Article about Pricing

Check this article out if you are still concerned about pricing your candles
Determining a Plan for Setting Prices

Pricing Rule of Thumb

These are minimums I'd recommend charging
COST of materials x2 = Wholesale
COST of materials x3 = Retail

Wholesale is if you are selling it to someone else to make money (eg a shop etc)
Retail is if you are selling it to the end user

These are recommended only and minimums only.

Never be afraid to charge more money. Although you may be frugal that is not your target market. You are selling a premium product and are NOT competing with other paraffin wax candles. I can go into a $2 "junk" shop and get cheap candles... that don't smell very good... but the people who are going to buy a SOY candle aren't the same target market.

Just think of it as David Jones vs $2 shop. Or Enjo gloves vs cheapie clean up gloves or a Mercedes Benz vs a Hyundai Getz. etc etc.

I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing and have run my own businesses.
"Don't compete on price" is something I've learned at "school" as well as in real life. You charge bargain basement prices, you'll get bargain basement clients. You don't want these clients as they tend to be the people who if you give them an inch they will take a foot! (Something like that but you know what I mean).

Take care and happy candle-ling!
Yvonne

Business Cards

Want some cheap (but good lookin') business cards? Try www.vistaprint.com.au
(Use their "free cards" if you like any of their designs as it'll work out cheaper!)
I have used them years ago and they were great and reports back recently are that they take approx 5 days to turn them around... but they only mention 14 days on their website and ordering.

You can also try www.clickbusinesscards.com or www.discountprinting.com.au for various things like flyers and business cards.

CandleKoala Happenings

My Candles
I made a whole heap of candles (55 travel tins) for a friend of mine's Lavender business. She's at the Sydney Beauty Show (www.sydneybeautyshow.com.au) this weekend and is able to sell stuff, so the candles are there to be sold (we're doing it on a half consignment basis, where I charge her a base fee, but as she's not paying me in advance we're splitting the margin). hopefully it'll be a sell out.

Professional Looking Labels
I got the (blank) labels sent to me from the US and printed it on an inkjet printer and they turned out quite swish! I'm very happy with the quality of the labels (looks professional) as long as I can get them to line up properly. I'll try and get some printed off with various things and post each of you one out as a sample so you can see what they look like. btw this is a trade secret, so don't tell anyone not of your team or my team! :) I'll also see if I can just take a photo with the travel tin so you can see how professional they can look... again time is against me as I sent the lavender travel tins off without a photo taken! and now have to print another one or two for the photo shoot to email you all

Yummy Smelling Candles
With the CandleMaster kit, we of course got different fragrances, I mixed in cinnamon and spice with apple.... and called it Apple Strudel (as it didn't smell as "baked" as apple pie). YUM! I'm going to a local crafty/country style shop with the tins and will see if they are interested. I love the scent! 500g wax, 20g cinnamon and spice, 20g apple.

Getting more Associates
I'm planning to do another classifieds ad campaign as I think I'm ready to sign up a couple more associates now that I've been with CandleLyte a bit longer... probably first week of May if I can get my act together. I'm going to advertise in the city freebie magazines they hand out to city commuters. I saw a Herbalife distributor (I know a few of us have done this!) at the train station the other day (Town Hall station) handing out brochures, and was thinking that may still be a good option... anyway all ideas for down the track!

CandleLyte Conference Call 20 April 2006

Candle Making Tips

Why candles go white on top
Roberts solution:
wax too hot - remove from heat before completely melted & don't pour above 40*C temperature, a little under maybe. "the wax looks lovely and cloudy & pours nicely".

If you make a mistake : remelt & start again.

If wax has bubbles: Try pouring only about a third of the wax you have melted, let it settle then pour the rest.

Pour with a fan circulating above them (not on them), just to get a bit of circulation in the air (or air conditioner).

If top of candle is hazy or rough : Use a hair dryer on HOT and melt the top - Then change the dryer to COOL and hold about 2 feet away from candle ( gives a nice smooth shiny top to candle).

Microwavable candle - make one up & tell people that it is your first candle ( "anyone can make candles" ) - keep the candle to show people wherever you go as the first candle you made. He uses this as a marketing ploy which he says works every time.

Also said when doing markets only to display a small select range, but must include 6 oz. tins & Tea lights (as these are his best sellers at markets). Said can have a bigger lot under the table or somewhere, but still not too much.

Told us how he sets himself up at a stall. Just with a simple card table dressed up with a cloth, flyers from candlelyte and the range as specified above.
Said to have 7 or 8 insta candles also as the response to these has been great for him.

And that was about it except for question time where a few people got a chance ( with little time left), to ask some questions.

Then Chris took over giving a bit of news and conference times & dates for different states/cities.

CandleLyte Conference Call 29 March 2006

29 March 2006 Conference Call Notes

CANDLELYTE CONFERENCE CALL

· 3 people to talk on the call (other than Chris Perry)
· US Conference
· Announcements

Speakers on the call
· Chris Perry
· Craig Brown
· Terese Fitzgerald
· Special Guest: Greg Sparks

Mastermind group – give the weekend to get more people into the group.
Order has to be into office by Monday 8am to qualify into the Mastermind group.
Mastermind group is a specially coached group who have had 3 business builders (being either CandleMakers or CandleMasters) signed up.
As part of the group you will get a certificate, and a HBC Home Business Connection Magazine and Autographed book. Of course you’ll also be coached by Chris to keep building the business.

First Speaker: Craig Brown

Craig is from NSW and has been in business in 2 weeks. His Sponsor showed him the business on Thursday and he signed up on Friday. Spoke to Greg on Saturday. Was scheduled to be in US for work. CandleMaker kit arrived on same day leaving (so didn’t get a chance to open it). The following Thursday night he went to first CandleWealth convention.

His comments:
250 – 300 people in room (Candlewealth – the US arm)
Invest in the kit, everyone can get their investment back
Craig is going to give up his “day job” (Hertz) and work on his hair salon business as well as candle business
Considers himself Mini sceptic. Got great confidence from the Candlewealth conference.
Easy business to introduce business to others

Second Speaker: Terese Fitzgerald

Terese Fitzgerald is Craig’s sponsor. Terese is Craig’s boss from Hertz. Been in CandleLyte since 15th March 2006. She has sponsored 3 Candlemasters.
She’s really keen as you’re not selling things that people don’t want. Also commented on the professional facility setup in Rhodes and the confidence that brings knowing the facility and the company behind it is committed to the business.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
From 18th April Chris will do Presentations/Trainings in NSW, VIC and QLD
The sessions will cover
· Training tips on how to make candles
· How to improve the business


Third Speaker: Greg Sparks
· CandleLyte (ie Australia) Business is 10 months old
· 14m kilos of paraffin candles imported into Australia in the last year
· Soy is so much healthier than paraffin candles
· CandleLyte has invested and committed in the business and infrastructure in the business.
· Facility is there in Rhodes

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Early 2007 for annual conference (Australian)
Mastermind group is going to be formed to help with the conference details.
· Supersuccess Saturdays 1 day trainings. Also have cross section of business being taught. Business building, product knowledge. All day affairs how to make better candles how to build a business. Conducted from/in July
· Photo competition will be reviewed. Will be announcing that end of next week.
· Candlelyte experienced a 30% increase in business in last month.