How to Start a Wholesale Candle Business

Candles offer dreamlike escapism to romantic settings and add a special touch to holiday and birthday celebrations. Transporting from life's frantic pace into candlelit relaxation is just one reason seven out of 10 U.S. households use them. Retail sales of candles reached approximately $2 billion in the U.S. in 2008, according to Thriving Candle Business. Starting a potentially prosperous wholesale venture requires business savvy and persistence, and it can literally light up your life.

• 1

  Pick the type of candle to market. With the popularity of the green movement, soy candles can be a profitable option. Made from non-petroleum materials, they don't produce soot, according to the Long Beach Green Guide. Specialize in a few candles at first, then branch out to other types, like scented, seasonal, decorative or food-fragrance candles.

• 2

  Contact manufacturers such as Candles of Eden or Aromatique to obtain a wholesale catalog. The National Candle Association has a listing of U.S. candle manufacturers offering a wide variety.

• 3

  Create business cards and a glossy, full-color catalog for your wholesale business. Search online for eye-catching candle catalogs and create a similar one using a digital camera and word processor program such as Pages. Look at samples of candle or wholesale business cards and design one to hand to customers. Get items printed at a local or online printing service.

• 4

  Call to make an appointment with shop owners. Retail shop owners don't like to stop waiting on customers to talk to a salesperson. Write a succinct and tempting one-minute sales pitch describing the candles. The key is having decorative, attractive or scented candles that sell. Beauty salons, toiletries outlets, lingerie stores, flower shops, home decor stores and gift shops are retailers who might profit from carrying your candles.

• 5

  Leave your catalog with business cards attached. This allows busy shop owners to look through it when they have more time. Happily leave samples and check in with owners through email or phone.

• 6

  Attract customers with the velvet hammer technique. The velvet hammer pleasantly, yet persistently taps on a retailer's door until the sale is won. Don't go in expecting an immediate sale. Introduce the candles. Leave samples, then touch base every month or so. Visit the retailer when you need to buy a product they sell. People like doing business with individuals they get to know.

• 7

  Create an Ebay store online. The site provides a marketplace with low seller fees and plenty of customers. Set up a wholesale business account to branch out and sell to out-of-town and overseas vendors.