First up, let me just say that I have never been one to write a blog! It is one thing that I have actually thought of doing before, but just didn’t know what to say…. but, here I am, having recently taken over Summer Candle Co (SCC) and feel like I have plenty to share! But before I get writing, I want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you who are reading this right now and are visiting our website, I truely do appreciate it..genuinely.
By way of introduction, my name is Jo, and together with my husband David we have recently taken over running SCC. We are local to the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, but hail originally from the UK and Melbourne respectively. Neither of us have a background in making candles, but due to circumstances beyond our control, my employment circumstances changed a while ago. This was over a year ago, and finding myself with more time on my hands I decided to start making candles as a hobby. From there, the interest and my passion grew, and before I knew it I had developed a real interest in the process. It was one day a few months ago that a chance opportunity to become involved with candle-making as a business presented itself in the form of Summer Candle Co. It wasn’t something I went looking for, but definitely one journey I went in head first!
We are at the very beginning of our journey with SCC, and I look forward to hearing more from our lovely customers soon, but for the moment I thought I would share a couple of thoughts about what I have learnt already during these early stages into this adventure.
As a chandler going into business, these are the 5 things I feel are really important:
1. Research Research Research - learn all about the materials you are using, the wax the wicks etc. When I started this, I didn’t realise that candle-making was such an art and / or science! Quality products are essential, as are being as eco-friendly as we can possibly be. We use natural soy wax and reuse our packaging as much as we can, but I am sure there is more we can integrate in to the business to become as sustainable as possible..
2. Once you have researched and decided what you would like to make, Test Test Test! Not only do you want a beautifully crafted fragranced candle or reed diffuser to sit in your house, you want it to be SAFE! We have been testing our products for a long time now and have all sorts of scents and vessels lying around the place as we test our next product. This step is imperative though and can’t be skipped as you need to learn how your materials react in different situations.
3. Deciding what products to sell - somedays I feel like the sky is the limit, but when I start dreaming big, I get overwhelmed. So, we have made it simple - start with the core best-selling products that SCC have been selling over the years and take time to build on those with our own ideas as time goes on. SCC’s customers have been loyal, and we don’t want to make too many changes and inadvertently get rid of any favourites. Please get in touch with me if your favourite product isn’t yet available!
4. Social media - there is a LOT to learn when running a business. I thought I knew all about Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest as a long time personal user, but taking over social media platforms as a business is a whole new kettle of fish. Bear with me as I get to grips on this one!
5. Enjoy the journey. What’s that saying? If you love your job, it won’t feel like you work a day in your life. That is exactly how feel. So far I’m loving what I’m doing, and I hope you enjoy our products. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Jo and David
