How to: Start Your Own Candle Business in Dubai, UAE

Candle Making Business: How to

One of the most significant benefits of candle-making is that you can quickly start up a part or full-time business from home. It’s an outstanding option for crafters who love the entrepreneurial life, since you can:

Ultimately, you are the boss
Have the privilege to choose your work
Build and invest in your own business
Spend less time away from your family
Decide on your work schedule and personal plans

Small businesses specializing in handmade crafts, such as candles, are growing rapidly. A candle making business is a splendid business opportunity due to the following reasons:

Did you know that 5-7 out of 10 households in the UAE use candles? The majority of people prefer handmade goods and support small, local businesses. A number of unique candles are favored decor products on the market.

Easy startup: It is not necessary to have a large workspace or equipment to start this business. It is very easy to set up a small manufacturing operation. You need basic supplies, equipment, and a small space.

Selling and marketing is easy: The cost of producing one candle is only ten to twenty dirhams, while the cost of producing a premium candle is usually 60 to 75 dirhams. Prices range from 35 to 200 dirhams. It is possible to market your candles through craft malls, gift shops, farmers markets, or online stores likeYdawy, Saffron Souk, or by having your own website.

You will not be alone: starting a candle-making business puts you in touch with fellow crafters and entrepreneurs with whom you can share resources, ideas, and business tips.

Candle business – 9 Steps

The importance of a business plan cannot be overstated regardless of the size of your business. Perfect practice helps you build a solid foundation for your brand, think about the future, and create a basis for success. To build a great plan, we will describe 9 steps below.

In the beginning of your business, your objectives and structure may have to change; There will be many changes, and you need to adjust accordingly.

You need to develop your “Pitch” first

Describe your business in one sentence – Say “Happy Lola Candles Inc. manufactures a variety of fragranced candles with unusual, memorable names to target festivals such as Eid and/or Christmas.”.

Get to know your market

It’s important to determine your company’s niche in the candle industry before building your brand. We suggest you focus your candle line around one of the following three markets:

Small market: Candles that are available at a variety of retail outlets at a reasonable price. A typical price range for these candle types typically ranges from 35AED to 65AED. They use traditional fragrances like vanilla or pine, economical containers, and packaging.

Medium Market: Typical candles sold in malls such as Springs Souk, Nakheel Mall, in local boutiques, and in gift shops. Create a distinctive brand story, provide unique scents (such as Ylang Ylang, lavender & chamomile, or tea tree), and create an effective brand image.

High Market: These candles all feature brands and scents as well as a story behind them – Price range: 249 AED to 750 AED++

Thus, you will have a better understanding of your potential market and to identify who will buy your candles. Then you will select the materials to make candles based upon that knowledge.

3: Research and choose your niche

The next step is to identify what makes your brand unique and what makes it stand out against the competition. After realizing your candle market, it is time to realize your brand’s individual niche. Identifying the perfect niche can be a challenge. Here are some tips:

Packaging that is appealing
Combinations of unique fragrances
You should name your candles cleverly or attractively
Support for charities
Lastly, it is crucial that you sell your candles exclusively so your customers cannot find them elsewhere.

4: Create an attractive brand name and identity

You need to choose an appealing name for your company and then design a memorable logo, color scheme, and branding identity. Check whether a .com URL is available for your site and run a brand search when you find something intriguing and important. If your business grows faster than you anticipate, you will have additional options as the name of your brand becomes well-known.

Build a team to help you to come up with new ideas for possible development and make your products unique. Try not to make your branding too complicated. Focus on being honest with clients and being close to them. Validate within your circle.

5: Set a budget for your business

It is highly recommended that you estimate your supplied item, gear, and overhead costs for the first two months of your business. In addition to paying yourself an hourly wage for your time and efforts, you should also pay yourself an hourly wage as an entrepreneur. The practicing and testing phase is going to cost you a significant sum of money, till you find the best method that works best for you.

6: Identify a preliminary range of prices and products

To keep your product line short and reasonable, it is good to keep it simple. If you are targeting people in your target market, see which candles are commonly used by your friends and family.

In addition, it is important to evaluate how much each item costs for delivery (in supplies and time) and what a reasonable cost is. You shouldn’t be hesitant to assign a value to your candles according to your time and efforts. The prices of candles vary greatly depending on the market for which they are marketed, but many candle business owners will value their candles between 30 and 75, even 200 dirhams (or more).

7: Identify your target audience

You can sell your candles quickly in several ways. These are three important markets to consider:

Farmers markets, gift shops, and local art shows

Saffron Souk and other online markets

Your online presence: A website (we recommend WIX, SquareSpace and Shopify)

8: Integrate the permit, insurance, and license

First of all, safety is top priority. There are many variations depending on where you are located and what you need. Taking out liability insurance and incorporating require the guidance of a lawyer, accountant, and insurance provider. As a small business owner, you should also explore the country and local requirements for permits and licenses. You have many options for business structures, including sole ownership, general partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and e-trader from dedcafe.ae if you are a resident of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

9: Average pricing

There are a few costings to consider when beginning a candle making business. These are estimated pricing and can be adjusted according to your business requirements.

Research & Development Stage: 800-4,000AED (Finding the right branding & packaging, wick, wax, jar and the right method is science, but finding the right method that works best for you would be challenging)

Licensing: from 1,100AED – 8,000++ AED (This may vary from which authority you are looking to be licensed, and if you are looking for an office space we advise to research more into this)

Zbooni website is free to setup once you are licensed – Fees: 3.5% + 10AED to withdraw

Stripe payment gateway: 2.99% + 1AED/transaction

Shopify website: 105AED ++ / month plus 2% on every transaction, other than your payment gateway fees

For candle making supplies in bulk, once the method in candle making have been finalized, you can contact us directly to quote you accordingly. We are always happy to support fellow candle makers.

In the end…

We have covered a lot in this article, so you might experience an information overload regarding the candle business. We understand that starting a new business is a challenging task, and there is no perfect timing to get started. Believe us, we have seen many crafters succeed at it time and time again—just like you. If you’re determined to make handmade things, a motivated self-starter, ready to explore, learn and grow, then you’re the game changer.

We also host different workshops from time to time – stay updated with us via our instagram.

Happy Candle Making!