With the current financial crisis that so many of us are experiencing, it is crucial we support small businesses where possible. We tend not to have a lot of financial backing like larger corporations have. We are usually a single person doing everything – from social media, to admin, to shipping.
When you choose to shop small, it makes a world of difference to the owner. It means they can continue bringing you what they love, and can afford to put the heating on and food in their families stomach. You aren’t contributing to the CEO buying their third holiday home… you are helping a family put food on their table, pay their bills and enable them to continue doing what they love.
I’ve put together this small list of small businesses that I have reached out to, to showcase their amazing bookish business and products.
This article contains reviews on products that I have been given to test and review. This does not affect my review process and all opinions are honest and have not been influenced by these gifted products.
Ember Stag Candles
Picture this… It’s a winter’s night, with a chill in the air. The wind whistles against your book filled home. Wrapped in your favourite throw, book in hand. You are softly illuminated by a small reading lamp to your left, and a candle to your right. The candle smells like a crisp winter’s morning with a hint of vanilla. How cosy does that sound?
Based in the United Kingdom, this small bookish business offers a wide range of book related candles, whether it’s a fandom, a trope, a character. There’s bound to be something that suits your reading needs.
Ember Stag candles offer a blend of coconut and soy based wax that is perfected to burn slower, cleaner and offer the scent thrown around the room hot or cold.
I was kindly gifted one of their amazing Limited Edition Calanmai candles to test and review. While I’m not new to this amazing small business, this is the first time I have used their stunning woodwick candles and oh, let me tell you… It’s a game changer! I now only want to use bookish candles with a woodwick. The crackling of the wood slowly burning really sets the mood to read.
The Calanmai candle is perfectly sized to proudly sit on my bookshelves next to my ACOTAR collection (if I can hold off burning any more of it) making it the perfect shelf decor when not in use. The smell is wonderfully warming with a spicy citrus scent that compliments the wood crackling sound perfectly.
The candle comes with some decorative dried flower petals on the top which I thought was a lovely touch. Before burning the candle, it is advised to remove these decorative flowers which was very easy to do.
Ember Stag Candles prides itself on it’s eco-friendly approach to shipping using easily recyclable packaging with minimal plastic in sight. The product itself has further use once its all burned down – I will be using the jar to store my bookmarks inside and using it as a decorative piece on my shelves.
Personally I love this product and would recommend it to any booklover, especially fans of the A Court Of Thorns And Roses series by Sarah J Maas. I will most definitely be returning to purchase some more of their candles.
Books and beyond
This wonderful bookish small business, located in the UK, has a wide range of bookish accessories, stationary, blind date with a book options and more that you never knew you needed but oh my… you really do! I reached out to this company to trial and review some of my personal favourites that they offer and that is … Review notepads.
These notepads are the ideal reader accessory for those that read and review books as a hobby or professionally on Social media, blogs and magazines. They offer a great way of recording small details about the book that you may just forget about when it comes to reviewing the book. Having this page filled out and kept inside the book is perfect for going back and reading your summary/favourite quotes/star rating etc.
I used this particular one recently when I was reading “Jade City” by Fonda Lee and I found it incredibly handy when it came to writing my review as I picked out my favourite characters and made notes of key things I wanted to discuss which was great at jogging my memory. This notepad is A6 sized, making it the perfect size for on the go notetaking and storing in your bag.
They also offer a larger sized book review notepad for those that love more detail in their note-taking with the potential of adding each page to a folder, creating a book of your reviews to look back through with ease.
While looking at their website I made a couple of purchases as they have such a great selection of annotation tabs that I have been meaning to give a go. I highly recommend this small business as it has a wide range of products that cater to everyone’s price range.
Hungry Haggis Book Club
Hungry Haggis Book Club is a Facebook group style business that offers a bespoke blind date with a book package that is so wonderful and catered to the reader. I reached out and they kindly gifted me one. They even went as far as to go onto my Amazon Wishlist and find a book they had in stock from that list to ensure I didn’t receive a book I already read.
The box itself was packed with goodies that for the price you would normally pay £10.00 plus postage is exceptional. It came with some chocolate ( I got some Cadbury Mini Eggs, they did not make it into the photo as I couldn’t resist them) the book, a candle from a small business and a hot beverage.
They offer a non-committal monthly service meaning you buy as you go. With this freedom, you get to choose each month whether to purchase based on what the chosen book is that month. Help choose this book each month by suggesting a book each month which will then get randomly selected to be the next book!
Ashleigh, the owner of the Hungry Haggis Book Club is passionate about supporting local and small businesses so each month she includes products from other small businesses including business cards too which is so wonderful to see. The candle pictured is from a small business- Pret a Geek which smells so lovely
This bookish small business is not just offering a service, it’s a community.
BookMarkedByChris
As you are probably aware, this is my small bookish business. I specialise in a range of bookish accessories including handmade bookmarks, book sleeves, art prints and keyrings.
BookMarkedByChris offers a wide range of bookish accessories, for booklovers made by a booklover.
Coming to the store in May 2023, a huge new selection of products including notepads, book annotation supplies, blind date with a book (with a twist) and gift wrap! Be sure to keep an eye out for this HUGE PRODUCT DROP
Get Involved!
Would you like to have your bookish business featured? For your chance to be featured, get in touch with me to discuss
Email me: chris@bookmarkedbychris.co.uk
1 thought on “Bookish Small Businesses”
Thank you so much for including my business!! Im so happy you loved the Calanmai candle and so lovely to find some other small businesses to follow.