Question on business ethics for Christians
 

O.K., I have a candle business which is clipping along nicely.

I have a scent called Merlot Wine and wanted to verify if the scent was accurate. It smelled a little too much on the cherry side for me, so I contacted a large liquor store near here to verify that. My Amaretto is awesome!

I talked with the owner and by the end of the conversation we, tentatively, set up that I would bring by any candles I poured in the liquor line and they would be tested for accuracy and then we talked about carrying them in her store.

So, as a Christian is this the right thing for me to do or is it "business as usual"?

Be nice. I have sales in my blood. I want to do what's right, but when I'm holding a contract I want to get it signed. It's like an addiction! :happydance

Can you get drunk by smelling the candles?


If not, then I think selling them in her store would be fine.

Just my humble opinion, but if you were selling her wine in your candle shop, I might try to talk you out of it. But it's candles in her store...what's the biggie?!

My husband told me to light as many as I could so we could find out.

The flame dances nicely off my mirrors!

:happydance :happydance

I'll have to order one of the Amaretto ones......I love Amaretto!

I don't drink it anymore, but I sure did remember the smell when I opened the the scent! Very authentic.

My daughter didn't like it, but I told her to leave it alone. It's an exact copy, IMO. Love it! The color comes out red. Very pretty.

My best friend has red leather club chairs in her living room. I took one over right away! She loves red! It is a sweet smell and she is more into citrus right now, so I think she may save it for a later time.

Oh, I meant the smell too.....well, I do make a good amaretto cheese cake so I have to buy it for that!

Have you ever poured a Zifendel (sp?) candle? I have a woodwick one and it smells amazing! Everyone who walks in when it is burning comments on the wonderful fragrance.

You know...I would think about the appearance of evil...isn't there enough markets to sell your candles than in a liquor store?

Just asking...Rhoni

P.S. Does it have to smell like liquor? What is that about?

Tamor,
I don't fool with the wood wicks. I use the Zinc Core. They burn cleanly and evenly. I don't think I will ever switch!

I did check into the Zinfindel and found a White Zinfindel that I am going to test. I have not run across any reviews for the red.

I also found a Cabernet that I want to test.

I didn't drink as much wine as I did Champagne and so I'm a little at a loss for the authenticity of the wine scents.

Rhoni,
Thanks for your post. Initially, I ran across the Amaretto and had them throw it in just out of curiosity. It smelled so good that I wanted to try some of the others. I think when you get into the scents you just want to try everything.

I was excited when I talked with her, and I haven't prayed about it, but my husband is thinking it may not be a good idea. For the very reason that this is the name of my business and I think it may not be a good reflection.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/...45_5368623.jpg

Trust your husband...I think he has the right thing in mind. I know that I had a past relative that had a restaurant and there was never allowed any alcoholic beverages or smoking. All ministry ate free. The business was blessed beyond measure.

Compromise never accomplishes anything and the ethics you live by should be the same business principles you sell by!

I know you well enough to know that you will make the right decision...I know you love God!:friend

Blessings, Rhoni

On the one hand, I can see what Rhoni and your husband are saying, but yet can't help but look at it from another angle.

You may never know the effect you will have on this woman or those who come in contact with you through this.

There is much to consider here, PO...I will be praying that you make the right choice...:friend

Thanks, Barb. You are certainly right - many things to consider.

I know that feeling that comes over you when you are in sales and you have to stop and think, quite a bit, before you leap. I don't want to leap here, although it's a big open door for me. I will do whatever my husband thinks is right whether I pray about it or not.

Barb,

It might be stretching it quite a bit on the grace side thinking that selling candles in liquor store would be a witness for Christ to the store owner. I think that I would have to thank the lady for her kindness to help with the smell, but have to tell her that I would have to graciously decline the offer to sell candles in her store because of my belief in Christ and not wanting to promote alcohol consumption. I think that would be a witness above all others.

Respectfully disagreed, :friend
Rhoni

Just ask the owner if you can display your candles by the communion wine!!!!:happydance

I didn't know they sold grape juice in liquor stores?:nah


Blessings, Rhoni

If I told her that she would wonder why I was testing with those scents anyway. And why was I? Cause I wanted to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:happydance

There ya go. I could sell to the Cathoholics!!!

:toofunny

They do. It's just fermented.

:toofunny

Some UPC ministers use wine......I remember running around in Salt Lake City trying to buy wine for GC ----- wasn't easy.

See? There ya go. I may have to taste some of the wine to be sure - for myself - you know!

Me: "Well, I don't know. Hit me again. Yeah, (hic) pretty close (hehehe). Wow, why are the lights in here blinking and what's a place like this doing in a girl like me?''

Owner: "Officer I don't know what happened. She just fell over right on her face and keeps muttering about her dog named "Shep".

:happydance :happydance :happydance

Yo, PO! Have ya got a website or something where people can order these candles from you? My wife said she wanted to get into the candlemaking business. So, I bought her an $87 kit to get her started. A year and a half later I ended up being the one to make the stupid candles and getting rid of them! Never again! LOL! I do like the smell of a well scented candle though.

I tend to agree with you, Barb....and there are things you can do in your marketing to reach the people who would buy the candles and the alcohol to go with it... You could include a number for prayer or something like that... Anyways...the biggest thing to do is pray and get His leading on it. Most of us balked at the idea of the Hoovers going on the show they went on, but I think it's been proven that God used them in a most unconventional way by doing that...

It was just a thought...like I said, just looking at it from another angle...:tiphat

Just sitting here thinking about if this were me....I don't think I could sell anything in a liquor store. I would feel like I'm compromising, I think. But I've never been in that position, so it's just something that every individual would have to work out for themselves. I just think it would look to be in poor taste. JMHO!

I'm just not sure that I've ever thought about candles even being in a liquor store, however I don't frequent liquor stores, so how would I know?:toofunny

My former pastor's mother made pies for a living.

She sold many of them to the neighborhood taverns.

She wouldn't go in. They would have to come out and get them, but they didn't mind, and her pies were the best everywhere.

It didn't ruin her witness in the least.

Really! I don't think most people just go in there to browse, but maybe I'm wrong.

Well, some buy wine for gifts, so you could throw in a matching scented candle along with it!

I would not see the difference in selling liquour scented candles to a chocolate shop with "likkered-up" sweets or a booze shop. Since they are being sold, and since the business is for a profit- a sale is a sale. I would not take them in the liquor store, but would offer wholesale prices if the owner would pick them up.

That's a good point. They are liquor scented, so how is selling them in a liquor store going to be a bad witness?

I love candles. Soy ones are my favorite.

I guess I just can't figure out why anyone who doesn't believe in liquor would want to make candles that are liquor scented. I don't mean any disrespect to P.O., but it just makes me curious as to why this was begun in the first place.

I don't think that it's so much liquor scent that's promoted as the scent itself.

For instance, I love Amaretto, but until reading some posts in this thread, I had no idea it was a drink. Now that I know, I will still continue buying that scent because I like the scent.

I saw that she had some kind of wine scent, but some don't have a problem with wine....LOL!

I think a scent is a scent. I don't associate it to anything else. This is probably why I don't see it as a big deal.:happydance

Well, you know me......always the ultra con!:slaphappy

:slaphappy :slaphappy :slaphappy

Wait til Scott finds out!!!! LOL!

lol. You are absolutely right. The picture was gorgeous and I wanted to test the scent. I also ordered the Merlot Wine because I wanted to see how it smelled. It had too much cherry and so I decided to call a major liquor store to see what was up.

She said that not all Merlots have a cherry tasting base and it would all depend on varying growing circumstances, etc. Very interesting.

Anyway, she told me that she had smelled some liquor scented candles in Fredericksburg and since she also had a gift shop she would be happy to test any candles I had and would consider carrying them in her gift shop.

So, being the innovative entrepreneur that I am - I decided to think about it.

I am under no obligation to call her back. She will probably look into elsewhere if she doesn't hear from me since I put the bug in her ear.

I do agree, though, and only because my company name is The Alabaster Box. I just couldn't see placing them in her store. It would seem like an affront to my witness, especially being that I used to be a bartender. lol! Oh, precious is the flow......

BUT, wasn't it fun to see everyone's reactions? - FORUM!!!

:toofunny :toofunny

LOL! Rico you have to want to do this. It's hard and lots of testing. I've already spent $2,000 on my start up cost. I have spilled red dye on my kitchen counter, wax on the floor, etc. lol!

My husband said he wants everything out of the kitchen when he gets home. Whatever!!!! :toofunny

I am currently selling my candles out of my daughter's store. She is still in the works getting her website changed. I'll PM you when it has all of my candles. I think she only has a few pictured.

I like the candles that burn when you light them!!:D