Idea Journal #1/10 - Three of a Kind

This is the first entry of my series of 10 ideas.  I am developing an example of an Idea Journal for my students.  The first assignment was to find 3 businesses in the same category and compare and contrast them.  The students were asked to find businesses in Zagreb and shoot the photos with their smart phones for the simple exercise.  I am doing this from home so I used examples found online. The goal of this exercise is to frame an ordinary business idea around how it can manifest into different business models.

I selected the segment "specialty candles".  Candle making dates back to 5,000 years starting in Egypt according to the National Candle Association.  Today, I have three examples selected for different reasons:

The examples include:

1. The Milkouse Candle Company in the USA
2. Fruit of Care, Social Enterprise in Hungary
3. Cupido Candles in Croatia

The Milkhouse Candle Company is a candle company that features a clean design and concept that offers candles made of soy base and are targeted at those with allergies and environmental sensitivities.  They focus on the customer benefits.

Fruit of Care based in Hungary is a social enterprise that has over 7,000 people with some form of "disability"( I prefer different ability) working in their workshops.  They make a range of high design products including fine scented candles.  They were inspired by Anita Roddick's The Body Shop.  The by-products of their workshops are sold online, as corporate gifts as well in select duty free and other retail outlets.

Cupido Candles is based in Opatija, Croatia.  They have four distinct segments of candles that they manufacture and distribute including a) tombstone lanterns/graves, b)fragrant candles/home or office, c) sea candles/tourists, d) garden candles/outdoors.

This exercise is useful in realizing that each candle business can take up a unique space in the market to define itself and its potential customer segments.