Money making Making a fortune out of candles

Annet Muwanguzi’s makes candles. Inset, ready for sale candles at her home. PHOTOS BY GILLIAN NANTUME

It is Saturday and in the heat of the day, when most people are indoors hiding from the sun, two women are busy pushing blocks of white semi-refined paraffin wax into a big black kettle.
Then, one measures a spoonful of white granules and pours them into the kettle on top of the wax.

Next, she carries the kettle outside and sits it on a fire built with firewood in the compound.
The white granules are stearic acid, which helps to harden a candle so that it does not melt when lit. This translates into non-drip candles that burn for a longer period of time with smaller frames.

Annet Muwanguzi closed her market stall last year to concentrate on making candles, soap, and shampoo. “I was selling foodstuffs – matooke, Irish and sweet potatoes – but it got to a point where I was making losses.

People say there is money in food business, but there are some seasons when there is no food, and whatever is available is so costly that the vendors do not make profits.”

To stop herself from dipping into her profits to pay the rent for her stall, Muwanguzi closed her business and decided to sit at home.

However, after two months, her sister gave her a business proposal. “She had learnt how to make candles and soap in her women’s group and she volunteered to teach me so that I would not remain idle. It was easy to learn. I spent Shs500,000 as initial capital to buy wax and two candle-making machines. A box of paraffin wax costs Shs160,000.”

Making the candles
Muwanguzi opens two locally made candle-making machines and smears a measure of cooking oil in the grooves where the wax is going to be poured.

The cooking oil makes it easier to pull out the candles. Then, she threads the wicks through the openings of the machines.

She then locks the machines in place. After 10 minutes, the wax in the kettle has melted to the level Muwanguzi is comfortable with. The hot wax is poured through the openings in the machines and five minutes later, when the machines are opened, they reveal a row of white candles.
“I put them out to dry and harden on black polythene on the floor. It takes no more than a minute for them to dry. I then package them. Today, we going to heat six kettles of wax, which means we are going to make 280 candles – both white and coloured,” she says.

Growing the business
A bundle of candle wicks costs Shs4,000, a kilo of stearic acid costs Shs10,000 and the wrapping for the candles costs Shs3,000.

“I sell to retail shops, people’s homes, and in my church. People call me with orders and if I do not have any, I move within a radius of 10km searching for customers. A packet of small candles goes for Shs1, 300, while a packet of big ones goes for Shs2, 600.”

Muwanguzi adds that she makes more money than she did while she was still working in the market. Another benefit is that since she works from home, she is able to look after her children.
“Previously, I would leave home in the morning and return at about 11pm. I did not know what was going on at home or how my children were.”

Challenges
As any business, Muwanguzi’s Abesiga Mukama non-drip candle business also faces challenges, the greatest of which is the electricity payment system of Yaka.
Yaka is a prepayment system from UMEME that allows customers to control their electricity usage, almost like buying airtime.

“Many people, even those who did not have electricity before, have now connected to Yaka,” Muwanguzi says, adding, “The market has become smaller and yet there are many of us making candles. You will find someone with poor quality candles gets business because they sell them at a very low price.”

Because of the competition for a small market, wholesalers who used to buy the big and small candles at Shs3,000 and Shs1,500 respectively, lowered the price.

Nevertheless, Muwanguzi intends to remain in business for a long time because of the tangible benefits.

Business Tips
The beginning is always tough so be ready to operate at losses for at least three months.

Once you decide what you want to do, do not quit. Those who last long in the business always make a success of it.

If your children are young, choose a business you can operate at home or near home
Never get tired of looking for new clients.

Go back to those who rejected your services and find out why. Then, improve and give them a proposal to supply them.

Business Tips
The beginning is always tough so be ready to operate at losses for at least three months.
Once you decide what you want to do, do not quit.
Those who last long in the business always make a success of it.

If your children are young, choose a business you can operate at home or near home
Never get tired of looking for new clients. Go back to those who rejected your services and find out why. Then, improve and give them a proposal to supply them.