Exclusive
SMELL OF SUCCESS
I launched a side hustle with my husband & we accidentally created a must-have product – now our business is worth £13m
The entrepreneurial couple also reveal their top advice to having a successful side hustle
A COUPLE who started their candle making business in their kitchen have revealed how they turned their side hustle into a multi-million pound empire.
Duncan and Cheryl MacLean, from Falkirk, created their business Candle Shack at home as part of an MBA degree for Duncan’s work in the military, while Cheryl had her own successful salon.
3
3
The pair invited round a few pals for a barbeque and drinks and discussed potential small business ideas before settiling on candle making.
Cheryl said: "I used to be a PartyLite rep and I loved it. We loved candles, we had candles all over our house.
"So, for me fragrance was massive, everything had to smell amazing. It just seemed like a natural progression to have a go."
The husband and wife duo say they took a big gamble by giving up Duncan’s huge military package, which included private school fees and a five bedroom home in Berkshire, and Cheryl’s beauty salon to focus on their candle making business venture.
Read more business
Duncan said: “It was a big gamble. Some people thought we were absolutely mad to be honest.
"Cheryl's beauty salon did quite well, earning about £30,000 - £40,000 a year and my salary in the army was a bit bigger than that.
"So when we gave it up, we gave up a hell of a package looking back.”
The pair sold their home crafted candles at local farmers markets and boutiques but then decided to take the leap after being approached with a question that would put their business on the path to success.
Most read in Fabulous
Cheryl, 49 explained: “We had somebody approach us and ask if we could make their candles.
"It’s not something we’d even thought about, so Duncan set up a website and within the first month we were inundated with people contacting us.”
'Instant nostalgia' woman raves after discovering £10 M&S candle smells exactly like axed 90s shop’s scented beads
Revealing a "happy accident" that proved hugely popular, Duncan added: "We accidentally ordered too much fragrance for a candle we were making for a client.
"We put it on the internet to sell it as a kind of leftover oil and that's when the e-commerce part of the business started, which now, of course, is massive.
"So, happy accidents, I guess, and just being very entrepreneurial."
The Macleans upped sticks and set up base in Duncan's native Scotland using cash from his military severance pay and tightened their belt slashing their outgoings to focus on the business.
Cheryl even kitted out their spare room to see beauty clients to top up their cash to focus on their expanding business.
Duncan, 50 said: “Originally we made no money in the first year from the business.
"We effectively paid for everything up front just because we knew that if we didn't do that, if you had one bad month, you would pack it in because you just panic."
Cheryl added: “At the beginning for the first few years, we always went with our gut feeling and just went for it.”
It was there that the couple opened their first factory in Grangemouth and stepped up their production, growing their business - with the company seeing a huge boost in sales during lockdown.
And the business hasn’t stopped there, with Candle Shack expanding into the European market, which makes up 60% of global candle imports.
Cheryl revealed how the impact of Brexit guided them to take the leap into Europe.
She said: “It was hard, though, because obviously Brexit happened. We did have quite a lot of European customers and there was so much unrest as well at the time. We couldn't ship out and we had all these orders. It was just horrific.
3
“Then our customers kept saying you need to open in Europe, which we did. We literally kept it quiet and had looked to see if we could do it and obviously, that's when Candle Shack BV happened.”
As well as building up their multi-million pound candle empire, Cheryl runs a community group for Candle Shack enthusiasts.
The group, Candle Shack UK Community, has over 15,000 members and Cheryl says the tight knit online community is a welcoming place for candle lovers.
She said: “The one thing the group is amazing for is every single person helps each other.
"We've had customers that have shopped with us for years and they will help all these smaller people and actually all the admins of the group are our customers. So it is a lovely group and it's really friendly as well.”
How to start your own business
Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs:
- One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence. You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it.
- Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it’s the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business.
- If you don’t take calculated risks, you’re standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can. Failing that, find someone else who can.
- It’s OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today.
- Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses.
- Don’t forget to dream. A machine can’t do that!
After starting their business through humble beginnings in their own kitchen, the pair encourage those starting their own small businesses or side hustles to make their brand personal to them.
Duncan said: "I think for these small brands, it's really important that they sell themselves. That's the key message we give them.
"It doesn't matter what it is, it's just nice knowing that somebody's actually put a bit of heart and soul into it."
And Cheryl emphasised the importance of pushing through the hard times and challenges when it comes to starting your own side hustle.
Read More on The US Sun
She said: "You want to give up all the time but it’s definitely rewarding. We go through all these things when starting a business or a side hustle that turns into a business.
"It’s also having the belief in yourself as well, that’s the biggest thing, to just keep going."