Improving your jewelry designs is another great way to work through the summer slump.

Our own archives have many posts on jewelry design.
Check out the recent book review on a brand new Dummies Guide,  Jewelry & Beading Designs.
Michelle Mach of Beading Daily wonders Why Simple Designs Aren’t Always Simple to Make.
The Savvy Designer, Anne Rush, shares some insights into Jewelry Design Trends for the fall of 2009.
And Pantone has their color fashion report ready for the fall too!

Why am I devoting so many posts to business topics this spring and summer?  Well, my theory is that when the economy doesn’t favor a lot of discretionary spending, that’s exactly the right time to fine tune everything about our businesses, from our designs and lines to our knowledge of sales and marketing, and with some basic business and financial topics thrown in as well.  Use the down time to your advantage and you’ll be way ahead of the game when the conditions improve!

So here are some more fabulous artists and business people that you can learn from!
On The Land …read more

While we’re cleaning up our websites, our jewelry making practices, and our business knowledge this spring, let’s add some info on alternative selling sites.
Sometimes it makes more sense to use a pre-made sales site rather than set up your own website if you’re just getting started in sales.  Sometimes you’ve got a website, but you want to handle sales separately.  And sometimes a selling site makes sense because of the extra traffic it can help generate.
Please don’t think that using a selling site is a free ride though.  They are not going to automatically bring the buyers to you…you will …read more

Spring seems to be a season when lots of people gather strength and energy, and launch into something new.  If that’s you, and if you’ve decided that the new thing this year is to make your jewelry-making hobby into a business, here are some excellent links with legal details for you.  PLEASE, do not expect any of these links to take the place of checking with your own Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, SCORE, or your lawyer.

At Modish Biz Tips, there’s a wonderful rundown on many of the steps you’ll need to take to make your new business …read more

Following up on our emphasis on getting your business in order, I’ve  decided to share a couple of excellent recent posts with you that will help you to make smart decisions during tough economic times!

If you do the craft show circuit, this is the time you’re frantically making your plans, cleaning off your tent, and preparing your inventory.  Beading Daily has an article on How to Sell at Craft Shows During Tough Times.  Just what the (bead) doctor ordered!
Modish has an extremely relevant post for tough times: What To Do When Sales Slow Down.  Don’t sit and cry about it…use …read more