Inventory Tracking
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One thing I've found to be helpful is to bring a friend or hired help along to the parties. It's not only nice to have someone else there to take care of the checkout/packaging process, but they can also keep an eye out for "wandering hands". This also allows me the opportunity to freely interact with and get to know the guests while I talk about my jewelry. If you like the idea of "hired help" but are worried about the expense-- offer them a piece of jewelry in exchange. I usually pay an hourly wage plus 5% of total sales for the night, but hvae found jewelry to be just as welcome.
OH YES, one last thought... A lot of women like to try on jewelry at these shows/parties, and every once in awhile, someone accidentally walks out the door having forgotten to take it off. So far, I've always had it returned (or purchased) but this is something to consider before jumping to conclusions.
Karen Maione of Sterling Silver Home Shows:
I have over 150 pieces of sterling silver jewelry that are displayed at my home shows. I have done many parties and have never had a problem with theft. While I don't do an inventory at the hostesses home because I don't want to take up any more of her time, I do go through my pieces when I return home. If I were to find something was missing I would contact the hostess to see if it may have fallen off the table. If I were ever to suspect that a piece was stolen while at the party, I would speak with the hostess privately, never in front of her guests.
Melissa (no website listed):
I think an inventory should be taken at the end of the party. If something is missing, take the hostess aside and quietly tell her. Don't make accusations - just ask her to keep a look out for it. Let her decide if/how to say anything to guests.
Thea Kolosseos-Kendis of Thea's Sparkle Plenty:
After doing jewellery trunk shows in individuals' homes for some time, I did a show for a young lady's birthday party. Two items did go missing, though I said nothing at the time. I discreetly asked the young lady's mother the next day to check under the sofa, etc. Alas, the pieces were nowhere to be found.
Since not all the attendee's were the birthday girl's bosom buddies, I'm almost certain someone took the pieces in question. I stood the loss, but I learned a valuable lesson from it. Now I insist in my contract that the hostess of the party is liable for all losses of goods; & I make certain she knows why. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't understand my position perfectly, or who doesn't take care who she invites as a result. Hope this helps with your survey.
Chris (no website listed):
I haven't hosted a jewelry party myself, but I think I would probably not take inventory at the hostess' house, unless I had a bad feeling or thought I saw something "funny" going on. Otherwise, I would just keep everything as organized as possible, as you said, and then take inventory as soon as I got home.
Then if something was missing, I would call the hostess and let her know, but in a completely non-accusatory way. I would tell her I was just letting her know so she could look in her sofa cushions, etc., and of course let me know if she finds it. I'd add something like, "I may find it in my car" or something similar.
But, I'm kinda a softee. ;) In something as personal as a party, with a group of friends like that, if something did go missing, I think I'd just call it a loss and not accuse anyone, unless I witnessed something first hand.
Mike (no website listed):
re: Inventory. To count or not to count! And how to do it without offence. There's nothing wrong with counting your stuff. It is yours after all. However, you need to do this without offending your friends. Just remember that not everyone at the party will be known to you, or even to the host if you are in someone else's home.
Probably the easiest way to do this is to have some kind of display that makes it obvious if something is missing. Try to keep stuff like rings and earings in those little compartment boxes, with only one ring or one pair of earings per compartment, then if something's missing it is obvious without having to physically count everything. (keep your gift boxes separate, and empty)It will also be fairly obvious to the folks around you without having to shout about it!
If something is missing, first of all remember that it may have been dropped someplace. Get down on your hands and knees, people will soon catch on, and it's much better than shouting "who stole my ring!!!" Even if someone has made off with it, if half the folks in the room are turning the place upside down for you, it will probably miraculously turn up!
Try to remember that not everyone is out to get you ;) Enjoy yourself, have a good time and just accept that you will occasionally lose something.
Mary (no website listed):
I don't think it's worth trying to count - there aren't anypositive options if you do discover that something is missing. Better to letit go.
MaryBeth (no website listed):
I have all of my jewelry in tackle boxes, so each piece has it's own place. Ialso put a picture of it in the spot that it goes. It saves a ton of worryingcause there is a place for everything and everything has it's own place. Iknow right away if something is missing. So far, I have never came up withanything missing!
Martha (no website listed):
Although I am in the wee infant stages of start up for my home jewelrybusiness, I feel rather lucky to have almost 20 years of retail experience. During that time, I was dept. manager and later, area sales manager for a majordepartment store's accessory & jewelry departments.
The most important part of retailing is customer service. Our customers weredrawn to two main areas: sale tables & jewelry cases. The first of these isself explanatory, but the second deserves some thought. Although there werethousands of sku's hanging on counter top displays, customers seemed to bewanting those goodies inside the locked glass cases! A piece which is not soeasily reachable has quite a draw.
Personal service & presentation may just bethe key to creating higher sales & less theft. Of course, we all have to"build in" a percentage into our prices for overhead expenses, andunfortunately, that overhead should include theft, if the public has access toyour inventory.
Selling requires a great deal of work and personally dressingyour customer in your jewelry is part of that. Your customers feel importantand they feel your pieces are important and very special. In delivering thispersonal service, you have control over "what is where".
It's alot to keep up with when you have a large crowd, so recruit some help:*Your hostess should be given some responsibilities. This is empowering. After all, it's their home and giving them a "job" will help you keep up witheverything going on.
*Choose someone from the group to be your model, yourhostess could do that job. Take along some friends and surprise them laterwith paying them a commission on their sales!
After all the fun, take an inventory, either at the party site or later atyour studio. List any "missing" pieces and give a copy to your hostess,someone may come across that missing piece either in the sofa cushions or"accidently" fallen into a purse or pocket. Don't judge your hostess or partyguests, as accidents will happen.
Amy (no website listed):
Suggestion for how to handle missing inventory at home party:
I seem to be missing a XXX. I'm sure it will probably turn up in a differentpart of my boxes once I get home. However, just in case it got misplaced here,would you mind taking a look around you as you [get up for refreshments, get upto leave] to see if it might have fallen on the floor or on the furniture?Thanks so much, I really appreciate your help.
Marie (no website listed):
In regards to doing an inventory at the end of each show - I would not for a few reasons:
#1 Time...you want to be in and out..if you linger too long it could beunappealing for someone else to have a show.
#2 - for reasons of "what are yougoing to do about it if a bracelet or pair of earrings are missing"...it's partof being in business - write off the loss.
#3 - if you make a stink about it,what happens to repeat business?
In my experience of home shows, I like to set up my display in the kitchen..that's where most guests are hanging out anyways,and the jewelry tends to travel around less. Bring a few mirrors, so yourguests aren't traveling around the house looking for a place to view earringsor a necklace.
I've never had any problems, but if I did find something missing, I would probably just maybe make mention to the host incase it was accidently left behind, and then just write it off as a loss if it wasn'tfound.
Lori of Lorienne Lewis Designs:
I woulddefinitely take the inventory (because you need to know if you've lost a piece,for your accounting, etc.) but I would not bring it up to the hostess. Thepotential future income of parties from the group far eclipses the cost of asingle item.
Willie (no website listed):
I have done several different home party demonstrations, and first, I have never had anything turn up missing. But if something wasn't on the table after passing items around, I would just ask the group if anyone had seen it. Usually, someone will find it lying on the sofa or something.
Jean (no website listed):
I would say, check your inventory only for your own knowledge. Keep track of who attends the parties so you know at which parties merchandise seems to grow legs and walk off. Be extra cautious at the parties where the same people attend. I would never share the information with anyone, but I would have the knowledge of when to be more cautious.
Rena Klingenberg of Home Jewelry Business Success Tips:
Regarding inventory tracking at home jewelry parties, I think the easiest way would be to arrange your displays so that all rings are together, all bracelets together, all pendants together, etc. so that you can make a quick count of what's left in each category as you pack up.
However, I've never had a problem with theft at a home party - but I do agree it's possible. Since guests tend to be friends of the hostess, they're less likely to commit a crime in her home. But it's not an impossibility, and tracking inventory would certainly let you know if everything's accounted for at the end of the party.
But if it turns out that something *is* missing, what do you do? Making an issue of it to the hostess or in front of all the guests would put a damper on the party, and would probably guarantee that you'd have no more parties scheduled from that group. And if the missing piece wasn't stolen but turns up later dropped between the sofa cushions, it would be awful to suggest that someone at the party had committed a theft and then be mistaken.
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