Hi there,
I am very very new to all this nd I have recently started up my own personal small business making homemade scented candles. I have only really sold to people through word of mouth. I have business cards which I have handed out. I also have a Facebook page etc. I am participating in what will be my first stall at a local fayre tomorrow.
I am thinking of branching out and selling online but I have no idea of where to start when it comes to working out postage and packaging and costs etc. It all seems quite daunting as I am not very confident or experience in this kinda thing but at the same time its quite exciting. I was wondering if anyone could suggest some tips or advice on selling online etc. Many Thanks
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Morning @maritacandlescent and welcome to Folksy there is lots of good advise here on the forums have a look around there are quite a lot of new traders joined recently so your’e not alone. Good luck with the shop. Hazel
Its not easy selling online and my first bit of advice would be don’t expect too much too quickly! If you do take the plunge and decide to sell here then join in the forums there are really helpful people here and there is a thread where there is lots of advice.
Good photos are very important and an accurate description.
As far as postage is concerned just ask your post office for a booklet on prices and decide whether you want to send things standard delivery (insured up to £20) or signed for (insured £50+). Always get proof of posting and be aware that paypal seller protection is only available if you use a tracked service (I think). Don’t forget to include your packaging costs and the cost of getting to the PO into the postage cost. Also make sure to factor into the price of your item your listing fee, paypal and selling fees.
Hope that helps - good luck
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To add to the postage advice, the post office site find a price is excellent and you can pay for your postage and print it online.
The only problem with paying and printing online is that you don’t get a proof of posting.
Thankyou for your advice people 
much appreciated. I did my first stall today at a Family Fun day. Only managed to sell 5 products in 3 and a half hours but thats a good start and I have a few craft fayres coming up too. The only thing I am not very good at is my people skills as in engaging with customers and confidence etc.
I am still debating on whether to start selling online as I am not sure if it is jumping in at the deep end too quick. Not sure if age is much relevance but I am only 22 and new to all this so I dont have much experience or knowledge at all. LOL !
The great thing with selling online is you don’t need to engage with the customer like at a fair It is perfect for shy /unconfident people ( speaking from personal experience here), as you can do things at your own pace - as long as you have faith in the quality of your product it is worth giving it a go.
Getting found online is quite a slow process , so you will have time to learn the ropes as you go along.
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Thankyou Debra thats a very good point !! I have been doing some more thinking about my online shop and I think it is going to be tricky with regards to postage etc as most of my products are in glass jars which can weigh alot so not really sure what to do :S . On the good side of things I have decided to broaden my product range to wax melts and tealights which would be alor easier to post. I guess I am going to just give it a shot and start off with a few little products and see how it goes as I am still struggling to get customers through all the networking sites and even handing out business cards :-(. I have faith though so I guess time will tell. For everyone who has commented on my post I would be very very grateful if you could possibly checkout my facebook page and look at my products and let me know what you think?
I will let you all know when I have opened up my folksy shop ! I guess I just need a little reassurance as I am not very confident yet !
Thanks for that link, very helpful as I’m also new to this Folksy/selling online thing! 
Hello @maritacandlescent welcome. You would be surprised as to what people will pay for postage for good products. Postage is calculated by size a weight, so it may be possible that you are able to ship 3 candles just picked number at random before postage costs become too high.
Getting a good online following is good for heavier products too. As for my facebook page, i will do a post stating I am at these events. Then put a link to online stores and state that i can bring item for collection at the craft fayre so they pay no postage at all.
There are so many little tricks and its finding what is right for you at the end of the day. The people on this forum have been so helpful in the short time i have been here so sure you will get all advice you need
That is an amazing tip on postage, thanks a lot