How we Made our First £163,000

I can hardly believe it, but it feels like a lifetime ago since we unveiled the Cosy Aromas website on that unforgettable day, 30th March 2018. Back then, we were known as Cosy Candles, Tamar and I had poured our hearts into planning and preparing for this momentous occasion.

Just five minutes after going live, we received our first order, and three more followed before the day was over. While four orders may not seem extraordinary, what excited us was that these were subscription box members—our sole offering at the time. Priced at £15 per month, these initial orders amounted to £720 in annual revenue if they stayed on as members. We were overjoyed!

Gradually, more members began to join in the days that followed. Although the numbers were small, each one held tremendous significance to us. We celebrated every single new member who believed in us and our brand.

The pre-launch

Allow me to share a little about our pre-launch phase—a critical stage in launching any business, be it a new collection or product range.

The pre-launch entails building excitement and anticipation around your business while establishing an email database of people genuinely interested in what you have to offer. Our approach was refreshingly simple: a single-page website showcasing enticing photos and details of our offerings, along with an exclusive offer reserved for those who registered.

By linking this website to a Mailchimp list and running targeted Facebook ads aimed at people interested in 'Yankee Candles,' we successfully attracted an ideal audience. Admittedly, our ad budget was modest, totaling around £300 over the month. Yet, this effort garnered approximately 500 email signups.

On the day of our launch, we sent out an email to our entire database, introducing them to our offerings, sharing their exclusive launch offer, and providing a link to our website for purchases. And just like that, we were off and running!

Our subscription box model

Our initial business model focused solely on a wax melt subscription box, and we hadn't planned on opening an online shop. The main reason behind this approach was our desire for predictable monthly revenue, ensuring we didn't start each month from scratch.

Consequently, our launch day and weekend didn't witness a significant surge in orders. However, the orders we did receive came from discerning customers who genuinely connected with our brand story right from the start. Our plan was simple: deliver exceptional products and service, and these loyal customers would stick around as long-term subscribers. And they did.

If your business doesn't offer a subscription box, I wholeheartedly recommend considering it. The dependable income at the beginning of each month plays a vital role in facilitating effective monthly planning.

It was only a month later that we introduced an online store where customers could repurchase products from their subscription boxes. This marked a turning point where our story began to evolve, and new possibilities unfolded.

It took 5 months to build traction

Building traction took time—five months to be precise. If you take a look at the graphic above, it illustrates our daily sales from 30th March 2018 to 29th March 2019. As you can see, nothing significant happened until the end of August.

There were moments when doubt crept in, and we wondered if all our efforts were in vain. We were investing more than we were making, but we held onto our plan, resolute in our determination. And here lies one of the most valuable lessons we learned: perseverance is key. You may endure a period of financial losses and need to invest in growth, so be prepared for that. It's an exhausting journey, even to this day.

Believe it or not, many of your competitors will give up along the way. This is your chance to break through that barrier and have faith in yourself, your products, and the process.

Creating an irresistible offer

So, how did we turn things around and set our daily sales on an upward trajectory?

The secret lay in crafting an irresistible offer. From the end of August onward, our sales began to climb steadily.

Here's what we did: we created a "no-brainer" offer. Remember those adorable little heart wax melt selection boxes we introduced? They cost us approximately £2 to make, yet we sold them for £15, leaving ample room to invest in marketing. This brings me to another lesson for you to keep in mind: ensure your products have sufficient margin to allow for reinvestment.

Our offer was simple: "Buy 1 wax melt selection box and get another free." We shared this enticing offer with our email database and ran targeted Facebook ads aimed at relevant audiences.

From the customer's perspective, it was an instant attention-grabber—an irresistible deal on a product they already loved.

While our costs amounted to £4, we sold each box for £15, resulting in a profit of £11. The Facebook ads proved effective, generating low costs per result. At the time, competition on Facebook was relatively low, whereas today, the landscape has become more expensive. However, even with all costs considered, we were making an overall profit of around £5 on each sale.

In the subsequent weeks, we received fantastic reviews, our ads gained valuable social proof, and we began scaling up operations.

Back then, Tamar and I were working from home. She dedicated herself full-time to the business, while I had a separate full-time job. My mornings would start at 5 a.m. as I poured the first batch of wax melts before heading off to work. Tamar took over from there, diligently crafting the remaining products, and then journeyed to our compact storage unit to pack up all the orders.

Continued growth

Our growth continued steadily throughout our first year. We released the products from our subscription box into our online shop, attracting even more orders. We continued to expand our "buy one, get one free" offer, with every customer receiving a leaflet in their order, encouraging them to sign up for our subscription box.

It was a straightforward method, but it worked wonders.

Come January 2019, I joined the business full-time, and we secured our first workshop. That's when everything truly took off. The business became a serious venture, as it had to sustain our livelihoods, cover rent, and meet various other expenses.

So, here's the gist of it: focus on a stellar pre-launch campaign, create an enticing offer, invest wisely in Facebook ads, and above all, never give up.