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1) Jewelry Business Success News milestones!

2) Write a Great Jewelry Business Mission Statement

3) What's New at Home Jewelry Business Success Tips - super new articles

4) Featured Article: Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Caused by Jewelry Making

5) Neat Jewelry Related Website: Beach Glass Jewelry by Relish

Jewelry Business Success News
achieves new milestones!

This issue marks one full year of publishing Home Jewelry Business Success News. Also, with this issue we've passed the 4,000 subscriber mark.

Two great milestones in one issue . . . WOO HOO!!!

Write a Great
Jewelry Business Mission Statement

Writing a mission statement helps you focus your intentions for your jewelry business. It encourages you to really consider your values and aspirations, giving your business a sense of direction. Your mission statement is a guidepost when you have to make decisions, helping you stay on the path you've set for yourself.

Your statement can be any length. It can be encompassed in one concise phrase, or it may take a few paragraphs to express. It's not a business plan or artist's statement - but it's just as important to your business.

It might include how you intend to develop your artistry, how you will serve your customers, or how you aspire to make a difference in the world with your business.

Writing a mission statement is a great way to determine what you really want for your jewelry business and commit to that intention in writing. Keep your statement where you can see it, and consider sharing it with your customers in your website and other literature.

Choose what you value, dream of, and become. These intentions comprise your mission - and guide your jewelry business.

What's new at
Home Jewelry Business Success Tips

Since our last issue, I have some great new articles for you.

First off, we have two new Jewelry Business Success Stories. Many readers say the success stories are their favorite pages on this site, and I think I'd have to agree with them. Reading about all the different paths jewelry artists take to success is very uplifting and inspiring.

So here they are - enjoy! :

Gretta Van Someren of Pizzazz Creations
Jewelry artist Gretta Van Someren invites us into her Pizzazz Creations home jewelry studio/showroom, and treats us to great photos, tips, and innovations for jewelry business success. This article may load slowly because of all the photos, but I promise you it's well worth the wait!

Allyson Gernandt
The newest in our Jewelry Business Success interview series. Gemstone jewelry artist Allyson Gernandt shares a glimpse into her home jewelry business - from her first silversmithing lesson to her success at shows and festivals.

I'm also excited to bring you two interesting articles on jewelry history and lore from returning guest author Sherry Matsen of Estate Jewelry International:

History of Bakelite
Bakelite, the first completely synthetic plastic, was the accidental invention of Dr. Leo Baekeland. Find out why Bakelite became so popular, how to test pieces for authenticity, and why it finally became obsolete after its worldwide popularity.

Agate Lore and Legend
Agate has been used by humans for over 20,000 years. Although it is currently used mainly as a gemstone, it has been prized as a stone of healing and power.

We would love to have you to become our next famous guest author! Submit a jewelry business article and receive a free permanent link from Home Jewelry Business Success Tips to your website. Our guest authors report a significant flow of traffic coming from their article links on Home Jewelry Business Success Tips!

If you make jewelry, your hands are your most important tools. You need to take good care of them, and prevent repetitive stress injuries that are all too common among people who work with their hands.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an extremely common repetitive stress injury. It's caused when tendons in the wrist swell and compress the median nerve that reaches sensor cells in the hand. Symptoms may include numbness, pain and tingling in the thumb and middle fingers, a weak grip, and decreased hand strength.

According to researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), stress and pressure on the palms and fingers (as when we use our jewelry pliers and other tools) are a major cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. The NIOSH researchers add that "jobs requiring the repetitive use of small hand tools are one of the main culprits of carpal tunnel syndrome."

Tasks involving repetitive hand movements, wrist bending, or stressful wrist postures are also connected with repetitive stress injuries.

So how can we avoid this condition that has the potential to end a jewelry career?

• Use ergonomic jewelry tools. They're a bit more expensive than bargain-basement tools, but once you use them you'll notice how much easier they are on your hands, wrists, and fingers. Over time they make a HUGE difference in the beating your hands take during jewelry making. Please make this small investment in your hand health.

• Be aware of how your hands, wrists, and arms are positioned while you work on your jewelry. Try to eliminate actions that involve repetitive bending, twisting, or uncomfortable angles. This may also mean changing the height of your chair or worktable.

• Wherever possible, use a tool to make the job easier on your hands. Consider using small bench vises, clamps, rotary tools, etc. to handle the tough gripping and twisting chores.

• Warm up your hands and wrists. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends that people who work with their hands do a short series of wrist exercises at the start of each work shift, and again after each break. These easy exercises decrease pressure on the median nerve, and reduce your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome:
  1. Extend your arms out in front of you, and stretch both wrists and fingers at a right angle to your arms, as if you were in a handstand position. Hold this position for a count of five.

  2. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers for a count of five.

  3. Make tight fists with both hands. Then bend both wrists down while keeping the fists. Hold for a count of five.

  4. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers for a count of five.

  5. Repeat each exercise 10 times, then hang arms loosely at your sides and shake them for a couple of seconds.

  (These wrist exercises are also recommended before and during computer sessions.)

• If you have any possible symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, visit your doctor ASAP. The sooner you catch the development of a repetitive stress injury, the easier it is to reverse it.

Your talented hands are an important asset. Take good care of them so they can keep making beautiful jewelry! :o)

Neat Jewelry Related Website

Our neat site this time is Beach Glass Jewelry by Relish. Sisters Jennifer and Terri have created a wonderful jewelry niche by crafting jewelry from pieces of "genuine found Lake Erie beach glass." They use the glass in the same condition that they find it, without altering its size, shape or polish. If you're not familiar with this beautiful recycled material, be sure to check Jennifer and Terri's What is Beach Glass page (and notice how a page describing your materials can really draw customers to make a purchase!). I admire these sisters not only for their lovely jewelry and website, but also for picking up trash along the Lake Erie shore as they collect their beach glass treasures.

Find Specific Jewelry Business Info

Looking for specific jewelry business information or the answer to a question? Try our "Search This Site" feature to scour Home Jewelry Business Success Tips for any keywords you enter. A link to Search This Site is available from the bottom of the navigation bar at the left side of every page.

We have well over 180 articles now, plus lots more coming up - and sometimes knowing where to find specific information among so many articles can be tricky. But now you should be able to search easily and find what you're seeking.

If your search doesn't turn up any results for our site, then you've discovered a topic we need to add - please let me know the info or tips that are missing from our site.