A Syrian girl paving her way into the labor market through a hobby she came across by coincidence!  

How awesome it is to turn your passion into a work. Not everyone can do it but those who did it got to the great joys of it! 

The young woman, Emara Jamil, had a wide passion for all kinds of arts, but the wax industry took the largest share of her interests after chance led her to this work, which, after a period of education and training, turned into a small economic project that had many reasons for success and distinction. 

Let’s get to know more about Amara and how did she turned her hobby into a financial gain !? 

Emara, a graduate of the Faculty of Archeology, University of Damascus, once tried to recycle her own candle, only to discover at that time the joy of this work, and the wide creative space it characterizes, which prompted her to search and investigate to learn the methods of making candles by herself using the Internet. 

Over the course of months, Emara, a mother of a little girl, acquired the keys to making candles and its techniques, before opening her own online store for these products on the Instagram platform. Within six months, the platform attracted thousands of followers interested in decorative candles, increasing the demand for them in record time. 

But why all this interest in candles?

The reason for this, according to Emara, is due to the increased use of candles to decorate homes, offices and birthday celebrations, especially as they create a comfortable atmosphere that promotes a calm and contemplative state of mind, especially when aromatic oils are added to it. 

What’s distinctive about those candles !? 

She pointed out that making candles is a common craft that depends on skill, and its manufacturing requires different natural and industrial materials in addition to distinctive scents and colors with various designs and prints, pointing out that in her work she needs to determine the type of wax that she uses and takes into account the color variation and the amount that she will use. 

What are the steps to making it happen ? 

In making candles, we first need to measure the wax, melt it, add perfume and dye, and hang the wick before pouring it into molds of different shapes and sizes, Emara Jamil added.

But what attracted people in a record time you would think? 

Emara Jameel said that there is no doubt that the success of the project of manufacturing and shaping candles depends mainly on the extent to which you use modern molds for candles, and the creation of new shapes that are correspondent with contemporary trends for decoration, which helps a lot in spreading and attracting more customers, in addition to finding new techniques that chose to mix wax with gypsum. 

The first step into financial gain , how it started !?  Friends and family might be your first costumers! 

Emara indicated that the sale was local at first, which is a good first step that enabled it to start and sell to family members and friends, and with the growing reputation of the handmade work and the development of its project, it was able to deal with the local handicraft markets, supply some stores in the market, and develop a strong brand that strengthened its presence among the people and on the electronic platform to reach a wider audience. 

Finally, she ended pointing out that the success of any project demands a thorough study of the market and competitors in order to keep up with development in the market , as well as developing a strong marketing plan targeting customers, and not to forget to answer questions that customers ask about the product. 

In the end, we conclude that we do need to do our math to find our way through! 

Leen Al Salman