AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Federal Contract Pipeline Part 4 of 8 | Reading a Solicitation Without Getting Lost Government solicitations follow a predictable structure. Once you know what to look for and where to find it, you can assess any opportunity in under an hour and make a smart go/no-go decision before you invest a single minute writing a proposal. me.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Second Edition Is Here: What's New in How to Start a Courier Business The second edition of How to Start a Courier Business is here - and it's the most complete guide to launching a profitable courier company ever published. Here's everything that's new.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Federal Contract Pipeline Part 3 of 8 | How to Get on the Right Radar - SAM, NAICS Codes & Set-Asides There are three things that put you on the government's radar: your SAM registration, your NAICS codes, and your set-aside certifications. We're going to go deep on all three - what they are, why they matter, and exactly what you need to do.
makerssystem Retail, Wholesale, and Private Label: Which Path Is Right for Your Business? In 2009, I launched The Bougie Pooch and learned retail the hard way. By the time I built Fleurty Wick into one of the largest Black-owned, female-founded candle manufacturing companies in the country, I had made a deliberate choice: no storefront, no retail, no customer-facing business.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Stop Expanding. Fix Your Core. Somewhere along the way, expansion became the marker of success. More products. More locations. More everything. But for emerging entrepreneurs, especially those operating with less runway and fewer safety nets, premature growth isn't ambition. It's a risk.
makerssystem Scaling a Candle Business Without Losing Quality (Part 1 of 8) Scaling doesn’t break candle businesses, lack of structure does. As demand grows, the real challenge isn’t producing more, it’s maintaining quality without being everywhere at once. This is where systems replace effort.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Federal Contract Pipeline - Part 2 of 8 | How to Find Out Who’s Already Getting Paid Most contractors start by chasing bids. The real strategy starts by finding who already won. This guide shows you how to use SAM.gov’s Contract Awards data to identify vendors, agencies, and patterns so you can begin building your own pipeline.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Federal Contract Pipeline - Part 1 of 8 | The Government Already Budgeted for Your Business The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on contracts every year. The money is already allocated. The opportunities already exist. Most entrepreneurs never find them, not because the work isn't there, but because they're starting in the wrong place.
makerssystem 5 Beginner Mistakes That Waste Money The wax you waste in your first year costs more than any course you could take. Before you scale, launch, or price your first collection, read this - because these five mistakes are quiet budget-killers that most chandlers only recognize in hindsight.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Building to Sell Is Not Selling Out Building a business to sell isn't betrayal, it's strategy. I sold my accounts, kept my trademark, and walked away with a 10-year deal still generating income. Here's what Black entrepreneurs need to know about exits and investing.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Why Scalability Isn’t Always the Goal - When Sustainable Beats Explosive Growth Scalability has become the gold standard in entrepreneurship, but growth for the sake of growth can break a business that isn’t built to support it. Sometimes the smartest strategy isn’t explosive expansion - it’s sustainable growth that allows a company to remain stable.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB 50+ Grants Open Right Now - March 2026 We've pulled together 50+ funding opportunities for entrepreneurs, small business owners, authors, and writers across the US, Africa, Canada, UK, and beyond.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Difference Between a Founder and an Operator In the beginning, the founder and the operator are usually the same person. That overlap is normal. But as the business grows, confusing the two becomes one of the biggest hidden growth blockers, and the stall it creates is one most founders never see coming.
makerssystem Writing Product Descriptions That Actually Sell Most product descriptions do not sell. They list information. They check a box on a Shopify template. But your product description is not administrative. It is strategic. For candle businesses, especially, the product description is where imagination becomes revenue.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB The Market Is Slower. Here's What Smart Businesses Do. A soft market is not a signal to retreat. It is a signal to refine. The businesses that emerge stronger are not the loudest; they are the most disciplined.
makerssystem Ingredient Transparency in 2026: What Serious Candle Brands Must Know, Document, and Communicate Consumers want to know what's inside your candle, how it was tested, and whether you can defend it. This is no longer a trend, it's a market maturation. Serious brands are pulling ahead. Here's the operational standard you need to meet in 2026.
makerssystem What’s Actually in Your Candle? Ingredient Transparency in 2026 Ingredient transparency is reshaping the candle industry. As consumers question phthalates, fragrance disclosure, and wax blends, brands must respond with clarity and quality standards. Here’s what clean-burning really means in 2026, and why responsible manufacturing now defines modern luxury.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB How to Price Your Expertise Without Apologizing for It Pricing your expertise is rarely just a numbers problem. It’s an identity problem. Too many professionals, especially those with deep experience, underprice their work not because they lack skill, but because they’ve been conditioned to explain, soften, and justify their value. Somewhere along the way, confidence became confused
makerssystem Photography Tips for Selling Candles Online When selling candles online, your photos do the selling. Customers can’t smell your product, so your images must communicate warmth, quality, and intention.
makerssystem Keeping the Flames Burning: How to Maintain Candle Production When Storms Hit You can't disaster-proof a business completely. But you can build one that bends without breaking. From supplier diversification to backup power systems, here's how to maintain candle production when storms hit, based on real manufacturing experience.
makerssystem What Is IFRA? Your Complete Guide to Fragrance Safety Standards What is IFRA? It's the International Fragrance Association, setting global safety standards for fragrance ingredients. They ensure your favorite candles are safe by establishing maximum usage levels based on rigorous scientific research into skin sensitivity and environmental impact.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Your Expertise Has a Stage: Why Speaking Should Be Part of Your Business Strategy There's a quiet oversight happening among consultants, authors, and small business owners, people with genuine expertise, hard-won knowledge, and stories worth telling. They're building businesses, writing books, and serving clients, but they're leaving one powerful tool almost entirely untouched: their voice. Not their
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Louisiana Native Launches Comprehensive Financial Literacy Continuum: From High School Through Professional Sports Careers FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Couvent Collective Introduces a Three-Tier Solution Addressing Financial Education Gap from Classroom to Professional Sports NEW ORLEANS, LA - January 2, 2025 - With Louisiana's Class of 2027 just 18 months away from becoming the first students required to pass financial literacy to graduate, The
AUTHORGROWTHLAB Just Because You Can Write It Off Doesn’t Mean You Should Just because an expense can be written off doesn’t mean it should be. Overusing deductions can reduce reported income, weaken creditworthiness, and limit access to capital. This tax season, small business owners should rethink the true cost of writing off everything.
AUTHORGROWTHLAB How to Publish a Podcast (and the Gear You Need on a Budget) Podcasting used to feel exclusive - like you needed a soundproof studio, thousands of dollars in equipment, and a production team just to get started. Today, that barrier is gone. Some of the most impactful podcasts are recorded in spare bedrooms, home offices, and even closets, using affordable gear and simple
