Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anna Angerman, Founder of Lover Bear Candle Co., located in Wrangell, AK, USA.

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

We are an Alaskan Inspired candle company. This just means we create unique scented products that remind us of our beautiful home state. Alaska is the largest and most remote state in the country, and with that comes miles of uncharted forests, mountains, and coastlines. We like to take our outdoor adventures here and bottle them up as swoon-worthy scents for our business.

Tell us about yourself

Lover Bear Candle is the result of a soon-to-be couple getting married on a budget with a desire to share our Alaskan adventures with our family. My (now) husband and I were planning a Vegas wedding in 2019, and we wanted a special, unique party favor for our guests. Much of our family has never been to Alaska, so we wanted to be able to share a little piece of home with them as a way of saying thank you for coming to our wedding. So we thought about what's small enough for a party favor and likable, and we decided on candles! We knew we wanted to make something amazing to share with our friends and family, so we spent months making the perfect candle. And after the overwhelmingly positive response from our guests, we decided to start making candles as a business, and it's been growing non-stop since then.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have many accomplishments that are special to me, including being featured in the newspaper and on blogs and magazines (no matter how small). Having our candles sold in almost 20 different stores throughout Alaska, Oregon, and Montana. And having strangers recognize me off the street, saying you're the candle lady from Instagram!

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

There are so many hard parts of running a business. Before we started this company back in 2019, neither my husband nor I had ever had a small business; we both worked food in beverage jobs and didn't have the first clue as to how a successful business runs. We've learned on the go! My biggest struggle has been budgeting and finances. I'm not naturally inclined to math and numbers, so I constantly have to reassess our finances.

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

My number one tip is social media! Get on as many platforms as you can and just show your face and the daily things you do in your business. We have only gotten this far, thanks to social media! The number 2 tip would be to really focus on your price. What is your product or service worth? Make sure to include the price of your time in the final costs. The number 3 tip is to keep going through hard times. We've all had issues, made mistakes, or had bad customers; the trick is to not let the negative things get you down. You CAN do this!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

When we were first starting out, I had millions of questions and had a few Veteran candle makers help me out. Ever since then, I've been committed to helping anyone who asks. If anyone ever has a question, comment or concern, feel free to message us on social media or email us at loverbearcandle@gmail.com

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://loverbearcandle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loverbearcandleco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loverbearcandleco/

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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