Candle Business

Being born in the era of electrical light I was not much interested in candles. However I liked the way candles felt when rubbed in my skin and the way they smell. I even carved a big piece of candle into a human statue. Years later I learned that there are people who do earn money from carving candles and turning them into statues and there are people who use them everyday.

Good Prospects for the Future of the Candle Industry

The candle business is huge in such places as the USA, Singapore and Europe. The National Candle Association reports that the candle industry is worth $3.14 billion annually in the US alone. CBI is the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries and it reports that Europe accounts for 2/3 of all candle imports globally.

This means that if you are or want to start a candle business you should make it a part of your business strategy and goal to inevitably sell to the European market if you have not already done so. Candle users usually come from developed countries who do not primarily use them for their intended purpose which is lighting but for other purposes.

By knowing these other purposes you will inevitably be more successful in targeting your candle customers. For example Mexicans and Filipinos usually light up candles as a part of their cultural celebrations. So if you are an enterprising person you would make candles specifically tailored to these cultural celebrations.

If you are in Mexico for example you cannot sell Christmas candles during the Day of the Dead celebrations but you can make a lot of money by selling La Muerte candles. However selling La Muerte candles may not work in other countries who celebrate identical celebrations. This goes for candle scents as well. There are now many candle scents now for varying seasons and occasions and the list is growing.

There is an article from ZION Market Research (Global Newswire) titled Global Candle Market Will Reach Over USD 13.72 Billion By 2026: Zion Market Research According to their article the global candle industry will grow at an approximately CAGR of 6.3% between 2019 and 2026.

This means that candles even though an old technology is getting more popular even though the electric bulb has made them obsolete in terms of their lighting use. They have found other uses especially in culture related activities. For example according to the European Candle Association Denmark burns more candles per person than any other country in Europe.

In a blog article by INGEBRETSEN'S NORDIC MARKETPLACE titled HYGGE AND LIGHT: PART 1 – CANDLES it explains how candles are an integral part of the Danish Hygge culture. It informs us that 23% of the Nordic people light up candles daily and only about 4% do not light candles at all. The rest light up candles at certain days of the week in different quantities.

This is a huge number and even a small part of this market is already a good market size. This is especially important when you consider that the Danes prefer natural made candles without artificial ingredients which means that they do not require much fancy candles but only simple natural based ones.

I strongly suggest that you read the blog if it is still available as the blog announced that they are moving the site’s blog to another location but did not inform much else. If you are interested to know the link between cultural celebrations and candles then you can Google the keywords “candle tradition” so you can pinpoint celebrations that may be helpful to your business.

Scented Candles

As mentioned before candles were once primarily used for lighting and retained their place in primarily cultural celebrations. Some of these cultural use for candles which are primarily the scented ones managed to transfer into everyday life. Many people especially women and those with money to spare use them to improve not only the mood of the place but also to give a nice fragrance to the place.

Candles are old world technology and fire is one of the basic elements and the presence of these two factors in candle add a certain prominence to the place they inhabit. The scent given out by the candles also livens up the place. If the candles is intricately shaped and designed the more the place establishes a prominence to the people who are in the place.

Candle Collectors

Because candles can be a showpiece in any place especially the elaborate and scented ones even when not lit they attract a lot of collectors especially women who use them in the regular daily rituals and activities. For example there are people who would use candles and also flowers to accessorise their romantic activities.

There are also people who light candles while they cook to liven not only the smell of the kitchen but also to liven their mood. In due time these people develop a habit of lighting candles in many parts of their normal lives and eventually become collectors. The numerous candle scents in the market today also sparks a collector’s mentality.

Candle Sculptures

Of course candles also come in different sizes, shapes and designs. Many collectors also collect candles based on their appearance. This means that if you have sculpting skills you can use it to sell sculpted candles. For example a custom sculpted candle with a sculpted name is more expensive than a plain candle.

For example if you have a client by the name of Luke Perry who has a partner by the name of Lucy Perry you can market a candle sculpture with the carving “Luke Perry Loves Lucy Perry” during valentines. You can also market “Happy Birthday to… or Happy Anniversary to…” to the couple. This way you not only have one but have repeat sales as well for all occasions.

Imagine if you have a big candle which states “Happy Birthday to…” which not only states the name of the person but also the age of the person. This is a more endearing candle than the usual candles which only have the number shaped candles which are usually thrown after the celebration. Your product is more collectible than this and more personal.

Could You Really Make Good Money with a Candle Business?

Just like all businesses there is no assurance that your business will be a success or even just survive. It all depends on a lot of factors. But it has been shown previously however that the market for candles is growing and therefore you have more chances for success as against other businesses.

There are many success stories online of people making full-time income selling candles starting only by making candles from their homes and then later making it big with their own formal manufacturing facilities. For example there is an article from Starter Story titled: How I Started A $20K/Month Southern Inspired Candle Business.

It tells the story of DShawn Russell the founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company who so unsatisfied with her job and her future that she decided to do something about it. She started candle manufacturing at home and eventually grew from there that she is now earning $120,000 per year which is way higher and considered double what a middle income earner in the US earns.

I have seen many examples of people manufacturing candles as their means of livelihood but are not progressing that much and are being beaten by bigger and more productive competitors which would eventually lead to their downfall. DShawn Russell is a progressive thinker maybe because of her previous career background.

She knew that business is a long game and took careful steps to increase her knowledge not only of the business but her management, marketing, technical and other skills. She is not afraid to fail up to a certain point and knew the effectiveness of online selling. Her article is a good read for anyone aspiring to be a candle manufacturer and have to start from scratch.

What are Some Kinds of Candles You Can Manufacture?

Ordinary candles
These are the lowest quality candles and are primarily made to be lit up and to provide an open fire. Since these candles are primarily marketed based on price this would benefit a large scale manufacturer or wholesaler who benefits most from scale. You can still start a business based on these products but you face tremendous competition from competitors who can compete based on scale and low profit margins.

Scented Candles
These are specialised candles whose main marketing strength is their scent. Thus if you are able to create a candle scent that your clients would like and buy you will make good money. There are already a lot of big players in this market and although you may have a very good candle scent that can beat the big players you still need to first reach your audience to make them aware.

This is the reason why many small and even individual scented candle makers advertise their candles in social media and online which almost levels the playing field between them and the big companies. Testimonies from those who sampled your product are especially helpful. Many customers read the online comments section to gauge products that they can only see and hear but not touch and smell.

Bendy Candles
These are ordinary candles bended into a certain contortion. Bending candles requires a certain skill to be able to do which makes the finished product more expensive than normal candles. The bended candle can either arouse the curiosity of the viewers or can be beautiful masterpieces. They can be both. Whatever their purpose they serve to attract attention due to the skill required in making them.

Designer Candles
These are expensive pieces of candles that can be multilayered with different coloured candles and are intricately shaped. These candles denote status as not many people will use them due to their expensive price. Mastery in selling to the higher levels of society or to those who have money to spend for candles is a requirement for these products. These are low volume but high profit sales.

Sculpted Candles
These are one-off candle sculptures and these candles are mainly not meant to be lit up and used but are more of a decorative piece. There are other ways you can earn from these products. For example you can create an online video of you sculpting the candle and then afterward you can sell the finished product. You can also teach candle sculpting.

Wax candle lotion
These are candles which can be used as a lotion as the name suggests. If you are a person especially a woman who have the business bent towards personal care products this could be an addition to your product line. Be careful and use only safe products that would not irritate and even damage the skin of your customers.

Candles as perfume
There are women who use dabs of scented candles as perfumes. Many claim that they are more fragrant and are longer lasting. It would not be long before enterprising people would master a product specifically designed after this. This could be anyone including you. You should however take note again to use only safe products for your customers.

Be a Candle Supplies Wholesaler

I chanced upon Candle Science which is a candle supplies wholesaler. Their clients range from candle hobbyists all the way up to big manufacturers. I also checked if they have a global presence and although they do not have global partners or branches there are 3rd party resellers of their products.

They are not only a wholesaler of candle supplies but based from their website they are also a hub for candle making. This could be you in the future. You can start out small and be a hobbyist with candle making then you can start to market what you know to other hobbyists until you build an audience which turns to paying clients for your services and products.

Conclusion

There are many ways to earn from candles and there are also many products and types of candles. You can even combine all of them to maximise your profits and become a supplies seller, wholesaler or retailer. The important thing is to develop an audience which in the future will turn to paying customers.

Once you have developed a client base it is important that you study them to know what products they would pay for. This can be done by trying inexpensive trial and error methods and by getting feedback from your customers.