Member of the month

Create your own Candle Business like Laura

Laura Joined my Ignite Your Creativity course in October 2020 and now has a beautiful thriving candle business Popili. Not only does she make candles but melts too. Read how she built her candle business Popili here –

How old is your business now?

I still haven’t fully launched yet! I’m still working on perfecting the candles but I started selling wax melts and gift sets in December 2020 and the website was finalised in January 2021.

Has your business changed in any way since you first started out? If so in what way?

I had initially no plans to sell wax melts however due to their popularity I did a U – Turn and I am so obsessed with using them in my own home too.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?

Establishing a reliable supply chain and sourcing the highest quality ingredients. The difficulty in sourcing materials prior to Christmas was a huge challenge when everything was out of stock. I’m now holding more stock to ensure I have enough to fulfil the orders.

Tell us what a normal day looks like for you.

A typical day would be waking up at 6.30am, going out for a run, coming home, making breakfast, taking my dog for a walk, setting my two daughters 11 & 8 up with their home schooling and doing some paperwork. Creating a blog post, researching some new scents, ordering new supplies. After lunch I make small batches of candles or wax melts, pack up orders and label the products. Dinner and then candle testing in the evening.

Which product do you like creating the most?

At the moment I love creating wax melts, I love my packaging, I’m so happy with how it looks.

Who would you most like to meet in business?

I’d love to meet Holly Tucker the Founder of Not On The High Street, she is such a support to small businesses and a very positive inspirational lady.

Is there a shop that you would most like to see your products in?

Independent Interior stores

Has building a candle business been easier or harder than you thought?

Harder, there are so many components to consider in all aspects of the business from finding the right wax, wick, scent combinations to utilising social media, creating a website, writing blogs, packaging, stock levels and the financial aspects to consider also.

How many hours a day do you spend on your business?

Typically 5-6 hours a day

Did you invest a lot in equipment at the start of the business or use what you already had?

I invested a reasonable amount and researched the equipment that I thought would be useful as the business grew.

What one thing would you say to someone wanting to start their own candle business?

Take time and do your research

What is your current favourite scent?

I absolutely love the Fairy Dust scent. I also love the Lis d’ambre scent, it’s similar to my husbands favourite aftershave and smells amazing.

Which part of running a business do you like the most? And the least?

I actually really enjoy it all, I love how varied all of the tasks are, I literally learn something new everyday and I am enjoying the challenge.

What is your Ethos?

Creating something that I would like to buy or receive as a gift and delivering a service that I would like to experience.

Name 5 words to describe your business?

Elegant, Artisan, progressive, friendly, passionate.

Join Ignite Your Creativity here and create your own candle business https://www.jomacfarlane.com/build-your-business/