We've interviewed thousands of successful founders at Starter Story and asked what advice they would give to entrepreneurs who are just getting started.

Here's the best advice we discovered for starting a candle business:

#1: DShawn Russell, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company:

We chatted with with DShawn, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company ($140K/month). In our interview, DShawn says:

Choose your partners carefully and trust your gut. I made very bad decisions by going against what I thought I should do and listening to “experts” and lost a ton of money.

Additionally:

If a mistake has to be made, do it early and cheaply. I’m glad I made mistakes while small and it wasn’t too disastrous.

Read the full interview ➜

#2: Brittany Taylor, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co.:

We chatted with with Brittany, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co. ($20K/month). In our interview, Brittany says:

Don’t be afraid to be yourself people will resonate with you, and if they don’t that’s okay too!

Read the full interview ➜

#3: Nicky Story, founder of Supplies For Candles:

We chatted with with Nicky, founder of Supplies For Candles ($1M/month). In our interview, Nicky says:

Business only works when you have a balanced team of people with different skills and strengths.

Additionally:

Research your market, your own product, and your competition. Give yourself as full a picture as you can before you spend a single penny.

Read the full interview ➜

#4: Adam James, founder of Vintage Vegan Candle Co:

We chatted with with Adam, founder of Vintage Vegan Candle Co ($4K/month). In our interview, Adam says:

Once you find your niche, work on expanding that. If you know something sells, then sell it, and don’t keep coming up with new designs that might not fit your brand.

Read the full interview ➜

#5: Dianna Allen, founder of TERRA:

We chatted with with Dianna, founder of TERRA ($2.5K/month). In our interview, Dianna says:

From December 23 to January 22 (my 30 days), I received a total of 9 pre-orders. $180. I did it. I created my business with less than $100 and made it all back within 30 days.

Additionally:

I think the best decision I’ve made was pitching to larger companies to carry my products.

Further:

Each milestone is worth celebrating, fall in love with them, and take the time to truly acknowledge how far you’ve come. Whether it’s that first $100 or $10,000.

Read the full interview ➜

#6: DShawn Russell, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company:

We chatted with with DShawn, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company ($140K/month). In our interview, DShawn says:

Get a good coach and hire consultants as needed.

Read the full interview ➜

#7: Brittany Taylor, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co.:

We chatted with with Brittany, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co. ($20K/month). In our interview, Brittany says:

As Black Luxe grows we find ourselves pushing our abilities to the edge and expanding those limits.

Additionally:

Another lesson learned: the need for mental rest. It is extremely important to recharge one’s battery when running a whole business.

Read the full interview ➜

#8: Kevin Gillespie, founder of Headline Solar:

We chatted with with Kevin, founder of Headline Solar ($500K/month). In our interview, Kevin says:

In order to provide the best product - we had to do it ourselves.

Additionally:

If you fail, don’t give up and never stop moving forward - you’re going to make a ton of mistakes and learn from them. Each mistake is one step closer to being successful.

Read the full interview ➜

#9: DShawn Russell, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company:

We chatted with with DShawn, founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company ($140K/month). In our interview, DShawn says:

Be smart with how you handle finances, and commit to making wise, forward-thinking decisions.

Read the full interview ➜

#10: Adam James, founder of Vintage Vegan Candle Co:

We chatted with with Adam, founder of Vintage Vegan Candle Co ($4K/month). In our interview, Adam says:

The only way to become better is to make mistakes, so allow time for these to happen and do not be hard on yourself.

Read the full interview ➜

#11: Brittany Taylor, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co.:

We chatted with with Brittany, founder of Black Luxe Candle Co. ($20K/month). In our interview, Brittany says:

Start with your current customer base. As an entrepreneur, one must be able to understand their customers and know what it takes to get new customers.

Additionally:

I learned that no matter how much you like some aspect of what you do if you are adaptable, the customer will dictate the direction of the brand. Being rigid can lead to a loss of focus and your customer base.

Further:

Know where your customers are going. If you recognize that your current customer base has shifted their focus, you have to get back in front of them and take notice of what their attention has shifted to.”

Read the full interview ➜

#12: Elise Phillips, founder of Coco & Bubbles:

We chatted with with Elise, founder of Coco & Bubbles ($14K/month). In our interview, Elise says:

If you’re manufacturing your own product, source all of your materials directly from the manufacturer once you’re past the “prototype” and “proof of concept phase”. I cannot state enough what a game-changer this was for my business.

Additionally:

You don’t have to start from scratch when you’re starting your business. No reason to reinvent the wheel if you don’t have too. If you lack the specialized knowledge or you’re struggling to come up with a viable business idea, you can always buy someone else’s business!

Read the full interview ➜

Part of

Starting A Candle Business: Everything You Need To Know

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