Heidi J. Hale

a jewelry business success story

© 2004 by Heidi J. Hale; all rights reserved

Jewelry artist Heidi J. Hale has made jewelry as a way to give personal, unique gifts to friends and family for over a decade. Her hobby became a full time passion in 2002, when Heidi J. Hale Designs was launched, and she began to work on her simple yet elegant jewelry line out of her historic home/studio in Muncie, Indiana.

Heidi sells her jewelry designs to wholesale clients consisting of boutiques and art galleries across the country, and to retail customers through her www.heidijhale.com website. Having her own online store and belonging to numerous online galleries has led to Heidi's designs being shipped all over the world - including the UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand and Guam.

"I will always be grateful to the first bead store I walked into over 12 years ago, when I lived in Salt Lake City," says Heidi. Recently she has studied under Connie Fox in San Diego and Lisa Claxton in San Francisco. "These two ladies are amazing wire artists that are well-known for their wire art jewelry, and I will always be grateful to them," she adds.

Heidi enjoys working with only the finest materials when she crafts her jewelry. "Heavy and fine gauge sterling silver wire, Greek leather and an endless array of semi-precious gemstones are the three main components in my designs," Heidi explains. "My current passion is combining classic elegance with everyday casual to create a treasure that can be worn anytime, anywhere."

1) Have you had formal training in art or jewelry making, or are you completely self-taught?

I am mostly self-taught. This last year I have taken classes from Lisa Claxton and Connie Fox.

2) How did you first start selling your jewelry, and how did you evolve into your current way(s) of selling it?

I walked into a bead store over 10 years ago and dabbled here and there, making jewelry for myself and friends/family. I never imagined anyone could make a career out of making their own jewelry.

Heidi J. Hale Designs began two years ago when my mother bought me an anklet for my birthday from a catalog for $30. I told her that these anklets would be so easy to make and I would love to have more in different colors. I did a little research on the internet and found the exact materials but had to buy in bulk. My cost ended up being $1.50 per anklet compared to $30.00.

To get rid of leftover materials and make some of my money back I sold the anklets on eBay, never intending on creating a business. I only wanted to get rid of extra materials and try to make my money back.

Every anklet I listed sold right away and I had ladies asking if I had any other jewelry. I decided to search the internet for more materials, hoping to create unique original designs. I would have never imagined someone would pay money for jewelry that I had made.

After listing my own designs on eBay, I had ladies asking if I had a website. Luckily my husband is an amazing web designer who put his heart and soul into my site. I am so grateful for Sean’s talent. I feel my site is very clean and professional.

Shortly after that, I had store owners emailing me asking if I wholesaled. Most recently I had a call from a group of corporate women out of Boston who are creating a new catalog containing items that are hand made by artists from across the country. As of September 2005 I will have 5 designs in the catalog. They expect to send 500,000 copies in two months, wish me luck!

3) How long were you in business before you felt successful?

It started immediately. I would say it was the response I had received from selling those first few anklets that I knew I had something good going.

4) What has been your biggest success in your jewelry business, and how did you achieve it?

In my opinion, my biggest success is that boutiques and galleries across the country have wanted to carry my jewelry. They came to me. I didn’t go looking for them.

5) How many hours do you put into your jewelry business in an average week?

My business is 24/7 from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. It has to be that way while I have a 3-year-old and 5-year-old. My family always comes first, so needless to say, I have to stop what I am doing quite a bit during the day. Once they are both in school full time I think I will be able to have more 9-5 hours.

6) Do you do everything yourself, or do you have help - such as with your jewelry production, your website, packaging, filling orders, etc.?

I do practically all the jewelry myself. My mom (who has been wonderful) works for me from 11-5 everyday. She can do around 10 of the 160 designs I have on my website. She is also the shipping department. My husband takes care of the website and gives me his “yes” or “no” on new designs. I plan to hire at least two people in 2005.

7) What keeps you going when things get tough?

Even when things are stressful and very hectic I can’t help but be grateful and realize that I am so blessed to have a job that I can work from home and be with my babies. Not to mention being a jewelry designer! People want my jewelry, how cool is that!

8) What's the biggest mistake you've made in your jewelry business?

Selling too cheap! When I began selling my designs I sold them for nothing. I never thought anyone would pay money for my jewelry. I think the average price of my items (this was two years ago August) was $12.00.

9) What's the best thing you've ever done for your business?

Endless nights of research on the internet looking for unique and unusual materials, studying the history of jewelry and watching fashion trends. I want to find materials that help define my image and the look I want to achieve.

10) If you were just starting your jewelry business today, what's the first thing you would do?

Start very slow, let opportunities come to you. Don’t expect it to happen all at once, and do as much research as you can. Find your niche and run with it. It’s best if you can start your jewelry business without relying on the income. If you have to rely on the money then you will sacrifice quality and originality. Also try to establish good relationships with your suppliers. They can really pull through for you when you are in a bind.

11) Do you have any other advice for jewelry artists?

Find your niche and let your designs reflect your personal style. If you are going to have an online business, remember to keep your site professional and clean. Less content and great pictures. Let your jewelry speak for itself! You don’t need to tell your potential customers how wonderful your jewelry is, let them find out for themselves.

Note from Rena:
Heidi, thank you so much for sharing your experiences in your rapid rise to success. Your insights into researching the jewelry market, developing your own niche, and hiring employees so you can grow are really helpful. And thanks for your website tip on using great photos to let your jewelry speak for itself - which you demonstrate beautifully in your stunning Heidi J. Hale Designs site.

Return to top of Heidi J. Hale.

Return to Jewelry Business Success Stories.

Return to Home Jewelry Business Success Tips home page.