Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Letta Moore, owner of KSM Candle Co., located in Baltimore, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
KSM Candle Co is a candle company that focuses on clean and sustainable living. Providing small-batch quality products that are eco-friendly, non-toxic, and ethically sourced. In addition to providing scented items for our customers, we also provide studio space where we teach the craft of candle making. Our vision was never to just create another candle company; it was to create a company where people could get together and share their passion for creating.
Tell us about yourself
It all started with an obsession with The Walking Dead. If you're familiar with the AMC show, then you know that a group of people navigating their way in a new world plagued by a zombie apocalypse. In my former life, I was a Marketing Director in diversified real estate. While watching the program, I began thinking, "these marketing skills aren't going to translate into anything useful if there's a zombie apocalypse."
So I figured I should start developing a set of skills that, if I am lucky enough to survive, I could use in a post-apocalyptic world. No, the skill wasn't soy candles; the skill was creating enterprise. Soy candles are just a plus!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I started KSM Candle Co back in 2014, I sold most of my products in other people's stores and boutiques, so my biggest accomplishment was when I moved into my own space in 2016, where I could sell all of my fragrance goods, but I had a home to teach candle making workshops. KSM Candle Co was the 1st candle company in Baltimore to teach candle-making workshops, and we are proud of that.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner does not just have to wear multiple hats but also have to be proficient in many aspects of business that are not centered solely around your craft. So becoming a social media strategies and a tax accountant all at the same time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Failure is not finite unless you give up.
- Pull the trigger, and worry about perfecting as you go.
- Be prepared to say yes.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.ksmcandleco.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ksmcandleco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksmcandleco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/knitssoymetal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knits-soy-and-metal/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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