Michele Porten: Porten’s on 15th Candles
www.portenson15th.com
Describe your business - Porten’s on 15th Candle Company is an independent small business in Speedway, IN. We make hand poured, small batch candles in our home using premium non-toxic fragrance oils, and clean burning, 100% natural soy wax made from soybeans grown here in the Midwest. We sell our candles online and offer S&H, or porch pickup for locals. You can also find a variety of our candles at Tyler Mason Salon & Spa, B. Erin's Designs, and Founders Grounds Coffee Company.
Why did you decide to start/locate your business in Speedway, Indiana? We love Speedway and it's small town community feel. We operate our business from our home on 15th Street. It's my husband's (Joe) childhood home. It's been in the family for over 40 years. The house is incredibly special to us, it's actually our logo!
A challenge you have had in owning your own business - The biggest challenge was deciding to start the business in the height of the pandemic in 2020. Everything was hard to get. Globally, candle jars were on back order from all the factories that shut down due to the virus. We sweated that out for over 5 months. We were extremely low in stock in our signature amber jar.
A success that you’ve had in your business - I love creating candles with a nostalgic scent and candles with themes or a nod to places dear to our heart. We had tremendous success with our Race Day candle which is the scent of fresh cut grass. It's May, and everyone's mowing their lawns, decorating for the race, and parking cars in the grass. The grounds at the Speedway are immaculate, and during the race, you're on the edge of your seat when they announce a driver is racing "in the grass!" On the backstretch. We also had great success with our Record Store candle. It smells just like you stepped into a record store during the '70s and '80s. Takes you right back to your teenage self, browsing the vinyl and buying concert tickets.
A word of advice to other women thinking of starting their own business - Be authentic to who you are in every decision you make. It will make decisions easier and feel more natural and you can't go wrong. Don't be too afraid of taking that leap of faith. You will never know unless you try.
Describe your business - Porten’s on 15th Candle Company is an independent small business in Speedway, IN. We make hand poured, small batch candles in our home using premium non-toxic fragrance oils, and clean burning, 100% natural soy wax made from soybeans grown here in the Midwest. We sell our candles online and offer S&H, or porch pickup for locals. You can also find a variety of our candles at Tyler Mason Salon & Spa, B. Erin's Designs, and Founders Grounds Coffee Company.
Why did you decide to start/locate your business in Speedway, Indiana? We love Speedway and it's small town community feel. We operate our business from our home on 15th Street. It's my husband's (Joe) childhood home. It's been in the family for over 40 years. The house is incredibly special to us, it's actually our logo!
A challenge you have had in owning your own business - The biggest challenge was deciding to start the business in the height of the pandemic in 2020. Everything was hard to get. Globally, candle jars were on back order from all the factories that shut down due to the virus. We sweated that out for over 5 months. We were extremely low in stock in our signature amber jar.
A success that you’ve had in your business - I love creating candles with a nostalgic scent and candles with themes or a nod to places dear to our heart. We had tremendous success with our Race Day candle which is the scent of fresh cut grass. It's May, and everyone's mowing their lawns, decorating for the race, and parking cars in the grass. The grounds at the Speedway are immaculate, and during the race, you're on the edge of your seat when they announce a driver is racing "in the grass!" On the backstretch. We also had great success with our Record Store candle. It smells just like you stepped into a record store during the '70s and '80s. Takes you right back to your teenage self, browsing the vinyl and buying concert tickets.
A word of advice to other women thinking of starting their own business - Be authentic to who you are in every decision you make. It will make decisions easier and feel more natural and you can't go wrong. Don't be too afraid of taking that leap of faith. You will never know unless you try.