We know, it's May, which seems a little too early to start thinking about Christmas, but is it? Before we know it, the months will zoom by and we'll be doing the last minute mad rush before Christmas. So we are writing this now to get you to begin thinking so you aren't rushing and having late nights making your products. Here is your guide to getting ready for Christmas.
May - Marking the Dates
Your to do list this month is planning. Get a calendar or diary that you can see and write the below to do items in each month. Step one to smashing the 2021 festive season is being organised and with this guide you are going to kill it. Being a head of the game is crucial, especially in the candle industry.
July - Planning
We've reached the half way point of the year, Christmas will be here before you know it. This month is compiling your Christmas Range. What do we mean by this? Write down exactly what candle jars, Christmas fragrance oils, soy wax, stickers or labels, soaps and even hampers you are going to be using in your range. Look to see what Christmas supplies there are, keeping in mind we'll be introducing new Christmas Jars shortly too. You want to have your plan set about the products you'll be using.
August - Testing
Time to start buying your tester supplies. We know this seems early but you have to run tests on your products if you haven't made them before. Buy smaller quantities of the range you have organised for Christmas and begin testing. Make sure you are happy with the look, your fragrance oils, that your candles are reach full melt pools. Testing your products is important to make sure that they are what you are expecting them to turn out to be and are confident your customers will love your product. Don't forget your candles should ideally be curing for 2 weeks before burning them so that your fragrances are stronger.
September - Making
Buy your wholesale bulk candle supplies to start making your Christmas range. Ideally you want the majority of your range compiled by the end of September and for the rest of the year you can stock up on anything you end up selling.
October - Marketing
Now that you have all the parts of your Christmas range ready, it's time to start marketing them! Take photos of them and advertise them through your social media accounts, put them on your website and take them with you to the markets. You'd be surprised with how many people start thinking about Christmas early and you don't want to miss out on capturing those sales you would have had.
November - Topping Up
Ramp it up. You may need to do a top on your range and make a few more products, you may have to advertise further or add exclusive Christmas products to your range. Get creative with hamper options and packaging to make them feel extra festive. Shipping starts to take slightly longer around this time of year so ensure you think about that so you aren't caught out.
December - Selling
This will be your busiest time of year for sales. Luckily, because you were prepared and have your range ready and don't have to worry about making anymore candles and waiting for them to cure, you can focus on selling them. When Christmas Day comes, you can relax knowing you have had a successful year because you were prepared, all because you had started thinking about it in May!
