Candlemaker’s Quest Leads to Start-Up Home Business
“W
By Linda Roberts
e have many returning customers for our nutmeg/ginger-scent candle,” said candlemaker Fallin Hebb, who finds her small business of making hand-poured candles soaring since its founding last fall. Nutmeg/ginger is one of the popular six scents Fallin stirs up in her kitchen in Linden near Front Royal. And, she’s currently working on five additional scents to add to her Westview Candle product line along with a new Etsy shop which offers a personalized Happy Birthday Candle for $20 including postage. A medical social worker in Fairfax for five years dealing with the often-difficult task of helping others through life’s stressful moments, Hebb had been searching for an outlet to relieve her own stress. She tried various types of exercise, but still didn’t find the one thing that worked for her. After much soul searching, she looked into developing her own home-based business. She had thought about it in the past, but never took the plunge to try. Delving into the process, she ordered a starter kit and was initially surprised at how much she didn’t know. There were many facets to deal with—wick sizes, fragrance oils, wax types and candle containers. Ultimately, Hebb decided to produce soy-based candles because they are cleaner for the environment and last longer once lit. She said she “found my groove” after research
Have a $19 Happy Birthday candle. and study, which resulted in the decision to produce soy wax candles with phthalate-free fragrances and cotton wicks. Her vision for Westview Candle, named after the westward-facing view from her home on a slope in the small village of Linden, was to create a product “that is affordable, high quality, fun, enjoyable, and that gives back. “We love where we live,” said Hebb, speaking of the home she shares with husband, Cory, and their threeyear-old daughter, Corsen. “We hope to send our clients some of that joy and peace with our candles.” Less than a year into the home-based, fledging
Westview Candle business, Hebb advertises her wares on Etsy, Facebook and Instagram and finds herself shipping out an average of 120 candles a month. Westview Candle scents also can be found for sale at the Strasburg Visitor Center. Clients select their favorite scents and have a choice of two jar sizes with a third jar size later this year. “It’s just me right now,” Hebb said, adding that her husband helps from time to time. As orders grew, Hebb has found her candle-making spreading from the kitchen to the dining room and eventually to another room in their home. As the business grows, Hebb is already making plans for its future expansion. “I’d like to add to our retail line, participate in craft fairs and do more bulk orders,” she noted. Hebb also is exploring setting up a program to donate a percentage of her sales to a military-based organization. Her husband is a military veteran. From her small spot in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hebb said, “I couldn’t be happier with where I have landed.” She’s continued her career as a full-time social worker and finds herself fulfilled through her entrepreneurial efforts. As a candlemaker, Hebb has landed upon her creative niche and finds that, “Trying different scents and combinations, jar sizes, label designs, and much more are proving so exciting for me.” Contact Hebb on her website, www.westviewcandle.com.
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