Business Name and What It Does
Stella’s Candle Collection creates high-quality, hand-poured, natural, clean-burning candles and melts. It is a woman and Latina-owned small business based in Minnesota. We hand-pour our candles and melts with lots of love at our candle studio in Northfield, MN, and ship anywhere in the U.S. We offer products in various sizes for beautification, aroma therapy, and decorative purposes. Our target customers love and use candles to accommodate households, travelers, spas, colleges, weddings, or special events. Our product line uses exclusively soy wax, natural cotton wicks, and a blend of either fragrance or essential oils with no paraffin, phthalates, sulfate, lead, or dye. Our vessels are primarily mason jars which can be repurposed in many useful ways. We also produce small candles with tins that are often used for wedding favors or great for gift giving at holiday time. Each scent is clearly labeled on our website, so you know exactly what you are getting.
Founder/Owner Story and Motivation
Michelle Sarzoza-Ott founded Stella’s Candle Collection in February 2020. Although a lot of work was in motion before the official website launch in 2020, she received her first order and sale with excitement. She was motivated by her passion for candles, owning her business, and health concerns for her and her husband. With a mission to produce natural, clean-burning, affordable candles and a love for mason jars to repurpose, she reached out to her brother for advice on building a business. She also joined candle, health, and small business online groups to learn, collaborate and get advice.
I wanted to know if I could produce affordable clean candles so anyone could buy them. Using mason jars was affordable and practical. With companies reaching out to me to produce a white-label candle, I knew this would not allow me to take the time to produce something I was happy with and be able to disclose my ingredients. I wanted to control where and how I sold my products by keeping them:
- Natural
- Affordable
- Able to Repurpose
I chose to use soy wax in my candles for numerous reasons. After years of burning candles, I couldn’t believe the amount of soot I found on my house walls when I was preparing to sell my house. I also struggled with headaches, and my husband was very sensitive to chemicals. All the candles I found on the market labeled natural were expensive, and they didn’t always clearly label what ingredients were included. I was never sure what I was getting. I’ve learned through the years that you must take your health into your hands and try what you think will work for you.
I started researching soy wax and found that since it is made directly from plant-based soybeans, it contains no harmful carcinogenic substances and releases very little soot and toxins into the air when burned. I knew it had to be better for my husband and I because cheaper non-soy candles release toxins into the air. Having a clean candle was great, but I needed to be sure it had a great scent, or customers would not want to buy it.
Candles are burned for numerous reasons such as home décor, celebrating occasions (i.e., weddings, birthdays, events, etc.), gift giving, health reasons, and air fresheners. Once I switched to 100% natural soy wax candles and used essential oils or phthalate-free fragrances, I no longer had headaches, and my walls contained no soot. I also liked that soy candles last longer and carry scents better because they burn slower and have a cooler burning temperature. The chemical composition of soy allows for an even burn which is more cost-effective long-term. One of my goals was to incorporate my love of mason jars into my business. I love the numerous uses of mason jars and using them as my candle vessel just made sense. This enabled me to use something that could be repurposed after the candle burn had finished. Handmade small batches of candles keep my inventory manageable and cost down. My eCommerce site has allowed me to meet a long-time goal of having small women and Latina-owned businesses. I never thought so many other people out there were looking for something simple that met their needs.
My Challenges / Industry Challenges
Initially, I was concerned that the candle market would be too saturated, especially during the Covid epidemic. Many workers were displaced from their workplaces and were looking for other ways to fill that income gap. The candle business continues to grow and, to this day, is still growing strong, with projected industry sales of $3.6 billion. I continue to see more interest, especially in candle melts. They are great for places that do not allow open flames, such as college dorms, campers, boats, or anyone looking for a flameless candle.
The cost of having a storefront is extremely high in my local area, and shipping costs continue to rise. The challenges of competing with large box stores and large companies like Amazon means I need to find the most cost-effective way to ship my products quickly to stay competitive. I’ve added local pick-up at my home studio, so local customers do not have to pay the high shipping costs. I anticipate seeing this option increase over time with the Covid pandemic slowing.
Additionally, although I have a background in information systems, I struggled keeping products and pixel installations current and acceptable to all social media platforms. The integration is not for the beginner; when you don’t have a budget to hire anyone, you must learn quickly. I had to resolve issues with scent names and context around those names to ensure they did not violate platform commerce policy. My advice is to keep your scent names simple, review the policies of each vendor, and do a lot of testing.
My Opportunities / Industry Opportunities
Having an eCommerce site, partnering with other small businesses, and being able to market on social media and online advertising search engines has enabled my business to get in front of customers who would have never heard about my small business or quality candles at an affordable price. Health smart products don’t have to only be for the wealthy. Collaborating with friends and family is how I initially got my business name out there, and I took advantage of every opportunity I had to hand out a business card. Since my product is one you want to smell, and you can’t do that directly via an eCommerce site, samples are the best way to attract your potential customer. Small local fairs were great for people to smell our candles and melts. I even handed out small melt samples, small 2 oz tin samples, and our car freshies. People love freebies. I also had local companies reach out to me to include one of my products in a “self-care package” that includes other local company products. It was a huge success.
My Business Advice
Finding something that makes you happy and sharing it with the world is amazing. I found that scents can make a memory come alive and improve health. Find what makes you stand out (niche), love what you do, make the best authentic product, be proud and stand behind it. Don’t underprice your product if you’ve done your research and planning. Start small but just start, and you can constantly evolve. We recently added Luxury therapeutic bath salts containing Epsom, Pink Himalayan, Dead Sea Salts with Essential and Vitamin Oils, and dried botanicals to our collection. Like our candles, we wanted to use the best-sourced salts, oils, and botanicals to ensure our products were safe, enjoyable, and something we could stand behind. I love and use them daily.
We also have customers interested in our products for wedding favors, which are a beautiful, inexpensive addition to your wedding. I love making favors because I feel like a small part of someone’s wonderful day. Once you have established your business, offer wholesale discounts. This will enable larger orders and, of course, get your product into the hands of many potential customers. Also, with little to no budget for marketing, try and sponsor an online blog or show that will advertise to their audience. This option isn’t too pricey and will get your name and product out there.
Lastly, don’t forget to send out customer surveys; don’t be afraid of feedback. Feedback is a gift, and it’s important to know what customers think so you can understand what excites them. A return customer is the best compliment you can get. Everyone is always looking for a great deal, so ensure you offer specials and discounts throughout the year. Also, whenever you can donate to charity or a fundraiser such as an auction, do it. It’s a great way to raise money for great causes, get your name out there, and get your product out in the market. Although most people don’t use business cards anymore, keep them on hand so that when networking or just visiting friends and family, you always have a way to share information related to your products and company. I hope to have a small shop providing local customers with fairly-priced products with the best ingredients and eliminating shipping costs.
MS, University of Latvia
I am deeply convinced that each patient needs a unique, individual approach. Therefore, I use different psychotherapy methods in my work. During my studies, I discovered an in-depth interest in people as a whole and the belief in the inseparability of mind and body, and the importance of emotional health in physical health. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (a big fan of thrillers) and going on hikes.
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