Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chris DePalma, Owner of Urban Candle Company, located in St. Louis, MO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We started our business as a creative outlet and hobby. We soon learned that candle-making is an art and craft, and we worked to be better and better at it. We wanted to create candles that were all-natural, safe, and affordable but reflected our artistic flair as well. In the beginning, our friends and family were our customers, and we received such a great response. We then began to do local shows and events, and we noticed that our candles began to sell rather quickly.
We made a few bold visits to local shops to ask if they would carry our candles and were excited to receive some welcomed yes! Our business grew, and we worked hard to make the highest quality candles possible. Our customers gave us the inspiration for the scents to carry – and we continued to design our labeling with artistry and color. Our brand became Urban Candle early on – reflecting our love for St. Louis and the city. In 2021, two big things happened. I was fortunate enough to leave my corporate job to focus on Urban Candle full time. And we opened a brick-and-mortar location with a studio for making and a retail location for shopping, making us the first candle shop in the southern city of Saint Louis. We continue to build and grow day today. Most of all, we built this business from passion and determination and deep enjoyment of the people who we connect with in our business.
Tell us about yourself
We have used our past experience in the business world to make the model for our business. Crawl, walk, and run is always a good model, and that is what we have done. Right now, we are running, and that is fun! We have several parts to our business, and the challenge is to keep each one with the target and goals we aim for. We have retail partner stores, and we enjoy the wholesale part of our business. We also do corporate programs, including corporate gifting and events. Branded and personalized candles make great, lasting marketing and event gifts. We design and make custom lines of candles for shops and boutiques, with their branding and our candles. We say, “Your logo… your brand… our candles”. Private events like wedding showers and weddings are another area we specialize in. Custom-labeled candles for events are very fun! Fundraisers are an important part of our business model as well. The heart of Urban Candle is to give back, and so we do. We partner with non-profits to design candles that reflect their organization, sell them, and donate the profits. And in-person sales at our studio are where we connect with those who we enjoy meeting and talking with so much. We love our business. Every bit of it. And we hope it shows!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are known at Urban Candle for a few things: First and foremost, we make quality candles. Our candles are known to burn long and clean. The science of candle-making is not easy, and we have spent many hours perfecting it. Our motto is “the synergy of fire and scent,” and it truly is. We want those who burn our candles to enjoy the finest candle at an affordable price.
We are conscious of the earth in our making and packaging. We offer a return/recycling program for used jars, so they don’t end up in landfills. We are also known for our creativity. We specialize in colorful and artsy labeling. We enjoy designing labels and know that candle-making is an art, so the labeling should be too. Many of our labels are photos we have taken, and we stylize them with the watercolor and colorful look that people enjoy having in their homes or desk or wherever they enjoy their candles. Urban Candle is well known for large orders, yet personal service on each and every small order or individual sale we make. We take it seriously and personally.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The quality most important to our success is our connection with each other – and with our customers. First and foremost, we are a couple. And parents – our family comes first. Next, we are business owners. Those parts of our lives intertwine, but being a couple who enjoys being together and creating together is the most fun and what makes us successful.
So many of our ideas are born late at night when we are just talking and being together. We love to sit down and create and design together. We like to dream together, and we do that very well on a beach somewhere. We plan with precision but dream with abandon. We also know our strengths, and we each know which part of the business to focus on. Jim handles finances and production, and Chris handles sales and marketing. And we take our relationship to the streets and the community. We enjoy people, and we love our city and our area. Our success is solely from those who connect with us and enjoy what we create.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take the risk.
- Life is short; always do your dreams.
- Run your business by the numbers and let your emotions follow.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.urbancandleco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbancandlestl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbancandlestl/
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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