How to make $1k/mo with a Candle / Bath & Body
The Goal Seek panel below is pre-filled with your target. Pick which lever to move and we’ll show exactly what needs to change. The full calculator is right below it, adjust anything, watch the numbers update in real time.
Where your money goes
- Materials17%$630
- Packaging4%$144
- Labor41%$1,540
- Etsy fees3%$103
- Shipping6%$230
- Fixed costs29%$1,100
Profit over the first year
What would it take?
Set a target and pick which levers you’re willing to move. We’ll work out what each one needs to be.
What goes into Candle / Bath & Body costs
The candle and bath & body world has a particular trap, wholesale revenue feels great until you do the math. A typical wholesale discount is 50% off retail, which means a unit you'd sell for $22 direct goes to a retailer for $11. If your unit cost (materials + packaging + labor) is $7, your wholesale margin is $4, about 36%. Your direct margin on the same unit is over 60%. Wholesale only pencils out if it drives volume that you couldn't get directly.
Materials cost is where indie makers under-budget consistently. A candle's wax + fragrance + wick + jar averages $4–6 per unit at small-batch scale; at scale you can push it to $2–3 but you're committing to barrel quantities of fragrance and pallet quantities of glass. The calculator's Material Cost per Unit defaults to $4.50, a realistic small-batch number that you can drop as you grow.
Labor is the other often-forgotten line. A candle that takes 25 minutes to pour, cool, label, package, and stock is about 0.4 hours. At $18/hr that's $7.50 of your time. Most makers pay themselves nothing in year one, which makes the math look better than it is. The calculator includes a labor minutes slider so you can see what happens when you start valuing your hours.
Frequently asked
Is wholesale worth it for a small candle brand?
Only if it drives volume that justifies the cut. A boutique that takes 24 units at 50% off is worth it because it's marketing too, your brand on a shelf. A massive wholesale account that demands 60–70% off and net-90 terms can destroy a small business. The calculator's wholesale share slider lets you test what the right mix is.
What's a realistic Etsy fee total?
Around 13% all-in: 6.5% transaction fee, 3% payment processing, 15% offsite ads (if you're not opted out, and you can't opt out above $10k revenue), plus listing fees that round to ~$0.20/unit. Subtract that whole stack from your Etsy revenue before calculating margin.
How many units a month is a real candle business?
Hobby tier: under 50/month. Side-hustle tier: 50–200. Full-time-ish: 200–500. Real business: 500+. The calculator defaults to 120, which is the awkward middle where the math often doesn't quite work yet, useful for seeing what you'd need to change to push past it.
Should I include studio rent if I work from home?
If you genuinely work from home with no dedicated space, set it to $0. If you have a garage, basement, or spare room you've outfitted (storage racks, ventilation, dedicated table), put down what comparable storage space would cost, usually $200–400/month even at home, so the math reflects what it'd cost to do this without subsidizing it with free space.