(With tested recipes and simple branding)

Starting a home fragrance brand should feel exciting - not overwhelming. Business in a Box is designed to help you take that first step with confidence, using tested recipes, small batches, and simple branding, so you can focus on creating something you’re proud of.

The Bit Most People Get Stuck On

Most people don’t struggle with the idea of candle making. They struggle with everything that comes after the first pour. Questions like:

• Which wax actually works in this jar
• Why does this candle burn badly but the last one didn’t?
• How much fragrance oil is too much
• Why does everyone online seem to do it differently?

Most beginners learn by trial and error - and that usually means wasted materials, failed batches, and a lot of second-guessing.

It’s frustrating, and it often stops people before they really get going.

Business in a Box exists to remove this uncertainty and give you a clear, workable starting point.

Business in a Box (BIAB) is a simpler way to begin.

Instead of experimenting for months, you start with:

• Proven candle and diffuser recipes
• Materials that are designed to work together
• Small, manageable batch sizes
• Clear guidance at every step
  

All testing: safety, burn performance, and scent balance - has already been done.

So you can focus on learning, creating, and building a brand.

Business in a Box is built around how most real brands actually start.

Not big launches.
Not huge investments.
Just a small, well-thought-out range that works.

It helps you:

• Avoid common (and expensive) mistakes
• Start with confidence, not guesswork
• Keep costs under control
• Build something that feels intentional and professional
  

What this means in practice

For around £250–£300 inc. VAT, you can launch a small candle and diffuser range using recipes that are already tested and trusted.

Using Business in a Box, you can create:

• A collection with 4 market proven fragrances
• Branded Candles and Diffusers
• 6 units per product, per fragrance
  

That gives you:

• 24 x 220g candles
• 24 x 100ml diffusers
• 48 x finished products to sell
• 8 x SKUs
  

Whilst a range of 8 SKUs is plenty to give your customers choice, you don’t have to start with all of this.

Many people begin with just:

• One fragrance
• One product
• One batch of six
  

Then build from there as quickly or as steadily as you like using our tried and tested recipes.

You choose from hundreds of candle recipes, tested for: fire safety, sooting behaviour, stability and burn performance.

Each recipe page tells you:

• Which wax to use
• Which wick works best
• How much fragrance to add
• Which container it’s been tested in
  

No guessing, no mixing and matching.

We recommend starting with EU464 Soy or RCX (Rapeseed & Coconut), as these have the widest range of tested recipes.

We advise starting with up to 4 fragrances. If you want to launch both candles and diffusers, check the fragrance pages to ensure the oils are suitable for diffusers too, as not all fragrances are.

Everything is designed around packs of six, so you can start small.

To make 6 × 30cl candles, you’ll need:

• 6 x 30cl Lotti or Aria jars
• 6 x Size 3 folding boxes
• 2 x 800g packs of wax
• Wicks (check the recipe)
• 100g of Fragrance oil
• Adhesive wick pads
  

To make 6 x 100ml diffusers, you'll need:

• 6 x 100ml Lotti bottles
• 6 x Kraft Diffuser Boxes
• 1 x 1kg Vegan Diffuser Base
• Pack of 50 3.5mm Fibre Reeds
• 6 x Diffuser Caps

A quick note on fragrance

Note: 100g of fragrance will allow you to scent candles at ~8%. If you would prefer to increase this to 10%, buy 150g of fragrance instead. But 8% is usually enough, giving ~17g per candle.

Early on, flexibility matters more than perfection and this is where you can get really creative.

• Printable sleeves and labels
• A4 card
• Home printers
  

For this example, we simply used A4 card that was printed on an inkjet printer, which we cut into strips and creased to create a box sleeve. This is a very inexpensive and creative way to create retail ready products in small batch sizes, without large setup costs.

Most hobby stores have a wide selection of A4 card stock, including papers with texture, colour and even containing wildflower seeds or natural fibers. So get creative!

Find more brand inspiration here.

You can also generate safety labels for your candles and diffusers using our free CLP Label Design Tool. So, you are covered from day one.

Business in a Box is built on the same technical expertise we use every day to support fragrance brands at every stage.

Our team has helped thousands of businesses - from first-time makers to established brands - and has developed candles and home fragrance products for names including Fornasetti, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen, Harrods, Floral Street, and The White Company.

The same testing, performance standards, and technical understanding sit behind every recipe in Business in a Box - just presented in a way that makes it easier to start.

Business in a Box combines that experience into a clear, practical starting point for anyone who wants to begin properly.