My YouTube channel was one of the only ones covering the specialized topic of operating a candle-making business in 2018. I gained 35,000 subscribers since then and made a lead magnet called “How to Start a Candle Business” on MailChimp. I noticed an opportunity to develop an online course and scheduled a webinar in January 2020 to present my plan
I’ve always yearned for the independence of being my own boss. I was a pharmacy technician for ten years before I started my own business. I used to experiment with business ideas in my spare time, such as dropshipping, selling goods on Shopify, and hand-crafting trinkets, but none of them ever worked out.
Balancing Work and Business
I had the notion to make candles by hand out of sheer inspiration. I adored candles and would purchase new ones for my home every week, so it made perfect sense. Since I had no prior knowledge, I began investigating on YouTube, blogs, and online forums. Although the lessons I viewed made the process of creating candles look simple, it took me several months of trial and error to get my candles to burn properly and retain their aroma.
When I originally started Winding Wick Candles in 2015, I had to close it down in 2016. I had recently given birth to my first kid, the business wasn’t doing well financially, and I continued to work my regular job. I felt absolutely out of control.
But as time went on, I began to miss having my own company. In order to operate the business differently the second time, I gave it a lot of consideration and relaunched Winding Wick Candles in 2018. Fortunately, I still had all of my equipment from the initial launch in 2015. The cost of fresh wax, containers, and scents was just around $300.
I put in nonstop labor to reopen my candle company.
I used to only work half time on the weekends so that I could focus on my business during the week. I used to spend 12 to 16 hours a day producing goods and working on my Shopify and Etsy websites. I worked 12-hour shifts at a pharmaceutical hospital on the weekends.
This time around, there were a few significant adjustments: I switched the type of candles I was making, I started a YouTube channel, and I learned more about SEO to improve the organic traffic to my products.
First off, the candles in my new collection had far more ornamental elements, including hand-molded, lifelike fruit.
Second, I started a YouTube channel to record the entire business renovation process. I recorded videos where I was open and honest about why I believed my candle company had first failed. I also provided advice on how I was adjusting and pivoting.
Achieving Business Milestones
I also talked about major victories like getting admitted to the Walmart Marketplace in October 2020 and Etsy flying me to New York in November 2019 to see their headquarters. Customers are able to purchase my items on Walmart.com thanks to the Walmart marketplace. I may also ship my goods to a Walmart-approved distribution facility to have them marked with the “2-day delivery” label. I imagined that by sharing these adventures, I would make my fans feel like they were traveling with me while I built my business.
My YouTube channel was one of the only ones covering the extremely specialized topic of operating a candle-making business back in 2018. I’ve gained more than 35,000 subscribers since then.
For expanding my business and eventually selling my online course, YouTube was a crucial tool.
Growing Your Email List and Developing an Online Course
I was okay with my channel receiving few views at first since I knew it wouldn’t become popular overnight. I discovered that your channel will expand as long as you offer truly useful information and make an effort to raise the caliber of your videos.
A few months after starting the YouTube channel, I also made a free, downloadable lead magnet called “How to Start a Candle Business” on MailChimp to gather email addresses. Because of how well-liked it was, my email list reached 11,000 subscribers by the year 2020.
I started noticing that I was getting a ton of emails with queries ranging from how to create candles to how to gain traffic around a year after I started the YouTube channel. I recognized an opportunity to develop an online course since I had previously engaged in a great deal of trial and error with regards to expanding my own business. I discovered that there were no other candle business courses available after conducting some market research. I noticed the market’s gap and decided to seize the chance.
Building a Successful Online Course
Before beginning any work, I wanted to make sure the concept was sound, so I scheduled a webinar in January 2020 to present my plan for starting the course. I offered a reduced price for the class if people signed up at the conclusion of the webinar to measure interest. I went ahead and created the course after receiving ten enrollments.
It took a lot of effort to create the first course.
I learnt how to arrange the course while filming and editing roughly 23 hours of video all by myself. Right before the epidemic, in February 2020, I started Candle Biz Academy. With a total of 30 students joining up, the initial launch produced over $10,000 in only one week. Almost $20,000 was made by the second launch in June, and almost $40,000 was made by the third and largest launch, which took place in December.
The $365 course covers everything from manufacturing your first candle to launching an Etsy shop to more complex subjects like buying in bulk and handling internet marketing.
Once registered, students may watch the video modules at their own speed and finish the course on average in three months. I’m available to answer any inquiries on live video twice a week throughout that time. Students may also ask questions in a community on Kajabi, the platform that houses my course, and get responses from other users.
I can simply relaunch Candle Biz Academy numerous times during the year because the whole course was recorded. I created a waitlist of students interested in the upcoming course launch while between programs last year. There is now a 10-day sign-up window before I close registration, and it is offered three times a year.
The Power of Online Courses
Aside from my YouTube channel and email list, I don’t employ any other marketing strategies.
Every time I relaunched the course, the sales increased by a factor of two. I was able to leave my day job after the second course was launched.
During the epidemic, I also witnessed a rise in sales for my candle company. The overall sales in 2020 were higher than in 2019, notwithstanding a brief decline in March.
I also recruited my first employee in January 2021 as a result of this achievement. So that I may concentrate on leading the course, she is presently learning candle manufacturing at a nearby rented studio.
Maximizing Your Business Potential
Don’t be scared to charge for what you know, is the advise I would provide to business owners considering the launch of their own course.
Be self-assured in your value if you are aware of your expertise and aptitude in that area. Knowledge from experts is invaluable. Don’t be scared to develop additional revenue sources in addition to your handcrafted business.
A peer-to-peer marketplace where crafters may sell leftover or lightly used goods is the next project I’m working on. I believe now is an excellent moment to test this theory because there have been numerous shortages for candle producers as a result of the epidemic.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t always simple. I’ve often wondered if I should keep on or give up completely. I’ve found the mental aspect of it to be the most challenging, but if you can get beyond that, I really believe anyone can start their dream company.
If you find my journey useful, you can visit my website here.
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