Jewelry Business Blog

December 2004

© by Rena Klingenberg; all rights reserved

The Jewelry Business Blog has essential jewelry business tips, information, questions, answers, and news that you won't find anywhere else!

December 31, 2004

Make your jewelry business card super effective by turning it into a mini-brochure. In addition to your name and contact info, include one of the main benefits to the customer of doing business with you, plus a really great photo of your jewelry.

December 30, 2004

I'm pleased to bring you an inspiring article by our newest guest author, Sophie Van Tiggelen of Bagatelle Jewelry. Now that our holiday sales have calmed down, Sophie has some great jewelry business ideas for all of us:

Jewelry Business Strategies for the New Year
Ideas and business strategies for making this your best jewelry year yet. Guest author Sophie Van Tiggelen shares eight ways you can jump start your jewelry business.

Thank you, Sophie, for sharing these great tips for the new jewelry year! :o)

December 29, 2004

I'm proud to introduce our newest guest author, Joy Bescardi of Frost Jewelry. Joy's first article for us covers some fascinating lore on pearl quality:

Determining the Quality of Pearls
Pearls are graded on six factors - luster and orient, nacre thickness and quality, color, surface perfection, shape, and size. Guest author Joy Bescardi details how these factors determine the quality of this classic gemstone.

Thank you for this wonderfully informative article, Joy! :o)

December 26, 2004

A couple of readers have written in asking about Spring 2005 colors, fashions, and jewelry trends. Here are some great links to check out for info on that: Pantone's Spring 2005 Color Forecast, and two pages put together very nicely by Jerry Smith of JS Beads: Spring-Summer 2005 Fashion Trends and Spring-Summer 2005 Color Trends.

It's always fascinating to read up on what's coming up in the way of color and style - enjoy designing your Spring 2005 jewelry line! :o)

December 24, 2004

Get ready to roll out your Spring 2005 jewelry line! As soon as the holidays are over, people are ready to look forward to the next fun thing - which is warmer weather and new fashions.

December 22, 2004

If you make children's jewelry for sale, please be careful to make it as safe as possible for children to wear. You never know what a child may do while wearing your jewelry, so imagine the worst possible scenario and design for the child's safety in that situation.

December 20, 2004

Offering a guarantee can increase your jewelry sales. It's best to have it in writing as part of your website and printed jewelry business literature. Be specific about the details of your guarantee - what you cover, for how long, any exclusions, and what you will do to correct the situation.

December 19, 2004

When building your jewelry business website, I strongly recommend using a plain white or pale colored background. Although patterned backgrounds are fun to use, they make it very hard for your visitors to read your text, and almost impossible for them to concentrate on your jewelry photos. So let your photos and text capture shoppers' interest without competition, and let your background . . . well, remain in the background! :o)

December 16, 2004

One of the main reasons why people purchase jewelry is for gift giving. Why not capitalize on this by dedicating a special section of your booth or your website to your recommended jewelry gifts? With a compelling sign saying something like "Best Gift Ideas" or "Most Popular Gifts", you can fill your special gift section with your most popular jewelry in a range of prices. Be sure to include a good selection of under-$20 jewelry for people to give to babysitters, teachers, secret pals, etc.

December 15, 2004

When you start to feel fatigued several hours into an art show, it can be hard to come up with the right things to say to your customers. I think it's a good idea to practice ahead of time several conversational phrases that help your selling. Then the right thing to say will come out naturally, no matter how brain-dead you may feel.

December 13, 2004

I'm pleased to present our newest guest author, Pat Greer of Send Us Your Ears. Pat has a great way to save your wrists while working with wire:

Coiling Wire the Easy Way
Coiling wire doesn't have to be hard on your wrists. Guest author Pat Greer details a fast, easy, and fun wire coiling tool you can make yourself.

Thanks for this wonderful suggestion, Pat! :o)

December 12, 2004

Consider finding unusual businesses that are willing to host a jewelry trunk show. A lunchtime trunk show at an oil and lube shop might be a big success right before Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.

Or an after-work trunk show at a busy daycare center might be appreciated by hectic parents wondering when they'll squeeze in some Christmas shopping. And how about a truck stop or a hotel lobby? Whatever location you choose, provide free gift wrap to make purchasing your jewelry a no-brainer!

Offer a win-win deal to the person in charge of the location - such as free jewelry or a percentage of sales - in exchange for hosting your trunk show.

December 10, 2004

Yesterday I sent out Issue #15 of Jewelry Business Success News to 2970 subscribers. This one includes Silver Tarnish Prevention Tips, a neat jewelry-related website to visit, and an article on Building a Successful Jewelry Business by Being Different.

Subscribe to Jewelry Business Success News so you won't miss any issues. We have lots of fantastic articles and tips coming up in future issues! :o)

December 7, 2004

When you're doing a show and a customer purchases an item but arranges to pick it up later, don't remove the piece from your display. Instead, put a "SOLD" tag on it to help stimulate interest in your work. People are more likely to buy when they see that some of your work has already sold - and they feel a sense of urgency to buy now while you still have a selection for them to choose from!

December 4, 2004

How do your store your table coverings between shows? You can fold them, but you're likely to have big, unsightly fold-lines all over them when you spread them across your tables for your next display. Here's a neat solution I learned from my jewelry partner, Laura Graham, for avoiding "fold-line syndrome":

Roll your table coverings around a swim noodle (one of those long styrofoam pool toys), the same way gift wrap is rolled onto a cardboard tube. Then secure the rolled table coverings with rubber bands and cover with large trash bags. It's easy, and they unroll looking wrinkle-free and very professional. You can roll all your table coverings onto one swim noodle; simply secure each with rubber bands before adding the next one.

December 2, 2004

Here's a fun tool from new guest author Maryann Humes of Mair Designer Accessories:

Design Jewelry on the Fly
Design jewelry anywhere with this fun bead jewelry design utility. Guest author Maryann Humes and her husband developed a web application for jewelry design anyplace you have computer access. Try it!

Thanks for sharing this neat idea, Maryann! :o)

December 1, 2004

Visit The Yak Yak Shack for a hilarious jewelry version of The Night Before Christmas - scroll down a little on their home page till you see it! :o)

Yak Yak sister Kim Lebicz sent in this thoughtful message:

"I just wanted to thank you for all the incredible information that is available in your newsletters. My sister and I recently started a jewelry home party business and, like most everyone, have made many mistakes along the way. But we have learned from each of them and the information that I receive in this newsletter has made the journey so much easier.

"We now have launched an online store and are going through the excitement and frustrations of getting it off the ground. I am sure that you and your readers have experienced the same growing pains but we are confident that we will be successful thanks to our love of what we are doing and the community we have discovered in your newsletters. Thank you so much!"

It's wonderful to hear about your growing success, Kim! I wish the Yak Yak Sisters all the best.

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