andy123 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Now that the candle market has cooled down my income has been cut in half and I am wondering if I shouldn't just scale down to hobby instead of full time business?When you add the cost of liability insurance, website, taxes, permits and fees...how can a business owner compete with people who have a full time job and make/sell candles for fun and don't really care if they make money or not. Customers don't really care if we have liability insurance or not all they want now is lowest prices possible some of them have even ordered knock off of my designs to people who don't mind doing that and selling for next to nothing. I just dropped a customer because frankly the price she wanted to pay for the items didn't cover my supplies. I do $5.00 shipping and free samples as well as special promotions but If I have to sell my candles for 99 cents like some are doing then it is just not worth my time and effort.I am just curious to see what others are doing in these lean times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GourmetSoy Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 If you're selling candles you need liability insurance period, it doesn't matter if the customer cares if you have insurance. I personally wouldn't even give them away without it. Also, I really don't want my customers knowing that I have it. If I had to sell my candles for next to nothing to make a sale I wouldn't be doing it at all. There are just some customers that aren't happy unless they can get it for free and those are not the customers you want. They can go to WalMart as far as I'm concerned. Too much time and money is spent on testing etc. Also, when other candlemakers have dirt cheap prices it makes it harder for the rest of us to sell at a reasonable price to make it worth our time to even do it. Good luck in whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 It is hard to figure out , no doubt about it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adillenal Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I have a fulltime job so I am not dependent on my soap making for the income BUT I have the same expenses of liability insurance, licenses, website, fees, booth rent, utilities for my workshop and so on. I do not cut prices because I still want to show a profit. So it is not all of us fulltime worker ants that are causing the problems. I am still amazed at the low soap prices I see at some shows that I go to. But then I don't see those people the next year. They can undercut me all they want and go broke. I just keep chugging along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernadette Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Over the years, I've met many people that do this simply to get the gratification that people want to buy their items. I remember the first craft show I did...the lady next to me was selling the most beautiful crocheted Christmas ornaments I'd ever see. I mean they were very ornate. She told me she makes them all year long as something to do as she loved crocheting. The most expensive one she sold went for $1.50! Although she sold all of them, she said she didn't even make her thread cost, to say nothing about the booth!Since then, I've met soapers and chandlers that basically operate the same way. It's hard when there are people like that out there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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