Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carl Hochreiter, Owner of St Augustine Bath & Candle, located in St Augustine, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
St. Agustine Bath & Candle is a small luxury boutique located on St George Street in the heart of downtown. We sell high-end products using only the best ingredients and were formulated with the assistance of a master esthetician. All our products are handmade in small batches. Our customers come from around the world to visit St George Street!
Tell us about yourself
After being impacted during the pandemic, we took our hobby and made it a business! Even though there are many soap and candle companies out there, we found that people truly could tell the difference with the quality ingredients we used. There MUCH more expensive, but thankfully our products speak for themselves. We LOVE how customers appreciate and enjoy our products which motivates us to always provide them with the highest quality!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Making it from selling at festivals to having a store on St George Street within one year. People loved our products so much that we were able to grow pretty quickly. Even though we're still a very small business, it isn't easy to go from festivals to having a store that quickly!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Dealing with soaring supply costs. We try not to increase our prices much due to this; however, it's been difficult!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Your product has to be something customers will want to buy again.
- You MUST be persistent....you're going to hear "NO" a lot.
- Marketing is key.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.staugustinebathandcandle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StAugBathCandle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staug_bathandcandle/
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.
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