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If you’re brimming with creative business ideas but don’t know quite how to turn your hobby into a hustle, don’t worry – we’ve got you!
Are you a weaver with workshop dreams? Maybe you’re an aromatherapist wanting candle business tips to spark a new venture, or a ceramicist with skills to share? Whatever your craft, ClassBento loves nothing more than helping those creative visions become a reality – and nobody knows that better than our Bright Beginner award winner Harri Price of Habit Haus; creative, businesswoman and all-round candle queen! We caught up with Harri at one of her engaging Bendy Boy workshops to chat through finding your spark, the benefits of imaginative craft and why embracing a different path might just be your business breakthrough.
The Bendy Boy workshop: Craft, connect, create
“It's a nice thing to do, I think, that’s on trend – and it’s a different way of making a candle. It’s something that people probably haven't done before, and it's really easy to do even as a beginner.” Harri Price
Low lighting, flickering candles and beautiful tablescaping…Harri Price’s Bendy Boy workshops aren’t just about making things; they’re about connection, creativity and that lovely feeling of getting lost in the moment. She’s a big fan of people coming together to create, saying, “we’re often stuck behind screens, and not generally talking to each other face to face. It gets you out and creates a moment for you to make friends and network with other people.”
I had the best time doing the Bendy Boy workshop for part of my hen do. Harri was so lovely, she made everyone feel welcome, and we all had such an amazing time! I will absolutely be back for more workshops! 10/10 if you want to do something wholesome – thank you Harri! Johanna Millen, Bendy Boy workshop participant
After starting out as a retail company, Habit Haus has evolved into a purely workshop business, led by Harri and hosted in a variety of beautiful locations across London. The Bendy Boy workshop is great fun; participants have the opportunity to make and paint five candles, and Harri nails the perfect balance of being hands-on while encouraging independent creativity. “It’s something you can do with your hands,” she tells us, “it really brings out a sense of creativity that I think everyone should have.”
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7 steps to turn those creative business ideas into reality
Harri’s journey is nothing short of inspirational; if you’re looking for candle business tips, you’re longing to take your passion to the next level or there’s an idea for a cool venture nestled in your brain, this is your lucky day. Harri is here to help!
1. Find your spark
“I got creative with a couple of candles from a convenience store across the road, and that was basically the start of the bendy boy. It was a lot of fun back then!” Harri Price
Ever feel that flicker of excitement when you're lost in your creative hobby? That's your spark – the very thing that could ignite your own thriving small business. For Harri, it came at a completely unexpected moment. “It was during Lockdown in 2021, when Boris had made us all sit inside for 20 weeks, and everything was so dark and sad,” she told us, “I just wanted to bring some colour back into my life.’ A trip to the convenience store for candles, a bathtub full of hot water, and a little experimentation later – and the Bendy Boy was born!
Whether you want to find out how to start a candle business like Harri or you’ve got dreams of teaching people how to paint, draw, sculpt or weld, the first step to finding successful creative business ideas is to work out exactly what’s going to fire your imagination and drive. And then run with it!
2. Just start!
“When I was making candles for retail sale, I had one candle mould and no real equipment. I was making them out of my kitchen at home, and had to set up a space for myself to make sure that I was separate and the business had its own area. I basically just hustled; I bought things off Amazon, did things as quickly as I could and worked with people to get things printed quickly.” Harri Price
You don't need everything lined up perfectly to take the first step – you can get going today! Often, those early days are about being clever with what you've got and just getting things off the ground – you don’t have to have the perfect studio space or list of suppliers on hand to kick off your journey. It's that initial push, that willingness to dive in and figure things out as you go, that can be the most important thing. You can always refine things later; the key is to start somewhere, even if it's a bit rough around the edges!
3. Choose your branding well
“I wish that I had my branding done well at the start by someone else, so I had a brand kit before I got going. Play around with your imagery and your words. Get an idea of what you want to put out there.” Harri Price
Getting your branding sorted properly from the start is like having a good map before you set off on a big adventure – it just makes everything smoother. It's all about figuring out what your business feels like; the colours that sing to you, the kind of words you'd actually use in a chat. Playing around in the beginning helps you build something that really feels like you and makes it easier for people to get what you're all about.
4. Network, network, network
“Speak about it loudly, that's one thing that I didn't do. I started off quite shy and I never really spoke about it too much, never posted it on my own social channels. And then once I eventually got over that and started becoming quite proud of the business, I started to talk to more people about it and doors really started to open from there.” Harri Price
It can be tempting to keep your venture a bit quiet at first, but honestly, that's a missed trick. Once you find that spark of pride for what you're building and start properly chatting about it – telling your friends, posting on your socials, just generally being enthusiastic – that's when things really start to happen. People will sense your genuine passion, and suddenly, conversations lead to connections, and those connections can be proper game-changers. Let your excitement shine through!
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5. Adapt for growth
“Habit Haus has pivoted at least three times since I started the business. I've developed new markets, and I think that’s been a testament to getting things out there first and understanding what people want after.” Harri Price
Whatever creative business ideas you have, turning your dreams into a thriving reality is probably not going to be a super straightforward journey – so it’s time to get comfortable with the idea of changing, evolving and transforming! “In the beginning, Habit Haus wasn’t even Habit Haus,” Harri says, “it was another company called Vin Lumiere. I made some wine bottle candles, put them on Etsy….and didn’t even sell one. The only thing that someone bought was the fun, twisty candle that went on top of the bottle as a holder!”
Putting your creative ideas out into the world is a brave move, but if they’re not received how you’d hoped, don’t feel disheartened – it’s simply an opportunity to rethink and adapt.
6. Find connection in workshops
“I went from making candles for retail and wholesale, to hosting workshops and initially I said no to the first one I was asked to do. I was apprehensive of what I thought I could offer the market, but eventually I turned around and said yes.” Harri Price
If you’ve planned your business to focus on selling a product, you might not even have considered hosting workshops – tempted? We thought so! Here’s a few handy hints to kick off your teaching journey:
- Define your "why" and your audience: Before anything else, think about the purpose of your workshop. What do you want participants to learn, create, or experience?
- Curate an engaging and accessible experience: Design your workshop to be interactive and enjoyable, with a good mix of hands-on activities, discussions, and opportunities for participants to connect with each other.
- Use your time effectively: Create a clear agenda with realistic time allocations for each segment – and don’t forget to build in breaks to allow for networking and rejuvenation!
- Foster connection and community: Workshops are excellent opportunities for people to connect, so design activities that encourage interaction, sharing, and networking among participants.
- Pay attention to the details and logistics: Don't forget the practical arrangements such as venue, materials, pre-workshop communication and of course, refreshments!
7. Use ClassBento
“The biggest challenge was just getting in front of people's faces. It's where people go to do something like what I offer, so I've already captured an audience that's interested.” Harri Price
Whether you’re wondering how to start a candle business like Harri, or you’ve got visions of becoming a pottery pro, a community chef or an artisan with a thriving workshop business, we’re here to help. At ClassBento, we love nothing more than seeing people with creative business ideas bring their dream to life; from content and marketing to customer service and the all-important tech support, we’re on hand to support you on your journey.
“Having a place that is centred around workshops has been a game changer,” Harri tells us, “it's a great platform for us to get a little bit more creative. The process is really easy; listings are looked after by someone from ClassBento just to make sure that it's the right style and the right wording, so you feel like you've been curated even before you go live. Plus it’s a really easy platform for the customer to use!”
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