your business official

Create your candles

Decide where to sell and create your online store

Develop your marketing strategy

01. Master the craft of candle-making

The first logical step is to get familiar with the process of creating a candle. One of our favorite types comes from the Armatage Candle Company, which encourages new business owners to heed the "84 Candle Rule"—that is, create 84 candles and give most of them away.

The 84 Candle Rule gives you ample time to get familiar with the candle-making process, test various formulas, and collect feedback from friends and family.

Moreover, as you create more and more candles, you’ll learn to:

Graduate from a candle-making kit: To scale production, you’ll eventually need to invest in more professional equipment, like a 4-lb pour pot or a Presto Pot, that can support a higher volume than a kit.

Master the craft: Rather than splitting your time between learning how to create candles and run a business , you can focus on perfecting (and confirming your interest) in candle-making first.

Test various aspects of your candles: With each batch you make, you can test aspects such as smell, safety, burn time, and more unt il you develop a formula that you like.

Find suppliers: As you increase production, you’ll need to learn how and where to purchase supplies, whether locally or online—and can afford the time to shop around.

Make a variety of candles: Making 84 candles gives you plenty of room to explore various wax types, dyes, fragrances, and candle types (e.g., pillar candles, container candles, wax melts, etc.) that you can offer as part of your catalog.

02. Choose your niche and develop your branding

Before presenting your candles to the market, you must figure out the who, what and why behind your candle niche. Ask yourself:

Why are you starting a business: What's the story behind your brand and the overall vision that keeps you motivated?

What's your target market: Are you looking to sell higher-end candles to be sold at luxury boutiques and stores? Or, are you looking to appeal to the masses and create candles that feature more economical packaging and containers?

Who is your ideal customer: Perhaps you’re looking to sell high-end candles for working men and women aged 20 to 35 who want to spruce up their home offices. Or, perhaps your niche consists of avid campers aged 35 through 60 looking for a better-smelling, bug-repelling candle.

What makes your candles different: Are your candles non-toxic? Are your scents extra delicious? Do you support a cause? It's important to establish your unique selling proposition (USP)  in order to differentiate yourself from competitors.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can enjoy an easier time figuring out how  to bring your vision to life. Between deciding the types of candles you want to offer and how to brand your online store , a clear niche and brand identity can help you to get things off the ground faster.

Once you've decided on this, the next step is your market research. Market research for a candle business means analyzing consumer preferences for scents, types and styles of candles. You might also want to look into identifying target demographics and assessing your competitors. Investigate craft trends, such as the demand for eco-friendly and handmade products both of which can be relevant for a candle business. Gather data from surveys, focus groups and market reports. Then you'll need to use this data to set your sales channels, both online and offline, to identify the best distribution strategies.

At this point, make sure to tackle these basic branding steps:

Decide on a business name : A strong, memorable name is invaluable. Take the time to think of a candle business name  that represents your products or brand mission, while ensuring that it’s able to grow with your brand. If you need some inspiration, try the Wix Business Name Generator  for free.

Create a logo: Design a logo  that you can proudly sport on your product packaging, website, and marketing materials. The Wix Logo Maker  can get your creative juices flowing, or find a professional designer on the Wix Marketplace .

Design your labels : Work with your designer to create labels for your candles that are reflective of your brand’s personality. Remember to follow candle label requirements  and include essential information like your candle scent, product weight, and your company information.

03. Estimate your startup costs and secure funding

When it comes to learning how to start a business, there are typically two types of startup costs that you’ll have to be aware of:

Production/manufacturing costs: These include the cost of manufacturing and packaging your products. Factor in equipment like your containers, waxes, wicks, fragrance oils, thermometers, and more.

Business/operating costs: These include any software subscriptions, shipping costs, small business insurance, and other bills you’ll have to pay to keep your business operations  running smoothly.

Take the time to list out what items you’ll need to create your first 100 or so candles. At this stage, you’ll also want to get familiar with costs you should expect, both now and in the future.

For instance, you’ll need to budget money for any marketing or advertising that you plan to do around your products. You’ll also need to factor in taxes, plus recurring fees for any website software you want to use or partners (like 3PLs) that you want to team up with to scale and simplify operations.

When it comes to raising money for your business there are a number of options to consider:

Bootstrapping: relying on your own personal loans or funds from family and friends. This is a good way to fund your candle business if you don't want to be burdened with loan and interest repayments. However it can also get complicated and risky if you use your own or a family member's money.

Small business loans : these are often available through the SBA or your bank. Terms and interest rates may vary between the different types of loans.

Crowdfunding : raising funds for a business online through public crowdfunding appeals is another low risk way to fund a new candle business.

04. Write a business plan

A business plan helps you plan out all aspects of your business and set yourself up for sustainable growth.

When developing your plan, it’s important to take your time and walk through the various opportunities and challenges confronting your business. Pinpoint your competitors, your differentiators, your distribution channels, and the resources at your disposal (among other things).

Most business plans will include the following sections:

Executive summary

Company name, description, and domain

Ecommerce market analysis

Products you’re selling and why

Operations plan

Marketing and advertising plan

Financial plan

Learn more about creating a strong eCommerce business plan .

05. Make your candle business official

It's time to turn your business into a legal business entity  and take care of other business-essential steps. Don't worry. This part is a lot less scary than it sounds.

Register with your state

It is important to take where you live into account. Learning how to start a business in Massachusetts  is very different from learning how to start a business in California , for example. Register your business  name through your state and local governments. The easiest way to find where to register is by googling "register a business in [insert your state]."

The search results will contain several links for companies offering to register your business for you (for a fee). However, you can avoid the service fee by registering directly through your state's website. You’ll typically have to pay a small filing fee, which varies by state.

Get a federal tax ID

File for a Federal Tax ID (or EIN) number , which is required to open a business bank account, obtain a business loan, hire employees, and more. Fortunately, the application process is free and only takes a few minutes.

Apply for business licenses and permits

Once you have your EIN, you can complete the last step in making your business legal: apply for a business license . A business license includes your seller's permit and allows you to collect state sales tax on your transactions.

Perform another internet search to find the appropriate website for your state (i.e., google "register for a business license in [insert your state]"). Complete the application steps outlined by your state. Note that some states only require a general business license while others have additional local or county-based requirements.

Apply for insurance

Unfortunately, the reality is that candles are a fire hazard, and accidents can happen. Therefore, applying for insurance is one of the most critical steps in creating your business. Insurance not only protects your business, but it protects you and your family as well.

At a minimum, you'll want an insurance policy that provides general liability coverage. General liability is the most straightforward and covers third-party property damage or injury claims.

There are a lot of online resources about small business insurance. Do some research, consult a professional, and find a small business insurance company that provides the coverage you need and fits your budget.

Get a business bank account

For taxes and bookkeeping, it’s a good idea to keep your business income and expenses separate from your personal finances.

Each bank or credit union has different fees, transaction limits, and balance minimums for business accounts. So take some time to shop around for a local or online bank that will work for you.

Note: to open a business account, most financial institutions require a copy of your business formation documents (obtained when you registered your business), licenses/permits, and either your EIN or your social security number.

06. Create your candles

Build your first products to list for sale. Start with a candle fragrance lineup that best fits your business and your purpose, and then every couple of months, launch a new fragrance and get feedback from your buyers.

This can help to keep your customers engaged and excited about new fragrances or product lines.

A good place to start is by launching a handful of fragrances, spanning a range of different categories, such as:

For example, Renee Candle Co.  offers several distinct scents within these categories: Unwind, Noir, Tropix, Spiced, Lush and Cozy.

07. Decide where to sell and create your online store

Here comes the fun part. Buil d a business website  where you can collect orders for your candles.

Learn more: How to make a website  

At this stage, it’s crucial to pick a reliable eCommerce platform. A platform like Wix’s eCommerce website builder  offers a wide range of features and capabilities, including built-in catalog management, inventory management a nd marketing tools that will be useful in the future.

All Wix websites are also built with SEO, reliability, security, and performance in mind. Meaning, you don’t have to worry about your site crashing when there’s a surge in traffic. And you can rest assured that your site is mobile-friendly and backed by the best security measures.

Read More: Proof that Wix is good for eCommerce

Thanks to these capabilities, you can focus most of your attention on designing the best, user-friendly site experience.

First, pick a layout design that best suits your brand. Most website builders provide several pre-made templates to help get you started. For example, Wix eCommerce includes more than 500 professionally designed online store templates , which can be further customized.

Build out your pages and pay special attention to the following best practices:

Use high-quality product photos : Offer a range of studio and lifestyle shots, and photos that show your candles at various angles. Heed these product photography tips  in order to take pictures that are both compelling and informative.

Include detailed product descriptions : For each candle, clearly state the available size(s), fragrance, approximate burn times, and appropriate warnings or usage tips. The more detail you can include, the better for mitigating returns due to “item not as described.”

Make sure your products are easy to find : Build your site so it's easy to navigate. As a general rule of thumb, all of your products should be accessible within three clicks. Leverage breadcrumbs, menus, and features like “related products” to encourage product discovery on your site.

Offer multiple payment options: When connecting a payment provider to your store, keep in mind that some customers may want to pay with a credit card while others may prefer PayPal or buy-now-pay-later services like Affirm. Reduce friction at checkout by offering a variety of payment options. Wix Payments  can make this possible on any Wix store with card payment solutions —or you can choose from 50+ other payment options.

When it comes to selling candles online you can also think about setting up an Etsy shop or listing your products on Amazon and eBay. Instagram shopping is another popular way for small businesses to sell online.

Offline, you can participate in local craft fairs, farmers' markets and pop-up shops. You'll need to partner with local boutiques, gift shops and home decor stores to stock your candles either permanently or on a rolling basis. It might also be a good idea to approach spas, salons and yoga studios to use or sell your candles.

08. Develop your marketing strategy

You've done a lot of work up to this point. Now it's time to create an eCommerce marketing  strategy and figure out how to spread the word about your candle store. As a Wix merchant, you can automatically access tools for business email  marketing, social media marketing, blogging, and more.

Social media is a great place to start promoting your product, though you’ll want to avoid taking the spray-and-pray approach. Engage with social channels one or two at a time (there’s no need to create accounts everywhere just for the heck of it). Experiment with various types of posts—like videos and livestreams—and observe how people respond.

Pro tip : When talking about your product online, avoid subjective buzzwords like “amazing” or “best.” Instead, focus on your purpose and your story, and aim to demonstrate how your products are superior.

Other marketing tactics worth trying:

Create a newsletter to regularly engage with customers and recommend products

Start a blog as part of a larger SEO strategy, and to attract organic traffic to your site

Run ad campaigns that retarget your site visitors and/or help you get in front of new audiences

Incentivize customers to refer a friend to your website by offering special rewards

Collect user-generated content and social proof to display on your site

Run contests and giveaways to generate interest in your products

Participate in craft shows or other local events where you can demonstrate your products in person

Ready to start your new candle-making business? Create your online store with Wix eCommerce  today.

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How to Start a Candle Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer and editor. She has written on everything from finance to travel for publications including Fundera, LendingTree, SoFi, MagnifyMoney, LearnVest and Northwestern Mutual, among others.

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Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

We all like our homes to smell nice and to feel cozy. What better way to make this happen than by lighting some candles. Not only are they an affordable indulgence, but they also make great gifts and literally brighten any room.

If you’re considering starting a business and are passionate about wicks, soy blends, and mastering the perfect scent, then starting a candle business may be the perfect fit for you. Keep reading to learn how to start a candle business.

How to start a candle business in 7 steps

Starting a candle business is a lot of work, but can also be very rewarding. Before you let your excitement take the lead, pause and consider following some of these steps first. To give your candle business the best shot at success, you’ll need to get all of your financial, legal, and marketing ducks in a row.

Step 1: Perfect your craft

When a candle is good, it can help you destress, add a decorative flair, or set the mood. But when a candle is bad, it can be a disaster. A candle can smell too sweet. Too floral. Too smoky. Or, the scent can be so weak it winds up smelling like nothing at all. Essentially, it’s easy to step too far in one direction and make a candle that no one wants to burn. Before you go through the process of starting a candle business, you’ll want to brush up on the basics of how to make a good candle and develop a few signature scents. You’ll need to master how to ensure a good burn time, how to make a scent that permeates a room, and how to create a scent that people will love.

You’ll also want to define what will make your candle line stand out. Will each candle be inspired by a different exotic location? Will you use really unique glassware to house your candles? Will you have witty names that make your candles perfect for gifting? A good scent and an affordable price point will get you far in the candle game, but you’ll also need to make sure there is a way for your brand to stand out in a very saturated market.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

Step 2: Create a business plan

Making candles is a creative process. Not to mention fun. Which is why it may be hard to tear yourself away from your experimenting to write a business plan. But writing a business plan is a creative endeavor too. And a little bit analytical. So put both sides of your brain to work, because the process of creating a business plan will prove invaluable to you throughout the life of your business.

A good business plan will contain several sections that can help keep your business on the right path as well as show your value to any potential investors or lenders. Ideally, you’ll do this step before starting a business, but it’s never too late to whip one up. Having a business plan will make the process of growing your business so much easier and can help you introduce the important details of your candle business to others. If you’re nervous about creating a business plan from scratch, consider using a business plan template or business plan software that can help you through the process.

Choose a business name

If you haven’t already chosen your business name, doing so while you’re in the process of pulling together your business plan is a good idea. Try to come up with a catchy business name that will stay in customers’ minds while also describing what kind of business you run. Of course, you’ll want to double check that your chosen name is actually available before moving forward with it. Confirm your desired name’s availability with your secretary of state’s website to see if your chosen business name is currently in use. Doing a simple Google and trademark search can also be helpful. If your desired name is free and clear, make sure you reserve your domain name and social media handles before someone else grabs them.

Choose a business entity

Another benefit of writing a business plan is that it will encourage you to choose a legal structure for your business. Choosing the right business entity is very important and a decision that should not be taken lightly. A few common forms of business entities are sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

If you’re struggling to decide what type of business structure you should choose, consulting a business attorney or tax expert can help. The extra expense may save you a lot of stress down the line, as the type of business structure you choose will affect your taxes, risk level, and other important factors. After you’ve chosen your business entity, you will register your candle business with the necessary federal and state agencies.

Define your products and services

Are you planning on selling candles? How about essential oils or reed diffusers? Will you take custom candle orders? You’ll need to define exactly what types of products or services your business will offer. Ask yourself the following questions in order to better understand what your products and services will be.

What type of scent-based products will you sell?

What will you charge for them?

Where will you purchase your candle supplies?

How much will these supplies cost?

How much will production cost?

Now that you have a business plan, you can use it moving forward to help guide your candle business.

Step 3: Get the proper licenses, permits, and insurance

This may not be the most fun step in the road to starting a candle business, but it is an important one. When you start a business, you’ll have to ensure you’re obtaining the proper licenses, permits, and insurance required by your local and federal government. These requirements will vary based on your location, business type, and chosen business structure. Chances are, you’ll require multiple business licenses at the state, federal, and local level. If you need help getting started, the SBA is a great resource, as is your local chamber of commerce.

Does your business require employees to help it run? Then you’ll need to obtain your employer identification number (EIN), which is required for tax purposes. Even if you don’t plan on hiring soon, there are some pretty valuable benefits of getting an EIN you should think about.

Something else worth looking into is business insurance , especially if you’ve hired employees. In that case, you may need to carry workers compensation, unemployment, or disability insurance. General liability and commercial property insurance may also be necessary. You should check with a business lawyer to make sure you have the right coverage for your business—especially when you consider the fact that as an owner of a candle business, you’ll be working with flammable materials. Do your due diligence and research your local fire codes and speak with your insurance representative about your fire coverage needs.

Step 4: Decide where to sell your goods

Where are you planning to sell your candles? How about online, in a boutique, or at your local farmers market? You can always open your own storefront, but maybe you want to start small at first and sell your candles to local boutique owners. Consider all the options available to you and don’t be afraid to start small while you build brand loyalty and get customer feedback.

If you want to sell online, but aren’t ready to launch your own ecommerce website, you can always sell your candles on a digital marketplace like Amazon or Etsy . There are countless helpful ecommerce platforms you can choose from, so take your time investigating which is the best fit for your business.

Step 5: Find small business funding

It’s a cliché, but sometimes it takes money to make money, and starting a candle business is no exception. In order to pay for supplies, marketing, production, insurance, legal council, and more, you’ll may need some sort of business funding. Start by considering the following funding options.

Business lines of credit: A more flexible form of credit than a standard business loan, a business line of credit provides you with a set amount of money that you can choose to draw from only when you need it.

Business credit cards: Newer business owners may be better off with a business credit card , as they require less credit history than a loan. Generally, you can find a 0% intro APR credit card, which is like having an interest-free loan if you pay off your balance before the introductory offer is over and a variable APR sets in.

Equipment financing: If your business requires expensive equipment, then equipment financing may be your best option. Generally for this type of financing, a lender loans money specifically to purchase equipment. They then use this equipment as collateral for the loan.

Startup funding: A brand-new business owner should consider startup financing options such as SBA microloans or a business grant . Crowdfunding has also become a popular option for easy startup funding.

Once you obtain your funding or begin to rack up expenses or earn income, you should take steps to keep your business and personal finances separate from each other. Then, consider finding an accounting software program to manage your business’s financials.

Step 6: Find and manage candle supplies

At first, you may be able to just pop over to your local craft supply store to get some wax and scents for your candles. But once your business begins to grow, you’ll save a lot of money by buying supplies in bulk from a wholesale supplier. You’ll want to start sourcing affordable supplies straight away so you can test for quality and find the right supplier for you. Some candle making supplies you might need are:

Wax such as paraffin, gel, soy, beeswax, or another type

Containers for candles

Fragrances such as essential oils

Coloring agents

Shipping and packaging supplies

Before you place any large orders, you should plan out how much inventory you will need and how you will manage it. Not only will doing so make finding suppliers easier, but you can begin to form a reliable inventory system. You may want to consider using an inventory management app to organize the comings and goings of your candle making supplies.

Step 7: Start marketing your candles

Once you’ve chosen your business name and started to develop your brand, you can market your business. Word of mouth is ideal, but you can’t rely on it. This is why having a well thought out marketing plan will come in handy. You’ll want to start by thinking of what your candle’s selling points are. Do they last longer than others? Smell stronger? Are they made from more sustainable ingredients? Identify what your main selling point is and how you can best present that message to potential customers.

Social media is a free, fun, and easy place to start. You might want to identify which channels would be best for your business and begin to build a presence on them. Email marketing is also an affordable option worth considering. The best part about social media and email marketing is that your customers choose to sign up for your advertisements. You have a captive audience, so take advantage of that fact.

LLC Formation

The bottom line

If you really want to take your candle business to the next level, the steps above can help you pair your passion for candles with a solid plan for execution. The end reward could be a candle business that offers profit and creative joy for years to come.

Candle Making Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Art & Craft Industry » Candle Making

Are you about starting a candle making business ? If YES, here is a complete sample candle making business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE .

Candles are a great business to start as people buy candles for varying reasons and for this reason, you can go into it as an entrepreneur and make loads of money. There are two ways candles can be made, which are container candles and mold candles.

Deciding on what kind of candles you intend to go into is a decision you would have to make alone. Other decisions that you would need to make before starting your candle business is deciding what kind of wax you want to work with.

While there are several types of waxes available, each comes with pros and cons; so it’s best you know which wax would be best for your business in the long run. You can also find out from competitors that are far from you, what waxes are best for starting your business.

A Sample Candle Making Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Candle sales in the united states have improved especially as there is an increasing variety of colored and scented candles, with 7 out of 10 households in the United States making use of candles. More and more people are demanding for candles as an addition to their homes for various reasons both abroad and domestically. This is a $2 billion industry that has over 400 registered candle making businesses that employs 6,065 people.

While the sale of candles started in the 1990s, demand surged in the year 2000 and has been growing by at least 10% each year.

The economic downturn however decreased demand from consumers with sales gradually picking up especially with the help of the social media which has ensured that more people become aware of why they would need a candle in their homes.

The candle making business is a multi-billion dollar industry excluding sales of candle accessories with positive projections of 2.7% between 2010 and 2015 showing that the industry will grow some more. Consumers who go after scented candles do so because they want their homes to smell good.

This is another niche for any innovative and focused entrepreneur as against those who make unscented candles. One of the reasons why the candle business has boomed to this extent is the fact that inputs used for production such as wicks, fragrances, colorants and wax (soy wax, paraffin wax, gel wax, beeswax and other natural based wax ) are not only cheap but easy to source.

This means any entrepreneur who is focused and intent on starting the candle business will make great margins especially during periods where there are high demands. The equipment and finances needed to start the candle making business is not only cheap but can be easily gotten by any focused entrepreneur.

Regardless of this fact, new entrants into this industry might find it difficult to compete fairly with established operators due to the fact that there is rising concentration in the industry. Also, those already in the business will have leverage over new entrants especially in areas such as economies of scale as well as the target market.

According to research, candles are in variety of shapes and sizes, like outdoor candles, tapers, container candles, votives, pillars, floating candles, utility candles, liturgical candles as well as birthday candles where over 90% are purchased by women.

The most popular candles in the United States are container candles, votives, and pillar candles. Most of the candles are usually sold in mostly three outlets such as specialty shops, home décor stores and in mass merchandisers such as grocery stores and drug store chains.

Most candle makers in the United States usually offer between 1,000 and 2,000 varieties of candles, with more than 10,000 different candle scents available to consumers. Every year more than a billion pounds of wax are used in making candles in America each year. The most commonly used wax is Paraffin.

76% of candles are usually given during the holidays as gifts, 74% as house warming gifts, 66% for a dinner party gift, 61% as an appreciation gift, and 58% as birthday gifts for adults. Some consumers even go as far as using candles to decorate the exterior of their homes, while those that use candles in the interior use it in their living rooms, kitchen and also the bedroom.

2. Executive Summary

Bright Light® LLC Candle Making Business is a well known candle manufacturer in Tulsa City, Oklahoma, in the Southern part of USA that caters to local and international clients. Our candles are not just like any candles in the market as we produce each candle with our clients in mind.

We make several kinds of candles both unscented and scented and our candles come in various shapes and sizes, and are constantly experimenting with new scents to intrigue the senses of our clients, who are always on the lookout for something new.

Our candle making business is known far and near and we have created a legacy that has made us uniquely stand out from our competitors. We also offer quality franchise to new entrepreneurs who want to enter the candle making business but don’t know anything about running the business from ground up.

Our franchise terms are fair to both franchisor and franchisee. We also offer consultancy services for those whose business needs an expert boost, as we boast of partnering with the finest professionals in the business.

Due to our steady growth, our candles are not just found in Tulsa City alone but are spread all over the United States of America; as we have partnered with famous mass merchandisers as well as top gift shops where our candles are sold to our teeming customers.

We also carry out sales of our unique candles on our websites as well as several other online marketplaces. Our website is user-friendly and not complicated to navigate at all especially for customers who want to buy from us.

Asides selling candles, we also sell related candle making materials, as well such as candle fragrances, candle wax and eBooks for those who want to try making these candles at home. Due to having some of the finest chemists, we are constantly developing scents that are sometimes rare and most times not even found in the marketplace.

We know that this fact gives us a competitive advantage over most of our competitors not only in Oklahoma but around the United States as a whole. One strong area of investment is in our staff, which we constantly train and re-train and ensure that they are in sync with our vision, mission statement as well as the corporate culture on which we are founded on.

We also have one of the best welfare packages for our staff, as we know that treating the internal customers (employees) right will lead to not only higher productivity, but also a healthy bottom line for the company as well. Due to our various researches, we know that the market for candles is not only booming but also that it hasn’t even attained its peak yet, which means that there is room for more growth in the industry.

We are however not limited locally, as some of our clientele are overseas. This has shown that the candle making business is not only here to stay but is booming as a result of the favorable economy, and the fact that candles aren’t considered expensive by consumers.

We have enough experience in the business to know that ensuring that our customers stay satisfied, responding quickly to their enquiries and complaints as well as having an excellent customer service overall, have led to the increased retention rate of most of our customers.

We know how important repeated customers are to a business, and so we try to make their experience with us as satisfactory as possible.

Bright Light® LLC Candles is owned and managed by Theresa Baker, a seasoned crafter with a B.Sc. in Chemistry and a Masters Degree in Business Management from a prestigious business school. Theresa has over 10 years in the industry and started the candle making business immediately after she finished her first degree.

3. Our Products and Services

At Bright Light® LLC Candles we deal in unscented and scented candles, which come in all shapes and sizes. We know that there are 10,000 different candle scents and we are proud to say we hold a significant number of the total scents produced in the United States. We are constantly looking to improve our scent line.

We are a legal business that is established to make profit; however, we also believe in having multiple sources of income as a company and in line with this, we not only sell candles but also supply candle making fragrances that are concocted by our finest professionals in the field.  We also offer training and consultancy services as well. Some of the products and services we offer are;

• Different kinds of candles such as outdoor candles, tapers, container candles, votives, pillars, floating candles, utility candles, liturgical candles and birthday candles
• Sale of fragrances
• Consultancy services
• Sale of eBooks

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to be the leading brand in the United States of America, and be amongst the top five brands globally.
• Our mission is to build a candle making business that will not only meet the needs of our customers but intrigue potential customers as well.
• We do not only want to sell our franchise here in the United States alone, but also globally as well.

Our Business Structure

We know how important having the right business structure is, and so we are constantly working on how best the business can evolve and grow at a steady pace without imploding. One thing we aim at is to ensure that we hire right always by getting the right fit for each role and position.

This therefore means that we are serious on not compromising in getting and working with the best because we know how important the right employees are to the vision and goals of the business. We also know how important their welfare is and are constantly seeking for reasonable ways to ensure that our employees work not only in a conducive atmosphere but are happy enough to seek the growth of the company as well.

Due to the wide range of products and services we offer, we have various employees on hand to handle the different products and services at Bright Light® LLC Candles so that the business can run smoothly and efficiently. Below is the business structure for Bright Light® LLC Candles;

• Chief Executive Officer

Product Development Manager

Fragrance and Coloring Manager

Human Resources and Admin Manager

Sales and Marketing Team

Accountants/Cashiers

Customer Service Executives

E-commerce and web content Manager

Security Guards

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO (Owner)

• Ensures that the organization’s strategic direction is communicated to the management staff and invariably the employees
• Responsible for the availability of financial resources especially the capital by meeting with investors
• Has experience in dealing with budgets and must ensure that resources are properly allocated in accordance to the policies of the company
• Ensures that the company’s corporate structure is built in such a way that it affects and influences the management staff as well as other middle and lower end employees
• Responsible for the performance of everyone and invariably the success of the company and takes an active role to ensure that the required performance is needed
• Acts as the buffer between the company and external stakeholders, and ensure that both parties are on the same page as regards the performance of the company
• Uses the CEO position to cultivate relationship with important clients thereby ensuring that new businesses are not only brought in but that the profitability of the company is increased
• Performs supervisory roles over other heads of departments and also works hand in hand with them to ensure that the operations in the company runs smoothly
• The manager ensures that the company’s policies are followed at all times. He works hand in hand with the CEO and can make certain decisions on behalf of the CEO
• The Manager is responsible for ensuring that feedbacks are gotten from the staff and relayed to the CEO
• Helps to translates the vision and mission statement of the company to the staff so that everyone are aware of what is needed to be done
• Helps resolves conflicts, as well as motivate employees
• Responsible for ensuring that reviews are carried out on the company’s budget as well as production goals, and make adjustments where necessary
• Responsible for creating and introducing new varieties of candles into the market
• Ensure that they communicate with customers so as to find out their requirements, which will then act as a guide into the creation of new products
• Analyzes market trends and also responsible for developing product proposals that will enable the company make profit
• Responsible for reviewing product line so as to ensure that a focused brand concept direction is achieved
• Works closely with fragrance and coloring manager to identify marketable varieties
• Works with all the necessary departments to ensure that all target costs are met
• Carries out constant research on the right scents and colors for the candles
• Works closely with product development manager to ensure that only the right colors and scents are used in manufacturing candles
• Communicates with customers to get their feedback on scents
• Responsible for ensuring that the company gets the right staff and in the right number so as to be able to meet the objectives of the company
• Works closely with the manager and CEO to ensure that strategies regarding human resources are in line with the goals of the company
• Responsible for drafting recruitment policies, as well as staff career development policies that is in line with the company’s overall policy
• Ensures that new staffs are oriented properly, while older staffs are adequately trained and appraised regularly for promotion or fringe benefits
• Responsible for creating strategies that will address the need of target segments
• Responsible for drafting an effective marketing plan, which would cover promotion and the right pricing
• Works with manager to ensure that the sales and marketing strategies meet with the overall strategies of the company
• Ensures that the company’s image is projected positively in the course of meeting target market requirements
• Interacts with customers and pass feedbacks back to the appropriate department
• Responsible for bookkeeping and accounting transactions
• Ensures that the company’s accounts are reconciled at the end of every month
• Responsible for paying invoices and payrolls
• Interacts with customers and answers their enquires whilst also handling complaints from clients in a satisfactory manner
• Projects the image of the company positively to customers at all times
• Works closely with the manager to ensure that their tasks are in line with company’s policies
• Has in-depth knowledge about company’s products and services
• Ensures that web content is created and accurate
• Responsible for the creation of content marketing materials
• Responsible for cleaning and maintaining the facilities in the company
• Ensures that manager is aware of any serious deficiencies that might require repairs in the company
• Ensures that there are adequate cleaning stock
• Responsible for protecting staff, customers and properties
• Monitors surveillance equipment

6. SWOT Analysis

Our several years of experience in the field together with input from a reputable business consultant has led to our ability to be able to develop an effective SWOT analysis that will help us in running the business better. The SWOT analysis helped greatly in ensuring that we looked at the business critically as it relates to market and the industry at large.

The SWOT analysis is a profiling of our strengths, weaknesses, available opportunities and threats that is likely to either help or affect us negatively during the course of running our business in Tulsa City, Oklahoma and in the United States of America as a whole. Revealed below is the critical SWOT analysis that was conducted for Bright Light® LLC Candles;

Our greatest strength lies in the fact that we offer all shapes and sizes, as well as several flavors of candles to our vast customers. We are also not resting on our oars as we keep developing fragrances that are rare finds which would endear us to our customers, especially those who are bored of regular fragrances.

Another huge strength of ours is in the vast experience of the Chief Executive Officer, who has more than ten years experience in this industry. Also, the fact that our franchises are of high quality, coupled with our descriptive eBooks and consultancy services, also adds largely to our strengths.

Our weakness for now lies in the fact that we would have to operate regionally at first, thereby majorly limiting our business for the first few months of operations to a certain section of the United States of America.

• Opportunities:

There are various opportunities that abound in the candle making industry and the fact that we are continually working on bringing forth new fragrances with some of our productions offers limitless opportunities for us as a company.

Knowing how every business faces threats every now and then, we are prepared for the threats that will occur during the course of running this business, and while some threats might not be so difficult to handle, like the arrival of a competitor, other threats lie a bad economy, which might affect consumers’ spending power might be difficult to handle.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The candle market is one where there will always be demands, albeit these demands will depend on the availability of disposable per capita income of the consumers which in turns depends on the health of the economy. Most consumers demand for scented candles has caused companies to constantly research on fragrances that will keep customers intrigued.

Another trend is in looking at all the available avenues by which the candles can reach the customers in a way that is convenient for both the customer and the company. Candle sales these days are not limited to specialty stores and discount stores but can also be sold at fairs and outdoor events.

Finally, technology has a huge role to play into how products are becoming visible to consumers. The internet especially has created an avenue for businesses to not only reach out to their loyal clients but also to potential clients as well.

8. Our Target Market

Almost everybody – from young teens to adults – love candles and have purchased it at one time or the other. However, according to studies, a large percentage of those that purchase these candles are women. This is why most of our strategies revolve around the female folks, especially in Tulsa and in all locations we are looking to get our products to.

Due to the above statistic from a reliable source in addition to our market research, we have been able to draft the right strategies for our target market. We would be engaging in a retail and wholesale distribution to the following groups of people and organizations;

• Single Women
• Spa beauty salons
• Religious houses
• Business people
• Single males

Our Competitive Advantage

Any business that is focused on making profit and intends to be amongst the leading brands in the United States of America will do well to draft strategies that will give it a competitive advantage over other same businesses in the industry.

One of the first competitive advantages we intend to have over other businesses is in offering excellent customer services that will remain unrivalled; this can be achieved by employing the required professionals to handle this aspect. We know that an excellent customer service is one of the most effective ways of retaining our clients.

We also have the finest professionals as regards mixing of different scents to produce unique flavors that will intrigue the sense of our customers.

We also intend to ensure that our employees work in a conducive environment where they can grow themselves and increase productivity for the company as well. We intend to create the best welfare packages for our employees and also share part of our profit with our management staff.

Finally, we would ensure that our official website is responsive and user-friendly to clients who would prefer to purchase our products online.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

At Bright Light® LLC Candles, we know how important it is to ensure that our business makes profit not only from sale of candles but also from other sources as well so as to keep our bottom line very robust and healthy. Bright Light® LLC Candles will generate income by having these sources of income;

10. Sales Forecast

Due to a thorough research, we have been able to come up with an almost accurate sales forecast for our candles. Our strategies have ensured that we are in the position to become a leading brand in Tulsa City and the immediate environs. We are not only expecting to make massive profits in our first three months of business but also intend to expand within a year of operation.

Our chances in this industry are based on pure facts and a critical examination of our strengths and what we intend to offer this market. Our sales projections are based on information that were gathered during the course of carrying out a through feasibility study.

We also took into considerations start-ups in Oklahoma especially those in Tulsa City.Below are the sales projection for Bright Light® LLC Candles, which is based on our location, the market and the industry at large.

• First Fiscal Year-: $200,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $650,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $1,300,000

N.B: The above projection is based on the fact that all factors, such as a positive growth in the economy and lack of serious competitors – remain unchanged. This means that projections might become higher or lower due to changes at any time.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Marketing is one very important aspect of any business as it serves a dual purpose in generating income for the business as well as creating publicity for the business.

It is very vital that marketing strategies are drafted and fine tuned so that they can bring in the desired results. In view of this, we conducted a thorough research that will ensure that we have the best strategies in place to generate income for the business.

People get attracted to visuals and so this means that we would strive to put more effort in our visuals to ensure that we achieve attract customers to our brand. Candles are used for different purposes but mostly to calm people, and so we would ensure that our video adverts and images used are ones that will project serenity to potential customers.

Because we know how important the business of marketing is, we have hired a business consultant that will help put our strategies in a better perspective, whilst also including important strategies that are deemed suitable for our kind of business. Our business consultant is an expert in this industry and his expertise would be to the benefit of the company.

Our marketing and sales team will be carefully chosen as they will not only reflect the image of the company but must also understand what the goals of the company are and how it would best fit into their marketing and sales strategies. Some of the strategies that will be adopted at Bright Light® LLC Candles include;

• Visit religious houses, spas, and other businesses to introduce our candle making business
• Advertise our candle making business in relevant magazines, local newspapers, radio stations and television.
• Ensure that our business is listed in local directories as well as online directories
• Use our website as well as our social media platforms to vigorously promote our products and services
• Engage in direct marketing
• Encourage our loyal customers to help in referral marketing
• Pass out handbills and business cards
• Create an attractive billboard and place in strategic locations.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Engaging in publicity is very important as it helps increases awareness for the product and in extension the company itself. There are various means by which a company can choose to publicize its products and services. At Bright Light® LLC Candles, we intend to use both conventional and unconventional means of creating awareness for our products and services.

However, we know how important it is for our brand to be accepted in Tulsa City – Oklahoma, which would then help boost our profile when expanding to other locations. Some of the platforms which we intend to leverage on to achieve the publicity of our products and services at Bright Light® LLC Candles include;

• Participate in trade fairs and craft shows so that more people can become aware of the company
• Make use of the official website to keep the audience engaged as regards the various products and services available
• Placing adverts in beauty and lifestyle magazines, local newspapers, radio stations and television
• Pass out handbills and paste fliers in conspicuous places
• Make use of social media platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to promote the image of our candle making business
• Network with other candle makers in and outside Oklahoma

12. Our Pricing Strategy

The pricing for candles are very affordable for everyone. However, the pricing usually varies depending on factors such as varieties, shapes and packaging. However, whilst these factors might affect pricing to an extent, it will not result in steep pricing for the candles.

In choosing the right pricing for our candles, we would ensure that we rate our proposed pricing against what our competitors are offering, and then adjust accordingly. Also, while we would ensure that our prices are fair, we would not offer prices that are below our operational cost.

• Payment Options

At Bright Light® LLC Candles, we have a payment policy that caters to our numerous clients locally and internationally. Whatever payment option that is chosen by our client isn’t one that will stress them out as our payment options were carefully chosen for its convenience and security. Below are the payment options that will be available for our different clients;

• Cash payment
• Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
• Payment via PayPal (for online and international clients)
• Payoneer (for online and international clients)
• Payment via check

As earlier stated, our payment options were chosen because of the ease of convenience for our various clients.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

Any serious entrepreneur knows that in starting a business, part of the capital if not all must be available to buy standard equipment that will ensure the business runs smoothly. The candle business is no different; however, the equipment needed to start this business is something that can be easily gotten.

Asides, equipment there are other areas where part of the capital is expected to be spent on. Some of the key areas that require finances from start-up capital;

• Business incorporation fee in the United States of America – $500
• Expenses for legal requirements such as licenses and permits – $700
• Acquisition of candle making equipment as well as POS machines –  $35,000
• Start-up inventory cost (wax, wicks, fragrances, packaging materials) – $10,000
• Marketing promotion expenses for at least six months including the grand opening of Bright Light® LLC Candles – $3,800
• Insurance coverage – $1,500
• Cost of hiring business consultant – $1,500
• Running operation cost for the first six months (employee salaries, bill payments) – $200,000
• Storage facilities – $2,000
• Other start-up expenses (phone and utility, stationery) – $1,000
• Cost of launching an official website – $500
• Launching party – $5,000
• Miscellaneous – $3,000

From the above estimate, we would need at least $265,000 in order to set up our candle making business successfully in Tulsa City, Oklahoma.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Candle Making Business

Bright Light® LLC Candles is a business that is owned and run by Theresa Baker, and her immediate family. There has been no external partner and there are no plans to having any in the nearest future. This is why we have restricted sourcing for part of our equity from just few sources.

Some of the areas where we intend to generate part of our equity from include;

• Sale of personal stock and properties to generate capital
• Applying for loans from banks
• Approaching wealthy friends and family members for soft loans

N.B: We have generated $100,000 from sale of personal stock. We also have gotten $70,000 from our family members and friends. We have applied for a $100,000 loan from the bank, and we are in the final stages for approval and so have met all the conditions stipulated by the bank.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

We know that the future of sustaining our business lies in our loyal customers, the structure of our business, the competence of our employees, as well as our various and diverse business structures. These factors therefore affect our strategies drafted to ensure that we remain in business.

One of the dreams of our business is to ensure that we build a business that is able to pay itself in the long run and not depend on external sources to continually fund its operations except in areas where the business needs to expand. We now that this can be possible if we remain focused on our vision as well as company policies.

Since we do not want to close shop anytime soon at Bright Light® LLC Candles, we will try to ensure that profit is shared among top performing management staff, with incentives for staff that put in a great performance as well over the course of a certain time period.

We now that to sustain and invariably grow and expand our business, we must make the right decisions especially in terms of the right recruitment, as well as have a management staff that is attuned to our company vision and policies.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• writing of business plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Opening party/launching party planning: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers / merchants: In Progress
• Purchase of candle supplies: Completed

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Candle Making Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Candle Making Home Business Plan Template

If you want to start a Candle Making business or expand your current Candle business, you need a business plan.

Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Our team has helped develop over 100,000 business plans over the past 20 years, including thousands of candle making business plans.

The following candle making business plan template and example gives you the key elements you must include in your plan. In our experience speaking with lenders and investors, the template is organized in the precise format they want.

You can download our business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Candle Business Plan Example

I. executive summary.

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Business Overview

[Company Name], located in [insert location here], is a well-known candle manufacturing company that makes eco-friendly organic candles made with high quality ingredients. The Company carefully curates its collection and only chooses sophisticated scents. The Company distributes its products nationwide to major retailers and select department stores. The Company’s products are also available directly to consumers via their website and a local brick and mortar location. The Company’s goal is to become one of the leading candle manufacturing companies in the area.

Products Served

[Company Name] manufactures and sells unscented and scented candles. It will offer the following products to its customers:

• A variety of everyday candles such as tapers, votives, pillars and floating candles
• Soy Candles
• Novelty Candles
• Unscented Candles
• Signature Scented Candles

Customer Focus

[Company Name] will primarily offer its products direct to consumers, as well as select retailers and spas. The demographics of the market are:

• Individual Buyers: 57%
• Retail Locations: 20%

Management Team

[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s name], who has been in the candle manufacturing business for [x] years. [Founder’s name] is a seasoned entrepreneur with a degree in Chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Business Management. During his internship at [insert company], he acquired in-depth skills in candle making & designing. Additionally, he worked for large and reputable organizations in the course of his career, learning how to manage and run a candle making business before starting [Company name].

Success Factors

[Company Name] is qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

• There is currently a high demand for candles in the U.S.
• In addition, the company surveyed the population and received highly positive feedback pointing towards an explicit demand for their products, supporting the business after launch.
• The management team has a track record of success in the candle making business.
• The candle business is a proven, successful business in the United States.

Financial Highlights

[Company Name] is currently seeking $270,000 to launch its candle making company. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Manufacturing equipment and facility setup: $200,000
• Working capital: $70,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

II. Company Overview

Who is [company name], [company name]’s history.

[Founder’s Name] is an entrepreneur with a passion for candle designing who seeks to create a legacy that will make the company stand out uniquely from its competitors. [Company Name] will become a known candle manufacturer in [Location], offering a wide selection of candles.

Upon surveying the local customer base and finding the potential retail location, [Founder’s Name] incorporated [Company Name] as an S-Corporation on [date of incorporation].

[Founder’s Name] has selected an initial location and is currently undergoing due diligence on each property and the local market to assess the most desirable location for the manufacturing facility.

Since incorporation, the company has achieved the following milestones:

• Found retail space and signed Letter of Intent to lease it
• Developed the company’s name, logo, and website
• Determined raw material requirements
• Began recruiting key employees with experience in the candle making industry

[Company Name]’s Products/Services

Iii. industry analysis.

[Company Name] competes against small, individually owned candle-making companies and major regional or national chains. The candle market size was valued at $7.3 million last year is projected to reach $10.7 million in the next five years, growing at a CAGR of 5.26%. The growth of the market is being driven by an increase in the number of hotels, restaurants, wellness facilities, as well as the number of household candle purchases. Increased home renovation and home décor activities have driven the demand for scented candles in the residential sector.

IV. Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

There are 1.5 million retail and wholesale businesses in the U.S.

Customer Segmentation

The Company will primarily target the following customer segments:

• Individual Buyers : Individual consumers, especially households will be key targets for the company. Scented candles will be a leading product for the households.
• Spas : The second target group comprises spas. As candles have therapeutic properties, commercial businesses like spas frequently use scented candles. The Company will offer its products, at a wholesale rate to this segment.
• Retail Locations : Other retail locations such as specialty shops, home décor stores and mass merchandisers such as department stores and drug store chains will also be a valuable customer segment for the Company.

V. Competitive Analysis

Direct & indirect competitors.

Wax Shop Wax Shop is one of the popular candle shops in town and has been in business for xx years. Wax Shop offers a wide array of products that one would expect from a candle shop- scented candles, votives, tapers, jar candles and more. Besides offering candles, Wax Shop offers other products including reed diffusers, linen spray, room spray, wax melts, and pure-fragrance oil.

Home Fragrance Inc Home Fragrance Inc is a manufacturer of quality candles and industrial waxes. Candles ranging from pressed tealights to custom votives and scented pillar candles to private-label filled candles, Home Fragrance Inc’s flexible production facility allows it to meet unique manufacturing demands with a quick turn-around time without compromising quality. Waxes ranging from paraffin to natural and custom wax blends to wax additives. The company is a 5th generation family-owned and run facility, based in the [location] uses high-grade raw materials and tests every production batch to provide consistent and uniform products – ranging from industrial to luxury. Home Fragrance Inc, on the other hand, does not sell its products through retail stores.

Candle Coop Candle Coop was established in [xx]. It has a solid reputation for treating its clients right. Candle Coop’s differentiating factor is proprietary soy wax formula. This unique blend of wax offers a natural and environmentally friendly solution to fragrance the home. The exclusive odor eliminating formula it uses seeks and eliminates odor molecules, rather than masking the smell. Candle Coop’s Pure Air Odor Eliminating candles work on almost any type of odor; pet, garbage, cooking, basement, bathroom.

Competitive Advantage

[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. These advantages include:

• Management : The Company’s management team has xx years of business and marketing experience that allows them to market and serve customers in an improved and sophisticated manner than the competitors.
• Relationships : Having lived in the community for xx years, [Founder’s Name] knows all of the local leaders, newspapers, and other influencers. As such, it will be relatively easy for [Company Name] to build brand awareness and an initial customer base.
• Great service at an affordable price : The wide range of products and services offered by [Company Name] nearly equals the most premium positioned competitor, [Competitor Name]. However, [Company Name] will offer candles at a much more affordable price.

VI. Marketing Plan

The [company name] brand.

[Company name] seeks to position itself as an upper-middle-market competitor in the candle making industry. Customers can expect to receive beautifully-designed candles from skilled artisans for a price somewhere between discount chains and luxury establishments.

The [Company Name] brand will focus on the company’s unique value proposition:

• Offering a wide collection of candles for different occasions and settings
• High quality, eco-friendly ingredients
• Moderate price point
• Well-trained staff that prioritizes customer satisfaction
• Thorough knowledge of the industry

Promotions Strategy

[Company Name] expects its target market to be individual buyers, retail locations and spas throughout the US. The Company’s promotional strategy to reach the audience includes:

Pre-Opening Events Prior to launching the business, [Company Name] will organize pre-opening events designed for prospective customers, local merchants, and press contacts. These events will create buzz and awareness for [Company Name] in the area.

Public Relations [Company Name] will hire an experienced PR agency/professional(s) to formulate a compelling PR campaign to boost its brand visibility among the target audience. It will look to garner stories about the company and its offerings in various media outlets like newspapers, podcasts, television stations, radio shows, etc.

Social Media Marketing Social media is one of the most cost-effective and practical marketing methods for improving brand visibility. The Company will use social media to develop engaging content in terms of different candle designs and customer reviews that will increase audience awareness and loyalty. Engaging with prospective clients and business partners on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will also help understand changing customer needs.

Word of Mouth Marketing [Company name] will encourage word-of-mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients. The Company will use recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing to grow the customer base through the network of its existing customers. The Company will be incentivizing its existing customer base to encourage their friends to come and try their product for the first time.

Special Offers The Company will introduce special offers to attract new consumers and encourage repeat purchases, which will be quite advantageous in the long run.

Pricing Strategy

[Company Name]’s pricing will be moderate, so customers feel they receive great value when availing of the products they are paying for. The customer can expect to receive high-quality candles for a more affordable price than what they pay to ultra-premium brands.

VII. Operations Plan

Functional roles.

[Founder’s Name] will run the day-to-day operations of the candle manufacturing plant, including scheduling, sourcing and purchasing supplies and basic equipment, keeping the company’s books, maintaining legal licenses, handling insurance, and ensuring that the company meets government regulations.

To execute on [Company Name]’s business model, the company needs to perform several functions, including the following:

Administrative & Service Functions

• General & administrative functions including legal, marketing, bookkeeping, etc.
• Inventory management
• Hiring and training staff
• Candle Making and Packaging
• Maintenance personnel

VIII. Management Team

Management team members.

[Company Name]’s most valuable asset is the expertise and experience of its founder, [Founder’s Name]. [Founder’s Name] has been working in the candle manufacturing business for many years. [Founder’s name] is a seasoned artisan with a degree in Chemistry and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Management. He has immense interest in new candle making techniques, and also has the capital needed to start the business. [Founder] also has personal relationships with highly skilled chandlers in the candle making industry.

Hiring Plan

[Founder] will serve as the CEO. In order to establish candle making business and retail stores, the company will need to hire the following personnel:

• Candle Makers [Number]
• Product Development Manager
• Sales and Marketing Manager
• Store Manager

IX. Financial Plan

Revenue and cost drivers.

[Company Name]’s revenues will come from the sale of candles- both retail and wholesale. The major costs for the company will be staff salaries and supplies. In the initial years, the company’s marketing spend will be high, as it establishes itself in the market.

Capital Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

  5 Year Annual Income Statement

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How to Start a Candle Making Business

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Steps to Starting a Candle Business

How big is the candle manufacturing industry, what are the key segments of the candle manufacturing industry, what external factors affect the candle manufacturing industry, who are the key competitors in the candle manufacturing industry, what are the key customer segments in the candle manufacturing market, what are the typical startup costs for a new candle making business, is a candle making business profitable, what are the keys to launching a new candle making business, how to start a candle making business faqs, helpful videos, additional resources, other helpful business plan articles & templates.

When you think about starting a new business, the focus is usually on making money. However, there are many other benefits to running your own business, from keeping up with the latest trends and innovating yourself to being your own boss. One lucrative yet overlooked industry is candle-making.

In this article, we will share with you how to make your candle business a success.

Importantly, a critical step in starting a candle making business is to complete your business plan. To help you out, you should download Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template here .

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here

1) Determine your niche.

There are many ways to go about creating your own candle business. The first thing you need to do is decide what your specific niche will be. Do you want to focus on making candles for an event? Or how about customizing candles for the home? Do you want to sell candles for a particular type of holiday such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day? You can even create multiple niches and focus on giving customers what they want.

2) Name and register your business.

You will need an official business name and you will have to register your business with your state and the federal government. You can pick a name that is related to candles and/or has something to do with your intended market (e.g., Glitter and Sprinkles if you’re selling at craft fairs, Secret Garden for weddings).

3) Determine your business structure.

You have a few options when it comes to setting up your candle business.

You could sell as a sole proprietor, meaning you are responsible for all debts and actions of the company.

A partnership is where two or more people decide to pool resources together with each party being responsible for their actions.

Other common business structures include a limited liability company (LLC) and a corporation. When you choose your business structure, make sure to review any paperwork.

The best option for you depends on your personal preference and the size/type of business you want to start.

4) Create your candle making business plan .

Create a business plan that includes your budget, materials list (including costs), and marketing strategy. You will need to decide what kind of candles you want to make, how much you will charge for them, and how many hours you are willing to spend per week making the initial product line.

To help you get started, you can download our candle making business plan sample pdf .

5) Determine how you’re going to finance your candle-making business.

Figure out what kind of capital is necessary and how you are going to get it. Your best bet may be a line of credit from the bank, business credit cards, or getting a small business loan.

6) Open a business bank account.

This is the official account you will use for your business. It helps to separate your personal and business expenses, but it can be confusing at first since money may still come from different sources. For this reason, you must be organized when it comes to keeping track of income and expenses.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

7) set up bookkeeping software for your candle business..

You are going to need some method of bookkeeping that allows you to keep track of your income, expenses, and taxes. You can use a simple Excel spreadsheet if necessary but purchasing accounting software will make the process much easier. When you set it up, don’t forget to set up separate accounts for all of your different kinds of expenses, income, and taxes.

8) Purchase insurance.

As with any kind of business, it is advised that you get insurance before getting started. This way, if something happens to your equipment, you are not left footing the bill. Also, talk to your insurance agent about covering liabilities that may arise from customers who are hurt while visiting your candle-making lab or store.

9) Find the right equipment.

This will be largely dependent on what type of candle-making business you want to start. A few suggestions are: melting pots, stirring spoons, measuring cups and spoons, molds (silicone or wooden), and thermometers.

You can find most of these items at a local craft store or online candle-making suppliers.

10) Source your supplies.

You will need to find out where to buy wax (soy wax is best), wicks, dye, and fragrance. There are pre-made kits you can buy with everything you need to make candles. Otherwise, you can buy the supplies separately if you are more familiar with the specific supplies that you want to use in your candles.

11) Set up a “candle lab.”

To make wax candles, you will need to devote some space for melting wax, mixing colors, pouring into molds, and cooling. Once you have all your materials and licensing, it is time to start making candles! Here are some tips:

• always work in a well-ventilated area
• work with one color of wax at a time
• melt the wax to between 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit
• let the dye dissolve completely in the hot wax before stirring (otherwise, your colors will be muddled)
• use good quality fragrances
• wear clothes that cover your skin, closed-toed shoes, and a hair net if you have long hair

If you are just starting, you can use your kitchen or basement. If the work becomes too consuming, then an entire room may be necessary.

12) Test your product and chemistry knowledge.

Before you begin to produce large quantities of candles, make a small batch and test them for scent throw (how well it smells), hot and cold scent throw (making candles is all about chemistry), cooling effect (if you used dye, your candles may heat up and melt the dye which will look bad), wax melt pool (how big it is), how long it burns, etc.

13) Create a marketing plan.

Research your target market and determine how to reach them. You can start by hosting small events in your home with friends and family for feedback, then slowly expand from there. Gain more exposure by signing up for a booth at local trade shows and craft fairs where you can sell your candles.

If you want to sell and ship your candles across the country, you can also begin building your own website with the help of a friend or family member who has some web development experience or choose an easy drag and drop e-commerce platform to help you get started.

14) Enjoy the sweet smell of success of your own candle business.

Once you have mastered the art of making candles, you can begin selling candles locally and online using marketplaces like Etsy or build your own website to attract more potential customers.

With hard work and dedication, your business should soon be booming.

The candle manufacturing industry has shown quite an increase in popularity over the last couple of years. The market size now exceeds $2 billion and is projected to grow to $6.6 billion in the next 5 years.

Candle manufacturing is a very fragmented business with a majority of it being small and medium-sized companies. There are only a few large manufacturers who hold a significant market share.

The largest segment in the industry is container candles, accounting for 58.7% of the market. The second biggest segment is votive candles, accounting for 21.7% of the market. Other segments include pillars, tapers, novelty candles, and others.

The following external factors also play a role in the candle manufacturing industry:

Disposable Income – Key influencer of the industry. As disposable income increases, so does consumer spending on candles.

Consumer Preferences – Shifts in consumer preferences have a large impact on this industry as it is heavily driven by aesthetics. With new fashions and trends emerging regularly, an additional challenge for candle manufacturers is to keep up with consumers’ tastes and preferences.

Production & Materials Cost – Key influencer of the industry. Changes in resin and wax prices will affect the cost of producing candles.

Environmental Regulations – The environmental impact of burning candles is becoming a major issue for this industry, with consumers increasingly concerned about pollution and its long-term effects. Rising awareness could lead to regulation in this area and introduce an obstacle to candle manufacturing companies’ growth prospects.

The candle manufacturing industry is fairly fragmented with several small to mid-size companies competing for a share of the market. The following are some of the key competitors in this industry:

• Private Label – Candles are frequently sold under the brand names of retailers or distributors.
• SC Johnson and Sons – Manufacturer of Glade candle products along with a wide range of other products.
• The Yankee Candle Co. Inc. – The company manufactures and retails candles, holders, related accessories and room sprays through its candle wholesale division.
• MVP Group International Inc. – The company designs and manufactures various private label and branded candles, candle accessories, home fragrance products, and decorative accessory gift products.
• Newell Brands – The candle making company produces the Duraflame brand of candles.

The key customer segments in this market include:

• Home furnishing stores – These are retailers who sell candles, candle holders and other home furnishing products.
• Mass merchandisers – Retailers who operate large retail outlets where they sell a general line of products and whose main target market is the price-conscious consumer.
• Small specialty retail stores – These are retailers who sell a limited line of products and whose stores may be arranged similarly to those of home furnishing retail outlets.
• Wholesalers – These are intermediaries who purchase products from the manufacturer to resell them to retailers.
• Exports – Export sales make up a significant percentage of annual candle sales and is expected to grow in the future.
• Direct sales – Candle sales are made directly to the consumer by manufacturers and producers.
• Online sales – Candle sales are made through their own ecommerce site and other online marketplaces.

The typical startup costs for a new candle business can range anywhere from $10,000 to $80,000. New candle businesses will require the following initial investments:

• Raw Materials – Raw materials needed to produce candles may include wax, glass containers, scents, wicks, and other related products.
• Production Equipment – Production equipment may include molds, melting pots, and filling machines.
• Marketing Expenses – Marketing expenses may include costs related to promotional items, industry publications, and related products used for marketing purposes.
• Advertising – Costs of advertising for a new candle business will depend on the type of media used but are expected to be upwards of $1,000 per month.
• Office Supplies – Office supplies needed by a new candle company might include stationery, business cards, labels, and other related products.
• Legal Fees – Costs of legal fees may be incurred to file all necessary legal documents.
• Business Licenses and Permits – Costs of licenses and permits will depend on the location of the new company but are expected to be under $1,000.
• Packaging and Shipping – Packaging and shipping costs will vary depending on the type of products sold but are expected to be upwards of $1,000 per month.

As your business grows, you may find there are some additional costs of obtaining a larger space:

• Renting a Commercial Space – The rent for a commercial space will depend on the location of the business and could cost between $1,000 to $3,000 per month.
• Employee Costs – The employee costs for a new candle-making business will depend on the type of workers hired but are expected to be upwards of $1,000 per month.
• Utility Costs – Utility costs for a new candle-making business may include electricity, gas, and water.
• Business Insurance Costs – Insurance for a new candle company may include general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, and vehicle insurance.

Like most businesses, one of the keys to running an effective candle making company is generating positive cash flow on a regular basis. A successful candle business should be profitable enough to support your family and also allow you to invest back into it so that you can grow the business over time.

If you’re looking to start a candle business, there are a few key things you need to know. Here are the most important:

1. Make a business plan.

This will help you map out your goals and strategies for your business. A candle-making business plan should cover a variety of areas, including candle manufacturing, market analysis, key competitors, marketing plan, financial plan, and more.

2. Find customers.

Before you start making candles, find out how much demand there is for the products or services that you will offer. If you can’t find enough customers, then your business won’t succeed.

3. Get funding from the bank or investors.

In most cases, you will need to secure a loan from a bank or obtain significant financial backing from an investor to successfully start a candle business. In some instances, you might also receive low-interest loans or grants from the federal government if your candle business is located in an economically disadvantaged area and/or offers products that benefit society as a whole.

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4. Market your candle-making business.

Make sure people learn about your new candle-making company. Create your website, market on social media platforms like Facebook & Twitter, sell through online retail stores such as Amazon & eBay, and do whatever it takes to get the word out there that you’ve started a new candle-making company.

5. Never stop improving.

In the beginning stages of running a candle-making company, you should never stop learning about how companies make money or new marketing strategies that can help grow your customer base. One of the most common mistakes made by small businesses is not staying up-to-date with industry trends and new developments within their field.

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How much does it cost to start a candle-making business?

Several costs will be associated with starting a new candle-making business, including production equipment, raw materials, and employee wages. However, many of these expenses can be offset by working with suppliers and manufacturers that offer discounts on the resources needed to produce candles or other related products for sale.

What are the market opportunities of the candle-making industry?

While there is some risk due to the industry's sensitivity to consumer tastes and preferences, this market presents several opportunities for new entrants or companies that can provide unique products at reasonable prices:

Increasing Awareness About Scented Candles - The candle manufacturing industry has been receiving a lot of attention from the media lately, giving many people the opportunity to know more about how scented candles can affect their lives. Candles have been shown to lift consumer moods and reduce stress levels, which could represent future growth opportunities for this industry.

Expansion in the Casual Segment - While candles have been traditionally associated with holidays and events, more companies are beginning to recognize candles' usefulness in everyday life. This presents room for growth, especially when it comes to casual candles, which seem to be mostly overlooked by consumers at present.

International Potential - Market opportunities exist in countries that have a high demand for candles and where candle manufacturing companies can benefit from affluent consumers with high disposable income.

How Can You Market Your Own Candle Business?

Using social media marketing websites is a great way to market your candle business. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram are just a few social media sites that you can use to tell people about your products. Post pictures of the candles you have made, and offer coupons or giveaways for future candle customers.

CandleScience – Learn How to Make Candles

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Candle Making Supplies List for Beginners  

How to Start a Candle Business: A Comprehensive Guide

Home » Blog » How to Start a Candle Business: A Comprehensive Guide

Congratulations, you’ve chosen a great niche; the candle business is red hot.

Almost 80% of all U.S. homes use them and it’s a market anyone can enter. 

You can start a candle business from home, you don’t need expensive equipment, you can learn the process online, and sell your creations on multiple platforms. 

As the average profit margins are 200 to 300%, starting a candle business could be the best decision you’ll ever make! 

In this post, we’ll look at how the candle business works, which candles sell best, how Chandler entrepreneurs make a profit, and provide a comprehensive guide on how to start a candle business. 

Plus, I’ll tell you where to sell your candles so you can promote them and make your first sale.  

The Candle Business: Is it Really Profitable?

The National Candle Association estimates U.S. candle sales at $3.2 billion per year, and forecasts say it’ll rise to almost $5 billion by 2026.

That’s the market, but what about the product?

Candlescience.com says the average variable and fixed costs to manufacture a candle are $3.78, with a direct sales price of 3 to 4 times the cost. 

That’s a good profit for any business. 

Modest investment (scales as the business scales)

Low entry costs make the candle-making business an attractive option. You could start your candle business from home for as little as $1,000. Paying for essential equipment and enough raw materials for your first 100 candles. Then scale your business according to demand using your profits for growth. 

But as with any business, costs are variable and rise with the size of your business. 

For example, Smallbiztrends.com says, “The average cost to start a candle business ranges from $9,500 to $78,000.” 

But a significant chunk of that is rental, so if you start a candle business at home, you immediately cut your costs.

Differentiation opportunities (if you can make great candles)

All markets have niches within, and the key to success is finding one with a high search volume (consumer interest), low entry cost, and moderate competition. 

The candle business provides those opportunities due to the endless fragrances, colors, shapes, and containers.

Containers, for example, are the most popular type of candle in the U.S. today.

Some other niches within the candle market are vegan, wax melts, soy wax, luxury candles, and the increasingly popular market of outdoor candles. We’ll look closer at how you make those in just a minute. 

But first, let’s get inspired by an entrepreneur who stood in your shoes 4 short years ago and now makes over $140,000 per month making and selling candles. 

Example of a successful candle business

D’Shawn Russell started her candle business at home as a side hustle to make a few extra dollars on the weekends.

Today, her business, Southern Elegance Candle Company , earns over $1.6 million a year. 

The inspirational D’Shawn Russell began with minimal resources or knowledge. She made her first sales at farmers’ markets, earning $200 per week. 

Here’s what she said about starting her candle business:

“When I first started my candle business, I had limited resources (basically no money), no background in sales, manufacturing, or marketing, and no idea how to set up a real candle business.”

Russell’s success came from choosing a niche she was passionate about: Candles with Southern-inspired fragrances like apple, pine, and cotton. 

And selling her candles on every available platform, including Church functions, farmers markets, school bazaars, festivals, Etsy, Faire, Houzz, and Amazon.

She then built a website, took courses in email marketing, Facebook, Google ads, and used social media platforms like Facebook business groups, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to build her candle community. 

Are you inspired?

Great, here’s how you can do the same thing:

Step-by-Step Guide to Start a Candle Business

Before you start a candle business, consider joining the National Candle Association .

You’ll gain access to market-relevant information and get tips from expert candle makers. 

The NCA also carries out global candle market research, which provides valuable insights into the industry and its standards, like fire and safety regulations and the science behind candles.

Ok. Now that you’re aware of the National Candle Association let’s get into the steps on how to start a candle business. 

Step 1: Conceptualize a business plan

A business plan aims to outline your strategy for starting your candle business.

It identifies the steps you must take and the resources you’ll need to achieve your goals. And it also sets a timeline for results. Research shows that a business with a plan can grow 30% faster than one without.  

Your business plan doesn’t need to be vast but should include:

• Identify a profitable niche : You must identify and validate your niche to ensure there’s a demand for your style of candles.
• Carry out competitor research : Competitive research is how you’ll learn about your competitor’s products, how they market them, and why their customers buy from them .
• Brainstorm creative business name ideas : The best business names are short, easy to say and spell, and try and pick one that’s available as your URL (website domain name).
• Determine the target market/potential customer segment : You must identify your target audience to create a brand that connects with them (more on that in just a minute). 
• Get your business entity registered: A business entity is how you form your start-up; a sole proprietorship is the easiest option, but an LLC has many benefits . 
• Prepare financial forecasts : If you need funding, your business plan is where you’ll outline your economic forecasts, such as pricing, estimated cash flow, shipping costs, and expected ROI.  

You can learn about writing a quick business plan here .  

Step 2: Learn how to make candles

The first step in your candle business is to learn about how to make candles. If you know how to make candles, skip this step. If the idea of having a candle business interests you, this is the next step you need to know.

You’ll need to know about the different waxes to make candles, optimum melting temperatures, which wick suits your candle size , and the science behind fragrance mixology. 

Once you gain the knowledge, you can let your creativity flow. Give this stage of your journey the time it requires, as candle quality is essential. 

The good news is that you can learn about making candles through online classes and YouTube videos .

Some business owners at Tailor Brands like this channel, for example:

Today, 90% of candles are machine-made and that’s good because there’s enormous demand for homemade candles from small unique brands, so business is booming. 

Making candles isn’t difficult ; you melt wax in a pot or melter, add color and fragrance, pour the wax into a container, add a wick and secure, pour some more wax, cut the wick, and let it harden. 

The magic is in the design, such as shape, fragrance, color, container, and branding. When you get those right, you’ll create a product that appeals to your target audience’s taste.  

You can find thousands of innovative design ideas on YouTube . 

Equipment and raw material 

You need certain raw materials to make your candles, and you can get them from suppliers like CandleScience , Loanstarcandlesupply , and Candlewick .

Candle making materials include:

• Dyes/coloring agents

Then you’ll need the equipment to make your candles. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend vast amounts; here’s how D’Shawn Russell made her first candles.

“I first started in my home; I had two pots and my stove. After a few months, I bought my first large wax melter and moved into the garage. I bought another melter two months later and started looking for my first space outside my garage.”

The basics you’ll need are:

• A workspace could be your kitchen or garage
• Stove or melter
• Thermometer
• Measuring instruments
• Fire extinguisher and fire blanket
• Safety clothing (you're working with hot wax)
• Packing supplies if shipping

Besides your imagination and entrepreneurial spirit, wax is the most crucial ingredient. I’ll explain why next.

Knowledge of wax

You can use several types of wax derived from many natural resources to make your candles. The question is: Which ones are the best for candles ?

Most chandlers (AKA people who make candles) agree that natural, eco-friendly soy wax is the best choice because of its crystal structure. They’re small and tightly packed, making the wax more pliable, slower burning, and carry a scent for longer. 

But it’s not your only choice—you have 6 more to consider:

• Beeswax : Beeswax is also eco-friendly and sustainable; it’s a hard wax ideal for pillar candles but gives off a sweet tinge, making it unsuitable for scented candles. 
• Coconut wax : Coconut wax is an excellent substitute for paraffin wax and is suitable for blending; it holds color and fragrance well, making it ideal for decorative candles. 
• Rapeseed wax : Rapeseed wax is slow-burning and throws a decent scent; it’s uncommon in the U.S. but very popular in Europe.  
• Paraffin wax : The most common candle wax comes in several grades, making it great for molding, holding, and throwing a fragrance and suitable for all candle shapes. 
• Wax blends : Wax blends are great for creating bespoke signature blends that perform how the chandler wants. 

Consider online candle-making classes and workshops

Free YouTube videos and Google are great for learning about making candles, but they’ll only get you so far.

To elevate your craft to the next level, consider taking online candle-making classes and workshops. 

You’ll learn many trade secrets such as creating paraffin, shimmery mica candles, clean-burning candles, natural fragrances, pouring tips, what throwing a fragrance means, and how to perfect it. 

7 candle making classes that cover everything you’ll need to know:

• The Wooden Wick Co : A comprehensive overall class, where you can choose any of their fragrance oils and accessories for your candles.
• Makers Mess Introduction to Candle Making : Perfect for beginners, Makers Mess provides private virtual workshops for learning the basics of soy candle-making.
• Paddywax Candle Bar Candle Making at Home : Offering in-person or at-home classes, Paddywax is ideal for groups. You get a candle-making kit and can try it alone or with your friends.
• Torera George : Learn all about scented candles and take your candle-making to the next level.
• Francois et Moi : Get the buzz with beeswax taper candles and go through their posts to learn how to make candles, and more.
• CandleScience : Discover fragrance blending, buy your candle supplies, and learn candle-making all on one website.
• Sheri Vegas : Learn how to add colors to your candles with Sheri Vegas. On her Youtube channel, she also makes videos on resin art and Jesmonite alcohol inks.

And check out Paris Nikkole on YouTube; she provides easy-to-follow instructions on making candles and starting a candle business. 

Step 3: Brand your candle business

Your branding ties your business idea, target audience, and products together. 

Its purpose is to connect with like-minded people and bond them as a community, but your brand’s voice and personality must suit theirs.

The National Candle Association said, “Consumers buy candles as a focal point for their home decor and aromatherapy like relaxation and stress reduction.”

So, candles are more than just fragrance and soft light; people want ones that suit their living space. And if your candles conjure up happy memories, even better. Your brand story can make that happen.

Leverage the power of storytelling

Your story is your brand’s voice and the narrative that communicates and connects with your ideal clients. It tells people why you make candles and why they’re your target audience. 

Candle sellers’ brand stories are honest, human, and captivating. They make people think and feel something special. 

A story well told by Southern Elegance candles:

“Do you remember walking hand in hand with your grandma down a dirt road or sipping sweet tea under the shade of a pecan tree?”

“Did you spend your childhood summers playing barefoot outside all day and catching lightning bugs at night?”

“These memories that we cherish sustain us, and Southern Elegance candles will help you remember those intimate, special moments.”

I’m not from the south, but just for a moment, I imagined I was. Did you?

Every candle you make should tell a story. To find yours, ask yourself:

• Who do I want to buy my candles
• How do I want my candles to make them feel
• How do I want my clients to perceive my brand
• What lasting impression do I want them to have

When you have your story, infuse it throughout your brand to connect with your target audience’s emotions and inspire them to take action. 

Make captivating scented candles of your own design and vision

You’ll face stiff competition in the candle-making business, but creating unique and exciting fragrances is one way you can stand out. 

National Candle Association  research backs this up: “Three-fourths of candle buyers say fragrance is essential in selecting a candle.”

D’Shawn Russell got this part perfect by using local pine, apple, and cotton fragrances to engage her target audience’s senses and claim her niche in the market.

The takeaway here is to always let the scent do the talking.

Step 4: Launch your candle business

Many budding entrepreneurs think everything must be perfect before they start their business . But that breeds procrastination. You need action. 

D’Shawn Russell went from $200 a week to $1.6 million a year by taking action.

Here’s how: “I had no idea how to set up a real candle business; I hit the streets selling. For the first year, I would sell my candles at any Church function, fair, festival, or school bazaar; I sold candles outside in the middle of the summer and in the dead of winter. And on any and every online platform that would accept me.

D’Shawn knew that action, hard work, and multiple sales platforms were all crucial ingredients for her candle business success.  

Here’s how you can do the same:

Create a marketing strategy

Before you start posting on social media and paying for ads, you want to have a clear direction for your marketing strategy. 

A marketing strategy is a game plan of how you’ll reach out, connect, and attract your customers, and turn them into returning customers. 

This isn’t just about what social media platforms you’ll use to market your business. You’ll need to establish your goals, what makes your business stand out, and how you’ll communicate with your audience.

Use online marketing to promote your business

Social media gives enormous power to small businesses. You can build a vast community using Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook business pages, and groups. 

Once you have your marketing strategy decided, then showcase your product photos and post exciting topics to engage with your community and remind them of what you sell while giving them a reason to buy. 

You’ll need 2 things to do this right:

• Professional product photographs : Online, quality images sell products, find a professional photographer on Facebook or use a company like Squareshot . 
• Engaging copywriting : Hire a copywriter, you can use a freelance platform like on Upwork to find a copywriter that will help you review and perfect your story and product content.  

Sell on digital marketplaces

You’ll eventually need a website for your candle business, one to which you’ll direct your social media audience.

But if you’re not ready to build one, you can sell your candles on digital marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon, Houzz, and Modalyst.

They’re easy to join and people trust these marketplaces, so you can quickly establish a profitable listing. The only negative is that the selling fees cut your profits.

Build your website

Building an e-commerce website sounds daunting compared to listing your products on Amazon or Etsy. It’ll take more work, but the rewards are worth it. 

Your online store is where all your other marketing platforms lead because that’s where you convert your viewers.

Your website’s where you tell your story, make most of your sales, and collect users’ email addresses for future conversions.

Again, use a professional photographer and copywriter to perfect your sales pitch and convey your story in the right way.   

Platforms like WIS Stores, Shopify , BigCommerce, and  Squarespace  are just some you could use to start your candle business website. 

Consider selling in stores if possible

Create local brand awareness by selling your candles throughout your state.

Partner with local boutique owners and hardware stores open to trying out homemade products from unknown brands.

Don’t be afraid to pitch to larger local home furniture stores, even if it’s only to use your candles as display pieces. What’s important is that people will see your brand. 

Consider working with wholesale outlets

Wholesale outlets supply products in bulk to retail stores. They buy stock from manufacturers (like you) and resell it at a higher price.

They’ll pay you less per unit, but their customers buy in bulk, and wholesalers are often willing to test new products.

Consider emerging tactics like live shopping and viral marketing

Live shopping is a new trend in retail and marketing that offers an engaging user experience beyond filling a shopping cart.

It allows you to showcase your products live and customers can buy them in real-time.

As promotions are only valid during the live stream, it creates a sense of urgency. You can show reviews and recommendations to encourage viewers with their purchasing decisions.

Viral marketing

Viral marketing is a modern form of word-of-mouth marketing. WOMM is when one person recommends a product to another, usually face to face. 

Viral marketing takes place online and can reach thousands of people. 

Your goal when implementing viral marketing is to encourage buyers to share your marketing message to expand its reach. 

Social media makes the perfect platform.

How to encourage viral marketing:

• Engage your target audience on a personal level
• Use creative and funny advertisements; people love a laugh
• Tell stories that evoke an emotional response from your followers
• Continue your campaigns with follow-ups to keep your audience's interest

And make your campaigns quick and easy to share and for people to submit comments and ask questions. 

Step 5: Develop returning customers

Once the doors of your candle business are open, you want your business to run smoothly and have return customers.

Customer service, product availability, and brand appearance play essential roles in making these things happen.

Maintain high-quality customer service

Any business that sells on Amazon, Etsy, has an e-commerce store, social media presence, or Google Business Listing needs positive testimonials to succeed. 

And the number one reason people leave critical reviews is low-quality customer service. Don’t let your service undermine your candle business.

Make sure your customers can contact you on several levels and always reply. Be polite and go above and beyond, regardless of when they’re wrong.

Make each customer feel like they’re your only customer; they’ll love you for it. 

Always have enough products on hand to keep orders coming

You lose sales when you run out of products at a market fair or church bazaar. No problem, you’ll bring more stock next time.

But run out of stock on sales platforms like Amazon and your listing will sink like a stone. That’ll result in consumers being unable to see your brand or buy your products, and you fall even further.

Your only option then is to pay for advertising. It’s even worse if you run out of stock on your website. People will leave, find another brand, engage with their story, buy another product, and forget about you. 

And as it costs 5 times more to attract a buyer than to keep one, don’t lose yours by running out of stock! 

There aren’t many businesses that you can start as cheaply as a candle business.

Nor are there many you can do from home, learn the skills online, or sell your products both on and offline. 

Sure, it’s a competitive market, but all the good ones are. What matters is you. You’re the difference between a side-hustle and a booming candle business.

Use the marvelous D’Shawn Russell as your inspiration. She’d tell you herself if she can do it, anyone can. Burn brightly, my friends. 

This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness.

Terry OToole

Terry is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience building businesses across multiple industries – construction, real estate, e-commerce, hotelier, and now digital media. When not working, Terry likes to kick back and relax with family, explore Taoism’s mysteries, or savor the taste of fine Italian red wine.

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Candle Making Business Plan Template

Published Aug.29, 2018

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Noor Muhammad

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Table of Content

Do you want to start candle making business?

Are you planning to start candle business ? What many people do not know is candles still remain popular even today despite the fact they were primarily introduced for illumination purposes. Candles have been there for centuries and used in different civilizations and cultures. Even with the introduction of electricity, the role of candles has been redefined and they still continue to be an important item in any home or business. In the U.S. 7 out of 10 households use candles meaning the market is still excellent. Uniquely branded candles are the most popular home décor items which are on very high demand. Fortunately, candle making is not a capital intensive business and with a good business plan, you can be successful.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

The candle-making businesses will be registered under the name Wax Glow Candle and will be situated in Houston, Texas. The business will be owned by Susan Cook who is an experienced chandler. This business plan outlines how to start a candle business step by step to help anyone interested in venturing into candle making.

2.2 Management Team

Prior to starting candle business , Susan Cook worked as a professional Chandler and boasts of 20 years’ experience in the candle-making industry. She is extensively knowledgeable having worked for large and reputable organizations in the course of her career.

2.3 Customer Focus

Susan has worked in the candle and scent industry for long and therefore, has an in-depth understanding of customer patterns and segments. Given her long career in the business, she is aware of the changing customer trends and which market segments are in need of unique candle brands. She’s also aware that customers are primarily looking for uniquely branded homemade candles.

2.4 Business Target

Susan Cook knows where she needs to concentrate her efforts in order to maximize the revenue for her candle making businesses . Her intention is to proactively reach out to all segments in need of unique candle products. Her target is to be the best and most reputable candle making business in Houston as she knows she has knowledge her competitors might not be having.

Company Summary

3.1 company owners.

Susan Cook is an experienced chandler with extensive skills and experience in candle making. Before thinking of starting a candle company , she worked for big brands across the United States such as Proctor & Gamble as well as SC Johnson & Sons among others. She took a major role in making key decisions for the various departments she worked for quickly rising to top managerial level because of her commitment and professional skills. After working for twenty years, she decided it was time to venture into entrepreneurship.

3.2 Aim of Starting the Business

Even though candles have been there for centuries, they are still relevant to date meaning there is still rising demand from both households as well as businesses. Having been in the business with a clear understanding of how candles continue immensely influence the modern society, Susan Cook began to plan how to start a candle company that would effectively address the needs of today’s society.

3.3 How the Business will be Started

Wax Glow Candle will begin operations after a comprehensive market research has been completed by the relevant experts. In order to be successful, Susan knows her knowledge and experience will be a great asset that will be instrumental in making strategic decisions that will spur business growth. She has also worked closely with a team of financial experts to formulate a detailed financial analysis for the business.

Services for Customers

Wax Glow Candle plans to offer a wide variety of products and service in order to increase its competitiveness and get a larger market share. Susan knows the secret to start a candle business and have it succeed is to embrace creativity and offer clients a unique range of products. Given her experience and studying market trends, Wax Glow Candle is in a perfect position to capitalize on its strengths to achieve its business goals and increase revenue. The following products will be offered by Wax Glow Candle.

• Signature Scented candles with various fragrances such as strawberry, vanilla, cinnamon and mulberry among others
• Candle holders which come in a beautiful and vast array of types and designs
• Luminaries that are available in different sizes and colors
• Various types of Melting oils

Marketing Analysis of Candle Making Business

Despite candles being around for numerous centuries, they still play a vital role in today’s society. Aside from illumination, the era of scented candles and fragrances has ushered in a new perspective and the market it constantly looking for unique and creatively made candles for use in homes, businesses and special occasions. In this business plan for candle making , Wax Glow Candle has done an extensive market analysis and identified untapped opportunities to harness in order to grow business revenue.

5.1 Market Segment

For Wax Glow Candle to realize its dreams, the candle making businesses has identified the appropriate customer markets to advertise its products and services. Any candle making business plan sample should clearly outline who potential customers are and how the business intends to establish connections.

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5.1.1. Households

Houston is a large city with over a million households which is a key market for Wax Glow Candle. The first customers for candles are households and residential establishments who use them for various purposes. Even though candles in the home are rarely used for illumination, many homes still buy candles for various purposes such as decoration. Scented candles have become a leading product for households and Wax Glow Candle has an opportunity to put in place creative marketing strategies to reach a wide population segment. When starting your own candle business , the domestic market is a key segment that cannot be ignored considering most of the products from Wax Glow Candle are tailored for domestic use.

5.1.2 Gift Shops

Nowadays, many people consider unique candles as an awesome gift item which can be presented on various occasions. In most gift shops, you will find various types of unique candles and associated accessories which are sold primarily as gift items. Houston has a large number of gift shops and it’s important for Wax Glow Candle to find ways of forming partnerships with local gift shops with an aim of stocking their products in gift shops. Because they have direct access customers, gift shops can be of great benefit and help the candle making businesses to reach its revenue targets.

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5.1.3 hotels and restaurants.

The hospitality industry is a key use of candles which are placed in various sections of hotels and restaurants. Exclusive restaurants and hotels love using candles on their dining tables and bathrooms to create a relaxing and elegant environment. Hospitality based businesses are always in need of good quality and unique candles to be utilized for various purposes.

5.1.4 Beauty and Massage Parlors

Candles are a common feature in massage and beauty parlors who invest heavily in various kinds of candles in their establishments. Houston and its surrounding has many massage parlors which are great customer prospects for Wax Glow Candle. With the right strategies put in place, candle making businesses profitable ventures include approaching business that require different types of candle related products.

5.2 Business Target

Wax Glow Candle plans to establish itself in Houston which is a major American city with plenty of opportunities that can be explored. Wax Glow Candle hopes to realize an annual sales growth of between 25%-30% in the first three years of operation.

5.3 Product Pricing

How to start a candle making business requires an extensive market research in order to find out pricing structures of competitors. This is done with an aim of coming up with a creative pricing strategy that will attract customers.

Wax Glow Candle intends to come up with an effective marketing strategy to enable the candle making business reach out to all its intended customer targets. If you want to start a candle making businesses , there must be a good plan in place that will help you reach out to as many prospective clients as possible.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

Wax Glow Candle has carried out an extensive market research in order to identify the most effective marketing strategies that will see the business expand its market share, compete effectively and realize its revenue targets.

6.2 Sales Strategy

For Wax Glow Candle to effectively reach out to the market, this business plan for candle making  to implement the strategies below to advertise its range of products.

• Send introductory letters to businesses and stakeholders to create awareness about the candle making businesses
• Organize an opening party and invite guests from target markets to advertise the business. During the opening, offer visitors free samples of products to allow them have a feel of the quality
• Attend exhibitions and trade shows which are awesome platforms for advertising the candle making businesses
• Market the business on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Advertise the business online using Google Ads.
• Advertise Wax Glow Candle on local directory listings
• Create a simple search engine optimized website to boost the online presence of the candle making businesses for purposes of gaining higher online rankings
• Advertise Wax Glow Candle on local broadcast and print channels such as newspapers, TV and radio

6.3 Sales Forecast

How to start a candle business should entail a comprehensive sales forecast that will spell out the roadmap for Wax Glow Candle.

Personnel Plan

If you’re planning on starting a candle making businesses , the first thing to think about is to find a team of qualified staff who will assist in running the business. Susan Cook intends to hire a competent team of staff to work in various departments. A personnel plan has been formulated to come up with the best strategy for business of hiring qualified and experienced staff.

7.1 Personnel Plan

To help the candle making business realize business success, the following team of staff will be employed to work in Wax Glow Candle. Susan Cook who is the owner of the candle making businesses will be the Chief Executive Officer in charge of the entire business. She will be assisted by the following team of staff.

• 1 Assistant Manager
• 2 Sales and Marketing Executives
• 1 Customer Service Executive
• 2 Chandlers
• 1 Accountant

Successful applicants will undergo comprehensive training a few weeks before the business officially opens its doors to the public.

Financial Plan

Wax Glow Candle has come up with a detailed financial plan which is critical for starting a candle business . To ensure candle making business profit is a reality, it is critical to analyze and document various financial parameters before opening a business. Susan Cook intends to raise money for her business using her personal savings. Additionally, she plans to bring on board 2 investors and a bank loan for business plan to finance the budget deficit. candle making businesses  profit margin will be determined depending on how the business will excel.

Below is a comprehensive financial analysis for Wax Glow Candle.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The financial forecast for Wax Glow Candle is based on the assumptions below.

8.2 Brake-even Analysis

Wax Glow Candle brake-even analysis is shown in the graph below.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 monthly profit.

8.3.2 Yearly Profit

8.3.3 Monthly Gross Margin

8.3.4 Yearly Gross Margin

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

Below is a summary of Wax Glow Candle Pro forma cash flow, subtotal cash received, subtotal cash spent, subtotal cash from operations and subtotal cash spent on operations.

Download Candle Making Business Plan Sample in pdf

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Candle Business Plan Template

Make your own candle business plan by modifying candle business plan template on venngage..

• Size Letter (8.5 x 11 in)
• File type PNG, PDF, PowerPoint
• Plan business

A Candle Business Plan Template is a guide that can help you start and run your own candle business. It can provide you with information on things like goal setting, marketing, and financial planning. Candle Business Plan Templates can also provide a list of things to consider when starting a business. Candle Business Plan Templates can help you save a lot of time and energy because they provide a structure for organizing your Candle Business Plan. Candle Business Planning is the process of taking the future into account and examining all aspects that might influence it. Candle Business Plans are a key part of any business, large or small. A Candle Business Plan Template should always be a starting point. Create a Candle business plan infographic using Venngage’s Candle business plan infographic template. To edit this Candle business plan infographic, you don't need to be a designer, have design expertise, or use any design tools. To begin, click the create button to generate this Candle business plan infographic design. You may modify everything you see in the editor, from font

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Candle Business Plan Template & Guidebook

How to write a candle business plan in 7 steps:, 1. describe the purpose of your candle business..

It also helps to include a vision statement so that readers can understand what type of company you want to build.

2. Products & Services Offered by Your Candle Business.

When you think about the products and services that you offer, it's helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

3. Build a Creative Marketing Stratgey.

If you don't have a marketing plan for your candle business, it's time to write one. Your marketing plan should be part of your business plan and be a roadmap to your goals. 

Target market

Customer base , product or service description, competitive analysis, marketing channels, form an llc in your state, 4. write your operational plan., what equipment, supplies, or permits are needed to run a candle business, 5. management & organization of your candle business., 6. candle business startup expenses & captial needed..

This section should be broken down by month and year. If you are still in the planning stage of your business, it may be helpful to estimate how much money will be needed each month until you reach profitability.

Running costs refer to ongoing expenses related directly with operating your business over time like electricity bills or salaries paid out each month. These types of expenses will vary greatly depending on multiple variables such as location, team size, utility costs, etc.

7. Financial Plan & Projections

A financial plan is an important part of any business plan, as it outlines how the business will generate revenue and profit, and how it will use that profit to grow and sustain itself. To devise a financial plan for your candle business, you will need to consider a number of factors, including your start-up costs, operating costs, projected revenue, and expenses. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Candle Business Plans:

Why do you need a business plan for a candle business.

A business plan is an essential tool for any business, and a candle business is no exception. It can provide guidance and direction as to how the business should be run and structured, what goals should be set, how resources should be allocated, and what strategies can be employed to achieve success. It can also help entrepreneurs understand their target market, identify potential competitors, and determine their pricing strategy. Finally, it can act as a roadmap for obtaining financing to get started and grow the business.

Who should you ask for help with your candle business plan?

Can you write a candle business plan yourself.

Writing a business plan for a candle business can be a relatively straightforward process. You will need to research the market and include facts, figures and projections that demonstrate you understand the industry. Additionally, you will need to detail your proposed product offerings and pricing, marketing strategy, operational plan and financial projections. You should also consider outlining any potential risks or challenges that your business may face in order to demonstrate that you have thought through your business plan in its entirety. It is possible to write a business plan yourself, but it may be beneficial to seek the help of an experienced consultant or consultant agency to ensure accuracy and quality of your work.

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I'm Nick, co-founder of newfoundr.com, dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs succeed. As a small business owner with over five years of experience, I have garnered valuable knowledge and insights across a diverse range of industries. My passion for entrepreneurship drives me to share my expertise with aspiring entrepreneurs, empowering them to turn their business dreams into reality.

Money blog: One product you should never skimp on - as make-up experts reveal best affordable dupes this summer

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment or your Money Problem/consumer dispute (don't forget to leave a contact number/email) in the box below.

Wednesday 10 July 2024 08:23, UK

Essential reads

• We asked beauty experts for their top dupes to give you a summer glow - without breaking the bank
• Basically... What are the different ways of paying for a car?
• Women in Business : From blackouts to CEO - how burnout helped create UK's biggest venue booking platform
• Best deals on school uniform ahead of new academic year
• Further reading: Ian King answers your questions on what Labour government means for your personal finances

Ask a question or make a comment

By Emily Mee, Money reporter

If TikTok is anything to go by, many of us are seeking that Sabrina Carpenter bronzed look this summer (me included). 

But without a pop star's team of make-up artists and the bank account to boot, how can the rest of us get that perfect glow? 

We've asked four beauty experts to give us their top affordable dupes for high-end products. Here's what they said (before one of them reveals the product you should never skimp on)... 

Suzanne Baum , freelance beauty editor

For Suzanne, affordable make-up brand e.l.f. can't be beaten for its dupes: "Super affordable, long-lasting and provides a perfect finish for a summer glow." 

These are her picks from the brand... 

e.l.f. Bronzing Drops, £12 

It's a dupe for... Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi drops, £34

"A nourishing tinted serum for a sun-kissed glow," she says. 

Just add one to three drops to your moisturiser, face oil or body cream.

e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, £15 

It's a dupe for...  Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, at £39

"A multi-purpose, liquid glow booster that gives your complexion a soft-focus social filter effect IRL," says Suzanne. 

Wear on its own for sheer coverage, under foundation as a luminous base, as a highlighter or mixed with foundation for a dewy glow.

e.l.f. Power Grip Primer, £10 

It's a dupe for...  Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, £35 

"A gel-based, hydrating face primer that smooths skin while gripping your make-up," Suzanne says. 

e.l.f. Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand, £9 

It's a dupe for...  Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, £30 

"A liquid contour wand with a cushion-tip applicator for a naturally sculpted complexion," the beauty expert says. 

Apply to your hairline, temples, sides of your nose, hollows of your cheeks and jawline, then blend with a brush. 

e.l.f. Camo Liquid Blush, £7

It's a dupe for.... Rare Beauty Soft Pink Liquid Blush, £24

"A long-lasting liquid blush that delivers a high pigment pop of colour to cheeks with a dewy finish," says Suzanne. 

e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil, £8 

It's a dupe for... Dior Lip Glow Oil, £32 

"An ultra-glossy tinted lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips' natural colour," Suzanne says. 

Joyce Connor , make-up artist  

For Joyce, she'll often go for the high-end brands over dupes - but there was one product that she thought was even better than the original. 

Here are her picks... 

Revolution Pro CC Perfecting Skin Enhancer, £10

It's a dupe for... IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow, £37

The IT Cosmetics product is Joyce's go-to, but she says the Revolution version makes for a "very good" dupe. 

She says it gives a "nice glow without being shiny, because in the summer we don't want to be caked in make-up". 

It is worth noting that the IT Cosmetics version includes SPF 40, whereas the Revolution one does not. 

Apply before foundation for an added glow. 

Boots Glow Essence Serum, £5 

It's a dupe for... Glossier Future Dew Facial Oil Serum Hybrid, £30

There's quite a difference in price here, and Joyce says the Boots version gives a "nice sheen" under your foundation. 

However, she notes the Glossier product has a more golden tint. 

Massage two to three drops onto your skin before moisturising. 

Avon Radiance Ritual Touch Of Gold Body Oil, £5

It's a dupe for... Sol De Janeiro GlowMotions Glow Body Oil, £35

For added glow, massage into the skin and do not rinse - or you can use it as a bath oil. 

NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip Lip Gloss, £7.99

It's a dupe for... Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil, £32

"To be honest, I prefer the Fat Oil to the Dior one," says Joyce, picking it out as her favourite dupe. 

"It lasted longer on my lips. I didn't have to top it up as quickly. I like the sheen of it. The colour was lovely," she raves. 

Sue Moxley , beauty expert  

Sue believes you don't have to spend a fortune to get quality products - and she's a fan of "good old" Revlon and L'Oreal. 

Revolution Fix and Glow Setting Spray, £8.99

It's a dupe for... Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, £39

Okay, this isn't a direct dupe as it's a setting spray rather than a foundation. But Sue says if you pair this with your favourite foundation, it should give you that "wonderful flawless glow" similar to Flawless Filter. 

She recommends spraying it about 10 inches from your face all over and allowing it to dry for a few minutes. 

NYX Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation, £9.99

It's a dupe for... Jones Road What the Foundation, £42

A good alternative to the trending Jones Road foundation is NYX's Bare With Me, which Sue says "smoothes pores but looks really light and natural". 

"Apply with a make-up brush all over your face for a professional finish," she says. 

Lacura Luminous Filter Foundation, £5

It's a dupe for... Clinique Even Better SPF15 Foundation, £34.50

TikTok went wild for this Aldi dupe, which Sue says is an alternative to the "high end glossy foundations". 

"It's such a bargain - it's definitely up there," she says. 

She recommends applying all over with a sponge, pressing rather than rubbing into the skin. 

Rimmel Natural Bronzer, £6.99 

It's a dupe for... Iconic London Kissed By the Sun Bronzer, £25

Sue says this is a light bronzer that "glides on easily with a blusher brush". 

Swirl it on the hollows of your cheeks, up to your temples, down underneath your jawline and on the bridge of your nose. 

So, how much difference is there between the dupes and the high-end products? 

You might be wondering just how noticeable the difference is if you go for the cheaper alternative. 

It's a difficult question to answer as it can vary from product to product - and not all the experts we spoke to were in total agreement. 

Sue Moxley says a lot of the lower end budget brands use similar ingredients to their more expensive counterparts. 

"You can get better packaging or the quality of the packaging is better, but it's also the brand name that is putting the prices up," she says. 

The high-end brands do put extra ingredients in, she says, but "they don't warrant the amount of difference in price". 

"It's still lovely to go and buy a Chanel lipstick or something and have it in your bag and it makes you feel wonderful. You get it out and it's gorgeous packaging and you put it on in the restaurant," she says.

"It does make you feel good, but I do believe that there are products out there that are equivalent in quality and ingredients wise." 

But Joyce Connor says the high-end brands are often worth it - although she does say you can "mix and match". 

More expensive brands rarely sell single-ingredient products, she says, and this can make a difference in terms of what you're getting. 

For example, she says an own-brand hyaluronic acid cream will often have that single ingredient but a similar product from a high-end brand will likely include peptides and ceramides - all providing extra value. 

One item not to skimp on

Joyce says if you're going to spend money on anything, it should be your moisturiser so you can get a perfect base for your make-up. 

"There are plenty of dupes out there that that are going to be effective as long as you are moisturising," she says. 

Her pick is the Goldfaden MD Vital Boost Even Skintone Daily Moisturiser - but at £60 for 50ml, that might be a bit much for some. 

Every Wednesday we ask Michelin chefs to pick their favourite Cheap Eats where they live and when they cook at home. This week we speak to Benjamin Ferra Y Castell from one-starred  Pavyllon in London.

Hi Benjamin, can you tell us your favourite places in London where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?

1. Saint George Cafe

This is a French bakery offering delicious sandwiches made with high-quality products. Their bread is made by a French baker with a specially selected flour. 

The pastries are also amazing - using high-quality butter and the chocolate used in the pain au chocolate makes it one of my best sweet treats in the city. On top of all of this, their coffee is some of the best in London.

2. Tachbrook Street Market  in Pimlico

This market is really affordable and convenient and away from the hustle and bustle of Victoria Station. 

I used to go with my wife who loves spicy food, especially to a Thai food stand on the left part of the market which is a must-try. 

If you come back often enough as I do, they sometimes give a nice discount! 

Authentic Thai food made with love, available for less than £10 for a substantial portion.

3. Bar Italia in Soho

Offers great Italian coffee with authentic products from different regions of Italy. 

You can try different sandwiches and they have an excellent burrata. They serve real coffee, how it should be made.

What is your "go-to" cheap eat to cook at home when you have a night in?

I would suggest a nice vegetable appetiser, something fresh and flavourful which is cheap and tasty as long as it's seasonal. 

At home, when the first heirloom tomatoes come into season, I slice them and season with olive oil, fresh herbs and some anchovies on top - seasoning generously is a must! 

Try to buy smart, local and according to the season - that's one of my favourite tips.

I also recommend a nice pasta when cooking at home, using a brand called Rummo (note from Money team: their range is available from Ocado for around £2), served alongside delicious seafood. 

Go early to Billingsgate fish market, to buy quality seafood direct from fisherman. It's also usually cheaper and always fresher. Plus, you can negotiate a bit!

We've spoken to lots of top chefs and bloggers - check out their cheap eats from around the country here...

By  James Sillars , business news reporter  

A stronger open for the FTSE 100 today after financial and energy stocks dragged yesterday. 

The index was 0.3% up at 8,161 following the 0.7% hit of the previous session.

Part of that decline was a double-edged sword as it was linked to lower oil prices.

In better news for drivers, Brent crude touched $84 a barrel and was a further 0.7% down as some market concerns over tight supplies eased.

Chinese economic data was also seen as pouring cold water on prospects for higher demand in the world's second-biggest economy.

Weaker profit estimates from BP also led the market down.

Companies reporting on their progress today included JD Wetherspoon.

The pub giant reported a 5.8% rise in comparable sales over the 10 weeks to 7 July.

It was likely aided by Euro 2024 and in spite of unseasonably wet weather, which has been blamed for hitting consumer spending more widely.

Its shares were 0.1% down in response.

The performance likely reflected the fact that the sales growth figure was lower than the 11% rise achieved in the same period last year.

Wetherspoons also highlighted cost pressures from wages and some products.

EE has launched a subscription service designed to protect users from nuisance calls and scams.

Called Scam Guard, the system will use AI to spot likely spam calls and alert users to them.

It will also notify the owner if their personal information has been found on the dark web, and offer tips on how to secure any in-danger accounts. 

Anti-virus and malware protection for two devices and tools for stronger password creation can be included as well.

The mobile operator is offering the service to pay-monthly phone customers, starting from £1 a month. 

EE, which is part of the BT Group, said it hoped the system would eliminate the stress of cybersecurity and educate users on the subject. 

It comes after government research published earlier this year showed 40% of crime committed across the UK was fraud-based, and almost all phone users experienced nuisance calls on a regular basis.

"We have always prioritised the protection of our customers and our investment in Scam Guard is something we are all incredibly proud of," said Helen Burrows, policy director for BT. 

"This is something we take seriously, and while we already block an impressive number of scams, there is always more that we can do. Scam Guard covers all bases, so customers can feel safer on our network."

Aldi will open 10 new stores across the UK this summer.

The German supermarket chain has already opened stores in Skelmersdale in Lancashire, Newport in Wales, Castle Gresley in Derbyshire, Goole in Yorkshire and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire this year.

And it is now set to open sites in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, and Olney Park in Milton Keynes, in the next month.

Towns such as Aberdare in Wales, Broughty Ferry in Dundee and Leytonstone in London are also set to open new stores.

In total, the UK's fourth-largest supermarket is on track to open 35 new stores this year, with each creating around 40 new jobs on average.

The openings form part of Aldi's long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK.

Jonathan Neale, real estate managing director at Aldi UK, said the store wanted to "ensure that high quality yet affordable food is available to everyone" and that was why the chain would "expand across the UK".

Where will the new branches be opening?

• Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire
• Olney Park, Milton Keynes
• Aberdare, Wales
• Broughty Ferry, Dundee
• Leytonstone, London
• Beckton, London
• Middleton, Leeds
• Rugeley, Staffordshire
• Gosforth, Tyne and Wear
• Holloway Road, London
• Shepshed, Leicester 

Over half a million pensioners are still paying off their mortgages, research shows.

In its survey of 2,000 people over 50, the financial services firm SunLife found that retired mortgage holders still owed more than £30,000 on average.

Data found that of the 68% that were homeowners, 23% were still paying off their mortgage.

And while 87% of those with outstanding mortgages were still working, the research showed that 13% of those still paying off their mortgages were retired.

This means that of all retirees in the UK,  7% - the equivalent of just over 500,000 older people - may still be paying monthly mortgage payments.

On average, these retired mortgage holders still owe £33,627.

The data follows a recent Bank of England report which revealed nearly half of all mortgages issued in the last three months of 2023 were for 30 years or longer.

Last month, worried homeowners told the Money team they would have to work longer and later in life to pay their mortgages.

You can read more here ...

Crisis-hit Thames Water has warned its cash remains on track to run dry by the end of May next year due to a lack of new investment, forcing it to prepare a plan for its lenders.

The country's biggest water company, which serves almost a quarter of the population, previously said it had £2.4bn of liquidity as of the end of March.

The company said on Tuesday that the sum had fallen to £1.8bn by the end of June.

Cash-strapped Thames Water has been struggling to secure fresh funds from existing shareholders after they withdrew promised investment of £500m amid a funding row with the industry regulator.

Read more from our business news reporter James Sillars below... 

The UK's largest hotel brand has had to change its marketing after a complaint to the advertising regulator - removing claims which said buying early means getting the best price.

The complaint against Premier Inn was "informally resolved" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), meaning the hotel chain agreed to amend the communication and details of the issue were not made public.

No formal ruling was published but the ASA told Sky News a complaint had challenged Premier Inn's claim that booking early gave the best deals on the basis the statement was misleading and could not be substantiated.

The ad in question said: "Book early to secure your choice of hotel and dates for the best price!"

Read more from our business news reporter Sarah Taafe-Maguire here... 

Card spending fell last month for the first time in more than three years, according to Barclays.

It's the first time there's been a drop in card spending values since February 2021, the bank's June data showed.

The figures cover nearly 40% of the nation's credit and debit card transactions and combine it with consumer research.

It's due to a combination of prices rising less than before, as inflation weakened, and wet weather dampening clothes, pub and garden centre sales early in the month.

Read more...

Dyson has revealed plans for 1,000 job losses in the UK.

The manufacturer of innovative vacuum cleaners and other products said the cuts, which amount to more than a quarter of its UK workforce, followed a review of its global workforce needs.

It is understood that the redundancies are not linked to the general election as the process had begun beforehand.

The company's founder Sir James Dyson had previously been  critical of the Conservative government 's approach to economic growth and science.

Follow this breaking story here ...

Move out the way Chick-fil-A, another viral American fast food chain is about to launch in the UK. 

Dave's Hot Chicken has announced it will open restaurants in 60 locations across the UK and Ireland, with the first coming early next year. 

The social media sensation is known for its jumbo chicken sliders, sliders and bites. 

They can each be ordered in seven different spice levels from no spice to reaper, which is so hot you have to sign a waiver to eat it. 

"We know there is an opportunity to make Dave's Hot Chicken one of the iconic restaurant brands, and we do that by partnering with incredible operators, like Azzurri Group," said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken.

"The flavour of Dave's Hot Chicken resonates across borders, and we're looking forward to the first UK store getting open soon." 

The chain is coming to the UK after it signed an agreement with Azzurri Group - one of the country's biggest hospitality investment platforms.

The group already operates Italian restaurants Zizzi, Ask Italian, and Coco di Mama as well as the fast casual Mexican restaurant Boojum. 

Dave's Hot Chicken was originally founded by three friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan, who spent $900 to launch in a car park in 2017. 

Since then, it has grown rapidly with more than 200 restaurants now open across the US. 

It has also garnered the attention of famous investors like singers Drake and Usher, and actor Samuel L Jackson. 

The move to the UK comes after a recent expansion by Popeyes and an upcoming launch by Chick-fil-A. 

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