In these difficult economic times with companies cutting back, out sourcing, and scaling down many people are being forced to take lower paying jobs to make ends meet, or even worse having difficulty finding any job they are qualified for.

One area that has been popular among those looking to augment their reduced income or even replace their entire income after being laid off has been candle making. At first this trend began with hobbyists because the line between candle hobbyist and candle business is easily blurred. But now there many folks entering candle making that have no interest in it as a hobby.

Candle making as a business has much to be said for it - you are your own boss, you can be creative, make your own hours, and best of all you are out of the corporate rat race. It also has its difficulties - you will work harder than you would as someone's employee, success or failure rests on your own shoulders.

The first step in entering the candle business is learning to make good candles. Although it is easily learned, candle making is far more complex than most people realize. Those who think it is just melting wax and pouring it into a mold with a wick are in for a rude awakening. It is vital to make good candles if you want to succeed in this business. Do some research, buy a good book or two, or even take a course such as those offered at Artisanschool.com

Next, practice. When you are done, practice some more. Test burn and give away as many candles as possible. But request honest feedback, because it's important to know what others think of your products. Never sell a single candle until you are sure it is as good as you can make it because it takes 10 satisfied customers to offset the damage to your business done by one dissatisfied customer (unhappy customers talk about it to friends much more than happy customers).

Specialize - Select one type of candle and do it well. This is called niche marketing and for a start up candle business, is the best way to go. You will not be able to produce or supply a vast product line so don't try. Select a small segment of the candle market and try to dominate it. Preferably this niche will be something large manufacturers can't or won't make. Trying to compete with huge manufacturers or cheap imports is a recipe for failure.

Marketing is an area where you can get really creative. Popular marketing strategies include word of mouth, craft fairs, home parties, open houses, web site, and fund raisers to name a few. A retail storefront is also within range of those who desire a full time business, but has greatly increased overhead making it that much harder to turn a profit. Don't limit yourself to common marketing strategies since creative marketing may sell far more candles.

Scented candles are the largest portion of the market and the easiest candles to sell in most cases. Your scented candles should have a strong scent throw when burning or you will not get much repeat business.

Summary

Learn (How to make good candles)

Practice

Choose (a niche market)

Market creatively