We Mean Business: ‘Focus on what Northampton does have to offer rather than what it doesn’t’
The founder of a nationally-growing candle brand established in Northampton has shared the poignant message to focus on what the town has to offer rather than what it doesn’t.
Launched in February, the Chronicle & Echo’s new campaign hopes to help curb future business closures after a bleak start to 2026 across the town.
The twice-weekly stories spotlight what Northampton stands to lose if your favourite businesses were to close down, highlight the biggest challenges they currently face, and encourage greater support from the powers that be and the community before it is too late.
The twenty-third business owner to share her insight for this campaign is Ashley Gwati, the founder of Reverie Candle. Ashley has created a loyal community through immersive workshops and invites guests to wind down, daydream and create personalised scents to escape their fast-paced realities.
It began as a small, handcrafted candle business and has now become a hands-on, intentional experience for attendees across Northampton, London and beyond – which hopes to bring communities together through scent, creativity and wellness.
Let’s take a look at what Ashley had to say…
How would you summarise your experience of running an independent business in Northampton at the moment?
“It’s been challenging,” she said. “I’m at the intersection of business and creativity. Building another candle brand, another event brand and another business in general is really hard. It’s challenging to build brand awareness and presence.”
What are the biggest challenges you currently face as a business owner, and what impact do these have on the daily running of your venture?
Ashley continued: “Building brand awareness in a space where there's a lot of noise is really hard, especially when you don’t have the funds for a big social media campaign or a network to get the word out there organically.
“It’s defeatist sometimes to go at it consistently. We have to show that the brand and products are worth their time and investment, as well as in themselves.
“It’s kept me on my toes and I constantly have to stay ahead of the game, the curve and the crowd through innovation. I’m lucky I live in a social media world and I’m a Gen Z running things. I spot trends early and capitalise on them.
“Last year we did an iced matcha candle theme and those workshops really helped us put our name out there. We did iced matcha candles before everyone else jumped on the craze. You have to adapt and tap into the trends.”
What more do you believe could be done by the local authority and national government to minimise your current challenges and ensure your survival throughout 2026?
“There could be some reduced barriers to entry,” said Ashley. “This year the price of registering a business increased and this hindered people a lot.
“Put more funding into education. There are so many organisations aside from the government getting people clued up on running a business, but when you start making money you may have trouble scaling. That’s when it turns into an old boy’s club with exclusive gatekept information.
“We don’t have the culture of entrepreneurship in this country that I’ve seen in others, and a lot of the onus is on people to search, scour and network.”
What do you believe Northampton stands to lose if your business were to close down? What unique offerings do you bring to the town that would be sorely missed?
Ashley continued: “I always describe it as a scent exploration and experience. The sense of smell is the clearest pathway to memory. When you smell the fragrances I’ve curated for the first time, you are transported to positive daydreams.
“If we were to close down, Northampton would lose elevated scent exploration. I try to give that luxury experience and usually that operates on a sense of exclusivity, but we welcome all. There's a sense of community.
“I’m yet to see something like Reverie in Northampton and we’re starting to launch our perfume-making. We offer the unique and fun side of events, and we’re trying to break that brand awareness to show people we’re here.”
What small actions can our readers and the Northampton community take to support your business in 2026?
“Word of mouth,” Ashley concluded. “I don’t think anyone realises how powerful leaving a comment can be. It costs absolutely nothing to mention a small business, and we forget this counts in the real world too – not just on social media.
“It can go so far and you don’t know who’s looking for that missing puzzle piece. People complain that Abington Street has been quiet, but shed light on the independent brands that are still there and could fill that street one day. Focus on what Northampton does have to offer rather than what it doesn’t.”