The day I signed the lease for my retail homemade gel candle store, about 3 weeks ago, our local newspaper ran an editorial titled 'Entrepreneurs Will Save the Economy.' It gave a pretty fair outline of how cottage industries such as organic farms and other small businesses are filling in the gaps left by the corporations in this country that have outgrown their britches and set up their own downfalls.

Since I've been mixing in talk about my own small candle business in a lot of threads, I though it only fair to start a new thread specifically on candles, and those that can be made from soy oil wax, so other threads won't be sidetracked. To kick it off:

Is anyone out there making soy wax candles?

Producing fire-starting logs from glycerin?

Providing another service to their restaurants besides oil collection?

Marketing glycerin soap successfully (other than Legal Eagle)?

Stretching their limits and 'thinking outside the box', and wanting to talk about it on these forums?

Seeing a Glade candle ad on TV and not thinking about ME?

Whichever it might be, I believe you have found the appropriate thread.

Your only mistake was you should have been in that article.

Call the local newspapers and tell them what you are doing and make it sound as interesting as possible. A news story is worth 5x what you would pay for advertising.

I did this and we ended up on the whole front page of the community section of one local paper
http://www.montgomerynews.com/...235e58b914042298.txt

and on the top of the business section of another
http://www.phillyburbs.com/new...ean-and-green-1.html

Will definitely take advantage of the free publicity the Press-Gazette can offer. It's just a matter of timing, and having the shop together enough so they can get some good pictures. Thanks.

"Candles for Clunkers" sales stimulation promotion

(let me know if you think this will work guys)


Candles for Clunkers

Trade in those old, energy wasting wax candles for a 2009 or newer gel, soy, or hybrid candle, and receive rebates and incentives totaling up to $00.45 per trade in!

-Must have owned candle for more than one year, and have used it at least once, before letting it clunk around in some drawer in your kitchen.

-Used coffee cups or glasses may qualify for special "Dealer Bonus Pennies Days" or cash back rewards payments. Not guaranteed by any government.

-Watch as we melt your old candle down into an amorphous pile of goo, as we use new gel wax to create a candle that lasts 3 times longer than a regular candle, thus saving the planet.

-Payout limit is $1 Billion unless endlessly extended due to the overwhelming success of the promotion.

-Certain restrictions excluded.

quote:

...fire-starting logs from glycerin?

I wouldn't advise it. Glycerin should be burned in a very hot, well established fire or toxic components will be produced in the smoke. Of course if one is not concerned about adding to air pollution...
I'm not downwind of Green Bay WI, so does it matter?

quote:

Providing another service to their restaurants besides oil collection?

Occasionally eating their food. Usually on the day they change the fryer oil.