We accidentally created an indispensable product – now our company is worth £13m
A COUPLE who started a candle-making business in their kitchen tell how they turned their side job into a multi-million dollar empire.
Duncan and Cheryl MacLean, from Falkirk, founded their company Candle hut home as part of an MBA program for Duncan’s work in the military, while Cheryl ran her own successful salon.
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The couple invited some friends over for a barbecue and some drinks and discussed possible small business ideas before deciding to start making candles.
Cheryl said, “I was a PartyLite rep and I loved it. We loved candles, we had candles all over the house.
“So for me, perfume was huge, everything had to smell amazing. It just seemed like a natural progression to try it.”
The couple say they took a huge risk by giving up Duncan’s huge military package, including private school fees and a five-bedroom house in Berkshire, and Cheryl’s beauty salon, to focus on their candle-making business.
Duncan said: “It was a big gamble. Some people honestly thought we were completely crazy.
“Cheryl’s beauty salon was doing well and I was earning about £30,000-£40,000 a year. My salary in the army was a bit more.
“When we gave up, in retrospect we gave up a great package.”
The couple sold their handmade candles at local farmers markets and boutiques, but decided to take the plunge after receiving a question that could put their business on the path to success.
Cheryl, 49, explains: “Someone came to us and asked if we could make their candles.
“It was something we hadn’t even thought about, so Duncan set up a website and within the first month we were inundated with people contacting us.”
Duncan told of a “happy accident” that turned out to be hugely popular: “We accidentally ordered too much perfume for a candle we were making for a customer.
“We put it on the internet to sell it as a kind of leftover oil and then the e-commerce part of the business started, which of course has now become huge.
“So, I think it’s a matter of luck, and I’m just very entrepreneurial.”
The MacLeans packed up and set up a base in Duncan’s native Scotland, using his military severance pay and tightening their belts to drastically reduce their expenses in order to focus on their business.
Cheryl even set up their guest room to accommodate beauty clients, giving them some extra money to focus on their growing business.
Duncan, 50, said: “Originally we didn’t make any money from the business for the first year.
“We basically paid for everything up front because we knew if we didn’t, we would stop after one bad month because you would just panic.”
Cheryl added: “In the beginning, the first few years, we always went with our gut and just went for it.”
There the couple opened their first factory in Grangemouth and ramped up production, which helped their business grow, with the company seeing a huge increase in sales during lockdown.
And things are going even further: Candle Shack is expanding into the European market, which accounts for 60% of global candle imports.
Cheryl shared how the impact of Brexit prompted them to take the leap to Europe.
She said: “It was difficult because of course Brexit was happening. We had quite a few European customers and there was so much unrest at the time. We couldn’t ship and we had all these orders. It was just awful.
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“Then our customers kept saying you have to open in Europe, which we did. We literally kept it quiet and looked to see if we could do it and that’s when Candle Shack BV was born.”
As well as building their multi-million pound candle empire, Cheryl runs a community group for Candle Shack enthusiasts.
The group, Candle Shack UK Community, has more than 15,000 members and Cheryl says the close-knit online community is a welcoming place for candle lovers.
She said: “The special thing about the group is that everyone helps each other.
“We have customers who have been shopping with us for years and they help all these smaller people and actually all the managers of the group are our customers. So it’s a nice group and it’s also very friendly.”
How to start your own business?
Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs:
- One of the biggest barriers that aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of self-confidence. You have to believe in your idea — and more than that, be the one to bore your friends to death with it.
- Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, the confidence to make decisions 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 act on it if you can. If you can’t, find someone else who can.
- It’s okay not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions has helped build my confidence and made me who I am today.
- Never underestimate the power of social media and remember that the internet is an equal opportunity for small businesses.
- Don’t forget to dream. A machine can’t do that!
After starting their business modestly in their own kitchen, the duo now encourages people starting their own businesses or working side jobs to personalize their brand.
Duncan said: “I think it’s really important for these small brands to sell themselves. That’s the main message we give them.
“It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s just nice to know that someone really put their heart and soul into it.”
Cheryl emphasized the importance of persevering through difficult times and challenges when starting your own side business.
She said, “You want to give up all the time, but it’s totally worth it. We go through all these things when we start a business or a side hustle that grows into a business.
“It’s also about believing in yourself, that’s the most important thing. Just keep going.”
