Today I had the honor of interviewing Melissa Baughman, wife, mother, and entrepreneur. Melissa owns Candles Made From Soy, an online retail store that also distributes products to brick ‘n mortar retailers. Her desire to provide a good life for her children and do something creative in the process led her down an unexpected, but wonderful path. Discover how she got the idea to start her soy candle business, and how she advertisers for little or no money...

Why did you begin selling soy candles and how did you get started?

My desire to make candles actually began the day I got laid off from my bookkeeping job, again. I had a friend who made a nice amount of side money making and selling gel candles. Her candles resembled food and drinks. The idea of creating something and selling it for profit, never worrying about getting laid off again got my entrepreneur gears turning.

I already had a small bookkeeping business on the side so I pooled that money with the money I earned selling everything I could on eBay. I then took that money and bought candle supplies. If anyone was going to lay me off again it was going to be me!

I originally began making candles with gel but just didn't feel it was my niche. Then I gave paraffin a try, but it wasn't a fit so I tried soy. Before I poured my first test candle I had made connections with two business owners/friends who agreed to carry my product. After much trial and error, several hours of testing, and countless pounds of wax, I finally had a product line I felt excited about.

My glasses are modern, yet simple, to compliment any décor and I offer several other varieties: pillars, votives, tea lights, tins, clamshell tarts, certainly something for everyone. My scent list has grown to over 70 choices. It's hard to keep it contained there are so many wonderful fragrances available!

What has been your biggest struggle finding customers and how did you overcome that struggle?

The biggest struggle for me is the follow up. It's sometimes hard to tell if the potential customer is truly interested, or just window shopping. I've learned to "take a hint" as well as provide the customer with as much information possible to make an educated decision. This is especially important when dealing with potential wholesale clients.

The best thing I've done for my business is join networking groups. You have to tell people who you are and what you do.

There are people who want your product, but may not be able to find you. You need to seek them out. My website attracts a nice amount of business, it was a happy day the first time I opened my email to find a "random" website order.

I send a newsletter out once a month letting my customers know if we have any new scents available, what our clearance items are, if we're working on any new projects, and I what item(s) and percentage(s) off they can receive this month. I also include a special promotion. Newsletters are a great way to put yourself in front of your customers on a regular basis, without feeling like your intruding on their time.

I know people aren't sitting around all day thinking, "Hmm, I really need to stock up on candles". However if they receive my newsletter with a convenient link and a deal included, they just might think, "Hmm, I really do need to stock up on candles".

Lastly, word of mouth has been very good to me. I have worked vigorously to produce a quality product, and it is so rewarding when someone emails to say, "Hey, my sister has one of your candles and I just have to have one". And when you get people who keep coming back month after month for your product, telling you they'll never buy anywhere else again, well that's just priceless.

What types of advertisements do you run, where do you place them, and what results have you received based on those various places?

I use a free monthly newsletter, I blog often about my candles business, I list my business information in every online directory I find, I offer to donate product in exchange for advertising, I post often in groups and on forums, and I look for potential opportunities to provide expertise on my products.

I'm a firm believer in karma. If someone needs my help in anyway I offer my hlep. Chances are that person will remember me when he/she needs a fabulous candle, a gift, or hear of someone who does. To date, I haven't actually paid for advertising, I look for barters and it works!

Thank you so much for your time!

Thank you so much Alyice! If you need anything else, please let me know ~ And I can't wait to hear how much you love the Cinnamon Bun candle tin I sent you!

Review:

I received a sample candle to review with this interview and let me tell you it smells absolutely yummy-just like the Cinnamon Bun it was meant to smell like. The candle came in a tiny, reusable tin with lid. The scent isn't strong and overwhelming. It's more like a hint of Cinnamon Bun, as though it was meant to compliment the environment, not overpower it. It burns for much longer than candles of this size, and seems to burn more evenly than traditional candles. Overall, it's something I would recommend if you don't like strong scented candles, but still want to smell something yummy.

Visit her at http://www.candlesmadefromsoy.com/

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Melissa shows us that with a little hard work, lots of determination, some ingenuity, and bartering skills anyone can take a small budget and turn it into a self-supporting and thriving business venture. What other ways can we barter services, skills, or product to help our businesses thrive?

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