Member of the month

1. How did you decide on your name God’s Own Luxury for your business? This was one of the hardest parts of starting the business!  Myself and my husband were driving to Cornwall last year and we spent the journey coming up with ideas.  We are both from Yorkshire and wanted this to be reflected in the business and Yorkshire is known as ‘God’s Own County’, so we grabbed onto the God’s Own part.  We started with Beauty first but then felt this was too specific.  We knew we wanted to produce luxury products, so we felt the word Luxury would best describe our business and would keep our options open for expanding our product range.
2. Has your business changed much since you first envisaged it? At first, I chose too many fragrances.  We soon realised the challenge of testing and stocking too many products!  So, we narrowed our fragrances down to focus on and start with six favourites. 
3. What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it? The biggest challenge was packaging!  There are a lot of options but they didn’t necessarily fit our brand and product sizes.  We also wanted to keep everything as sustainable as possible, so this had to be taken in to account when choosing packaging.  Some packaging is also very expensive!  So, we had to ensure we chose packaging that didn’t push our prices too high which was a challenge at times.
4. Tell us what a normal day looks like for you? Currently we are both working full time jobs, so that has not changed!  During the evening I run our social media and at the weekend I am either making candles and wax melts, or packaging up orders which is great!
5. Which of your products do you enjoy creating the most? Candles!  I love melting the wax, stirring in the fragrance oil and pouring.  It is so therapeutic!  Waiting and watching the wax set is extremely satisfying. 
6. Who would you most like to meet in business? There are so many fantastic brands which have been created by individuals rather than big companies.  I would love to meet anyone who has grown a new brand into a successful business. 
7. What advice do you have for a younger self? Not to worry so much about what the future holds.
8. Has building a candle business been easier or harder than you first thought? Harder!  There is a lot to think about.  When you start, you think you just need wax, fragrance oil, a wick and a vessel but that is so far from the truth!
9. How many hours a day do you typically spend on your business? I mainly work on my business over the weekend and as we are just starting out, it is not too overwhelming!
10. What inspired you to start a business? I have always wanted to start my own business.  My day job is essentially running a business, so I really wanted to run my own too!
11. What piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own candle business? Just go for it.  Accept that you will make mistakes and that it will take more time and money than you thought!
12. What is your current favourite scent? Fiery Orange and Bergamot.  I love how bold it is with citrus notes of orange and tangerine but with spicy hints of ginger, clove and creamy vanilla.  It is a good all year round scent and is also a perfect outdoor scent which insects hate!
13. Do you enjoy all aspects of running your own business? Yes, I really love it.  The main challenge is space to store everything!
14. How do you take time out for yourself? I have recently started Reformer Pilates which I am really enjoying and I try and run 2 – 3 times a week which I find is great for my mindset.
15. 5 words to describe your business? Luxurious, beautiful, indulgent, exciting, environmentally conscious.
16. How long did it take you from starting your business to selling your first candle? I started to make candles last summer, so approximately 8 months.
17. Did you have any experience before starting? None at all!  I bought a starter ‘candle making ‘ kit last summer and that was my only experience!

Check out Gemma’s website here – God’s Own Luxury