Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kem Muller, owner of Burnsville Candle Company, located in Burnsville, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am Burnsville Candle Company. I hand pour natural soy wax candles in small batches in Burnsville, North Carolina, tucked away in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. I also handcraft each wooden lid from locally sourced woods. The beautiful lids double as a coaster, so when you've finished enjoying the wonderful fragrance, simply clean out the vessel, and you have a rocks glass to drink from and a coaster to put it on. It's completely repurposable!
I also make wax melts, reed diffusers, room sprays, and passive car fragrance diffusers. All the fragrances I use are infused with essential oils when possible. The other fragrance components present are made with 'Clean Scents' that are all paraben, phthalate and sulfate-free. The wicks are all cotton/paper core, completely absent of lead or zinc.
My customers are a mixture of locals and visitors to our adorable little mountain town who are mindful of their environmental footprint and appreciate my eco-conscious and locally/regionally themed approach to crafting beautiful fragrances.
Tell us about yourself
I began making candles in 2009 because I had a fake Christmas Tree. Every year I would go to one of the well-known candle retailers and buy something tree-like and something sweet. When you entered my home during the holidays, you believed two lies...that I had a real tree and that I could bake! I have always loved the feelings that fragrance evokes, so I decided to try to recreate some of my favorites.
I poured for myself, my friends, and my family initially. It wasn't until 2019 that I decided to start my business. Knowing that someone is being whisked away to a memory, a dream, or just a moment of peace when they light one of my candles or turn on their melt warmer motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm very mindful of the things that go into, on, and around my products. It's a big deal to stick to your guns and do what you know is right for the Earth and ALL of its inhabitants...air, land, and sea. I would say that that is what I'm most proud of in my business, knowing my model and not compromising. Am I perfect? Of course not. But I believe that when you know better, you should try to DO better. So I try. I also partner with a 501C3, One Tree Planted. It's a wonderful organization that has multiple reforestation projects going on, on a global scale. Every lidded candle I sell provides a dollar to One Tree Planted, which uses that dollar to plant one tree here in the Appalachia Region.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the most difficult things about owning a business is really tied to what I'm also most proud of...not compromising. It would be much more cost-effective for me to buy fragrances made of all the bad stuff, to buy lids that have no other purpose, and will most likely just end up in a landfill, rather than making my own, and to buy bulk t-shirts of synthetic fibers instead of sustainably harvested organic bamboo. But that isn't my brand, and that isn't me. And if you're NOT in business for yourself to be happy and do something that brings others the joy that you can be proud of, then I would ask you, "What's your WHY?".
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Go with your gut. If it feels wrong, it ultimately won't bring sustainable joy to you or the world.
- Be prepared to work very hard but find balance.
- Never be afraid to ask for help. The universe loves you and wants to see you succeed, but you have to be wise enough to know that you're not in anything alone. There are good and bad aspects of pride. One type sows authenticity, and the other will lead you to some level of ruin.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I didn't TECHNICALLY start my business until I was over 50. It's never too late to take something you enjoy, share it with your little corner of the world (to start), and see where it takes you. Nothing ventured is truly nothing gained.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.burnsvillecandleco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1burnsvillecandleco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burnsvillecandleco/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.