100% Soy Candles and Accessories

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Victoria Greene, Owner of Deliciously Wickt, located in Wellandport, ON, CA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My name is Victoria, and I own a small business in West Lincoln, Ontario, called Deliciously Wickt. I make luxury soy candles and have a range of accessories for candle lovers as well. I am also a very passionate philanthropist and donate portions of sales to various charities. I created the One Wick One Tree program, where every wood wick candle and two-match bottle sold plants one tree within Canada. I use my platform to encourage people to make small changes in their lives that will positively impact our world and to speak up for what's right. No matter how small, a small change will make a huge impact if we all make one!

Tell us about yourself

I started creating candles out of fear; you could say - I was a 20-year-old single mom working as a cashier. I began making arts and crafts to try and sell to make extra income, and let's just say I'll leave the crafts to someone else! It was 2015 when I started dabbling in candle-making and enjoyed it. I created an Etsy page, listed the one candle I had made, and thought to myself, "It's been an hour; why hasn't it sold?" There's nothing like the ignorance and bliss of a young aspiring entrepreneur?

In 2017 Deliciously Wickt was born. I started doing craft shows and getting my name out there. A year later, I attended business school and realized I had no idea what it took to run a business or even how to run one. I decided to close my business from December 2018 until October 2019 to do a redesign and a huge rethink of where I wanted this business to go. In April 2020, I started to gain traction with my come back, and the new candle designs, the better-made product, and a more professional look to my business were a hit! The rest is hardworking history! Each day I continue to focus on my goals and dreams; I do this for my two daughters. I, like every mom, want my kids to have an amazing future, and I hope building this business will be able to provide that in the long term.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner would have to be Sobeys Inc. welcoming my candles into their stores across Ontario in November of 2021. I manifested that deal with them every single day. I envisioned them saying yes, I envisioned seeing my candles on their shelves, and I cried when it actually happened. As of June 2022, I have my candles in twenty-six Sobeys stores and thirteen Foodland stores. By the end of 2022, I would love to be in fifty stores, and next year I would like to start the process to go national and supply stores across Canada. Putting that aside, a more intimate accomplishment would be how many people reach out to me on Instagram whenever I post something personal. Having people tell me I inspire them, touch their hearts, or encourage them to keep going that day is a remarkable feeling. There are not many followers, but the people I have become friends with have shared their amazing stories with me, and I have learned so much from them. I truly feel humbled.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

There's so much that goes into any business – any business you want to succeed. The first thing would be accepting that you might not be the master of all trades. I had to realize that I am not an accountant or a bookkeeper. I'm not great with computers, and I've had to transfer a lot of my responsibility onto other people who are good at those jobs. Once I did that, my business became more professional, ran smoother, and became more successful. As a business owner, I still wear many hats, which can be very overwhelming, especially as a single mom to two children. I recently created many boundaries because I felt I had to be "on" all the time and readily available to every customer inquiry. I was only hurting myself by creating that expectation for customers that I would reply to emails or messages within a few minutes. Once I stopped working weekends and being on my phone after the typical 9-5, I found myself happier, less agitated and having more time to spend with my girls. Finding the balance between home life and business life is a challenge, but it must be done.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

The top three tips I'd give someone starting a business would be to be uniquely and perfectly you and incorporate that in your brand and online presence – we are all unique, and that should be celebrated. There are so many brands I've come across where everything looks the same, they sell the same thing, and even their color scheme on Instagram is the same; it's so disappointing to see people not even trying to be creative anymore. The second advice would be to know your worth, know how much you should be charging for a product or service and stick with it. The one thing that will always repeat in my brain is something my business teacher said: "price drives perception." Don't offer dollar store prices to try and stay competitive because then people will question the quality of your items. I spent about four years of my business undercharging to try and remain competitive – I lost so much money. I hurt my business very badly doing that, so learn from my mistakes and figure out proper prices. The third tip would be to take your time; I know how exciting it is to start a business or launch a new product line but slow down, test products, create a professional look, and get photos done. Every idea I usually have won't be released for one to two years, from the first sketch to sourcing the product, testing, working with my designer, and everything in between – it takes a lot of time, and I never want to release something I didn't give my all to. Just take your time and return to projects to see if they still feel right.

Be authentically you, create from a place of passion, and have confidence in yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://www.deliciouslywickt.com/
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/DeliciouslyWickt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deliciouslywickt/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deliciouslywickt/

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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