[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message]Niche : Home and Living
Shop link : https://www.etsy.com/shop/themeparkscents
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/parkscents
Website : https://parkscents.com[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Tell us something about yourself. What is your niche? Why did you start your business?
Hello, my name is Nick. My wife and I are the founders of Park Scents! We make theme park inspired candles, sprays, melts, and oils. It all started with a ride. We are huge fans of the ET ride at Universal. We bought a candle that claimed to smell like it but it didn’t and we were disappointed. We tried another company. Same thing. We thought why was this so hard to do? We were able to obtain the actual fragrance oil sprayed into the attraction. Mix that it with some “atmosphere” you get an exact replica of the Forest Queue! The thought to sell our discovery came later. Then after the success of our flagship Extra-Terrestrial Adventure candle, we started receiving requests for other scents and have been growing ever since!
What type of products do you sell? How does your manufacturing process look like?
All of our products are handmade and packaged in NYC. We source all American raw goods and custom made fragrance oils. I would love to take this opportunity to go into more detail about our new scent development. To best do this I’ll use the development story of our Pineapple Treat candle, our version of the iconic Dole Whip. We narrowed it down to six different fragrance oil blends. Then, we made actual Dole Whips! And with the ice cream in one hand, we would take turns sniffing to determine which fragrance sample smelled the closest. What we ended up with is dead on! Many of our products have similar stories. There are a few people whose opinions we trust who either work for a theme park or are annual pass members. They are sent prototypes of new products and provide their expert feedback.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002087″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002086″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002085″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
What are some challenging aspects of your business? How did you overcome them?
Our biggest issue has been dealing with out of stock raw materials. Especially during the pandemic, usual suppliers could be out of stock or unable to deliver in their normal time frame. We overcame this by trying to communicate the best we can with customers if their product could be delayed and fortunately we have the luxury to buy in more bulk.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? What’s the hardest about it?
It’s a very rewarding experience to make something and have it accepted by the public. The hardest part is waiting. I may come up with an idea… but it may take a few months before you can implement it.
What are some beginner mistakes you made? What advice or words of inspiration would you like to share?
I’m not sure if there are any major “mistakes” but I look back at my first candle and laugh. You grow a little bit each day and as long as you keep the forward motion you keep improving. I did originally price my products to beat the competitors but later discovered I wasn’t making any money. Why should I care about their price? In my opinion, my product was better and I found by adjusting my prices I was able to hire more people and grow bigger.
What inspires you while designing and/or creating new products.
Our fans! We get repeat requests and we start looking into it. It’s sometimes hard to please everyone. People will as us to create scents for locations that do not have scents. Developing a new scent is about a two-month process. Also, we spend about $200-$500 to create a new scent, we have to always weigh… is this the right time for this and how many will we sell.
How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business?
Youtube haha. But honestly, I had no idea what I was doing when I started. I never did anything like this before. I just did my own research and trial and error.
What are some of the most effective ways in terms of marketing products to your customers?
Word of mouth is always great. People trust other people over companies. I team with influences who I thought my target market would be into. Reviews are also key. Occasional I get a bad review, instead of getting mad I do everything I can to make that order right. More times than not that review gets updated to 5 stars and I get repeat business.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful online business?
It’s very easy to bite off more than you can chew. Growing too fast will deplete your fiances and you need to always be ready for the next big investment or surprise. Customer service is also key! And you will get some very “interesting” statements from customers. Things you would never thought you would hear. Always take a deep breath and try your best to resolve the situation.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002084″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002083″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100002082″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
How do you personally define business success? Is it money? Freedom? Influence? Creative expression and innovation? Something else?
This is harder to answer than I would have thought. It has always grown way further than my expectations. I think once the business has grown to the point where I can take a step back I would mark it as a success.
Describe your day-to-day operation. How do you manage your time?
I’m not sure if I manage my time haha. Basically thinking about candles 24/7 But I LOVE it and wouldn’t have it any other way. It is important to hire good team members who can do the day to day operations so you can focus on the big picture!
How do you plan on growing your business? What is the biggest impact on your profitability?
We just went through a re-branding complete with a new label design, website, and commercial. The biggest impact on our profitability is we are always improving. After we pay everyone we invest everything back into the company to make the best possible products for our customers.
Anything you wish to add, feel free to do so here. We value your opinion
Everyone you talk to is an “Expert”. It’s important to vet and build your circle of trust to listen to and bounce ideas off of. Take note of what people say and don’t lose focus on your goals which only you can decide.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
