What prompted you to do this giveaway?
Back in April at the start of lockdown, I decided to give out two thousand free business starter kits, giving people the tools they needed to set up businesses and start making money from home within the lockdown restrictions.
Many of these people have continued to develop their hobby and some into businesses. These individuals have now gone on to become their own bosses taking charge of their own destiny, not letting the current situation affect their goals.
In light of the recent second lockdown and all the doom and gloom of 2020, I decided to help one lucky individual with a full home fragrance business start-up package that includes everything you would need to get your business off the ground.
The reason why I chose to run the competition at £10k is because that’s how much I used to set up Supplies for Candles. Originally, I worked another job saving up all of my money ready to launch my own business, in turn, I wanted to give back and give someone the opportunity to start their own business without the need for having to work long hours all whilst trying to get off the ground.
What was included in the giveaway?
A brand new website worth £5000 which includes a ‘brand’ package
£5000 worth of start-up stock & Custom packaging
A brand new laptop and label printer worth £1000
A £1000 bespoke branding package
£1000 towards a dedicated 1 to 1 business mentoring session
All brought together with a business start-up plan worth £500 that includes everything from helping you identify your target market, pricing and marketing objectives, right up to health and safety regulations, insurance, registering as a business, accountancy programs and much more!
How did the giveaway go on Social Media?
The competition took place on Instagram and Facebook and we asked that everyone who wanted to enter to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, share the giveaway video and tag three friends to be in with a chance of winning! I also wanted to hear how this giveaway would help each individual who entered so I asked them to tell us why they want to be a part of this exciting opportunity in the comments!
The response I got was unbelievable, I reached around 100,000 people alone through my social media channels and email campaigns, I really wanted as many people as possible to see this opportunity and give them the chance to enter! I got a whole host of responses from a range of people all wanting to start up their own businesses for different reasons. It was really difficult to select a winner as there were so many people that we could see had a real passion and drive to succeed, each with their own unique business ideas and plans.
How did you choose a winner?
After much deliberation, I decided on a winner. Kirsty Malkinis based in Aston and is the proud owner of The Pouring House. They are a family-run, small business creating luxury soy wax melts starting in 2020. All of their products are hand made and hand-poured in Yorkshire using the finest, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free ingredients. Kirsty started up The Pouring House just 5 months ago whilst furloughed, it started out as a hobby but she soon started selling to friends and family before breaking into a bigger market. Not only was wax melt making a distraction to her being on furlough, but it was also a way for her to channel her energy and keep her mind occupied as she is currently in remission from Cancer.
Kirsty went on to tell us that her small business is run from her kitchen at home and that turning her business into a unique and iconic brand would mean the world to her. Kirsty told us that she just wants the best for her family and being able to earn money doing something she loves to help support her partner and son would be life-changing. She desperately wants to give her son the life he so much deserves. She told me how much she would love to work with me on this amazing venture as she has seen how I have built my own business and what I’ve been able to achieve and she would love to follow in my footsteps.
To keep the surprises coming, I didn’t tell Kirsty directly that she had won. My marketing team managed to get in contact with her partner Brandon (on the down-low) to arrange something super exciting. After some back and forth and planning between Brandon and Kirsty’s place of work, my team got to work. My team packed up and headed down to Kirsty’s home in Aston where a film crew and myself surprised her with the good news and a beautiful bunch of flowers!
Why did you choose to offer a runner-up prize?
I was touched by so many stories during the decision process of the giveaway that I couldn’t just choose one. In light of all the feedback and entries, I decided to create a place for a runner up. My runner up is Rebecca Curwen. Rebecca told me a heartfelt story of how she started her business after losing her baby girl Dottie back in December 2018. Rebecca decided that she needed a focus on life as a distraction of what had happened so she decided to start making candles in memory of her daughter. But Rebecca didn’t stop there.
All of the proceeds she made from selling her candles go towards bereavement support for families and NICU to help provide fundamental equipment needed to support sick babies. This was when Dottie Eloise Fragrances was born. Rebecca is completely self-taught and is still learning as she goes and when making her last batch of candles she decided to branch into wax melts. She told me how much she loves making candles and how it would be amazing to take her business further in memory of her daughter.
I was so touched and taken back by Rebecca’s story that I’ve decided to provide her with a £1000 Supplies For Candles gift cardto buy start-up stock to help her get her business up and running. I was also amazed by Rebecca’s charity efforts and have also decided to donateto her chosen charity as well as giving her a personal gift.
I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who entered, it has been so wonderful to read everyone’s stories and see so much passion for the candle making industry. Even though we couldn’t give everyone this opportunity, my team are always on hand to help. From queries to advice, business knowledge to customer support, Supplies for Candles is there for everyone!