A candle business plan starts with one decision: will you resell wholesale candles, sell a private-label line, or make your own? That choice changes your cost per candle, your startup budget and your risks. Below is the full plan structure, a COGS framework and a hypothetical budget and revenue plan.
For the startup steps, see how to start a candle business. This page is the written plan.
1. Business model
| Model | What you do | Plan focus |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale resale | Buy finished candles from brands and resell | Assortment, margin, vendor minimums |
| Private label | A maker produces candles under your brand | Brand, order quantities, lead times |
| Make your own | Pour and label candles yourself | Materials, labor, testing, labeling and insurance |
If you make your own, research testing, labeling and insurance requirements that apply where you sell. This plan does not cover those rules.
Grab the Boutique Business Plan Template — a simple, boutique-specific plan you can actually finish in an afternoon.
Open the Boutique Business Plan Template →2. Customer
Describe who buys: gift shoppers, home decor lovers, boutique retailers buying wholesale from you, or corporate gifting clients. Each channel needs different pricing and packaging.
3. Product line
Start with a small core line of scents in one or two sizes, plus one seasonal release. A focused line is easier to photograph, reorder and explain.
4. COGS framework
Cost of goods sold is everything it takes to produce or buy one sellable candle. Hypothetical example for a made-in-house candle:
| Cost line | Hypothetical per candle |
|---|---|
| Wax | $1.60 |
| Fragrance | $1.40 |
| Vessel and lid | $2.50 |
| Wick, label, box | $1.50 |
| Labor allocation | $1.50 |
| COGS | $8.50 |
For wholesale resale, COGS is simply the wholesale price plus inbound freight. Work out yours with the COGS calculator and the landed cost calculator.
5. Pricing
If you sell wholesale to other shops as well as retail, your wholesale price has to leave room for their markup. Hypothetical: COGS $8.50, wholesale $15, retail $30. Retail margin is about 72%, wholesale margin about 43%. Test yours in the profit margin calculator.
6. Sales channels
- Your website: Shopify can run retail and a wholesale price list.
- Markets and pop-ups: scent sells in person.
- Wholesale to boutiques: marketplaces like Faire connect brands with retailers, and resellers use it to buy candles too.
- Corporate gifting: custom labels for clients and events.
7. Marketing
Describe scent with words and mood, since shoppers cannot smell online. Short videos, seasonal launches, a scent quiz and email for restocks are all practical starting points.
8. Operations
Note where you pour or store stock, batch sizes, curing or lead times, packing, shipping breakable jars, and how you track inventory by scent.
9. Hypothetical startup budget
Hypothetical examples only.
| Line | Resale (hypothetical) | Make your own (hypothetical) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening inventory or materials | $1,500 | $1,800 |
| Equipment | $0 | $700 |
| Branding, labels, packaging | $300 | $800 |
| Website and photography | $400 | $400 |
| Formation, insurance, permits | $300 | $800 |
| Marketing and markets | $500 | $500 |
| Total | $3,000 | $5,000 |
10. Hypothetical revenue plan
Hypothetical. Month one: 80 retail candles at $30 = $2,400. By month six: 200 retail candles plus two wholesale accounts ordering 48 each at $15 = $6,000 + $1,440 = $7,440. Build a slower ramp if you have no audience yet.
11. Milestones
- Model chosen and core line finalized.
- Website and first market booked.
- First 100 candles sold.
- First wholesale account.
- First seasonal collection sold through.
12. Risks
- Materials or vessel costs rising.
- Breakage in shipping.
- Holiday-heavy sales leaving slow months.
- Too many scents tying up cash.
Need a name? See my candle business names. Reselling instead of making? Start with wholesale candles for boutiques.