Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Riley Kidder, owner of Hive To Home Candle Co, located in Middleville, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Hive To Home Candle Co is a candle company that puts social issues and eco-friendliness at the forefront of the company. Specializing in pieces that make statements, send messages, or make great gifts. Using locally sourced beeswax, organic coconut oil, and fragrance oils to create unique products, consumers can feel good about purchasing while supporting the causes and values that matter to them, with personalization options that allow people to give meaningful gifts that make people feel seen and can't be found anywhere else.
Tell us about yourself
Being locked in during the pandemic allowed me to put time into the company while going to school full-time and working a part-time job. Without any distractions or options of things to do, I could juggle all three. Eventually, it grew to the point where I no longer needed a job on the side and was able to work for myself full-time while putting myself through school.
What motivates me to keep going each day is the feeling that what I'm doing makes a difference and that my work matters. Our team motivates me by seeing the passion of feeling connected to their work and feeling a sense of identity with the company. I'm motivated to keep going because my employees and customers deserve constant improvement and high-quality jobs, lives, and products.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being able to give jobs to the two hardest working women I know, my mother and my aunt. Both are single mothers working to be the best versions of themselves while raising and providing for their families. Who never give up no matter the difficulty. By far, my biggest accomplishment is being able to employ them in a way that allows for their creativity to shine and the flexibility to handle the craziness of raising families as single mothers.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is the work-life balance. The lines between where work and life take place are blurred, and "working hours" aren't the usual 9-5 work. It has the tendency to come up at all hours on any day. Knowing when to call it a day can be challenging, and finding a stopping point when the work is limitless can be difficult.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Surround yourself with people that won't tell you what you want to hear but rather what you need to hear. Find people who are smarter than you and better in areas you need help with and empower them.
- Be adaptable. Even the most successful companies can fail if they aren't able to adapt to changes and problems in an ever-changing work. Your company may change in ways you don't expect, embrace good change!
- It's easy to work and be creative when you are motivated and energized. There's an assumption that successful people are just extra motivated, however, this isn't the case. It is important to find a way to keep going on the days you don't feel motivated. Anyone can get things done while motivated but finding a way to do so when you don't have the motivation is far more important.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://hivetohomecandleco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hivetohomecandleco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hivetohomecandleco/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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