Shownotes
The Austrian Atelier Story
Why Klaus decided to leave his professional corporate position. [4:54] Why the Austrian Atelier candles are different. [8:17] Understanding the meaning behind the name. [9:55] No social media for Klaus! He sells his candles solely through trade shows. [19:28] Behind the scenes broken down by roles. [31:21]Candle Flickering Moments
Production vs. sales. How Klaus handles the volume. [21:58] How to keep up with orders as you grow. [26:00] Cash flow challenges. Klaus has the answer. [28:10]Business Building Insights
Advice on deciding on a business name. [11:28] Make sure people understand what your product is! [12:11] A way to demonstrate what your product does. [14:40] Trade show booth display suggestions. [18:19] Advice for creatives on business growth. [23:00]Success Trait
Persistence – Feedback – Adjustment [13:22] If you believe in your product you need to give it time to grow. [34:10]Productivity/Lifestyle Tool
Quickbooks – Manage payroll, inventory, sales and other needs of a small business. The software’s features include marketing tools, merchant services, product and supplies, training solutions.Contact Links
WebsiteIf you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcripts
Gift biz unwrapped episode 129.
Speaker:It would be good to get out of this corporate business
Speaker:and to start something new.
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to gift to biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue and thank you for joining me on the gift
Speaker:biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:If you're a gifter Baker Haftar or maker,
Speaker:and you own a brick and mortar shop sell online or
Speaker:are just getting started here is where you'll find insights and
Speaker:advice to develop and grow your business.
Speaker:And if you want even more gift biz motivation,
Speaker:I'd like to invite you to join our private Facebook group
Speaker:called gift biz breeze.
Speaker:Pursuing your dreams should be fun,
Speaker:exciting, and rewarding,
Speaker:not stressful and scary.
Speaker:When you join the breeze.
Speaker:It's like sitting in the park with friends who bring you
Speaker:all the support and the answers that you need.
Speaker:You'll have access to a group of amazing creators along with
Speaker:tools and resources that can catapult your business,
Speaker:grow to join the group,
Speaker:just the over to gift biz,
Speaker:breeze.com. I look forward to seeing you over there,
Speaker:but for now,
Speaker:let's get onto the show.
Speaker:I am so excited to introduce you to Claus Haagen of
Speaker:Austrian. I tell ya,
Speaker:starting out as a mechanical engineer in Austria,
Speaker:plus he had no idea that he would one day be
Speaker:applying his expertise from manufacturing metal and steel products to creating
Speaker:contemporary candles with an eye for geometric shapes,
Speaker:colors, and textures,
Speaker:and influenced by Europe's visionary artistry and quality craftsmanship by 2006,
Speaker:cos devoted himself solely to designing one of a kind candles
Speaker:in the United States.
Speaker:He works out of his own studio,
Speaker:which combined the quality control of his handmade candles and the
Speaker:opportunity to create candle art using shapes sizes and colors plus
Speaker:is inspired by his customers who appreciate stepping out of the
Speaker:accelerating comet of light into an Oasis of atmosphere.
Speaker:Art candlelight.
Speaker:Welcome to the show.
Speaker:Klaus. Thank you.
Speaker:I am so thrilled to have you,
Speaker:and this is so appropriate because you make candles and we're
Speaker:going to talk about your motivational candle today.
Speaker:If you were to share with our listeners a little bit
Speaker:more about you,
Speaker:but in a creative way,
Speaker:by describing yourself through a motivational candle,
Speaker:what color would your candle be?
Speaker:And what would be the quote on your candle?
Speaker:If people look up my website,
Speaker:all of my candles are flat candles,
Speaker:so they'll be different in the way how they're made.
Speaker:And like my motivation with kettle would be around Kendall.
Speaker:The reason of around can list it symbolized for me,
Speaker:infinity, which goes round and round.
Speaker:So this is something and the Carla depends a little bit
Speaker:on my more,
Speaker:the primary Carlos red blue.
Speaker:So what's your color for today?
Speaker:What's your mood today?
Speaker:But they,
Speaker:it would be more blue,
Speaker:I would say because it's gray outside and it would be
Speaker:nice to have a blue sky.
Speaker:So around candle would be today day for me would be
Speaker:the blue sky outside.
Speaker:Okay, perfect.
Speaker:And how about a quote on that candle?
Speaker:Like dare to dream is for me a nice quotes.
Speaker:I like a lot Einstein.
Speaker:And like he said in German fantasies speak to
which means in English,
Speaker:imagination is more important than knowledge.
Speaker:Knowledge is limited.
Speaker:You can know a lot,
Speaker:but you never know everything.
Speaker:And I think to know more,
Speaker:you have to use your imagination.
Speaker:It's like everywhere.
Speaker:And the thing is,
Speaker:people are too it in life.
Speaker:I think you miss out on it.
Speaker:I think this is why I like his quote so much.
Speaker:Yeah. I love that.
Speaker:Quote imagination is more important than knowledge.
Speaker:I agree.
Speaker:It gives us a little cause for thought there.
Speaker:I think so you have an interesting story here.
Speaker:Klaus. Talk to us a little bit about,
Speaker:were you born in Austria?
Speaker:Yes. I was born in Austria and I lived for over
Speaker:30 years in Austria before I came over to us,
Speaker:the reasons that I came over here,
Speaker:I'm married to an American woman.
Speaker:So my wife got homesick and son,
Speaker:we decided said it's time for her to come back her
Speaker:with the U S so we're here now for over 20
Speaker:years in the United States.
Speaker:Wow. So you were the wonderful supportive husband and agreed to
Speaker:come over here.
Speaker:Yes. Let's say it this way.
Speaker:You say hesitantly.
Speaker:So talk about Austrian.
Speaker:I'll tell ya.
Speaker:And you're going to have to share with us the definition
Speaker:of I'll tell ya too,
Speaker:but talk a little bit about how the business got started.
Speaker:Yes. Started out here in the U S in the corporate
Speaker:business. Like what you mentioned before.
Speaker:I'm an mechanical engineer and like 12 years ago or something.
Speaker:I was introduced in Europe by a friend of mine,
Speaker:two candles in geometric shapes.
Speaker:And it caught my eye,
Speaker:especially like in Austria,
Speaker:we burn a lot of candles.
Speaker:The winter is long and it gets stuck like at four
Speaker:in the evening.
Speaker:So you tend to burn like everyday a candle to symbolize
Speaker:the booms and the sunlight.
Speaker:So I was always fascinated as a kid by candle candle,
Speaker:light, eating by candlelight when there was a storm and there
Speaker:was no electricity,
Speaker:you would burn lights,
Speaker:you would go hiking up in the mountains.
Speaker:There was no electricity in the mountains and the hats.
Speaker:So it was always can light.
Speaker:And when I saw those candles and it was at this
Speaker:time when I was thinking about it would be good to
Speaker:get out of this corporate business and to start something new.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:It started to grow in my mind,
Speaker:said this would perhaps like something.
Speaker:I never saw something this before.
Speaker:And like,
Speaker:for me,
Speaker:candles, I like Sam.
Speaker:So what you had been burning in terms of candles when
Speaker:you were a child were just the traditional shapes.
Speaker:And then all of a sudden you ran into some friends
Speaker:or acquaintances in Europe and you saw an idea of,
Speaker:no, it doesn't have to be the traditional shape candle anymore.
Speaker:Exactly. Like so candles,
Speaker:it was not what I'm making right now.
Speaker:They were three dimensional,
Speaker:but it was also geometric shapes.
Speaker:That's pretty cool at that front really nicely.
Speaker:So that I started to go on the internet,
Speaker:read a little bit about this.
Speaker:I looked at shows for candle manufacturers.
Speaker:And so it got started since it took me like a
Speaker:year. And after a year I made my first candle.
Speaker:When I had a little bit of an idea how it
Speaker:could look like and how to get started.
Speaker:And this was the beginning of the Austin Natalie's and Stick
Speaker:with the product for a minute.
Speaker:Did you have to try and make a candle?
Speaker:And then you saw the result and then switched it up
Speaker:a little bit and kept testing it too.
Speaker:You got to the perfect look and shape and texture and
Speaker:all that.
Speaker:Yeah. Like for me,
Speaker:it was important.
Speaker:It has had to be a hundred percent natural.
Speaker:So this was the first thing.
Speaker:So I got the parm VAX,
Speaker:which by the way,
Speaker:it's from sustainable farms,
Speaker:APAR mix.
Speaker:What we using it Bruins extremely clean.
Speaker:You can put the gas on top of it.
Speaker:It went black knit.
Speaker:The next step was to find the right Vic.
Speaker:We get our big from a company,
Speaker:Kentucky. It's a hundred percent cotton.
Speaker:It's only caught in there.
Speaker:And the first thing was,
Speaker:we'll do find out how can I make a candle?
Speaker:And it still will burn clean and without tripping.
Speaker:So this took me a lot of trial and error because
Speaker:the first mode for the maid was quite primitive.
Speaker:I put some metal together and it was a simple shape
Speaker:in there.
Speaker:It was not about the shape.
Speaker:It was only about making see the functionality.
Speaker:So this was an interesting time for me because there was
Speaker:nothing out there where I could read.
Speaker:You have to use this and this.
Speaker:Like if you make some round candles,
Speaker:staple candles or below candles,
Speaker:there's some information out there that will tell you use this
Speaker:week. You decide.
Speaker:So it was trial and error at the beginning for me
Speaker:to make my first candles.
Speaker:But your candles now are so unique,
Speaker:which makes them so special.
Speaker:Explain a little bit for our listeners,
Speaker:what your candles look like.
Speaker:If you can imagine like a free SPE it's round,
Speaker:it's only like three,
Speaker:eight of an inch sick.
Speaker:So it's like,
Speaker:let like a plate or something.
Speaker:You go this origins and they have rectangles like the geometric
Speaker:shapes triangles,
Speaker:but everything it's like,
Speaker:it would cut a sheet of paper and you cut it
Speaker:out. So it's a two dimensional at the sickness.
Speaker:It's only three eight of an inch it's really seen.
Speaker:And most people have the impression and it will drip all
Speaker:over the place because the vex doesn't stay in there,
Speaker:but it burns really well.
Speaker:The Vic has enough heat that it,
Speaker:the vex can evaporate.
Speaker:If there's no draft send the candles I make,
Speaker:we burn down without stripping.
Speaker:Beautiful. They're so interesting.
Speaker:What's cool is that then when they burn their shape changes
Speaker:because the wax where the WIC is starts to burn down,
Speaker:they're very interesting and gift biz listeners.
Speaker:I encourage you to go over and look on the website
Speaker:and see what they look like.
Speaker:And this is a perfect example of a way to take
Speaker:a product that everyone can relate to candles,
Speaker:but switch it up.
Speaker:So you're different.
Speaker:Nobody else's candles are like Klaus's.
Speaker:And so not only the shapes,
Speaker:the size,
Speaker:the texture of the candle as well.
Speaker:So it sets him apart in his industry of candles to
Speaker:be different.
Speaker:This is what I call when I start talking about unique
Speaker:selling powers.
Speaker:This is one of his,
Speaker:because his product looks so different.
Speaker:Let's move on to talking about your name.
Speaker:And so we're still going back 20 years or so when
Speaker:you're developing and getting the product out to the market,
Speaker:how did you decide on the name of the company?
Speaker:I'm from Austria and the candles are contemporary European looking.
Speaker:My wife and I tried to find the name and send
Speaker:Austrian. He is in Europe,
Speaker:used for studio.
Speaker:So I'll tell ya is in studio.
Speaker:Yeah. It's like where it derives from the French.
Speaker:And it has two meetings.
Speaker:It's attic.
Speaker:So before artists would live mostly in the attic,
Speaker:it was the cheapest room.
Speaker:There were a big windows,
Speaker:a lot of sun.
Speaker:So a lot of painters started out in Europe having the
Speaker:studio in an attic and did up paintings there.
Speaker:And also the meaning is it's the studio of an artist
Speaker:until he,
Speaker:so a lot of studios over there in Europe called heartedly.
Speaker:And I sought,
Speaker:it's quite common in the U S
She lived for 10 years in Austria.
Speaker:So send when we had the name incorporated and all of
Speaker:a sudden,
Speaker:I got this question,
Speaker:what does it mean that the startups it's,
Speaker:well-known also over here that us,
Speaker:but it's nice people ask and people say,
Speaker:okay. Yeah.
Speaker:Makes sense.
Speaker:Yeah, it makes sense.
Speaker:And it kind of creates a vision of the European type
Speaker:artists de attic,
Speaker:the older buildings that of course Europe has that we don't
Speaker:have here.
Speaker:Once people understand it,
Speaker:it adds depth to the company.
Speaker:I believe.
Speaker:Would you hindsight say that it's a good idea to have
Speaker:a less common known word in your name?
Speaker:Or In hindsight,
Speaker:I would have caught it differently because like,
Speaker:it doesn't relate to the product I'm making.
Speaker:So if somebody goes on the internet or something,
Speaker:it doesn't tell them.
Speaker:And it's a pretty long name and like everything nowadays,
Speaker:it's internet driven.
Speaker:So if somebody Googles you or like,
Speaker:Austin is an email,
Speaker:my email,
Speaker:it it's in there.
Speaker:It's a lot to write.
Speaker:So it's better keep it short and really points to your
Speaker:product. So if it would have to redo it,
Speaker:this would be one of the things I would do a
Speaker:little bit differently.
Speaker:Really good advice.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So you've got the name,
Speaker:do you've now created the product.
Speaker:What did you do to get people to notice it?
Speaker:For the first time I went to a trade show.
Speaker:This was over the first time,
Speaker:but the data went to one of those retail shows Like
Speaker:a consumer show.
Speaker:Yeah. Like a small one,
Speaker:like a Christmas show to go there.
Speaker:And it was a mixed success at the beginning because people
Speaker:were quite critically about it.
Speaker:Doesn't look like a candle.
Speaker:Like I had one customer walked by four or five times
Speaker:and said,
Speaker:they asked me,
Speaker:are those wooden plates?
Speaker:Because it doesn't look like a candle.
Speaker:Everybody's thoughts is perhaps something round tent it's flat,
Speaker:it's perhaps a plate or something.
Speaker:So, because I didn't,
Speaker:couldn't burn the candles at the show.
Speaker:So this was an interesting experience for me at the beginning,
Speaker:you go,
Speaker:there is really makes things,
Speaker:you have the idea.
Speaker:People have to know the same boat,
Speaker:you know?
Speaker:So you can't make the assumption because you know,
Speaker:it's a candle sets your customers or potential customers.
Speaker:We know the same.
Speaker:So you have to make it are presented in ways.
Speaker:So they understand what it is.
Speaker:So this was for me,
Speaker:the first experience when I went out to shows,
Speaker:yeah, I missed the Mark.
Speaker:Well, or you could just say it was a learning,
Speaker:right? Exactly.
Speaker:Cause you never know until you get there,
Speaker:what the response is going to be.
Speaker:It's a learning experience.
Speaker:I think like if you start a business,
Speaker:it's sorts about persistence that you really go out there and
Speaker:present something and send,
Speaker:you have to tweak it and to see,
Speaker:and like I did the New York show LA for the
Speaker:last 10 years.
Speaker:And the first three,
Speaker:four shows I did in New York burnt two goods.
Speaker:People walked by,
Speaker:looked at it and said,
Speaker:okay, it looks nice.
Speaker:It's interesting.
Speaker:But I didn't get too many sales out of it.
Speaker:And I think after two years to 30 years,
Speaker:I could see it for speaking up.
Speaker:There was more interest.
Speaker:There were more sales in there.
Speaker:People have to get used to the thing.
Speaker:It's not instant gratification,
Speaker:which a lot of people are looking for.
Speaker:I think you have to give yourself a little bit of
Speaker:time and you have to plan it out and to say,
Speaker:okay, doesn't go overnight.
Speaker:If it does.
Speaker:It's great.
Speaker:But with certain products,
Speaker:it will take a while before people start to accept it.
Speaker:And before people are willing to look at it and give
Speaker:it a try.
Speaker:So this was my experience with my product.
Speaker:It shows now I don't recall.
Speaker:I'm thinking of your booth and I don't know that you
Speaker:do this.
Speaker:I know you can't burn them at the show,
Speaker:but do you bring any candles that have been used so
Speaker:people can see how it changes as it's burning?
Speaker:Yeah. I'll do a half burn cent per stair.
Speaker:And also to the last couple of years now I have
Speaker:porn videos.
Speaker:So people can really see how it burns down.
Speaker:It's a time-lapse video.
Speaker:When people see how it goes down and send,
Speaker:it takes different shapes or does that whoo.
Speaker:It's on a different level,
Speaker:like before.
Speaker:Okay. It's different.
Speaker:But send,
Speaker:when you burn it again,
Speaker:it adds another dimension to the candle experience.
Speaker:Right? For sure.
Speaker:What other things have you learned because you are a trade
Speaker:show pro.
Speaker:Now what other things,
Speaker:or maybe some advice for people who are doing trade shows,
Speaker:what do you see that you need to be doing?
Speaker:Especially if someone's just starting out,
Speaker:what advice would you give them in terms of working the
Speaker:show or preparing for the show or anything like that?
Speaker:It's important that you try to get potential customers to your
Speaker:boots before the show starts to mailings and introduce a product
Speaker:yourself. So you have a customer coming to your booth because
Speaker:like a lot of my customers,
Speaker:they know what they would like to purchase.
Speaker:So they've walked the floor,
Speaker:but sometimes they don't watch.
Speaker:What's really out there they're vendors.
Speaker:They go there,
Speaker:they make the purchase and send the more or less runs
Speaker:through there.
Speaker:So if you don't create an interest beforehand,
Speaker:sometimes a trade show can be really disappointing.
Speaker:So they don't have enough direction.
Speaker:There not enough sales in my mind that Rachel is not
Speaker:anymore is selling tool by itself or it's a selling tool,
Speaker:but it's more a marketing tool.
Speaker:It's like,
Speaker:you go there and you never know if a show was
Speaker:good during the show,
Speaker:you have to wait a couple of months after.
Speaker:And to see what's coming out of the show,
Speaker:it's like either you invest in catalogs ads or something.
Speaker:And the thing,
Speaker:if you go to trade show,
Speaker:you have to look at nowadays,
Speaker:it's an advertising tool.
Speaker:You go there,
Speaker:you make sales.
Speaker:It's great.
Speaker:If make a lot of sales,
Speaker:if not,
Speaker:you're out in front of people and you have to see
Speaker:what comes afterwards.
Speaker:Like it's the same broken the show beforehand.
Speaker:It's important.
Speaker:Let's work in the shows that after the show is over,
Speaker:you have contact information,
Speaker:you have to follow up and you have to get business
Speaker:out of this information you've got at the show.
Speaker:Wonderful. Yeah,
Speaker:that's really good information.
Speaker:So just in summary,
Speaker:in terms of communication and working with customers at the booth,
Speaker:just to summarize what Claus said is first communicate with people
Speaker:before a show,
Speaker:to make sure to put eyes on your booth.
Speaker:Maybe you send something that shows the booth number or what
Speaker:you're going to be doing at the booth.
Speaker:Come see the video of the candles burning and see how
Speaker:they change shape or something enticing to get them in.
Speaker:Then when you're at the show,
Speaker:it's not all about just the sales that you make at
Speaker:the show.
Speaker:Yes, it's great.
Speaker:If you're able to cover your costs,
Speaker:but there's a lot more to it.
Speaker:Sometimes it's just exposure initially,
Speaker:especially if your product is new and different,
Speaker:like classes is so success of a show is not determined
Speaker:just right at the show.
Speaker:And I would say,
Speaker:cause that's the same thing with me because my products,
Speaker:when I'm out at shows are expensive,
Speaker:our systems are a thousand dollars.
Speaker:So we'll get calls now from someone who saw us at
Speaker:a show two years ago,
Speaker:even. So you can't just take the sales at the show
Speaker:and the third is follow up.
Speaker:Once you've get cards from shows,
Speaker:make sure to follow up in some manner with everyone who
Speaker:stopped by your booth.
Speaker:Lots of times people get distracted at shows.
Speaker:And so sometimes there are people fully intended to come back
Speaker:to your booth and then just didn't get a chance.
Speaker:And all of a sudden then the show is over.
Speaker:And if you don't make contact with them,
Speaker:they may not have your information.
Speaker:So really good points there.
Speaker:I really appreciate all of that information Klaus in terms of
Speaker:displays, do you have any advice about displays at trade shows?
Speaker:Yeah. I think it's important that you have nice lights.
Speaker:So your product is really highlighted on your booze and said,
Speaker:you've spent some time displaying your item,
Speaker:especially here in the us.
Speaker:I think it's a lot about packaging and how you present
Speaker:your product.
Speaker:It's really important.
Speaker:So you said,
Speaker:show your customer how they can show it to their customers.
Speaker:And then they get an idea how they can sell it
Speaker:in the stores.
Speaker:I think this is extremely important here.
Speaker:Perfect. So besides trade shows,
Speaker:then what else are you doing to promote your product?
Speaker:Unfortunately, this is the main area of how I get my
Speaker:customers through trade shows.
Speaker:I don't do anything on the social media,
Speaker:which is a mistake in my mind.
Speaker:I think you are pretty good.
Speaker:Facebook, Twitter,
Speaker:Instagram, like we in this lucky position to be a small
Speaker:company. We only two people here and that trade shows keeps
Speaker:me busy year round.
Speaker:So it's not something set.
Speaker:I have a lot of time to go out,
Speaker:But trade shows are supporting the business.
Speaker:Then it sounds like They do.
Speaker:Yeah, like I'm doing it for the last 10 years.
Speaker:I have a customer base.
Speaker:And even like at the last ratio,
Speaker:I haven't seen quite a few of my customers.
Speaker:And now the last week I got six,
Speaker:seven all the same from customers.
Speaker:I didn't see at the trade show.
Speaker:So, which is nice.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:they always can follow up with the customers I have and
Speaker:say, do you need candles after the show?
Speaker:So I have a certain base,
Speaker:especially for me in the fall,
Speaker:I'm extremely busy.
Speaker:I don't have a weekend off because it's the season when
Speaker:most people burn candles or buy candles.
Speaker:Right. I know you're busy because that's why we've had so
Speaker:much trouble scheduling this interview because you're always out at shows
Speaker:and then you come back Candles.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:Yeah. Which is good.
Speaker:Absolutely. You don't want to be sitting twiddling your thumbs over
Speaker:there. That's for sure.
Speaker:How many shows are you doing This year at the four,
Speaker:but I will go back to two because it seems like
Speaker:the customers that I have,
Speaker:they're mostly on the East coast or West coast and the
Speaker:buyers I find most of them go to New York.
Speaker:So for me,
Speaker:the New York show it's for my product.
Speaker:It does the best.
Speaker:So I will stick and I will do perhaps local shows
Speaker:like, yeah,
Speaker:rarely if there's a Christmas show.
Speaker:So this is something what I'll do from time to time.
Speaker:But it depends bit like sometimes I'm too busy and they
Speaker:don't have time to work up a smaller show.
Speaker:So I stick with Metro,
Speaker:Rachel, where now I get enough business to keep me busy.
Speaker:And also since your sales are all coming from shows,
Speaker:if you're a little light,
Speaker:then you just go find a show to go to.
Speaker:It sounds like I could say,
Speaker:this is something which I haven't done,
Speaker:but it's like,
Speaker:if there's something here locally is,
Speaker:and I'll try to do something,
Speaker:but like the last year didn't do it the year before
Speaker:I did not so years ago.
Speaker:And it's always nice to go out and to talk to
Speaker:the end customer.
Speaker:Like if I go to trade show,
Speaker:it's always the store owners who buy the candles.
Speaker:And it's nice to hear,
Speaker:to see how the retail customer reacts to the candles of
Speaker:what they think about it.
Speaker:So it would be good to do it more a saying,
Speaker:right? So close,
Speaker:you have a similar situation.
Speaker:Like a lot of our listeners would have,
Speaker:and that is if you make your own product,
Speaker:the more you sell,
Speaker:the more work you're creating for yourself.
Speaker:So how do you manage on the production and being able
Speaker:to level out the sales that are coming in with the
Speaker:time it takes to produce the product?
Speaker:The only way I can do it,
Speaker:I have to make more modes.
Speaker:If I get more discipline,
Speaker:you have to imagine if I make a candle,
Speaker:I have 20,
Speaker:30 modes for a shape at least to make it efficiently.
Speaker:So if we get more orders in send,
Speaker:I'll try to add on to my mode count so I
Speaker:can get it out a little bit faster.
Speaker:I always try to find new ways to make it better
Speaker:and have turning tables here.
Speaker:So it's easy to poor.
Speaker:I always try to tweak it to make it a little
Speaker:bit faster,
Speaker:a bit more efficient.
Speaker:So this is something what comes out of my mechanical engineer,
Speaker:nature, settle,
Speaker:try to do it a little bit differently.
Speaker:And they have ideas to make it really more efficient,
Speaker:easier, but it costs quite a bit more money.
Speaker:So stick with the simpler solution set then.
Speaker:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker:It's an issue.
Speaker:I think it's,
Speaker:if you're really successful and at some point the thing you
Speaker:have to decide how you'd like to do it because it
Speaker:means either you step completely out and have somebody else making
Speaker:your product,
Speaker:which I don't want to do.
Speaker:So I really like what we talked before I go to
Speaker:the trade shows and I don't do any additional advertisement.
Speaker:It keeps me busy.
Speaker:The thing it would do more send,
Speaker:I think it would have this situation.
Speaker:Like right now I have a 1800,
Speaker:2000 square foot where I can make the candles.
Speaker:I have storage units where I store my candle boxes,
Speaker:my raw material and stuff like this.
Speaker:But if it would grow,
Speaker:send, it would mean I would need to expand.
Speaker:And I think like for me,
Speaker:I'm 54.
Speaker:I'm not so anxious anymore to have a big company at
Speaker:this stage in my life.
Speaker:So I don't want to increase because I think then you
Speaker:get in a completely different area.
Speaker:You not anymore.
Speaker:And artists,
Speaker:you send a manufacturer and you really have to try to
Speaker:get the product as much as possible.
Speaker:The secret takes out the fun for the money and it's
Speaker:great. And you should go for it and try to make
Speaker:it bigger and more.
Speaker:But if it can make you living and you enjoy what
Speaker:you're doing,
Speaker:I think only try to tweak it.
Speaker:So you can really make a little bit more increased the
Speaker:volume, what you can make,
Speaker:but still do it in a environment which is better for
Speaker:inspiring your mind.
Speaker:I think if it gets too big and you have so
Speaker:many other things to think about,
Speaker:and I think the back ends,
Speaker:it gets a bit lost.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:I agree with you.
Speaker:And I've talked with other people who have virtually grown themselves
Speaker:out of the passion of their business.
Speaker:Just like you're saying,
Speaker:because they get so big that their role ends up having
Speaker:to be something different.
Speaker:And part of the value of having your own business is
Speaker:that you want to do what you love.
Speaker:And nothing says that you have to get bigger and grow
Speaker:and grow and grow and every year be making more money
Speaker:and all of that,
Speaker:because you may start building something that you don't even like
Speaker:anymore, in fact,
Speaker:that you could resent.
Speaker:So that's a really,
Speaker:really important learning and I'm glad you brought it up.
Speaker:Klaus's that as business owners,
Speaker:we can define the size of our business and we can
Speaker:be successful year over year,
Speaker:over year,
Speaker:based on whatever goals you have,
Speaker:like you're saying,
Speaker:as long as it's covering your costs,
Speaker:you're making a living you're comfortable and you love what you're
Speaker:doing. That's success.
Speaker:Exactly. I think some people consider success only how much money
Speaker:you make is that it has to be millions.
Speaker:But I think there's also,
Speaker:this success is more like a quality of life.
Speaker:It's for me,
Speaker:something which is important.
Speaker:And it has to come back into the business life.
Speaker:And some people are saying can appreciate it.
Speaker:Some people down it's everybody's own minds,
Speaker:what he would like to achieve in life or what his
Speaker:goal is.
Speaker:And there's nothing right or wrong.
Speaker:There's only differences like with every single life.
Speaker:Right? I totally agree with you.
Speaker:Let's talk about a challenge that you've had Klaus,
Speaker:whether it's production or something,
Speaker:as you were growing or working within the business.
Speaker:Can you share with us some struggle that you had and
Speaker:what you did to overcome it?
Speaker:When I started out 11 years ago,
Speaker:like I had one mode and respond mode,
Speaker:you can make two candles.
Speaker:So test,
Speaker:you can't make money with this.
Speaker:The first mode I had,
Speaker:it was a custom made one.
Speaker:It was pretty expensive.
Speaker:So the next thing,
Speaker:what I was doing,
Speaker:I was designing my own little molds,
Speaker:cheap and dirty,
Speaker:and I make my molds not by myself.
Speaker:So I caught that really,
Speaker:whatever it takes,
Speaker:make my mode at the beginning,
Speaker:I really had to start to get my mode count up
Speaker:or started out with one.
Speaker:And now I have five,
Speaker:600 modes here to make the candles and I can get
Speaker:some quantity out if it's two accounts and they would like
Speaker:to have a hundred cans or something.
Speaker:Now I can make it,
Speaker:like I started out if somebody would told me,
Speaker:okay, he needs a hundred candles.
Speaker:And I said,
Speaker:Ooh, okay,
Speaker:it's great.
Speaker:I like the order,
Speaker:but how can they achieve it also at the beginning,
Speaker:like in my mind,
Speaker:how I started it,
Speaker:I didn't think about the sales only sold about the product
Speaker:or what that would like to achieve,
Speaker:how to look like and send on the sales side.
Speaker:I didn't put too much salt into it.
Speaker:And two went out there in my case,
Speaker:I wasn't too unhappy,
Speaker:said it started out slow and that really could build up.
Speaker:And that could find ways to overcome this deficiency.
Speaker:So it worked out at the end.
Speaker:It's nice then,
Speaker:because otherwise,
Speaker:if I would have done it,
Speaker:like before I would have spent quite a bit of money
Speaker:on molds.
Speaker:And so it's for me,
Speaker:way more efficient to do it on mail.
Speaker:Sure. And then you're in control because if you do get
Speaker:an order in for a certain shape,
Speaker:or maybe who knows,
Speaker:maybe you'll even want to do a different shape.
Speaker:Now you're in control of the mold.
Speaker:So you're able to create whatever you want.
Speaker:Right? Exactly.
Speaker:So it can make a new shape and I can make
Speaker:only one mold that I can put it out to the
Speaker:show and tells them it would be ready in six months.
Speaker:So I can gauge the interest before we invest time and
Speaker:money in 2030 molds.
Speaker:Yeah. You're in control.
Speaker:I think the more you can control within your business and
Speaker:not have to rely on others,
Speaker:the better,
Speaker:especially for a situation like this.
Speaker:The other thing is like with every business,
Speaker:if you start out there,
Speaker:it's always the cash flow.
Speaker:I think at the beginning,
Speaker:it's hard.
Speaker:If you go to shows,
Speaker:shows are expensive and they're getting more and more expensive to
Speaker:spend the money.
Speaker:And that here again and again,
Speaker:when I go to shows people go to the first time
Speaker:and they're so disappointed because they spent a lot of money
Speaker:and they don't get the sales,
Speaker:what they hoped they would get there.
Speaker:And they take out sometimes loans to get to the shows.
Speaker:And I dunno like I'm European.
Speaker:I have first I have the money before I can spend
Speaker:it. So it's for me,
Speaker:important, always set.
Speaker:You really put the money.
Speaker:So to save up beforehand that you have a certain amount
Speaker:of money,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you can live off of it and you can sustain your
Speaker:business for certain while before it has to make money and
Speaker:give it back to you.
Speaker:So less stressful and less risky too,
Speaker:because you're not putting out money that you really need to
Speaker:be living on.
Speaker:Yeah. Those are things like most people go out and they
Speaker:take out a loan or something it's even more stressful to
Speaker:get back and to try to pay back your loan and
Speaker:to make your living.
Speaker:I'm not the type for this.
Speaker:When I started my business,
Speaker:I had a certain amount set aside and said,
Speaker:this is the capital,
Speaker:but the half.
Speaker:And if it works,
Speaker:it works.
Speaker:If not,
Speaker:and I have to rethink what I'm doing,
Speaker:but I think it's important that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:success doesn't come overnight.
Speaker:It's quite rare.
Speaker:So it's people really go out there and send,
Speaker:it will take off right away.
Speaker:I think it's persistence and longevity,
Speaker:which makes the success.
Speaker:And I would suggest gift listeners too.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:what Klaus is talking about is perfect to go out to
Speaker:a show and especially your first one that's market research that
Speaker:seen the receptivity of your product,
Speaker:getting feedback.
Speaker:Maybe you have to tweak your product.
Speaker:Maybe you need to look at your pricing,
Speaker:that type of thing,
Speaker:but you don't always need to go to a big show
Speaker:either. You could go to a local craft fair,
Speaker:which is way less expensive than investments in a big show.
Speaker:And just to get feedback.
Speaker:But your point specifically about,
Speaker:especially in the first show,
Speaker:don't feel like you're going to walk away with thousands and
Speaker:thousands of orders or even hundred.
Speaker:And if you do,
Speaker:that's great,
Speaker:but go with the intent of learning about how people are
Speaker:reacting to your product and just be capturing a ton of
Speaker:information and getting leads out,
Speaker:getting exposure for your product.
Speaker:The other thing,
Speaker:because I'm so glad you talked about this and I agree
Speaker:with you.
Speaker:I run my businesses the same way is if I don't
Speaker:have the money,
Speaker:I don't buy it.
Speaker:And it's just much easier.
Speaker:You can sleep well at night,
Speaker:you might grow slower or you've been talking about slow and
Speaker:steady growth up to a point that you like that you
Speaker:feel comfortable with way better than being stressed out about.
Speaker:Can you pay that charge card bill or something?
Speaker:It's not worth it.
Speaker:You want your energy focused on your business and growth,
Speaker:not on how are you going to pay the bills.
Speaker:Cause then you also start to look desperate to a customer.
Speaker:Yeah. And then you'll be tempted to lower your pricing too,
Speaker:which is that's no good either.
Speaker:So, all right.
Speaker:Let's carry on a little bit here and talk about,
Speaker:you've mentioned that there are two of you in the business,
Speaker:right? Yes.
Speaker:Can you share with us the roles that each of you
Speaker:play Say a second personal,
Speaker:she does the packaging because the boxing app,
Speaker:it's extremely important.
Speaker:In our case,
Speaker:it's a lot to museum stores and the candles are fragile.
Speaker:They can break.
Speaker:So we have nice boxes.
Speaker:They are sturdy boxes in this case.
Speaker:So she does mostly this side of the business.
Speaker:So I'll make the candles and to the shows that do
Speaker:the sales.
Speaker:And she does the other end.
Speaker:It takes a long time,
Speaker:a lot of people and the estimates,
Speaker:this ends of business,
Speaker:making something like pouring a candle,
Speaker:it goes quick,
Speaker:but then taking it out and send,
Speaker:having it put in a box and folding the box,
Speaker:stamping the box,
Speaker:all of this takes a lot of time.
Speaker:So she is in charge of the set.
Speaker:She also,
Speaker:she makes candles.
Speaker:If you have too many orders in-house so she be able
Speaker:to cross train.
Speaker:She can key in orders.
Speaker:She can call customers.
Speaker:But mostly what she does is getting the candles ready to
Speaker:be shipped to the customer.
Speaker:Perfect. That's great.
Speaker:Just to understand a little back of the house and how
Speaker:things are set up there is there as you get into,
Speaker:and you think about the full running of your business,
Speaker:cause there's also bookkeeping and website,
Speaker:all that crazy stuff,
Speaker:but is there some type of an application or tool that
Speaker:you use?
Speaker:So you stay organized within your business?
Speaker:I don't have any tools or something like I have to
Speaker:do like accounting.
Speaker:I use QuickBooks.
Speaker:I think this is quite industry standards that most people it's
Speaker:for the same for the accounting,
Speaker:with QuickBooks,
Speaker:that's an easy,
Speaker:you only give your information to your accountant and he does
Speaker:the taxes.
Speaker:But otherwise like with website or something,
Speaker:I have a,
Speaker:an acquaintance.
Speaker:She, if I need something for the website,
Speaker:I'll give it to her.
Speaker:Like at the beginning I try to do the website,
Speaker:but you spend so much time doing it.
Speaker:And it's,
Speaker:there's so much change in it.
Speaker:It's better.
Speaker:You have somebody who knows what they're doing and they can
Speaker:do it in a couple of hours instead of you doing
Speaker:it. And it takes a couple of weeks to research the
Speaker:things, stick,
Speaker:what you can do really well.
Speaker:And the rest try to find an affordable way to find
Speaker:somebody who can do it for you.
Speaker:This is how I organized my business around this.
Speaker:I think I tried to do as much as they can,
Speaker:but that try to stick to the core business and everything
Speaker:what's surrounding.
Speaker:I try to find somebody who can help me with it.
Speaker:Totally agree with you.
Speaker:That's a great way to do it.
Speaker:Any final advice for people who are listening today and they're
Speaker:getting excited,
Speaker:they want to get started.
Speaker:You've already given us a lot of tips,
Speaker:but any final thoughts and advice for someone who's just starting
Speaker:out or has maybe gotten their toe wet,
Speaker:have a little bit,
Speaker:started a business,
Speaker:but it hasn't really gotten traction yet.
Speaker:What advice would you have For me?
Speaker:It's like the same in my case,
Speaker:persistency, persistency,
Speaker:persistency. If you like what you're doing,
Speaker:if you believe in your product,
Speaker:give it a chance,
Speaker:be smart about it.
Speaker:Don't run up debt to it.
Speaker:But otherwise go out there,
Speaker:talk to customers,
Speaker:see what they like or dislike with the product and send,
Speaker:give it some time.
Speaker:If it's something completely new,
Speaker:people have to get used to it.
Speaker:And it takes a while to get into the market.
Speaker:It takes a while to find a customer base like with
Speaker:the candles they're contemporary.
Speaker:So it's a niche product.
Speaker:So it's took five,
Speaker:six years for,
Speaker:I said,
Speaker:okay, now the business is a stage where I think I
Speaker:can live with it.
Speaker:I would like to grow a little bit more,
Speaker:but it's completely fine for me.
Speaker:So I think it's the same.
Speaker:If you have something,
Speaker:give it some time.
Speaker:If we have the financial means,
Speaker:try to get out there.
Speaker:And the thing you have to spend time on the business.
Speaker:Like at the beginning,
Speaker:I reinvested all the money back into the business.
Speaker:So I didn't take anything out.
Speaker:Like what said I had a certain amount of money set
Speaker:aside and this was my business money living money.
Speaker:And so this came back,
Speaker:whatever made in the business.
Speaker:I put back in the business to grow it,
Speaker:to get to a point where I can say,
Speaker:now I can take money out and I can live comfortably.
Speaker:And I have enough money to pay for the shows for
Speaker:the raw material for boxes,
Speaker:whatever I need.
Speaker:So there is always money in the bank account of the
Speaker:business, but also I can pull money out for the daily
Speaker:needs a half So slow and steady growth.
Speaker:And then also don't stop too soon.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:it might take some time.
Speaker:Don't get over anxious in this day and age where we
Speaker:expect everything in half a second.
Speaker:That's not necessarily how it's gonna go,
Speaker:how it's gonna play out.
Speaker:So now I'm going to ask you close to dare to
Speaker:dream. I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.
Speaker:So this is your dream or your goal of almost unreachable
Speaker:Heights that you would wish to obtain.
Speaker:Please accept this gift and open it in our presence.
Speaker:What is inside your box?
Speaker:Paul and mailbox would be a teleportation device.
Speaker:Oh, where are you going?
Speaker:I'm from Austria.
Speaker:My family still live over there.
Speaker:So it would be nice.
Speaker:The second to be here in the U S the next
Speaker:second, to be able to there for a birthday party or
Speaker:something like my daughter goes to college in Scotland.
Speaker:So it would be nice to have this device and to
Speaker:go there.
Speaker:My other daughter,
Speaker:she's in Austin,
Speaker:Texas, so it's spread out and the like to driver for
Speaker:me, it's something later on.
Speaker:I really would like to see the world.
Speaker:It would be really nice to go to different cultures,
Speaker:to explore the world.
Speaker:This is what my dream would be.
Speaker:It's so nice to meet different people,
Speaker:to get different ideas,
Speaker:different aspect of life,
Speaker:Right. And to actually be there and be there with them
Speaker:and be able to see the world,
Speaker:because there's so much out there,
Speaker:like you said,
Speaker:and you know,
Speaker:more than anyone being from Austria.
Speaker:And then coming here,
Speaker:there's so much in the world that it offers us.
Speaker:So I love that dream.
Speaker:That's fabulous.
Speaker:And I know for now you're using the current device that
Speaker:we have,
Speaker:which is Skype,
Speaker:right? We were talking about that before that you Skype all
Speaker:the time.
Speaker:Cause that's one way to stay connected.
Speaker:Exactly. Now Skype is a good way to get connected or
Speaker:stay connected with my belief.
Speaker:We didn't have that 20 years ago,
Speaker:even. So we're halfway there to your dream clouds.
Speaker:So I think the best way for people to get in
Speaker:touch with you would probably be to go and look at
Speaker:your website,
Speaker:right? Yes.
Speaker:It's the best way to go to the website.
Speaker:There is a contact form on there.
Speaker:I feel like the notes I'm seeing shoot me an email.
Speaker:It's the easiest way.
Speaker:Like I tell my customers,
Speaker:you can call here.
Speaker:It's fine.
Speaker:But most of the time it will go to voicemail because
Speaker:we are busy.
Speaker:When we're making candles,
Speaker:we can stop and say,
Speaker:no, I have to take a phone call,
Speaker:but we'll call back.
Speaker:And this is the way to get a hold of us.
Speaker:We, our website sending us an email and we'll answer our
Speaker:emails. There's no doubt about this.
Speaker:Perfect. We'll give biz listeners,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:as always,
Speaker:there'll be in show notes page.
Speaker:So I'll have links over there and lots of detail of
Speaker:the conversation,
Speaker:because Klaus,
Speaker:you have shared with us such really solid business building tips
Speaker:that I want people to listen to this a couple of
Speaker:times, specially if you're just starting out,
Speaker:because really important points were brought up and discussed here that
Speaker:I think we can all remember as we're moving forward.
Speaker:So Klaus,
Speaker:I'm a candle lover,
Speaker:just like you,
Speaker:as you know,
Speaker:because this is the theme of the show,
Speaker:right? So I just want to thank you once again for
Speaker:being here for sharing all of your wisdom,
Speaker:giving us a little peak behind the scenes of your business
Speaker:and may your candle always burn bright.
Speaker:That's a wrap listeners.
Speaker:Thank you for joining in today.
Speaker:And I have a question for you.
Speaker:Is there an industry or some topic that you're challenged with
Speaker:within your business?
Speaker:That could be good for guidance for me on who you
Speaker:want to see me interviewing on this show.
Speaker:If you have any thoughts on that or you just want
Speaker:to reach out for me for any reason,
Speaker:feel free to email me Sue at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com today's show is sponsored by the ribbon print company,
Speaker:looking for a new income source for your gift business.
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