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Fire and Ice

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Posts posted by Fire and Ice

    What are your tips for saving time and working effectively?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I take inventory, of candles and supplies, once a week and keep notes.

    I really do my best to keep ahead of the rush for things like a big show and such but generally something is always missing:

    Supplies on backorder

    Wax not in at my supplier

    Jar not in locally.

    *When getting ready to pour for a whole day, I will wick the jars the night before

    *Clean my pots the night before

    * List what needs poured first and then go down the list, pour a dozen of each scent. Then I pour the clamshells in that scent after candles!

    *Labeling and packing are a pain but I just do it all at once and it done!

    Fire

    Royal Aromatics

    in Fragrance Discussion

    Posted

    Well I plan to buy all preimum quality because I'll be dealing most with designer scents howver I have to find a really great Balsam fur or blue spruce scent. Plain pine just don't do it and the blue spruce Peaks has is great but way too light in my soy!

    Fire

    I'd love to see a coop too!

    Royal Aromatics

    in Fragrance Discussion

    Posted

    I love to try this company out bu I need to know that the Premium quality Designer F/O.

    If the quality is awesome, I can spend $100.00 easy

    Where are they located? What state?

    This will be a total bummer is they don't accept PayPay.

    Not that I'm looking for another supplier but if I can check out out for quality F/O Great

    Fire

    I just do not get this at all a rant of sorts

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I DO NOT make any sort of B & B products but I have been researching it for several months now by starting at the very back of the B & B sections of these boards and read forward. I've been at it for over a month and I still have 80+ pages to read and take notes on.

    The only thing I can say is this: HATS OFF TO ALL OF YOU WHO DO IT BECAUSE IT CAN BE SCAREY WITH ALL OF THE STUFF THAT MIGHT GO WRONG! And if you have no complaints YOU ARE CERTAINLY DOING SOMETHING VERY RIGHT!

    It just boogles my mind when I read about the things you have to go through to make your products safe and wonderful for the public. You all are to be commended for what you do!!!! I'm not so sure I can be that brave.

    Hats off you ladies and gentlemen who do!:wink2:

    Fire

    What do I say?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    As a customer I might be hesitant to give my phone # to the store. In such cases, you could instruct the owner to give the customer one of your business cards, so that they have a way to contact you. I know, the contact info should already be in their possession, since it's on the candle's lable, but it looks better if the owner were to hand them a card when they come in with a question/complaint.

    The owners of the store~ both tobacco and dry cleaning together, do not want me to leave scent lists nor my business cards there because they think the customer will contact me and bypass them entirely. I've tried to say what shows I'd be at locally so that the customers can come and see me, talk to me small ALL of the scents. They won't allow me to say anything like that for the same reasons!:tiptoe:

    No, there's no display persay because the owners do not want me to put one in. Both stores (2 locations) ARE very small on the tobacco side where the candles are sold. They have them sitting on a shelf alongside the candy. Heck, I had to fight just to tape a flier to the shelf annoucing new in coming scents as well as the directions on how to burn them.

    But they allowed the advertising to stay when I listed all of the occasions that candles made the perfect gift for giving.

    I had thought that it might be another candle maker trying to make me look bad as well. I know from the manager that four candle makers have attempted to sway the owners and manager that my candles are too high in price.

    Actually, they are too cheap but people are cheap by nature so...

    My feeling is that it the owner and maybe one customer who complains time and time again. The owner is not happy unless she has someone upset.:lipsrseal

    My policy with the store is this:

    If there's a problem, and I agree with it, I will replace the candle at no cost to the customer and the store as well. Have I ever made of mistake? ABSOLUTELY! But I am quick to make resetution and take the blame. AND THE CUSTOMER HAS GOT TO BRING THE CANDLE BACK TO THE STORE! Reguardless, the customer walks out with a free new candle and I hand off the problem to a tester and replace what they took in the store for free. It's basically opinions unless I can prove otherwise.

    But I won't replace a candle in the customer doesn't like the scent! They can open and smell the candles before they buy.

    To close, I have no problem with contacting a customer and listening to them and see if we can come to an understanding of the ways. Many customers are shocked by that but the way I see it, it's my reputation and integity on the line. I care a great deal about both.

    Fire

    What do I say?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I would talk to the person that the customers are complaining to. To get first hand information instead of hear say. Tell them they are seasonal scents summer scents tend to be lighter than your usual scents you make. If there is a problem maybe find another supplier with stronger FO's next time or add more FO.

    Mindy

    Well if they won't take the info in the first place...

    I have the very best scents that I can buy from places like Peaks, Green Leaf, and other very high quality scent retailers. I also do pull bathches as well and the only candle that has to be refomulated was a Cinnamon Bun Candle because the supplier reformulated the scent and it no longer works in Soy Wax.

    Can't speak for others but I trust my suppliers and I've used the same suppliers for years.

    What do I say?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I have asked the owner for the contact info on these customers and sh's given me NOTHING!

    The scents are tested by four people including myself prior to releasing the scent to the public. Most of the scents have already been sold for a year or two with no complaints. I'm not hearing anything form anybody else either and they're all buying the same scents. I have to wonder if it's just the owner too. I offered to cancel their account and allow them to find somebody else and they certainly didn't want to do that!

    They have free candles burning in the store and I can certainly smell them when I walk in but the owner herself claims she can't!:rolleyes2

    What do I say?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I have a wholesale account where one of the owners is CLAIMING that the customers are complaining about scent throw of my candles. She is saying that the customers are compaining to her and she is passing in through yet another employee to me!

    The costomers, according to the owner, are saying that I'm back off on the scent due to rising prices in shipping of my scents and the like,howevery nothing has changed in the way the candles are made. My suppliers haven't changed, my wax hasn't changed, the jar size hasn't changed nor has the amount of F/O I use when making them. I've had this account going on four years and making soy candles for nearly seven years. The owners are seldom in their stores. Everything come by word of mouth!

    The weather HAS changed and people are opening windows and door as well as turning on ceiling fans! The scents HAVE changed in that I am into the spring/ summer scent which tend to be lighter in scent throw because it's a lighter season. But the same amount of scent goes into the candles.

    The final thing is~ The customers are NOT calling or emailing ME! My phone number and e-mail address are right there on the candles! I leave burning istructions posted with the candles but the owners have refused to enclose them with a candle if they sell them, even if I provide the instructions at my costs.

    Basic instructions are in the jar along with warning label but people aren't reading them.

    I personally have a problem with the fact of where the information is coming from! Nobody has said anything to ME! so what would you do?

    Thank You,

    Fire

    Candle Prices

    in General Candle Making Discussions

    Posted

    Well I know that in the past year shipping has been outragous. When I started, I got most if not all of my supplies locally but I have a great supplier and they have great scents at a reasonale price and they all worked well in my soy wax.

    But I have since really spread my wings and now have 6 different suppliers of my scents. What is odd is that the ones IN STATE have the highest shiiping costs. The further away I travel, the better the shipping costs.

    I have tried keeping my prices well within my customers range and have always explained a price increase well before I do it.

    It looks like I'll have to increase the price again next year as my wax, jars, scents, labels and wicks all went way up!

    But the major price increase has also caused some of the hobbiest to close so there is a little less compitition.

    Fire

    County Fairs

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    I was signed up to do a fair and pulled out because I realized that sales would be horrible. People go to the fairs to let their kids ride to rides and to eat. They do not want to be carrying packages around all day:undecided . Your best sales will be when people are about to leave the fairgrounds. That's when they will go through the craft displays and buy. But be aware that fairs are mostly about food, rides, animals and kids.

    Still, that being said, I hope you do well and sell a great deal of product.:wink2:

    Fire

    ** What's in your pot this week/end? **

    in General Candle Making Discussions

    Posted

    Still waiting for my wax to come in so nothing in my pot this weekend. But the wax will be in next week so I will be pouring like a mad woman for my five day show.

    Placed orders with Peaks, Green Leaf and Nature's Garden.

    I will be cleaning the basement and all of my pour pots in order to get ready for the marathon pouring. I hope it will be cooler next week.

    Fire

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