Latest from The Candle Apothecary - No. 2
It's been a lot of fun the last couple of weeks getting out to some markets and chatting with people about the candles, what inspires me, the process and an array of all kinds of other things. Whilst my goal has always been an online business, getting out and meeting people has been great for direct feedback and for getting that sought after brand awareness!
It's also been pretty busy looking at the feedback that has been received and making some changes to improve the overall experience.
Changes
The First change is probably the most obvious, the website! The old website was seen as a bit 'basic' and felt pretty clunky to use so there has been a total top to bottom revamp of that, from the platform though to the layout. I've tried as much as possible to not make it too jarring a change and things have been kept in the 'same place', but it's all had a buff and polish to get everything closer to the standards I want and feel you deserve! As always, feedback is a godsend to a relatively new small business so don't be shy in reaching out if you have something to say!
The next change has been to the labels, again to start with there was a certain amount of "It works, it could be better but for now it's the best I've got". a few months down the track everything has again been made a bit cleaner and smarter looking. I'm hoping you like the new labels, I know I'm much happier! the new labels are being introduced as the stock is rotated out so some candles will still have the old labels, but your next ones won't!
Candle Care
Avoiding Tunneling
One thing that has come up a lot has been candle care, and especially how to avoid 'tunneling'. Tunneling is where the candle burns down in the middle but the wax around the edges doesn't melt, it can be caused by a number of things but the 2 main culprits are:
The wrong wick: When the wick that has been used for that candle isn't the right grade to have a flame that casts sufficient heat across the whole surface. There really isn't much you can do about this other than contact the maker and let them know (easier when its a small business) or avoid the brand in the future as there's nothing you can do to prevent it.
Not burning long enough: The 2nd issue is easily preventable. If you don't burn your candle long enough to make sure you have a complete liquid layer of wax across the surface of your candle you will find in the future it will either never melt to the whole edge, or you'll end up flooding your wick so there isn't enough exposed wick left to create a large enough flame to melt the whole surface. Tip - If that does happen don't worry, applying a heat gun (or hair dryer) and melting the top later and pouring a bit of wax off into some kitchen towel can help rescue the situation but be careful you don't spray wax and be aware it can get a little messy!
December Markets
December is busy for everyone and it's the same here! over the next few weeks I'm going to be hitting a couple more markets than usual in the build up to Christmas. This is where I'll be if you're in the Auckland region:
11th December - Smales Farm Market
17th December - Kingsland Flea Market @ 14oz Denim outlet
22nd December - Takapuna Sunset Market @ Hurstmere Road
23rd December - Matakana Night Market @ Matakana Country Park
Keep an eye out for The new banner and come say hi!
If you're not in the Auckland region and want a candle before Christmas I'd recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later, at the moment couriers don't have a backlog but that'll change very quickly!
That's all from me for now, but I want to say I hope you've had a great 2022, thanks for all the support and here's to a healthy and prosperous 2023!
