The side hustle I started from my kitchen sold out in just 3 hours – now I’ve ditched my 9-5 and earn £440k a year
A WOMAN has revealed that she started a side hustle from her kitchen table, that now makes £440.000 a year.
Colina Bruce became obsessed with candles during the pandemic, so decided to teach herself how to make them.
She taught herself via YouTube videos, and began selling her candles online, alongside her 9-5.
In order to give her candles the best chance of being sold, she bought a lightbox from Amazon so that she could take great pictures, and “ramped up the descriptions”, so that customers could almost smell the candles through the screen.
During her first candle drop she sold out of 120 candles in just three hours, without anyone even having to smell them.
She said this was completely unexpected, and had thought the candles would be sitting around gathering dust for weeks.
However, thanks to a “village” or her friends and family spreading the word, they became in very high demand.
“I had people texting me and calling me asking me to buy the candles”, she told UpFlip.
“And I had to tell them I’d sold out.”
Her business, Noir Lux Candle Co,continued to thrive, and in her first year, she made £117,000 from online sales.
She now owns a shop and runs candle making classes, in her studio in Seattle, USA, making £440,00 a year.
Eventually Colina decided to quit her teaching job to work on the business full time, and now has a team of 10 people top help her out.
She said that it was difficult to leave the stability and security of her job, but added that she feels so much more “fulfilled” from her business.
She has even been featured in Oprah magazine, and has worked with influencers to promote her business.
Colina said that it was hard for her business to stand out, as the candle market is so saturated.
Anybody, can make a candle, but they can’t make candles like I make candles.
Colina
Discussing what makes her candles unique, she added: “Our candles are handcrafted, they are soy wax, we use wooden wicks which born more evenly across your candle.”
Her candle company has now partnered with local restaurants and food vendors, to make wacky flavoured candles, such as root beer and strawberry milkshake.
Colina also makes unique scents inspired by popular foods, for example iced coffees.
She told fans: “We turned our favourite drink into a candle!
“Our Iced Lavender Matcha Latte features a harmonious blend of lavender floral notes steeped with bright bergamot, tea, matcha and cream!”
Caramel Machiatto and Cinnamon Chai Latte completed the iced coffee candle collection.
Sharing advice for those thinking of starting a similar business, Colina said: “Do your research, be prepared, stay persistent, don’t take a no as a never.”
How to start your own business
Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs:
- One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence. You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it.
- Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it’s the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business.
- If you don’t take calculated risks, you’re standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can. Failing that, find someone else who can.
- It’s OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today.
- Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses.
- Don’t forget to dream. A machine can’t do that!