Would you say you could make a living out of making candles?

[mushy]

If done well, maybe stocking a few shops, doing craft fairs and having a web site, would you say there is a living to be made out of it?

And to the pros that are making a living out of it...if you could turn back time would you do exactly the same?

Oh and also how long did it take going from hobby to earning

Can you tell I'm thinking about it? lol

[cinnamonchic]

To be honest, it depends on the product you make and how well you make it, your commitment to time, your sales pitch and technique and how much work you can put into it. It's an expensive hobby, takes time to build up and like any business, has to be worked at. Customers don't just come to you unless you have a mega wide social circle and family you can do parties for.

Candles is a market where there are loads of small sellers and a so a lot of competition and if you want to stand out from the crowd its a long haul. Took me two years to make a profit, but I didn't put anything like as much time into it as I could have.

If you sell one candle, you are no longer a hobbyist (technically hobbyist is making for yourself or friends at no cost). All these ebayers that pretend to be hobbyists are nothing of the sort. The tax man doesn't recognise hobby for anything. If you buy materials and make something from them to sell, you are a taxable business. Saying that though, the legal tax reporting requirements for low volume and start up sellers is pretty small and easy to do so not frightening at all.

You have to register as self employed, and state your profit or loss on your self assessment so it's not really a lot to do to be legal.

Also insurance for selling candles. Candle makers who sell and don't have it are taking very high risks.

Few hobbyists turned candlemakers made a great deal from it. Pin money and some more easily enough once you get going. Finding shops to take ain't easy. Craft fairs are hit or miss and quite often it takes a lot of time for people to trust candles that are not from the big names.

When you start, there is more money from candle parties - instant sales. Web sites take a LOT of time and effort to build up to get passing trade as the competition for keywords is very big.

Would I do it again - :nopity:
Yeah man - I LOVE making candles.

[onlyme]

While we're on the subject of candles, I have a question: I've bought plenty of scented candles (love em') but some of them (most of them) don't seem to have any fragrance at all? Yet I bought some from Weymouth last year and they had the most beautiful scent to them! Unfortunately, Weymouth is too far to go shopping for candles. I'm always wary now about buying them.

[JohnP]

I'm not an expert on this at all, because I've not been making candles very long... but I'd say it was difficult to make money out candle making.

What makes me think that? I went in Home Bargains today and they have lovely layered candles for 49p, that's cheaper than the wax. There's no way you can compete.

Making candles is fun though, so far I've really enjoyed working with wax.

The only craft I've ever made any money out of is wood work.

[cinnamonchic]

Hi John P - I think you said it all.
A 49p candle ain't ever gonna be a good candle unless it is a good candlemaker selling off some stock. Anyone who appreciates a lovely strong smelling candle will go searching for it. Most handmade candles tend to be stronger. As Lisa would say, there are loads of people who don't really appreciate a good candle and will happily pay for the rubbish they get for that price, but others start looking for the quality scents they want. Some people have never ever burned a quality candle and all they know are the cheapies - so all they do to pals is recommend varying degrees of rubbish candles.

Onlyme
Most of the shop bought candles you buy are mass produced somewhere and normally using very cheap wax and almost no scent at all as they don't use additives to allow the wax to accept a higher scent load. The scents are normally cheap too and possibly only scented on the outside but not all the way through the candle. There are lots of people making good candles though so keep looking. In Weymouth, perhaps it was a specific candlemakers candle, or one of the bigger companies that are a bit better quality than the supermakrkets.

[kayleee]

I have to say it's hard work, basically whatever you make you are building a business that competes with every big name brand out there that also make candles.

It may cost you a lot before you see any return if you're only doing it as a business. Unless you have an automatic customer base (lots of friends and family that love good candles and are willing to sell to their friends and family) it's going to be tough unless you are a great salesperson.

[uksewing]

I bought these soda bread candles from a place in keswick that were a fiver each, there is definatly a living to be made. they do smell great tho.

[candles by lisa]

I bought these soda bread candles from a place in keswick that were a fiver each, there is definatly a living to be made. they do smell great tho.

Wish I lived near Keswick!!!:D

[janicejan]

On my side if you really like what you were doing then it simply means that you are doing great, low income doesn't matter if you are rich at heart.. and you were asking if you can make a loving with candles and candle making, I can say yes, a lot of people achieved success selling this kinds of products, but you must be creative and dedicated in order to reach your goals..

[sparkysdad]

well, never say never.. Colony, Yankee and many others make a living, and certainly Yankee started off small scale..

The pitfalls however are many..

Competition - I have seen one or two posters "berating" the purchasers of 49p candles, but the bottom line is many of us drive fiestas and only one or two have a ferrari.. Not every candle purchased is for lighting, some like them as objects, or as part of their decor, or as a gift.. and if the "look" is right, who is to say a 49p candle doesnt fit the purpose.. I used to buy Prices Church (pillar) candles but one day I switched to boring IKEA ones.. why? because 90 hours of burn time was a quarter of the price for an off white pillar candle!

An Artisan candle is of course a nice thing, and there will always be a market for something different and unusual, but it would be a tough journey trying to sell at a viable price if your product is too similar to mass produced and freely available products. The purchaser may like your product, and understand that it is hand crafted with skill and care, but to give as a gift to a less discerning person would be perhaps difficult..

I think with many "craft" incomes, the real profit is in supplying the crafters, not in selling finished products.. the cost of set up - equipment, supplies, packaging, and the added costs of promotion means that you have to have a certain economy of scale - your costs are offset against your tax bill if you do get income, so you have to take those costs in to account when considering if you "make a profit" let alone an income from your hobby..

I'm not saying there is anything intrinsically wrong about underselling your product (i.e. working out a price that doesnt effectively reward your time, and cover all your overheads/outgoings) - there's only so many candles you can want/need/use in your house after all, and selling the excess recoups some money to pay for more materials, provides an opportunity to experiment, and a social opportunity to meet people you sell to, but the bottom line is if you spent 35 (organised!)hours making candles, would the total value of their retail price cover materials, equipment (at least a contribution towards) marketing, delivery, packaging and still leave you with £200 (before tax)... because even the most basic of jobs would.. so if your answer is "no" you are effectively paying someone else to take your candle.. and thats the difference between "pin money" and "income".

All that aside, the real question is whether upscaling what you do to produce more would give you the same level of enjoyment?? Getting a few pounds for a candle here and there is nice.. you get reassurance your product is valued and enjoyed, and has a defined monetary worth, as well as the pleasure of crafting. Would that still be true if you had to allocate 20% of your time to packaging and distribution, 15% to marketing, 40% to selling and just 25% to doing your craft?? Some people love the whole process, and discover a real talent for new skills - many revert to crafting and pin money because the joy goes out of it when you have to be driven by the wrong factors...:)

[Oddsox]

Totally agree with 'Sparkydad' and all other comments.

We undertake our different crafts because we enjoy doing them. The recognition and acknowledgement of doing so usually drives us on to improve and create. If the majority added up the time invested, materials and effort, I would think not many actually make a profit. Many probably massively undervalue their own time, abilities and worth in order to compete.

In an ideal world I suppose that it would be a nice position when your hobby evolves to a positon where you have to make a choice whether to convert it to a business or not. Evolution not revolution. The greatest factor most crafters have over mass produced items is individual service, interest and personal commissions. These are built up over time with word of mouth and repeat business. If you do something right people will get to know about it.

On the other hand, if you launch into a business without that 'network' of experience and interest then the risks become greater. You suddenly have to find interest in your products - via the internet, advertising locally, parties, exhibitions, shows, fairs. These I assume are all time consuming and relatively expensive. Time that you are not crafting.

I would certainly say that there is a 'living' to be made if you understand your products and understand the market you selling in. I don't think anybody can compete head-to-head with the mass produced candle manufacturers so provide a product and/or service they cannot .

HTH

Oddsox:)

[JohnP]

I've been thinking about this thread...

I think the most important bit of advice would be finding the right 'forum' to sell them in.

It's definitely, definitely, NOT Ebay. If you go on there, you can see some really nice hand crafted candles going for what must be a loss . That said, if you want to buy some nice cheap candles - it's great!


The only thing that really sells on there is yankee/colony candles etc etc

But I recently went to the Cheshire candle workshop which is a huge 'rural' craft candle factory. It's a fantastic business idea and obviously doing very well... i.e. they've got the right forum to sell candles.

I suppose a well placed market stall could have the same effect.