Side effects of having a one track mind: wanting to start something right away. I've been slowly working my way towards opening my next craft venture. It's been painfully slow (4 months in actively planning so far) and I keep thinking of all the stuff left to do before I can open. Much of the wait is money-based since I'm paying for things as I go vs. opening a loan or putting things on credit. I thought it might help to jot down a list to keep track of things.
So far, I have:
*Researched (still in progress, probably always will be!)
*Formed a wax melt testing group
*Tested fragrance oils (still in progress, although I have narrowed down several must-have's)
*Picked out 2 specific waxes for tarts & candles
*Picked out candle jars/supplier
*Picked out wax melt containers/supplier
*Picked out scent shot containers/supplier
*Purchased a low-budget version of a wax melter (no more double boiler, yay!)
*Started a testing notebook so I can log info
*Called the county zoning office and verified I'm allowed to run my business from home
*Formed an LLC
*Procured an EIN
*Purchased/registered a domain name (currently redirects to Etsy, might move over to Wix if I get a big enough customer base. I've heard too many horror stories of Etsy randomly closing down shops)
*Played around with logos (need to finalize one)
*Broke down total cost of wax melts and set a price for when I start selling them
*Chose an insurance carrier (still have to sign up $$$$)
*Rearranged the house, combining the nerd room with the master bedroom so I can use our 3rd bedroom as an office/studio/production area (good god, my muscles still hurt)
Still need to:
*Test wicks with my jars
*Purchase insurance (ouch)
*Break down total cost of candles and set a price for when I start selling them
*Obtain a county business license
*Start building Instagram and Facebook following
*Look for craft fairs for later summer/early fall
*Finalize my logo/branding. Make sure it complies with Fair Packaging & Labeling Act
*Decide if I am printing labels myself (& if so, decide on label paper supplier and purchase laser printer)
*Continue narrowing down fragrance oils with cohesive themes so it's not overwhelming to a customer
*Purchase/make table covers, displays, canopy weights and signage for craft fairs
There is probably more that I'm forgetting. The goal is to open by late summer, but know something might come up to delay it. Until then I'll keep working my way down the list.
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