Little Karma Co.: The Story Behind the Scent of Rolls Royce

Customer obsession is not a buzzword we use for effect. Our mission is to help people who choose Hostinger to turn their ideas into fully-functional, accessible websites. This time, we’re sitting down with Karen from Little Karma Co. Ltd to talk about her journey and the trials and tribulations while creating a successful business that led her to a thrilling partnership opportunity with Rolls Royce Motor Cars. 

An Unexpected Beginning

Becoming a mother who cares for product safety and health encouraged Karen to start her own venture. In just four months, the realized idea brought her large-scale results!  

What led you to the idea of a candle business? 

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I found out most commercial candles were full of toxins that could be harmful to my baby and me to breathe. Not being able to find natural, clean-burning, and great-smelling candles, I started making them on my own.

How old is your baby? How has the business developed from Day 1 until now? 

We officially launched a business on 8th August 2020 – the same day as our baby’s 1st birthday. Thus, our first scent, Luna, is actually named after her. We started with three scents in one size, hoping to get a few orders from friends and family. By November 2020, we had seven fragrances in three different sizes, candle refills, gift sets, packing an unbelievable number of Christmas orders! 

Now, coming up to Christmas 2021, we offer a range of ten scents in four different glass sizes, all refillable, an Advent Set, and multiple gift sets. They can all be personalized, gift-wrapped, and come with a handwritten gift card, so the customer has endless possibilities when looking for a unique gift for their loved one.

The Roller Coaster of Running Your Own Venture

From lacking crucial ingredients for Little Karma Co. products to decorating all promotional events hosted by Rolls Royce Motor Cars, Karen takes on her business as an exciting continuous challenge.  

What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced while creating or managing your business? 

Probably not being able to foresee just how popular our candles would be in the months running up to Christmas 2020. We thought we were ordering enough materials to make what was needed but always found ourselves running out of crucial ingredients! 

What was the proudest moment in managing your business?

Rolls Royce Motor Cars London asked to decorate their brand new showroom in Mayfair with several giant scented candles in a bespoke design and scent unique to Rolls Royce. We have since made a strong partnership with them, supporting all their promotional events held for their customers. 

A Venture That Contributes to the Society

By taking an eco-conscious approach to its products, striving for sustainability, and contributing to society, Little Karma Co. builds a strong community around it and closely connects with its customers. 

What do you love about your business? 

We love the ethos that we aim to live by with all of our products being plastic-free, recycled, or recyclable, and offering candle refills to save our customers’ money and the planet! Also, we ensure the ingredients are all-natural, including the coconut and rapeseed vegan wax essential oil blend. The production process even involves waxing the wicks in the house to avoid the thin coat of paraffin found on the pre-waxed wicks, which are most commonly used in mass production. 

How does your business contribute to the community? 

We regularly support charities we feel strongly about, giving them part of our sales as a donation. We gave £1 of every sale of our UP YOURS CORONA candles to Mind, the mental health charity, which raised over £3,500. This Christmas, we offer 10% of our profits from the Christmas collection to the Trussell Trust, which aims to stop UK hunger and poverty.

What relationship do you have with your customers? 

We also like connecting with our customers through Instagram. As our company grows, we share our personal experiences and stories about brand new products as well as goods from other independent businesses that we love with our customers. 

A Website That Leads to Your Online Success

Karen decided to turn to Hostinger to build her website. Currently, her online business operates on Hostinger’s WordPress hosting plan and grows as littlekarmaco.com. 

At what point did you create a website for your business? Did you do it yourselves, or did you look for help? Do you feel confident in your knowledge to create and maintain a website now?

I created the website in the summer of 2020. At that time, I had a basic knowledge of coding. After combining it with my design experience, I was able to use a template and make particular changes to it to create the exact website look I was going for. 

The website is maintained for now, but as we keep expanding, I will probably need help keeping all the products and pages up to date! Hostinger takes care of all of that and lets me focus on the actual business.

Does the website help you reach your business goals? 

We use Little Karma Co. website backend for order management, fulfillment, stock levels, etc., thus it is pretty integral to all business operations. 

Inspiration for the Future

Karen believes that possessing strong passion is the direct way to surprising achievements. With her family by her side, she is eager to see Little Karma Co. expanding both in the UK and internationally. 

If you had a chance to change only one thing in creating and maintaining your business in the past, what would it be? 

I would probably say I should have started earlier. It is so nice to get up every day and know that I’m doing something I truly enjoy with my family by my side. 

What are the future plans for Little Karma Co.? Tell us about your goals.

We would love to expand our customer base in the UK, Europe, and further afield by stocking our candles in more shops and websites, so everyone can enjoy our natural scented candles and refills. 

What suggestions do you have for those who have the idea for a business but are afraid to start? 

I would say just go for it – you don’t have to leave your day job when you start out, just do as little or as much as you can, and you’ll be surprised how much you can achieve. If you have a passion for something, and you’re proud of the product you offer, there are chances that someone else will be interested in it and willing to pay for it. And if not, you will still have achieved something in learning new skills along the way! 

We decided to order customized Christmas gifts, and it brought a true festive spark to Hostinger’s office. If you’re still searching for encouragement to make your dreams a reality, we believe that Little Karma Co.’s story will inspire you! 

Three. Two. Online. 

Have you used Hostinger to share your ideas with the world? We’d love an opportunity to hear your story and amplify your journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out on spotlight@hostinger.com and express your interest.