My journey growing Crowley Aromas

By Danae Crowley

What started as a small idea has grown into something I’m incredibly proud of: Crowley Aromas, a small home fragrance business based in Stowmarket.

I started Crowley Aromas because I loved the idea of creating affordable home fragrance products that could make people’s homes smell beautiful without costing a fortune. What began with wax melts has grown into a range of handmade home fragrance products, including wax discs, room sprays and carpet fresh.

I took around eight months away from the business while I was on maternity leave. During that time, Crowley Aromas was put on hold while my family came first. Although I knew I wanted to come back to it, restarting after such a long break felt like a huge challenge.

Earlier this year, I decided it was time to give Crowley Aromas another go.

Launching again has been a mixture of excitement, nerves and a lot of hard work. I’ve been rebuilding the website, creating new products and scents, getting back into social media and trying to reach new customers while reconnecting with the people who supported me before my break.

One of the things I love most about running a small business is that every order genuinely means something.

Behind every parcel is a real person choosing to support a small, independent business. I’m the person making, preparing, packaging and sending those orders, so seeing an order come through never feels like “just another sale”.

I’ve also been working on taking Crowley Aromas out into the local community, including preparing for craft markets and looking for local shops and events where I can introduce people to the products in person.

There is something really special about being able to meet customers face-to-face, let them smell the different fragrances and talk about the products I’ve made.

My aim isn’t simply to build a big business. I want to build something that fits around my family, gives me something of my own and allows me to continue doing something I genuinely enjoy.

Crowley Aromas is still a growing small business, and there are certainly ups and downs. Some weeks are busy and exciting, while others are much quieter. But I’m learning to celebrate the small wins. Every order, every new follower, every lovely customer message and every person who recommends my products to someone else.

Coming back after maternity leave has reminded me that it’s never too late to start again.

Crowley Aromas may have had a break, but the dream didn’t disappear. I’m now rebuilding it one wax melt, one order and one customer at a time.

If you’re local to Stowmarket or Suffolk and enjoy supporting small businesses, I’d love for you to follow the Crowley Aromas journey and see where it goes next.