Becca Williams and her co-founder turned a shared love of candles into Alben Lane, a Halifax-based home and body brand making candles, perfumes, and room sprays out of the Hydrostone. Everything is sourced from Canadian suppliers, the scents are earthy and Nova Scotia-inspired rather than sweet, and the prices are kept intentionally accessible. They quit their 9-to-5s to work 24/7, and by the sound of it, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Alben Lane, and we make scented home & body products like candles, perfumes, and room sprays
What made you want to do this work?
We both adore candles and wanted to work with each other/ourselves, so it seemed like the perfect fit!!
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
We wanted to ensure we only worked with Canadian suppliers, even though importing things from other countries may save money, supporting the Canadian economy was very important to us.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Anyone who loves candles and scented products! I feel we have quite a large demographic, as our goal is to keep our items as affordable but as high-quality as possible.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We’re a retail business, so we sell our products directly to consumers or to stores where they sell our products to their customers. You can shop us in person, online, or at our stores across the country!
Where in the city can we find your profession? Is this our shop location?
We’re located in the Hydrostone at 3178 Isleville Street.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
“What makes your candles different?” is something we get asked regularly, and our answer is always that it’s based on what sort of scents you like! We try to focus on more earthy and neutral candles inspired by Nova Scotia instead of gourmand or sweet—if those are the scents you’re looking for, we may not be the best fit for you 🙂
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is being able to work alongside your best friend—that is something I will never ever take for granted. There honestly isn’t a worst part—I think (similar to my answer below) it’s just managing work-life balance when you work for yourself!
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
I think it’s more about working for yourself than our specific profession, but we always say we quit our 9-to-5s to work 24/7!
Where can we follow you?
@albenlanecandleco on all platforms!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Omg so many, but currently loving our neighbours in our building, Aura Women’s Wellness! We do fitness classes there multiple times a week.
