By Tamara Mayne

When I started selling candles on Etsy in 2013, I thought it would be a fun hobby on the side of my work as a graphic designer. I could never have imagined where my company, Brooklyn Candle Studio, would be today: producing over 500,000 candles a year in an 11,000 square foot space with 20 employees and selling in over 500 stores worldwide.

I didn’t set out with the intention to become a massive global brand, but it’s the dream for so many small business owners. Here are some of the steps that helped me scale my company—as well as a few things I wish I had done differently along the way.

1. Aim to Look More Legit Than You Feel

One of the biggest things that helped me gain early traction is that I looked like a major brand long before I was one. I took my online presence seriously from the get-go, incorporating professional graphic design, beautiful packaging and product photography, and engaging product descriptions. This strategy extended to having extremely responsive customer service (even when I was a team of one) so that buyers would have a positive experience and recommend me to others.

One of my first big breaks was when Etsy featured my candles in an email to their subscribers, and I’m sure my polished branding is part of what made me stand out to their team. It also helped early wholesale accounts take me seriously.

I was fortunate that design was my background, and I could do all of this on my own. If branding isn’t your forte, I highly recommend investing in someone who can help you make it great from the start.

2. Expect to Make Investments Before You Feel Ready

One of the things I wish I had done differently is making major investments into my business earlier than I did. For instance, I waited eight months to buy an industrial wax melter—and even then bought a smaller one than I should have—despite the fact that it would have helped us tremendously in terms of being able to fulfill more orders, faster. Trade shows are another great example: They cost a lot of money, but when I finally made the investment four years into starting the business, it doubled our sales.

Looking back at every investment I made that helped scale my business, I realize I probably should have done it a couple years earlier. I was always so risk-averse, wanting to make sure we were really ready before diving in. Looking back, I realize how much stress that strategy caused.