Learning how to make candles has become a immensely enjoyable experience. My next step was to create a home based business around my hobby. Now only knowing how to make beautiful candles was not enough. I had to think about promoting them, where to order the supplies, and the best way to offer them to customers. There was also that tricky task of pricing them correctly.
Candles has remained a popular item for centuries, thus there is a great market for them. But no matter how great your candles look, if people don’t know about them you won’t be selling any. A plan will need to be developed as to where you will sell your candle creations and how to get people to notice them. Many options are available to sell your candles, you could do it from your own home or rent space at flea markets or craft shows. Word of mouth is the best advertising, get satisfied customers and you will get repeat customers and new business. The internet is also an option.
There are also ways to advertise online, from expensive ad campaigns to free article marketing. Many sites on the web offer free homepages to build a site about your products. Sites such as Blogger and Wordpress offer free web space and blogs in which you can use to promote your business. A lot of hosting companies will provide web space, a web site with shopping cart and credit card processing all for a $20 a month flat fee. This is much cheaper than a one day rental at a craft fair.
Selling your candles on Ebay or Yahoo auctions is also a great way to generate sales and repeat customers, with your accumulation of positive feedback. Before you jump into the selling part you will want to decide on what type of candles you want to sell. You will most definitely want to show pictures of your items, people need a visualization of what they are buying before they make the purchase. After you start getting sales and generating a profit, look into purchasing supplies in bulk for bigger discounts.
Pricing your candles at a fair price is the key to a successful business. If the customers think it is a bargain, they will have their credit cards in hand. Ensuring you cover your costs associated with supplies and your time while building into a profit is essential. Don’t make the mistake of cutting corners on supplies, you don’t want to develop a reputation of bad products, it is a business killer.
The same retail tips will work for your small home businesses. Offering some promotional discounts, free shipping or buy some get some free have worked for ages and will work for you. Adding a personal touch of thank you cards is always a great tip.
You might consider a personalization service for your candles. Many customers are looking for gifts, offering a requested color or some sort of personalization will generate many sales for you. Feel free to charge more for your personalization service, know exactly what your customer wants before creating the candle for them.
As in all businesses complaints and problems will arise, the way you handle these obstacles is the deal maker or breaker. Customer service is number one with any business, happy and satisfied customers will result in repeat business for years to come. Keep your contact information handy for all customers and outline your return policies before purchases are made.
Running your own home based business is an exciting venture that could turn into a million dollar business. Selling items that you made with your own hands will create a sense of satisfaction like none other. Ensuring that you spend the extra time in developing a solid marketing plan, will ensure little stress, much enjoyment and a healthy profit.