We were lucky to catch up with Nicoletta Ciccia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Nicoletta thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I think about this quite frequently actually. It brings me so much gratitude remembering who was there to support me from the very beginning and how a lot of those people are still supporting me today. It has been almost three years now that Nic’s Wicks has transpired. I started off by buying a few pounds of candle wax at a time and filling small mason jars for family and friends with the most mediocre candles you could think of! The wicks were not always centered, the fragrances were very minimal, and although they were made with love, they were also made with pure trial and error. With tons of practice and research into my new fixed obsession, my candles began to look better. I started to hear about pop up shops and outdoor events and automatically knew I needed to join.
To prepare for my first event I made a total of eight candles, thinking it was going to be too many and I would go home with all of them. Little did I know that was far from what was going to happen. I nervously yet excitedly went to my event that day.
Within minutes a lady walked up to my table, picked up a candle, and handed it to me. Just as quick as that, I was selling my first candle ever. She chose a beautiful mug with multiple crystals and flowers placed on top. I thanked her so many times before she left. Knowing a complete stranger wanted something I put so much thought and passion into is such a crazy feeling. Throughout the few hours of vending I had quickly sold out of candles, one by one. I continued to go to events weekly and would start to bring more and more candles. I first started off with eight and now I have sold upward of eighty candles in one night. So many aspects of my business have changed since that first day of selling, but the one thing that has stayed the same is the overwhelming feeling of elatedness I feel when someone goes home with one of my candles.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Nicoletta Ciccia and I am the creator and owner of Nic’s Wicks. Around three years ago I was stuck at my community college not knowing what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and felt like I was the only one with this dilema. As Summer break rolled around and I was going into my Sophomore year of college, I took a road trip to North Carolina to visit my aunt. While shopping at one of the local thrift stores, practically popping off of the shelf was a sheet of honeycomb shaped beeswax and a few candle wicks tied together. I felt gravitated toward it and without thought, picked it up to purchase. I told my sister I was going to start a new hobby, which was nothing new. When I got home from North Carolina I started messing around with my new and extremely basic candle kit. I was still going to thrift shops and always respected the use of sustainability and recycling. I would use unique mugs, bowls, teacups, and even creamer pourers. The possibilities were endless and so were my ideas.
I did my research and found eco-friendly ingredients including soy wax, essential oils, and dried flowers and herbs. Crystals are one of my favorite interests, so I decided to add them to the tops of the candles for some pizzazz and intention behind each candle. Sustainability is such an important part of everyday life and I wanted to try to make something that I had never seen an eco-friendly version of yet. I feel so proud I could accomplish this vision for not only myself but other people trying to find more conscious ways to alter their daily lives in order to become just a little more sustainable as well.
Three years later, I am still making soy wax candles inside antique and thrifted vessels. I am in my senior year of college and declared a Business major while minoring in Marketing. I knew I found my knack and had to stick with it because of the joy, friends, lessons, and opportunities it has shown me. I would love for people to know how appreciative I am of the ongoing support I get from family and friends as I follow my life path and create an even bigger brand for myself in the future.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
As a college student, I never really had the typical “initial capital” I needed to start a business. I had a part time job while in high school and the beginning of college so I had a little money saved up but nothing crazy. When I realized how much time, effort, and especially money it took to run the business, I felt somewhat discouraged. I never had tons of money so I have always had to work for what I wanted, which in this case helped me out in a lot of ways. I never expected someone to hand me a check for a million dollars to go build my brand. Another reason I use the thrifted vessels for my candles in addition to the sustainability aspect is the price. I knew that if I purchased these containers for an affordable cost, I could sell them for an affordable cost, allowing more people to buy my product who normally would not be able to afford such things. Having friends and family donate containers has been such a help as well, considering candle wax and fragrance oils cost quite a bit and I run out quickly. In these few years of running the business I have never received any financial backing, which yes, causes a lot of stress, but also makes me work harder. I think since I had to work from the bottom I appreciate where I am now a lot more than I would have if I was given a break. And to be honest, I would not change that for anything.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Growing clientele is one of the hardest things about starting a small business that not too many people talk about. Although social media is the fastest and most efficient way to express something to a larger audience, word of mouth is always key. Personally, I found that when I am at in-person events I will have previous customers come back and look for more candles to buy, and this time around they bring their friends. This not only creates the chance for existing clients to come back, but an opportunity to make new ones. I love seeing supporters of mine come to events to show their friends or family the candles I make. It not only makes me feel proud of my work, but happy I can give something to someone to brighten there day as well. I go to events primarily in the Spring and Summer which is perfect for lots of people who are new customers because they get to come and smell the candles, physically pick out one that calls to them, and I get to create a relationship with them. Although it is more difficult if someone orders online because it is less personal, they are still able to post reviews, photos, and their thoughts about the products online for a wide audience to see. Tagging small businesses social media handles is much appreciated and can even help other people check out our pages.
Contact Info:
- Website: nicswicksofficial.myshopify.com
- Instagram: nicswicksnj
- Linkedin:Nicoletta Ciccia