March 09, 2010
If this newsletter is difficult to read as an e-mail:
Welcome!
This issue is going out a few days later than I intended.
There was a tech glitch on one of my websites that's now been resolved, and I wanted to have it fixed before my newsletter went out.
However, one thing I've discovered about being self-employed is that whenever you get stopped on one thing, there are always a thousand other things you can work on while you wait!
So while I waited for the tech issue to be fixed, I got a couple more wonderful guest articles up and ready for you to enjoy here!
I'd say that means we're lucky the glitch happened when it did. :o)
"The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns;
the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose."
(Khalil Gibran)
~ Rena
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In this Issue of
Jewelry Business Success News:
- Quick Tip: An Easy Way to Handle the "Business" Side of Your Jewelry Business
- New Jewelry Business Ideas and Techniques:
- 5 new jewelry business ideas
- 3 new jewelry display / packaging ideas
- 4 new jewelry making ideas
- 10 new highlights from the handmade jewelry gallery - Your Profitable Jewelry Business:
Getting Business from a Local Jewelry Store - Neat Jewelry-Related Website:
Ali Launer's Seed-Beaded Animal Skulls
Quick Tip:
An Easy Way to Handle the
"Business" Side of Your Jewelry Business
I receive a lot of questions about how to handle the "business side" of your handmade jewelry business.
How should you price your jewelry, track your inventory, keep records of your sales and customers, get your business info together at tax time, etc.?
For creative people, all that stuff is time-consuming, confusing, and not very much fun - especially when you really just want to make jewelry instead of struggling with paperwork.
Fortunately, these days most businesses - from the largest corporation to the smallest one-person home business - rely on computer software to handle these boring tasks quickly and accurately.
Your computer can easily take care of your tedious jewelry business tasks too.
There's an easy-to-use software program designed specifically for handmade jewelry businesses.
It handles and automates nearly your entire business - from calculating your jewelry prices, to generating printed catalogs of your jewelry, to tracking your supplies, sales, inventory, and customers.
I've written a review of this software, showing you some of the especially cool things it can do for you. You can read it here:
Let your computer take care of the annoying, boring, "un-fun" parts of your business quickly and accurately - so you can spend more time in your studio creating jewelry!
Sell Your Jewelry Like Crazy
at Shows, Fairs, and Festivals
This Year
Discover hundreds of things you can do to sell more of your handmade jewelry at shows, in my book Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth.
Get this 176-page, step-by-step resource before your next show.
Spread the Word
If you find my jewelry websites helpful, please help spread the word about them.
Near the bottom of every page on my sites is a box that says "Share This Page", which makes it easy for you to link to that page or share it around the Web.
Thank you - every link helps! :o)
New Jewelry Business
Ideas and Techniques
from My Websites and Blog:
Jewelry Business Ideas:
- Make a Light Box for Photographing Jewelry
Pamela Lo Piccolo shows how to make a cheap light box that enables you to take good jewelry photos any time of day or night. - Report from a Girl's Jewelry Birthday Party
Claire DeRosa reports back from her first bracelet birthday party - including a cute photo! - Why You Shouldn't Ditch Your Slowest Seller
Join Luann Udell's thought-provoking discussion about jewelry that sells slowly. - A Blessing in Disguise
Vicki Noll Corwin shares how losing her job gave her the push she needed to get her jewelry business going. - What, Me Worry?
Doug Kelly says he's not good at starting conversations or introducing his jewelry. Here's how he got past that to show and sell some of his work.
Jewelry Display and Packaging Ideas:
- Using Many Tips to Build the Booth of My Dreams
See Ann Nolen's lovely jewelry booth - inspired by many of the ideas shared here. - Pam Older's New York Gift Show Booth
Pam shares a photo of her jewelry booth at a major wholesale show. - You Look Fabulous in Your Faulkner
Don't miss this brilliant, fun card Susanne Faulkner gives out to promote her jewelry business!
Jewelry Making Ideas:
- Portable Petroglyphs - Micro Pecking Technique
Stephen Lee's incredible carved stone pendants created quite a stir here - so he kindly sent in these photos and writeup detailing his technique that uses only a few simple hand tools. - Making a Jewelry Clasp Using a Mercury Dime
Virginia Vivier's technique for using a vintage dime as part of a clasp - and some good tips on using coins in your jewelry designs. - Fashion Color Trend Resources
Anne Rush shares her online resources for determining colors to use in your jewelry for the upcoming season, as well as tracking jewelry fashion trends. - Wrapping Your Tools to Protect Your Wire
See this tip from Sheila Davis for reducing tool-marks on your jewelry wire.
Highlights from the Handmade Jewelry Gallery:
See many more wonderful new jewelry designs in the Handcrafted Jewelry Designers' Gallery! There are too many to list here - so these are just a few of the most unique new submissions:
- Peace Please! Pendant
by Angie Simonsen. - Faceted Tigers Eye Earrings
by Leta Porter. - Silver Clay Bracelet
by Kathy of KP Designs. - Black Butterfly Necklace
by VART Jewelry. - 3 Tier Antique Key Necklace
by Melissa Subatch. - Moth Cuff
by Bridgette L. Rallo. - Beach Wedding Barefoot Sandals
by Jan Hansen. - Etched Copper Pendant on Multi-Colored Moonstones
by Louise Sande Kaplan. - Time Takes Flight - Steampunk Necklace
by Jodi (Willow) Cartwright. - Metamorphosis Necklace
by Sheila Davis.
Share Your Jewelry Content
and Get Great Exposure
I invite you to share your jewelry photos, tips, stories, tutorials, etc. - right here on my network of jewelry websites.
It's a friendly, creative atmosphere of ideas and networking.
You'll also receive links to your jewelry business, and gain exposure in the handmade jewelry community - and beyond.
Jewelry artists often tell me that the exposure they've received on my websites has brought them valuable new connections, opportunities, and traffic!
So come on in and take advantage of all these great opportunities for sharing:
(And of course, you always keep the copyright to all of your own content that you share on my network of jewelry websites.)
Sell Your Jewelry at Trunk Shows,
Private Showings,
and as Business Gifts
Learn how to sell your handmade jewelry to this HUGE untapped market, in my book Secrets of a Handcrafted Jewelry Shopping Service.
Get this 115-page, easy-to-read guide now, and make this your best jewelry selling year ever.
Your Profitable Jewelry Business:
Getting Business from a
Local Jewelry Store
by Rena Klingenberg
If there's an independently-owned and operated jewelry store in your area, it could be a potential source of business for you.
It can really pay off - both personally and professionally - to develop good relationships with the owner(s) and staff of this type of store.
After all, both of you are working on cultivating local clients with a strong interest in jewelry, and each of you can offer these clients something unique.
I've done business with this type of store in a variety ways that were beneficial to both of us.
Here are some examples:
Creating Jewelry Settings
I've done custom wire settings for stones (and other objects) for a jewelry store's customers.
Their customers sometimes want a specific stone, cameo, or other object the store is selling - but want a unique, handmade setting for it.
There are also good opportunities for metalworkers or metal clay artists to do this type of work.
Selling Your Finished Jewelry
An independent jewelry store may be interested in carrying the work of a local artist.
They may be very happy to buy your jewelry at wholesale prices so they can sell it in their shop.
Or they may be interested in displaying it on consignment.
Trunk Shows
Many indepentent jewelry stores like to hold events that draw attention to their store and attract customers.
I've done trunk shows of my jewelry as part of a larger event held by one of these shops.
I've also had my trunk show as the main event in the shop.
It's a great opportunity to become known to the jewelry store's best local customers!
You can also invite your own customer list to your trunk show there, to give the jewelry store more incentive to hold a solo event for you in their shop.
Jewelry Repairs
People often just walk into the nearest jewelry store with their broken jewelry and ask for repair work.
If you enjoy fixing jewelry, an independent local jewelry store may want to serve these folks by outsourcing some of the repairs to you.
For example, you may be called on to restring pearls or other beads, put an artistic new band or chain on a watch, fix vintage pieces or metal jewelry, etc.
The jewelry shop may also want to call on you for re-purposing jobs, when one of their customers wants a cherished piece of jewelry remade into something else that's outside of the shop's expertise.
Neat Jewelry-Related Website
This week's neat site is Ali Launer's unusual seed bead art.
Whether you find them beautiful or creepy, Ali's elaborately seed-beaded animal skulls show her incredible talent.
Be sure to check out the page that shows how Ali actually creates her unique seed bead art!
Sell Your Jewelry Online
Grow a solid base of online jewelry customers, using the step-by-step strategies you'll learn in my book Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way.
Get this 192-page, step-by-step resource now, and start growing your customer base.
Network and Get Noticed
in the
Home Based Jeweler's Showcase
The Home Based Jeweler's Showcase blog is a free opportunity to promote your jewelry business and find other jewelry artists to network with.
It's published by Rita Juhlin of Private Stock Jewelry.
To add your jewelry business to the Showcase - please email Rita Juhlin, at HomeBasedJewelers @ gmail.com .
SURVEY:
How Can I Make This Newsletter
Better for You?
If you haven't yet responded to my quick survey, I welcome your input!
Please take the survey here to give me your suggestions and feedback so I can make this newsletter a better resource for you.
I grant as many wishes as possible! :o)
Thanks so much.
My Jewelry Business Websites
and RSS Feeds
This newsletter highlights some of the latest jewelry business tips and techniques from my websites:
Home Jewelry Business Success Tips
Each of these sites also has its own RSS feed. Look for the orange RSS symbol on the left-hand column of each of these sites to get the feed.
Thanks so much for joining me
for this issue of
"Jewelry Business Success News"!
~ May your jewelry journey be fun and prosperous ~