Business Profile: Bumble & Blue

Name: Gemma Donnelly
Business Name: Bumble & Blue
E: bumbleandblue@icloud.com
M: 07847132418

Business Profile: Bumble & Blue

Can you describe your business?

Bumble & Blue is a homegrown candle making business which started from my love of candles made from pure vegetable waxes and essential oils with non-treated wicks at their centre. Bumble & Blue has grown from one individual candle, which I made to see how therapeutic the process was. Our beautiful Bumble & Blue has grown organically (and very quickly) to now offer candle making  workshops in our picturesque cottage in the hills of Cloghfin. You can also see our ‘Bumble Bus’ out and about on the road, selling our healthy popular candles from town to town. Our loyal loving customers have supported us dearly and continue to be our inspiration to make our candles better and better.

Why did you start your own business?

I have four children who I look after myself, so my business began from my kitchen island, allowing me to be both mum and business mum. It’s hard to juggle all our busy lives and a business, but we find ways to work it. I am a very passionate driven person, but I also know the demands of motherhood. Life can be trying at times so I started Bumble & Blue so I could share the therapeutic relaxing benefits of our candles. We offer workshops in ‘The Hive2’, our new hilltop venue next to a forest. It’s wonderful to be able to offer tranquility to those in need of some quiet in this busy lifestyle we now lead.

What are the best things about running your own business? 

I can work everything around my family life and when I’m needed at home, I can take the time I need to be with my children. It’s a wonderful experience, there are hurdles to jump at times, but running your own business allows you the freedom to express yourself and be creative with all your resources. Running your own business also means you’re on the front line meeting your wonderful  customers, who are the crutch of any business. It’s so lovely to meet them all and thank them in person for their support .

What are the main challenges facing the business? 

I always say there are three main ingredients to any business: Time, money and energy. Being a small independent business, where you wear all the hats, from candle artisan to doing marketing, advertising and website, to buying supplies and selling your wares, needs these three key ingredients to run smoothly. The biggest challenge for me is finding these in abundance, but I’m learning to adapt. Not all will be in abundance at any given time, so I need to use the resources available to me at that particular moment. Start where you are, work with what you have, that’s my newest motto.

What advice would you give to someone starting a business?

Try not to be impulsive. Being in business can be very exciting, but being impulsive is not the answer. There’s a difference between impulsivity and passion, and again it needs level thinking to grow your business using the resources available to you at the time. Take time for yourself, because you need down time and you need to know when things are getting too much and take that step back, so you can leap higher when the time is right.

Can you describe your experience of running a business in three words or less?

Exhilarating, exciting, exhaust.