Chantel West-White’s Wick & Pour Candle Bar started in a basement during the COVID-19 pandemic, borne out of a desire to stay busy and connected with her friends and neighbors.

“I’m an elementary school nurse and wanted to keep my family safe during COVID,” she says. “I spent a lot of time in my basement then and started making candles. I sent them to friends with encouraging notes on the labels — everyone loved that.”

The feedback was so positive that Chantel considered molding her basement hobby into a business. With help from the SBDC – Lynchburg Region and the CO.STARTERS business accelerator program, it soon began to take shape.

“At CO.STARTERS I was introduced to the services offered by the SBDC,” Chantel adds. “After the program ended, I connected with SBDC Executive Director Stephanie Keener and others at the Lynchburg office, including Financial Planning Advisor Jordan Reeves and Branding/Marketing Advisor Jawansa Hall, who helped me prepare for the Launch LYH.”

Similar to CO.STARTERS’ 10-week entrepreneurship training program, Launch LYH is an eight-week educational course that culminates in a pitch competition. Launch LYH is funded by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development via the Community Business Launch program. Although Chantel wasn’t among the pitch competition’s winners, she says that she gained valuable business knowledge from the course as well as important connections that led to more milestones for her then-fledgling company.

Participants in Launch LYH were introduced to available retail and offices spaces in Downtown Lynchburg, which led to Chantel finding a physical location.

“Those connections helped me find a permanent location for my business,” she says. “The SBDC gave me a high recommendation — I wouldn’t have had that without those connections”

At her store, Chantel not only sells her own handmade candles, she hosts workshops to teach the candle-making process. And even as she has settled into her downtown location on Lynchburg’s 9th Street, Chantel has continued to consult the SBDC.

“Jordan helped with the financial piece by getting spreadsheets ready for my business plan,” she says. “Jawansa assisted with marketing and offered suggestions to improve my website. Then Stephanie connected me with students at a local community college who helped me create my new website.”

The SBDC is also providing help as Chantel prepares to hire her first employee.

“Stephanie helped me write an employees’ manual,” Chantel adds. “She also advised me about financing as we get into the holiday season. I’m looking into it — one step at a time.”

Chanel recently tried out the idea with a small working capital loan of $1,000. She also continues to make connections in her new downtown location, partnering with neighboring business owners for special events. Among those is a community display shelf where she and other owners showcase products from their downtown businesses.

With the SBDC’s help, Chantel’s candle business continues to burn bright.

“The SBDC has had a hand in every aspect of my business,” Chantel concludes. “They not only tell me what I need to change in my business but also how to change it. The information, guidance and connections I gained from the SBDC have been wonderful.”