Where Can I Sell My Candles?

Last year when the pandemic craziness had just started, my neighbor knocked on my apartment’s door while yelling: “Ella, you don’t need to open it; I’m going to leave it on your doormat.” I was puzzled: “What? Reilly, is that you? I don’t understand what you are talking about.”
“Honey, there is a candle jar behind the door; I made it myself. Try it and tell me if you like it or not. I appreciate your feedback. It is lavender.” I could hear her voice falling as I tried to fix my mask and when I opened the door she was already gone. That night I called to let her know I loved that candle. The fragrance was good, it didn’t smell like paraffine, and it was powerful enough to sense it in my room. The oil burned smoke-free. The jar’s size was perfect, and it didn’t get too hot. “Oh really? I thought you were just complimenting me. I bought some stuff online to make a candle for myself, but I made too many of them. I can give you a dozen if you want.”
Two days later, we were on zoom – her condo is just next to mine, but we needed to follow social distancing protocols, you know – discussing how and where she could sell her candles at reasonable prices and fewer fees. I made this list for her, and now I’m sharing that with you:

Amazon Handmade

You might have heard about Amazon Seller’s Center, but this one is a bit different. You have to pay a selling fee for a regular seller account, but Amazon will waive the professional selling fee ($39.99/month) with this Amazon Handmade account. Although you need to submit your application for approval, it is an easy and straightforward task. You can apply as a maker working lonely on this program or a maker with up to 20 family members/employees. This account’s limitation includes reselling, dropshipping, Outsourcing of product production, Digital/downloadable products, food/grocery items, and electronics. Other charges with an Amazon selling account are:

• 15% commission on total sales
• Minimum $1 referral fee
• Fulfillment by Amazon shipping plan (depends on your package size and weight)

Etsy Seller

Etsy is the number one selling platform for artists and the craftiest. However, This American e-commerce website was established newly because its main focus was on selling arts and handmade, it became successful worldwide. I used to think that the selling charges on Etsy were so high compared to eBay, Mercado, and eBay. However, when I researched some particular product selling rates and decided that for crafts, arts, and handmade, Etsy has the higher successful selling rate in the shortest amount of time. Fees and charges are:

• $.20 listing fee
• 5% transaction fee
• 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee
• %15 offside ads fee
• Shipping cost (seller or buyer)

What I suggested Reilly do was:

• Apply for Amazon Handmade
• While waiting for the approval, start listing your candles on Etsy
• Consider your choice of shopping by doing some research
• If your application got approved on Amazon, list your item
• Consider the wait time before any actual sales
• Keep track of charges on both websites
• Make your decision after at least 20 successful selling processes

Lastly, let me tell you something, if your sales went up in the first or second month by 60%, you are ready to open your e-commerce store. So keep an eye on your sales and compare it each month. You can use the following chart as an indicator of your success.

This graph indicates the behavior of the sample business for each month after establishment. I suggest three essential points affecting our decision. The first one is when the sales jump to 9 items per month after a continuously lower sales period. Because this event happened in month 8 of the opening of the business, I would like to conclude it as a positive turning point. It means that this business has a successful future. Then in less than two months sales improved twice. I consider this another turning point, and I would suggest the business owner open a business account and a QuickBooks self-employed account in addition to an e-commerce website like WordPress, Shopify or Wix. The third turning point is to show whether this business is achieving its vision statements or not. (You can find more information in my previous post regarding business plan: here)