Introduction

Hello, my name is Reuben, I'm the owner of an online Etsy shop call SunCandlesCo. There I sell my homemade scented candles, using all-natural ingredients like soy wax and all-natural essential oils. My goal is to make a product that provides a unique experience for each of my customers, to use my candles to express a mood, to celebrate any occasion or holiday of their choosing. My customers are not just buying a candle, they're getting the excitement I get from making my candles, my love of the product, and my attention to the details. To make sure that my customers are getting the best-made candles from my shop.



My Campaign

As with running any business, whether it's online, brick and mortar, or a combination of both. The cost of running a successful business can be costly to maintain while providing excellent customer service on a regular basis. I'm here to raise money for my online Etsy shop, so I can continue providing my customers with beautiful handmade candles. While providing great customer service, here is a breakdown of how the money is going to be used:

-Buying a large supply of Soy wax
-Essentials oils
-Containers for the candles
-Storage shelves for finished candles
-Packaging materials for shipping of candles
  -Boxes
  -Bubble Wrap
-Shipping cost of candles
  -Labels

My Story: Journey into the Sun

Currently residing in a men's shelter located in a hotel in Times Square, I fell on hard times after the passing of my wife, falling into a deep pit of grief, sadness, and loneliness.



While living in shelters, I was trying to find myself and work my way back up to the person I once was but better.





I took a job as a robotics instructor and was starting to feel more like my normal self over the past couple of years.


March 2020 I lost my job as an after-school robotics instructor due to COVID. Not being one to sit by and wait for something to happen, and no stranger to entrepreneurship, I decided to make candles, spending large amounts of time researching the process of candle making and the different types of wax that could be used for my candles.


I decided on using soy wax being that it was all-natural and burns clean. October 19, 2020, I went into full production making candles in the attic of my brother's house in Mount Vernon NY for a whole week. Waking up at 4 am every morning, leaving the shelter at 6 am to ride the 2 train to the last stop, and walking over a mile to and from my brother's house.



So far I have made 30 scented candles, 15 apple cinnamon, and 15 pumpkin pie spice, while documenting my work on Tiki’s Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin. Before launching my Etsy Shop, once again I did my research on the process, the ins, and outs of running an Etsy shop.


Monday, October 26, 2020, I launched my Etsy shop Sun Candles Co, starting my listing with two items, with the hope of adding more candle products in the near future.

Sun Candles Co is an online Etsy shop where scented candles are sold, providing the customer with high-quality hand made scented candles to celebrate any occasion or holiday. My mission is not only to provide handmade candles but to create an experience unique to each customer and create long-lasting memories.

Thank you for taking the time to read my campaign, I will be truly grateful and appreciative of all donations given. 

Feel free to follow me on the following sites:

Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/suncandlesco
Instagram: @reuben.a.bridges
TikTok: @reubena.bridges
Facebook: Reuben A. Bridges
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reuben-a-bridges-871b7a28/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/reubenbridges/