We recently connected with Char Adams and have shared our conversation below.
Char, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Would you say you are more focused on growing revenue or cutting costs? We’d love to hear how you think about these two critical drivers
I believe that revenue and costs are closely tied and it’s hard to not consider both, especially as a small business. Usually our budgets are small and it can be tough for many of us to get loans or grants. My process has been to test each phase before I make a large investment and when I am sure of a path that can grow revenue, finding ways to keep overhead and per unit costs down.
Before this business was established, I spent a lot of time focused on creating different types of products (beyond candles), testing them, and exploring the spaces where I could sell them. At the time, I used my savings from my main job to fund this so that cutting costs wouldn’t be a driver that got in the way of making a good product. I needed to gain the experience and have my own understanding of the potential of what my brand could be.
I did have cost in mind to a certain extent and tried to mitigate some of it by following the methodology of producing a minimal viable product as illustrated in Eric Ries’ book, The Lean Start Up.
When I started making candles, I followed a similar ideology of exploration, balancing the identification of profit centers and the opportunities to cut costs by creating small batches of products and sharing them online with my existing network.
I would sell out of the candles quite frequently and it was at that point, I started focusing on expanding to in person marketplaces so that I could reach more potential customers.
As I was making that shift, I could cut cost per unit because I knew what I would sell. I did this by buying in bulk but I still had an overall increase in expenses, which included rent to vend in person, the cost of transportation, display items, etc. Again, I used my savings from my main job to fund this phase.
My expectation was that these marketplaces should generate enough income to at least cover my expenses. If they didn’t produce these results, I would analyze if I could improve the product mix or determine if that market should be a part of my strategy.
There’s been this trial and error routine as I have continue to grow the brand which is why I believe that it’s hard to emphasize revenue or cost; both are crucial at any stage of your business.
Char, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Being productive and valued in society is a modern obsession, but an age-old concept. We are often judged by our skill multiplied by our contribution: what we can do by how useful that is! This unnecessary pressure to live up to an inflated standard can cause stress and anxiety and jade people’s perspective of reality.
Bottom line – life is not a to-do list; it’s supposed to be fun, at least sometimes… it’s supposed to be more like a bucket list!
Concrete Garden Candles (CGC) is a candle décor company dedicated to creating intentional spaces that satisfy both visual and aromatic senses. I took some time away from my corporate career to pursue how to restructure my life to build in more room for personal enjoyment. This business was born during that exploration and I ultimately transitioned from bored and overwhelmed to courageous and excited about my life.
The concept of Concrete Garden Candles comes from merging two pop culture references: the concrete jungle (an ode to New York and the hustle of the life there) and The Secret Garden (where healing is a central theme). These ideas resonated with me because my life’s responsibilities had become so overwhelming that being intentional about creating a safe space to escape was key for my self-preservation.
I noticed that other people in my network were having similar experiences. They were feeling overwhelmed or constantly tired. I decided to do something to let them know they were not alone. These candles are my way of saying ‘I see you, your efforts are not in vain. Rest, enjoy your life but then get going again’.
So, to convey these sentiments, I provide a distinctive candle for each routine or habit that occurs either at home or in the office. I was mindful in curating and creating fragrances, vessels, and waxes that complement each other so that my customer could have a range of options to create an ambiance that fits their personality and enhances their mood. CGC candle décor is intended to help create more comfortable spaces, whether working or relaxing.
The name and our products are the constant reminder that that all our journeys should be appreciated for their unique beauty and can be rewarding even while we manage our responsibilities and work towards accomplishing our goals.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was in the corporate world, I would spend a lot of my free time helping other small businesses or learning new skills. As the requirements of my job increased, it didn’t leave me with as much free time to do the entrepreneurial things and this was part of the reason why I left that job, The moment I left, I tried to do everything related to small business. For example, I was learning coding so that I could create my own website, I was consulting other small businesses, I also created presentations for them, I tried drop shipment, I also bought products from Alibaba and tried to resell them on Amazon. I was doing the most! These things fit more when entrepreneurship was a side hustle because my sustainability wasn’t tied to the success of these ventures. Now that small business was my main job, this wasn’t a smart or scalable strategy. Very quickly, these ventures went away.
With the candle business, I had to take a step back and be more thoughtful about what I wanted to share with the world, understand why that mattered to me & why that could matter to others. It wasn’t so much about learning all these different skills or just the bottom line (profit) but how to pull together all the necessary processes to provide something that was meaningful to both me and my customer. I believe that is how you create a lasting connection through your brand. This began an unlearning process for me because it helped me identify where I should be spending most of my time. Learning coding to create my own website was cool when it was just for me but to connect with an audience, it wasn’t as impactful. This helped me outsource that part of my candle business. There has been some benefit for me in learning these skills but from a time and value perspective my most important roles in this business is to create and connect. I look for ways to outsource or automate the other functions so that I have more time to focus on these roles.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
I manufacture most of my products. My mom taught me to how to make candles one year when I didn’t have a large budget to spend on Christmas gifts. We had always crafted when I was growing up – I like to joke that it was the only time when we would not argue. Well, when I left my corporate job, I visited her during the holidays, she took me to the craft store, and the rest was history.
As I consider this for a business, I liked how I could create more of an unique product (versus reselling products that other people could also resell). Also, it didn’t take a lot of resources and it was still special to people.
As the business grew, I wanted concrete elements (given the name of my brand) and so I did originally look for vendors to create concrete vessels. I found some vendors through an online search and networking in the in-person marketplaces that I attended. The one vendor that I selected had containers in stock and they fit my vision of the style and price point that I had in mind. However, custom vessels were hard to source. The price point to buy was too high and the items were not really unique or aligned with my vision.
This motivated me to learn how to create my own concrete vessels. This skill could help me connect with my customers in a meaningful way so I felt like it was worth the investment. I looked up online courses on how to work with concrete and also, spent some time making smaller objects comparing the results of different types of concrete brands.
After the trial and error period, I created small batches of concrete vessels and products and tested them at marketplaces to gauge customer feedback. This also helped me adjust my process in manufacturing. For example, some of my niche market do not prefer the air holes in the vessels. However, concrete is porous by nature and sometimes that is how the final product will look.
I had to go back through a trial and error process to eliminate most of the air bubbles as I create the concrete vessels to get the right aesthetic for that part of my niche. Ultimately, I received well enough feedback to scale. I bought material in bulk to save cost and also to save time in the manufacturing process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.concretegardencandles.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/concretegardencandles
Image Credits
Marlon Row, Kelsey Steele Jr., Marlon Row, Marlon Row, myself (Char Adams), myself (Char Adams), myself (Char Adams), myself (Char Adams), Joliette Mandel Photography