Hey folks!
Patrick here, blogging about some important lessons I've learned while in the infancy of my candle-making business. It was a fun and exciting process but it also had some lessons learned the hard way.
1. Making time to build out your product in an efficient timeframe
This one has been a bit of a tough act to juggle, as I currently work two jobs, and started this candle-making business here in Ottawa last month. There are times when orders trickle in, and orders arrive in bulk. Finding the time to actually look over the order, set up the vessels, label them, and finally begin the candle-making process, can range from an hour to several hours. Through these endeavors, I've learned better time management and efficient ways to build candles promptly.
2. Inventory management
During my first month as a business owner, I have neglected at times, my scent inventory, which has led to delays in orders, and having to explain this to my customers. This has felt incredibly embarrassing at times, and having to break this to my customers has been difficult. During these holidays, I did not take into account that shipping would be delayed due to the tremendous amount of shipments moving globally which has led to delays in receiving scents I need to complete orders. I've had to resort to purchasing scents from more expensive and quicker alternatives, and that has eaten into my margins.
3. Continuously improving my store and the user experience
When I launched my store a month ago, it looked completely different from what it is now, and likely to look like in the future. Through constant feedback from customers, I've resolved shipping, product-related, and user experience issues. My store originally began with one product, the black 8oz deep tin, and a variety of scents. We now offer a 10oz matte black jar, Christmas scents, and some upcoming seasonal scents. I also was only available to the Ottawa area, but have since expanded through shipments to Alberta, and all over Ontario. We currently ship to all of Canada.
I hope you've enjoyed my first blog "Three Lessons Learned As A New Candle-Making Business Owner", and will continue to follow along with my journey as an up-and-coming business owner. I will continue these blogs, and my next one will revolve around what to expect in 2024.
You will all be excited about the next steps that Ottawa Custom Candles will take in 2024!
- Patrick M