2020 – 2022 蠟燭創業日記 Diary of Candle-Making Career

“Be The One Who Enlightens Others”

源起 The Beginning

人生這個章節源於疫情沒有機會去旅行，無聊網上看見有個工作坊好像很有趣（這是一所我很欣賞的藝術工作室，非常大家推薦去體驗。），叫上姐姐一起去試了星球蠟燭工作坊，為2年的小探險打開序幕。

This life chapter started when everyone didn’t have a chance to travel during Covid-19 and I saw that there was a workshop that seemed interesting online (This is an art studio that I admire and I highly recommend everyone to try.) I invited sister to try Planet Candle Workshop, which kickstarted my little 2-year voyage.

鼓勵 Encouragement

一直之來，姐姐也很支持我，在我繼續學習而報讀了韓國韓國蠟燭工藝協會（KCCA）的蠟燭課程後，就鼓勵我開一間網店嘗試賣自己作品，還和我一起找尋靈感，由IG店名，到如何為作品拍照出post，推介給朋友，數之不盡。朋友有當白老鼠做學生，讓我後來順利開工作坊；有實際購買支持；有幫忙share post；有課金來參加工作坊；有給予很多實際經驗的。父母在工作室整修和還原交吉的清潔和髹油；伴侶的支持和在後來有實體店舖後，在Carousell買了工作枱然後幫忙搬上Gogovan，也在無數個買晚餐陪伴工作至晚上的感動等等，那些很小的事但很難用言語盡訴。

My sister has been supporting me all the time. After I decided to further my learning with courses from Korea Candle Craft Association (KCCA), she encouraged me to open an online shop to sell my own products. She looked for inspiration with me, brainstormed name and logo of the shop, figured out how to take product photo and recommended to her friends. Other friends became a lab rat to be my students when I wanted to start holding workshops. Some bought my products and joined the workshops. Others helped share posts and offered practical advice. My parents helped renovate and cleaning. My partner helped moving furniture when I bought 2nd hand table from Carousell. All the countless night that he brought me dinner and stayed with me til late night were the small moments that simple words can’t explain.

網店創業＞第一個店舖 Online Shop > 1st Shop

時機很重要，疫情期間大家可能也發現要好好用不同方式表達愛意，開始買禮物送給朋友愛人。很快地，也是有開網店的朋友（她的花店作品超漂亮）邀請我一起在旺角夾租一個小地方，當時租金正值低位（約100尺月租HKD3200，每人各付一半），就勇敢地開始了為期一年的旺角店（按這看看當時我們的小店）。有朋友一起但又各自努力的感覺很新鮮，也在她身上獲得很多靈感，嘗試合作出作品、工作坊（可惜反應不大理想，也有點不好意思＞＜）。慢慢地，也發現想要更大空間收納和舉辦多於2人的工作坊，所以我們決定分道揚鑣了。

Timing is vital. During Covid-19, people started to realize the importance of showing their love to their loved ones with different methods and started to buy and make handcrafted gifts. Quickly, a friend who also opens an online shop (Her flower products are so pretty) invited me to co-rent a small place in Mongkok. The rent was fairly low (HKD 3200/monthly for ~100ft and we shared) and thats where our one-year Mongkok shop evolved (Click here to see how our shop looked like). Working hard together and on our own at the same time is interesting and I was really inspired by her. We tried to do some collaboration and workshops (Sadly that didn’t work out well and I felt so bad ><). Slowly, we realized we wanted larger area for storage and holding workshops more than 2 people, Therefore, we decided to part ways.

第一次獨自簽租約 First Time being a Tenant

當時考慮葵芳或荔枝角，雖然葵芳較近，但在葵芳工廠大廈內預計客人很難找到，荔枝角的租盤較近地鐵站，所以約300尺月租HKD2700（額外約HKD40水電費）的夢想再度啟程了。

還記得第一次簽租約的手抖，第一次知道租約原來那麼厚重，第一次有自己的空間可以自由佈置，在牆上貼上世界地圖，放置朋友送的花瓶和港女至愛Marshall音響。仍然和父母住的我第一次感到真正私人空間，也開始理解為什麼年輕人會寧願貴租也要自己搬出來住，真是有種實現自我的感覺。

I struggled to rent a studio in Kwai Fung or Lai Chi Kok. Even though Kwai Fung is closer to my home, the industrial building is hard for customers to find the studio. Also, the one that I eyed on in Lai Chi Kok is closer to MTR station. By paying HKD2700 per month for a nearly 300 feet studio (Extra HKD 40 for utilities), my dream further evolved.

The shaking hands when I first signed rental contract and first time realizing the document were so bulky are all the memorable pieces. To own a space entirely allowed me to decorate with my freewill. The world map hanging on the wall, the pretty vase gifted by my friend and my all-time-favourate Marshall speaker made me realize the content feeling of whole ownership. Now I understand why youngsters would rather pay for the expensive rent and move out to live alone. The feeling of self-fulfillment is just fabulous.

假日檔主 Weekend Stall Owner

印象深刻的檔主體驗有3次。第一次是和姐姐在南豐紗廠擺檔，第一次直接接待客人，還要夠主動地招攬生意，對完全沒有銷售經驗的我真的是一大挑戰，幸好第一次的收入夠交租，也是一大成就～

第二次和上網認識的手作人，在尖沙咀K11夾了一檔，或許是比較高級商場，客流也不一樣，所以那兩天生意慘淡，連租也交不到（幸好只需交一半＞＜），但很高興透過檔主這個身份認識不同手作人，有手寫小卡片、雕刻印章、火漆印章、保鮮花、勾冷公仔等等，真的大看眼界，也獲得很多靈感。最後一次檔主也是和姐姐一起，始終和最熟悉的人一起，時間好像過得很快（也可能是有生意，所以忙起來～），每一次都很獨特，作為中學藝術課長期只處於合格線的我，想像不到自己會和這些體驗沾上邊～

I had three really unforgettable experiences to be weekend stall owner. My first experience was to start a weekend stall at The Mills. As someone without any retail experiences, serving customers and be proactive to introduce my products were a real challenge. Lucky that the income was enough to pay the rent and I viewed at as achievement unlocked~

The second time was to rent a stall together with an artist I met online at Tsim Sha Tsui K11. Perhaps it is a more high-ended shopping mall and customer group was different, the business was so bad that I couldn’t even pay the rent (Lucky that I only paid half of it ><). Have said that, it was a pleasure to understand other artists with this identity, some do calligraphy, hand-craft stamp, wax stamp, preserved flower, crochet etc. I got some much inspiration from each of them. The last time, I did it with my sister again and time flied (Maybe this time the business kept my busy~). Each experience was unique and it is still unbelievable that I was able to experience all these when I always barely passed during art lessons at high school~

顧客 Customers

顧客當然有超好和比較「有性格」的。大部分客人都很理解手作的特性：每一件都獨一無二，大量製作的訂單也沒有遇到大問題。每次回頭客也令我很感動，因為這些也是證明他們滿意作品和服務。每一個評價我也仔細閱讀，希望有更好的作品和工作坊體驗。印象深刻的有2次，一次是星球蠟燭工作坊幫客人開模時整個蠟燭掉在地上！當然是凹了唷，真的心都沉下去，因為知道會令客人失望了（客人很好，沒有當場很生氣），最後我邀請客人再約下一個時段免費來整一個較小型的星球蠟燭，後來客人更自己開和諧粉彩畫教室，我也有上堂支持，這些緣分很特別，不知客人的工作室怎麼樣呢？

無可避免地，因為溝通和理解有誤，除了被客人情緒化地說教外，還馬上重做一份產品Uber送貨到客人地址。幸好我沒有時常遇到這種情況，所以說服務行業真的很難做唷＞＜

There are two types of customers, some are superb and some are with ‘special’ character. Most customers understood the characteristics of handcrafted products, which each products are unique and there wasn’t much problem in bulk order. Every time, when customers came back again to re-order, I was so touched as it also proved that my products and service were satisfactory. I would read every comment, in hopes to improve my artwork and workshop experience. There were two memorable experience. One time, when I started to un-mold the planet candle, I accidentally dropped it on the floor! Of course the candle was no longer in perfect sphere shape, and I really panicked as I knew the customer would not be happy with that (The customer was really nice and didn’t show her temper). I offered her to come again next time to enjoy a free small version of planet candle. Later, this customer even opened a Pastel Nagomi Art Studio and I also went to support. Relationship like this is very special. I wonder how her studio is going?

Inevitably, due to communication and understanding error, I experienced teaching lessons on how to do better with loads of emotion and I also re-did the product and uber it to customer’s address right away. Lucky that I didn’t experience these situations too often and I can feel how difficult to serve in retail industry><

大量製作和工作坊

我主要的工作是製作訂單和舉辦工作坊，有實體工作室後，我有刻意宣傳，希望增加舉辦工作坊的次數。因為我發覺我比較享受看到客人成功製作，（或許是希望其他人也感受我體驗過的成功感）由如何提供放鬆環境去創作、到在有限時間解說清楚，我更喜歡成就他人，也算是有更了解自己多一點。

My main focus was to handcraft orders and hold workshops. After renting studios, I purposely advertise more workshops as I wanted to increase the ratio of workshops to orders. I found out I enjoyed seeing customers feeling satisfied when they finish the product on their own (Maybe I wanted others to feel the satisfaction when I first tried making artwork with assistance.) From providing a comfy environment to create, to practically explain things clearly in limited time, I love empowering others and I’m glad that I understand myself bit by bit.

財務

一盤生意的財務表可以很簡單也可以很複雜，當時只計原材料和租金（不計自己投入的時間），一年來不同月份不同收入，訂單製作來說聖誕節是最忙碌，工作坊就每個月都不一樣，最後平均每個月$2800淨收入。竟然是正數呀，要用感歎號表達我的震驚唷！不過以差不多每天下班就到店舖，放假也開工作坊來說，就肯定不夠出最低工資給自己了。

A finance report for a company can be either very complicated or simple. I only considered raw materials and rent as cost (Did not consider my time effort and actual support from friends, family and partner). Throughout a year, income varies for different months; Christmas is the busiest for individual order and workshop is quite similar each month. Each month, net income is HKD$2800. I cannot believe it is a positive number! Consider that I went to my studio almost every day after work and opened workshops every weekends, I definitely cannot pay minimum wage to myself.

進修 Further Studies

由第一張韓式蠟燭證書，慢慢因為好奇學蜜蠟花、浴球、線香、精油香薰，那份純粹好奇好像第一次感受到。由細到大學習都充滿目的，為了成績、升班、工作，但好像沒有漫無目的地找尋答案，這次蠟燭創作因為沒有財政壓力（因為有全職工作可養活自己），整個與其說是創業旅程，倒不如說是沒有預設的探索未知。學習後檢測成果的考試壓力雖然仍然存在但考過後沒有虛脫的感覺，只有更好奇想自己鑽研，感覺很新奇。

Learning started from first candle certificate issued by Korea. Slowly, I got curious and learnt wax flower, bath bomb, incense, essential oil etc. This is the first time I felt pure curiosity. When I was a kid, learning is accompanied with purpose. I learnt for the sake of school, promotion and job and I never wander around aimless for answers. This candle journey was financial-burden free (As I have my full-time job to look after myself) and I would put the journey as unknown exploration rather than creation of a business. The pressure of passing the exam after learning a certain knowledge still exists but I was not exhausted afterwards and I only want to further investigate.

再嘗試 Sub-Brand

中後期有嘗試開一條副線，叫Aurora Aromatherapy，只專注做天然精油產品，但反應平平。坦白說，無論是產品設計還是市場定位，就算有前2年的經歷參考，現在回想仍有很多改善空間。如果定義蠟燭生意是成功的話，天然精油則是失敗了，沒有很可惜，因為2段也是很有趣的體驗呀！

Near the end of the whole journey, I tried to start a sub-brand called Aurora Aromatherapy. I aimed to focus on essential oil only, but the outcome wasn’t great. To be honest, even with experience from past 2 years, there were huge room for improvement, If I define candle business as success, then I would say aromatherapy is obviously a failure. I didn’t feel pity as this 2 experiences were so interesting!

2個冬天後夢完說再見 Say Goodbye after Two Winters

旅程因疫情而起，也因疫情而完結。除了一年租約差不多期滿外，2022年底疫情回落，可以開始在假期去旅行了。有一種「見好就收」的思想，也希望整個回憶是完美落幕，而不是生意低迷而無奈結業。所以，可以說是亳不留戀地公佈暫停營業，變賣生財工具時，家人朋友不止一次詢問我會否留一些，或許遲些可再續前緣？不過我不喜歡拖泥帶水，如果重新開始，可能會有其他靈感，做出更有靈氣的作品呢～

The whole journey started because of Covid-19 and also ended because of that. Apart from the end of 1-year rental contract, the fact that lockdown was almost over and we were able to travel. I like the concept of quitting while I’m ahead. Plus, I wish the whole memory is a fabulous end, rather than a miserable one with no business. Therefore, I didn’t hesitate to announce the pause of business. While I started selling the utensils, family and friends kept on asking me it I would keep part of them as I may want to give it another shot later? However, i hate being sloppy and I trust that I may have new inspiration when I restart the whole business with better artwork~

小結：世界觀的改變 Wrap-up: Change of My Way of Thinking

其實，一個沒有藝術細胞的人沉浸在藝術環境2年，並沒有更加有創意。但看世界的濾鏡豐富了，歷練也增加了，現在我學懂欣賞手作並支持獨立手作人，我對顏色和設計敏感了，我的世界不再是黑白藍灰。而寫下的這些小事構成了整段獨特的回憶，不知道將來會否捲土重來？

In fact, as someone who is not artistic and having the chance to immerse in this artistic environment for 2 years, I do not become more creative. However, the lens of how to understand the world is richer and the experience allows me to appreciate hand-crafted products. Now I’m more sensitive to colors and design, saying goodbye to the world with only black, white, dark blue and grey. The little stories that I recorded here forms the whole unique memory. Will I restart the whole business? Who knows~