What We Wish We Knew Before Starting Our (Million Dollar) Candle Business

Hi, we’re Katie and Eric Roering; the founders of Fontana Candle Co. In 4 years we took our hobby of making candles in our basement, and selling them at craft shows and makers markets and we turned Fontana into a nationally recognized eCommerce brand. This year we are doing 7 figures of revenue and have 12 employees. So how did we do it?
Welcome to The Candle Couple Podcast, where we will share the nitty gritty of scaling our e-commerce brand quickly. We are spilling the tea, so hopefully we can help you scale your brand quickly too.
This is Episode 17: What We Wish We Knew Before Starting Our Candle Business
This topic has been done quite a bit already on RUclips, but we think with our scale, we bring a slightly different perspective to this. We are sharing what we have learned from owning our million dollar candle business.
Timestamps:
1:15 What is your end goal?
2:40 Our life is our business
3:00 We are not candle makers anymore
4:20 This is a volume business
5:00 The market is very crowded: what's your marketing strategy?
5:30 Makers Markets & Craft Shows make great market test groups
8:18 Record keeping for success
9:20 Dead inventory is a cash suck
10:00 How many scents should you start with?
11:00 Make data driven business decisions
11:50 Business Mentors are a key to success
13: 40 Trust but verify
14:20 It's ok to say no!
Resources:
Find a SCORE Mentor: www.score.org/
Disclaimer: Everything shared in our videos is from our own personal experience, and is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Always seek legal guidance from a business attorney and certified public accountant. Everyone is responsible for their own business structure and business practices, and we will not be held accountable.
Since we love the companies we talk about so much, we may have an affiliate relationship with them. If you make a purchase through the above links, we may earn a small affiliate commission. There is no additional cost to you.

[@bossvision]

yes! there's always that ONE person asking for one scent is so counterproductive

[@ScottMontgomeryMusic]

Who is your source for fragrance and beeswax?

[@isabelpapagno1433]

how do you deal with retailers who want 75% off? (you mentioned that in another of your videos.) That would be a loss for me. So you have to overcharge the end user a LOT in order to keep your head above water. Your advice?

[@thecandlecouplepodcast]

It is certainly a loss for us, so we said no thank you!

[@AtifJavid]

How come you dont offer candles on subscription?

[@thecandlecouplepodcast]

Hi there! We do! We use Recharge Subscriptions for our subscription program.