If you love creating an inviting home experience with deliciously scented candles, then Yum Yum Candle, LLC is perfect for all your aromatherapy needs. Yum Yum Candle is the brainchild of sisters, Chelsea and Elan. Both ladies are bath and body enthusiasts with a keen sense for marketing and product development. All products are soy-based and packaged in eco-friendly containers. How can you not love that!
I came across Yum Yum Candle on Twitter and immediately became intrigued after seeing product names like Peach Tea Smoothie and Lavender Vanilla sprinkle my timeline. Being a person who loves the art of relaxation and personal pampering, I knew I had to connect with the ladies on Yum Yum Candle to learn more about their business and passion for candles.
Question 1: Yum Yum Candle - It’s such a tantalizing name, there must be a juicy story behind it. Tell us, how did you come up with it?
(giggle) Sorry but there’s no juicy story behind our name. When I first decided to form the company, I wanted a name that reflected the scent of our candles, a name that was fun and not so “serious”… a name that would be easy to remember... something that would give a heads-up of what to expect. “Yummy” didn’t sound right. “Yum Yum” seemed perfect.
Question 2: Product packaging is often an intimidating process. How did you all go about designing your packaging? Did you experience any challenges during the process? If so, please share how you overcame them.
We both have backgrounds in media production, so I think that’s helped us greatly with packaging. To date, we’ve designed all our labels and we come up with our packaging concepts as well. We consider what catches our eye, the level of expectation we have for products on store shelves from our personal shopping preferences and just go from there. We’re eco-friendly, so using materials that can be reused or recycled or is made from recycled or sustainable materials is important. Green products aren’t always the most economical option however, so cost can be and is a hurdle for us as a small business. We overcome it a little by forcing ourselves to be more creative and remembering what’s most important.
Question 3: The names of your products sound delicious and stay true to your Yum Yum brand. Is there a process you all go through when naming a new product? Any new products in the works?
There really is no process. Sometimes a scent name may come from us joking around… other times it’s just something that hits us, seems fitting and descriptive yet simple and easy to remember.
We do have a new body product in the works. We hope to release it in the spring/summer to take the place of our whipped body creams which we’re not able to ship during the warmer months. The creams will start to separate or melt if it’s too warm. We also have a small line of soy beeswax blended candles that we’re working on too, however at the moment; the plan is to offer them exclusively to retailers only.
Question 4: Before you started selling your products online and to retail stores, did you conduct any market research to identify your competition, target consumers, etc? If so, how was this process valuable to the start of your business? Would you recommend other entrepreneurs engage in market research?
I conducted my simplified version of market research (lol). I was an avid candle buyer prior to starting my company so I had a good idea of what was out there and where potential gaps were. Since starting the business, I continue to conduct my simplified version of market research too… it’s an ongoing process and it will never stop because what I’ve learned and observed really and truly is helpful information. I don’t just focus on the candle industry or the bath/body industry only. I take notes and read up on a wide variety of industries because there are key learnings and ideas everywhere.
Question 5: Being that you two are sisters, what advice would you give others who are thinking about starting a business with family members?
Just like you cannot change a person after you are married, you cannot change a family member after you start a business. (lol) Recognize each individual’s talents and strengths… use it at the very core and build on it. That being said, I’m not an advocate for “you do this, and this only” and “I’ll do this, and this only." I cannot accept that kind of working relationship because it’s important that business partners try to learn, assist and understand things they won’t necessarily do all the time for their growth/development and for the company’s stability. I don’t believe in stifling growth and that kind of mentality is stifling.
To give your home that yummy smell you’ve been looking for, please go to YumYumCandle.com to purchase your candle today!
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