Guernsey Press

Wax melt business ‘is Ellie’s future’

THE daughter of Anna Mills, founder of the Guernsey Small Business Market, is the reason the initiative was founded.

Published
Ellie Mills, 13, with her Wax Melts 4 U advent calendar. (30122932)

Ellie, 13, has been diagnosed with syncope, meaning she has low blood pressure, which can cause her to faint at any time. Her ongoing fear of fainting has resulted in extreme anxiety so Ellie is home-schooled and has not gone out in two years.

Despite this, the day after her 12th birthday in January 2020, Ellie started her own wax melt business, Wax Melts 4 U.

Since then, she has built her own website, liaised with suppliers, designed her own logo, researched VAT for UK orders, and released a range of air fresheners.

‘This is Ellie’s future,’ Mrs Mills said.

‘The whole reason I’ve done this is purely because of Ellie – this is my daughter’s market.

‘We tried to get into fetes and fairs but they said they only allowed up to two wax melt stalls.

‘I started my own market because it was ridiculous how Ellie was putting loads of work in and wasn’t getting anywhere, which wasn’t fair.’

Currently, Ellie has brand representatives in the UK and The Original Alternative in Town stocks her products. She aims to have shops in Guernsey and the UK and said the GSBM was amazing.

‘It has helped grow my business, which has really helped with my anxiety – it’s a lot of hard work and I’m really proud of myself.’

Mrs Mills wanted to give small businesses like Ellie’s a platform.

‘I am hoping that the GSBM will give much needed exposure to small, up-and-coming businesses that don’t have the budget or sales volume to have a permanent physical selling site but are looking to expand,’ she said.

She said lockdown had left many people jobless or furloughed.

‘With spare time on their hands and in order to survive in some cases, many of these people embraced their entrepreneurial spirit and started small businesses – I think this can only be beneficial to the island as we need business diversification to survive.’

Ellie added that small businesses had also been effected by the pandemic.

‘The GSBM is going to help small businesses thrive again, or if they are new and just starting out, help them to grow,’ she said.

Mrs Mills said Ellie showed that even if you have anxiety, your life does not stop.