We celebrate February, (the ‘month of love’) each year by showcasing local businesses whose products stock our shelves. This year we’ll be sharing Q&As with some of our nearest and dearest independent suppliers on our blog.

We hope that by highlighting their stories you’ll get to know the lovely humans behind the hard work, and help support them too!

LOVE YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER:
Q&A With EMILY’S CORNER

In the second of our series of local supplier Q&As we speak with Emily of Emily’s Corner. We started stocking Emily’s hand-poured eco-friendly scented candles, wax melts, and reed diffusers last year.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I'm Emily, a candle maker from Cottenham. I live with my boyfriend Joe and cat Willow. I work full time for a commercial interior design company and whenever I am not working, I'm creating products in my kitchen!

Describe your business:

I make eco-friendly soy wax melts, candles and reed diffusers. All ingredients I use are eco-friendly and natural, sustainability is a huge passion of mine. No plastic is used and no nasty chemicals. Let's save the planet, one candle at a time!

What inspires you/your business?

A lot of my scent blends are inspired by nature. I love exploring and the outdoors so I try to bring the outside in with my products.  

Why did you decide to start your business?

I've always been a creative person, studying art and fashion in college, and I wanted to do something for myself on the side of my full time job. A friend bought me a candle making kit for a birthday a few years ago and I started making gifts for family and friends. Now, a few years later I have a brand which has expanded and continues to grow! And who doesn't love a candle?!

Has the direction of your business changed over time?

I began only making and selling candles, then after lots of experimenting and testing I decided to delve into wax melts and reed diffusers! I love creating new products and growing my range however I aim to always keep Emily's Corner heavily based on home fragrance and handmade.

What challenges have you faced as a small business?

Balancing work, life and a small business is definitely tricky! Around busy periods (Christmas!) I struggle to think of anything but stock and keeping on top of orders. However, hearing lovely feedback from customers makes the hard work completely worth it.

What's the most rewarding aspect of running your own business?

I attend lots of local markets and I absolutely love speaking to and meeting customers. I get such a warm, fuzzy feeling when customers return to my stall and like my products. Also seeing return orders online and reading customer feedback is super rewarding!

What advice would you give to new businesses that are just starting out?

Organisation! It's tricky keeping on top of everything sometimes and Excel spreadsheets are a saviour to being organised and running a small business. Also, run with your creativity!

What's next for your business?

I'd love to grow the business with more products, scents and gift options this year, so keep your eyes peeled!

Anything else you'd like to mention?

Thank you for all the local support on my journey so far. And a huuuuuge shout out to The Daily Bread for their amazing store!

Thank you so much Emily!

Connect with Emily via:
Instagram: instagram.com/emilyscorneruk
Website: Emily’s Corner

Simple ways to support an independent local business:

• shop small and independent - spend with them as opposed to larger businesses. Even purchasing something low cost will help as every penny can count. See the Just A Card campaign as an example.

• shop local - keep local businesses IN business!

• word of mouth - tell people about/recommend them.

• share their online posts or create your own for them to share.

• write them a review/testimonial.

• thank them and show your appreciation :)