Arctic Aromas: Reflections & Advice

Starting your business is something that is new but taking on a new skill in the production process can take the longest. For example, I did not know how to sew before opening Arctic Aromas, so I was trying to learn how to sew, while producing my products quickly and correctly. If you want to learn a new skill, great, but learn the basics before you try to open a business depending on said skill. Also, people absolutely love customizable options. This does excite the general audience, but as a manufacturer, this can be hard to produce. A way to simplify this would be to have a main model where you can add extra add-ons for more money. Or, have a few different product options so the customer gets to choose what speaks to them more. In our case, Arctic Aromas put ANY photo that a customer wanted on the air freshener, for the same price as non-customized air fresheners. We probably could have made more money if we charged more for customized and produced quicker with pre made photos on the fresheners. Lastly, punctuality is something that as a business owner can be hard. Usually, nobody in your company is present more than the business owner, and you have to work everyday! There is no one over you threaten to fire you if you are late, either. You must motivate yourself to get up in order to create and produce more. Although later down the road, you may have employees who are very trained and you have a management system that takes off direct staff responsibility for you, the business owner. At first though, a lot of time will be spent running your own business, getting to know how things work in order to teach others. You also will figure out what sells and the best way to do it, as you can’t pass on your vision if you do not have one to begin with. If you believe in your company's success, others will too. You just have to be approachable and willing to share your story! - Paisley, Student Spring 2018