Overview of Candle Business
Have you ever thought of working for self? Do you love freedom and prefer to work as per your work schedule? Or do you love to make candles? If your answer is yes for any of these questions, then this is the right time to start candle making business. Do you really wonder the beauty of candles? Then what is stopping you from making them? This is a talent and you can easily make them at your home with your hands. Hence, you need to learn how to earn from this industry. Today, designer candles are in on huge demand. They have a special need on specific occasions all through the year. This demand is specific and constantly increasing in India.
With all this, it is the right time to enter into this business and make money. This is a small scale industry. You can start at a small place with less capital. If you own even a small home, just pick a corner or a room and start making candles. With the trends increasing, designer candles know to play a vital role. They make this business profitable and an attractive start-up. No matter how much qualified you are, you can easily learn to make candles. Now with the increasing demand, several celebrities also associate with this and promote in the market. The candles in India are having a variety of uses. Candles are best lighting material, decoration, setting the mood and healing properties.
Opportunities in Candle making industry
When you look for the new opportunities, the sale will definitely increase in near future. Designer candles entered the market as a second inning. They are best suited for homes, restaurants, hotels, parties, rooms, etc. They have the power to heal and spread fragrance in the air and room. This means candles are best for use in bedrooms. They are also in high demand for candlelight dinner. You can expand the business from a small room to a well-managed production. You can employ people can provide them jobs. Here are few tips and tricks along with factors to consider before starting the business.
Investment
Do you have a great interest in art and craft from childhood? Then learn to make candles. For this, you need to know all about the investment in this business. You can make candles of different shape, size and design. Investment is the biggest hindrance when you think of a business. But candle business has provided a new ray of hope. Candle making business needs only small capital to purchase normal machines and raw materials. You need to spend your capital on oils, wax, brush, moulds, etc. Most importantly, spend on attending the classes to learn the process of making candles.
Earnings
If you are entering a professional candle making business, get to know to earn from experts. If you work a few hours a day even alone, 20-25 thousand per month is normal. For this, you need to have a firm hold of the market. Earning also depends on your expertise, skill and quality of the candles. You can also earn by gift packing, introducing new scents and design to the candles. You can hire a marketing agency to promote your brand. They cost less when compared to the increase in sales. As per experts so far, candle making business requires less investment and earning is much more than expected. With this, candle making never results in a loss. This is a guaranteed success home based business in India.
Even when you work only for a few hours a day, you can earn thousands of money. India is the biggest market for candles. The demand remains all through the year and can earn good money. It is easy to penetrate the market and even enter into the global market. For this, learn about the marketing options and make its use to promote businesses. Overall, when you have a well managed hierarchy to operate the business, you will have a good profit. Although candle making is profitable in India, you need to learn to introduce a brand to the market.
Learning Outcomes to be achieved
- Students will be introduced to a new skill of candle making which will help them grasp information and give them hands-on training on the techniques involved in doing this skill well
- Students will learn to use the candle making skill to develop some interesting product
- By doing a survey on how people use candles in everyday life they will be collecting data and learning to analyze the same that will help them understand why data collection and its analysis is important in finding a solution to any problem at hand
- Students will learn to integrate various communication skills learnt in class room to project their ideas and suggestions with respect to the project in hand
Student Challenge
Students have to help an NGO that makes candles in increasing its sales. Currently the organization makes simple white candles which are produced on orders placed by another company. The organization wants to increase its revenues and also wants to reduces its dependence on this company for its sales.
What actions do you think it should take to increase its revenues and also help it decrease its dependence on one organization.
Academic Integration with Candle making Skill
- What kind of wax is used for mass production of candle making?
- While making the candle the wick has to held straight, what would happen if not much attention is paid to how the wick is kept while the candle is being made?
- Bilal is making sets of three candles. He puts a white candle, a silver candle and a gold candle into each set. The candles are sold in packets of different sizes. There are 25 white candles in a packet 12 silver candles in a packet and 8 gold candles in a packet. Bilal wants to use all the candles he buys. What is the smallest number of packet of white candles, of silver candles, of gold candles he needs to buy? How many sets of candles can Bilal make from the packets of candles he buys?
- Make an attractive poster for Diwali to sell the candles for the organization you visited.
- Write a short note on how you made your candle in school during the bagless day program.
- Trace the history of candles in human civilization and make map showing since when has man been using candles in his everyday life.
Day 1: Introduction to Candle Making Skill
- Introduction to the skill – Candle making Skill ( Use a PPT depicting on how this has been an important skill and is bringing livelihood to many people)
- Video link on how to start candle business कम लागत में मोमबत्ती बनाने का बिज़नेस शुरू करे | How to start a designer candle making business – Bing video
- Give an introduction about the organization you have tied up for students visit and the challenges they are facing
- Guide students on what should they be prepared to note and make observations on which will help them in finding answers to some of the challenges that are being faced by the organization
- Preferably make groups and assign task to each group- like taking pictures of the visit, making a report of their visit, Making a step by step note of how the activity is done etc
Day 2: Introduction to Organization to be visited
Visiting the organization that is working with the skill identified. Taking a guided tour of the organization, understanding how the product is made, from where are the raw materials procured, how people are trained and where do they sell the products.
Try to understand the problem/ challenges that’s being faced by that organization in making the skill reach the markets Some of the questions that can be included
Where do you procure the raw material?
Where does the manpower come from?
Where do you sell the product?
Who teaches them these skills?
How much money does each worker make by selling these products?
Day 3- Learning the art of making a candle
Learning the art of making a candle: Decide on the type of candle you can make: a) Container candles b) Gel candles c) Dipped taper candles d) Votive and tea lights e) Molded candles f) Making candle centerpieces
Soy candle
One package of candle-making soy wax One package of large candle wicks One bottle of fragrance oil One spatula One heat-proof container One double boiler
One thermometer One pair of chopsticks or pencils
Step 1: Measure the wax
Before you begin the candle-making process, make sure you have a clean, flat surface to work on. You can also protect the area with newspaper or paper towels. Move anything that you don’t want to get wax on.
Measure out how much wax you would need to fill your container, then double it. That’s how much wax you will need to melt.
Step 2: Melt the wax
Pour the wax into your double boiler and allow to melt for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Add fragrance oils
When your candle wax is melted, it’s time to add fragrance oils. Follow the instructions on your wax package for how much to add. Simply pour it into your melted wax and stir for a few seconds. While this step is optional, we definitely recommend it for a lovely floral smell
Step 4: Attach the wick
The wick needs to be attached to the bottom of your container before you pour in the wax. You can attach the wick by dipping it in the melting wax then quickly sticking it to the bottom of the container. Let the wax sit five minutes to harden. Alternatively, you can superglue it.
Step 5: Pour the wax
Before you pour the wax into your container, let it cool for a few minutes. When the temperature on the thermometer reads 140 degrees, it’s time to pour.
Then, slowly pour the wax into your container. Hold the wick in place, but don’t pull on it. Leave a small amount of wax in the boiler for topping off your candle later.
Step 6: Secure the wick
To prevent your wick from swaying in the melty wax, you need to secure it in place. Lay two chopsticks across the top of the container. Sandwich the wick in between so that it stays centered while the wax hardens.
Allow the wax to set for four hours at room temperature.
Step 7: Add more wax
If your candle hardened with an unsightly top (think cracks or holes) simply reheat and add your remaining wax. Let harden
Step 8: Cut the wick.
Your candle wick should be less than half an inch long. If, when lit, the candle flickers or has a tall flame, trim the wick
Day 4: Design a Questionnaire
How to design a questionnaire: Designing a Questionnaire or Survey – statistics help – Bing video
Writing Good Survey Questions – Statistics Help – Bing video
- Sample Questionnaire on understanding the buying pattern of candles in the community
- Objective: Find what kind of candles do people use and what is the demand of these candles
- Age group: Less than 18 years b) 18-25 years c) 26years- 35years d) above 36years
- Male:____ female:___
- Do you like candles? Yes or No
- You like: a) scented candles b) designer candles c) simple candles d) tea light e) all of these
- How often do you burn them at home? a) Every day b) once or twice in a fortnight c) once or twice in a month d) only on some occasions like festivals or when someone is coming over
- Where do you buy them from? a) online b) super market c) exhibitions d) local shops
- Do you think they make a good gift: Yes or No
- If you decide to give them as gifts, how you would like to give them: a) scented and decorative candles b) with chocolates c) just as add-on with main gift
- How much money you would like to spend on gifting candles in a year: a) Rs150 –Rs200 b) Rs200- Rs350 c) Rs350- Rs500 d) Rs500 and above
- What price ranges are you ok spending on candles in 6 months for your own use: a) Rs 100-Rs250 b) Rs 500 c) Rs 500 and above d) less than Rs 150
- Does the way it’s packed matter to you? Yes or No
- What aspects do you look in packaging: a) type packaging b) labelling c) both of these d) does not matter
- Would you like to buy candles from unorganized sector (NGOS, co-operatives, small group of women producing locally)? Yes or No
Day 5: Decide on the Population to be sampled for Survey
Once your survey is designed then you need to discuss with students the following aspects:
What should be the sample size of the survey?
Which locality to target to get the target customer?
Discuss the points to keep in mind while doing the survey?
You can show this video before students go ahead in deciding their sampling methodsCollecting data – Bing video
Day 6- Analyzing the Data
Day 7: Brainstorming Session
Finding a solution to the problem (Brainstorming activities and focus group discussions- questions to be asked)
Ways to start the brainstorming session:
Looking at the data we have concluded that_____
So the problem lies in____
How do we _____( INCREASE THE SALES)?
In what ways can we_____ (improve the product’s deign)?
Design a way_____ (to improve the customer satisfaction)?
Culmination of the Project:
Day 8- Finding a way to implement the solution (methods to be used like, poster making, banners, exhibitions)
The presentations can be made in groups.
Designing the culmination of the project
Day9 – Ways to present your ideas to help them convert it into sales (Preparing a Presentation to present the ideas)
Day 10- Presenting your ideas and solutions to the organization (Final day- visiting the organization or asking the representative to visit the school and see their presentation)
Make it a judging competition for school children