Quandialla Candle Co.
Next stop on our virtual road trip is Quandialla in Central West NSW, we are popping into chat with Sarah the founder of Quandialla Candle Co. I am so pleased to have Quandialla Beeswax Lip Balms in our Wattle I Gift boxes. Sarah has some very wise words for bush businesses and I’m so happy to have her support. Lets have a chat with Sarah.
A little about myself...
Sarah Ryan, born and bred in Quandialla, and grew up on my parents farm. I came back to Quandi after boarding school and uni in Sydney when I graduated from art school. I became a high school Visual Arts teacher and came home to do some casual teaching then married the farmer down the road. We live on his family farm and our 3 beautiful kids are the 5th generation to live here. I am always creating things and waking up at 3am with new ideas. I love art, design, things that make me laugh, music playing all the time and the beauty of the natural world. I'm a champion of women in the bush doing awesome things that celebrate rural life.
How did Quandi candles come about...
Quandialla Candle co was started in 2012 when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. I wanted a candle that looked different to all the typical glass jar ones I'd seen in shops so I put them in square tins, and old Fowler jars, then got my designer friend Dan from Safety Pin Design to do up a label. It was created from an idea I had from an old yeast tin label from the 1940s I found in my back shed. I love all things old timey and my label and brand reflects this.
I started out at local markets and then I approached a few little shops. It grew rapidly from there and I now sell online via my website and have around 30 stockists across Australia, and one in the UK. I expanded into diffusers, lip balm (using beeswax from the local beekeeper) and handwash over the past 3 years. I release a limited edition Christmas Candle each year in a different vessel. Its become a bit of a collector's item, each year is dated on the label.
Challenges and how I've overcome them...
I make every single candle by hand in my studio in Quandialla. Every single label has the fragrance hand typed by me on my old typewriter. Now you know why there are delays with orders, they can take a while to create! So time management us a real challenge. I sometimes bring in someone to help in the busiest times. Living in an isolated area has been a smaller challenge with distribution but with social media I've been able to get my candles in front of lots more people.
Where do so see my business in the future...
I create an artisan handmade product, and thats what I want it to be so global domination is not on the agenda! In the near future, I will be moving the studio from the old cafe in the village out to our farm where we have a cottage I can use. I think it will help things be more efficient. Looking further ahead I'd like to see the brand become a name that people know in the bush, as well as the cities.
Advice for rural business owners...
Start small. Get your books organised. Keep records. Find a great designer. Get up early. And mostly be proud of being from the bush, it's having a real moment and we can really draw on that help expose our unique creations to the city folk who are looking for a change from mass production. Reach out to other creatives you like and follow on social media, they will really support and help you, and it's a great way to expand your own following. Don't forget to take time out to enjoy life, family and friends. You what they say about Johnny being a dull boy!
Clearly Sarah doesn’t just make beeswax lip balm, to check out her full collection head to www.quandiallacandleco.com.au or visit the Wattle I Gift shop today to shop the Beeswax Lipbalm within our gift hampers.