Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Delight Greenidge, COO of Luxe & Little, located in Mississauga, ON, Canada.

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

Luxe & Little is Canada's only manufacturer of luxury soy odor neutralizing candles and sprays. The company is innovative and makes candles that remove pet odors, food odors, and lingering smoke odors. Luxe candles are vegan, organic, and natural, made with premium essential oils and fragrance oils. However, it's the formulation that makes our candles special and ensures that each one works perfectly.

We guarantee that each candle will remove any unwanted odor from your home. Luxe products appeal to women and men with disposable income as we are a luxury brand. From small spaces in apartments and condos to large homes, cottages, RVs, and campers, Luxe products freshen the air where ever they are lit.

COVID has made many of us home chefs, and the food smells can linger for a while. We love our pets, but they do smell, and going nose blind to their smell is never a good idea. With the legalization of cannabis in Canada, many Canadians are using weed for health and recreational benefits, but the stigma associated is still there.

Aerosols only mask smoke odors, and Luxe candles and sprays remove lingering cannabis smoke completely. Our products are safe for pets and kids. We didn't create yet another candle. Luxe candles are luxurious, and they smell amazing. We have only three unique scents plus unscented that is proprietary to us. You will never find another candle with a similar smell because each Luxe candle contains 10-12 different scents that are specially blended together and mixed with enzymes to create a Luxe candle.

Tell us about yourself

The first candle, which is our Original Scent, was created after I attended a backyard BBQ where the scents in the air were intense. Perfumes, colognes, dogs, smoke, meats, and veggies are all in the same air space. I was almost nauseated because there were so much different smells. I walked quickly through the house and headed for the backyard. Driving home, I kept thinking, there must be a way for me to take those smells away with a candle. (I was already an avid candle user).

I started making and testing. I got better over time. It took more than 18 months to get it to work perfectly. Then I got a science professor to validate my methodology. He loved it. I was ready to test with random people and get a business started. I found people online and randomly sent them a candle to remove one of their pains, pet odors, food odors, or smoke odors. They were only required to provide an honest review. 90% of them loved it! I remembered how excited I was when the reviews came in. That's still what keeps me motivated today, customer emails and messages telling us how they love the smell and it works for the purpose they ordered them for.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Creating a product that didn't exist and making it become a solution for someone's problem.

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

Work never stops. As an owner, your thoughts are always on what still needs to be done. As long as you have customers, there's always something to do, and that makes it really hard to schedule time for yourself.

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

  1. Perfect your product. There will be lots of similar products available as options for people to choose from. To be the chosen one, you need to pinpoint perfection in the quality, price, and presentation of your brand.
  2. Understand that your product is not for everyone. Find those who will love it and uniquely market to them.
  3. It will take a long time to really know who your customer is. Don't guess or follow rules that don't apply to your business about identifying your customer.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Luxe and Little entered the candle market where it's saturated. We did a lot to differentiate ourselves, and today we're proud that Luxe candles are considered to be 'More than a Candle". Luxe candles work to remove odors, while regular candles mask smells with perfumes.

We're also the only candle company with a refillable container. Our cement container vessels are handcrafted and designed to last. The refill process is easy as the pillar refill fits perfectly into the container you already have. While we are a luxury product at a higher price point, our refills are in the mid-price range and therefore affordable. We want people who use and love candles to have a Luxe experience.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://luxeandlittle.ca/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3LolAsR
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxecandlescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/canada_luxe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luxeandlittle/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.