Jewelry and Beading » business tips

Jewelry business tips: love and last

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:00:37 +0000

Two recent posts on Beading Daily caught my eye. The first was written by Marlene Blessing, the editorial director of Beadwork. Marlene gets to see a LOT of jewelry, both for Beadwork and for Stringing magazines, so when she has something to say about making jewelry that people will love, it’s a good idea to listen.

At first, Marlene’s post sounds like a lesson in design composition: balance and color are key to catching the eye. But then she dives into a couple of topics that will get you noticed by the magazines that you might want to submit to: originality, simplicity, and photography! Whether or not you want to see your work in a magazine, these tips are worth reading through.

The second post that made me think was written by Jean Campbell, contributing editor to Beading Daily. Jean discussed how to make your beadwork last. It’s not good enough for people to fall in love with your necklace: your necklace must not let them down! I’ve not yet been convinced to use Future floor polish on my pieces, but I’m starting to consider it

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Beyond spring cleaning: improving designs

Cyndi Lavin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:00:54 +0000

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!

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Beyond spring cleaning: business & finance

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:00:39 +0000

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 of Odds, Warren S Feld encourages us to Think Through Your Business Model. As with everything else in business, he warns us that business models can not be static, because you business itself will always be changing.

On the Art Biz Blog, Alyson B Stanfield has posted two articles on getting your financial house in order: 8 Ways to be more financially savvy, with the follow-up 10 financial homework assignments.

And if you haven’t started a jewelry business yet but you are thinking hard about it, make sure you start off right. Laura Kay discussed the things you should think about before you take the plunge, and Tammy Powley has lots of great advice to make sure you do it legally.

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Spring cleaning: sites for selling

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:00:06 +0000

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 have to dedicate time and energy into promoting your online shop, or nothing will happen. Count on it!

Setting Up Shop: Handmade Marketplace Comparisons

Online Venues for Selling Crafts and Handmade Goods

Starting an Etsy Business

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Spring cleaning: legal details

Cyndi Lavin — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:00:41 +0000

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 legal.

Home Jewelry Business Success Tips also has an article on the legal and financial steps you’ll need to take.

Turn to Entrepreneur Magazine for things to do before you start.

And finally, take an e-course from Tammy Powley, which will walk you through the process. It’s free!

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Spring cleaning: tips for tough times

Cyndi Lavin — Sun, 24 May 2009 12:00:49 +0000

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 your time wisely!

Selling in a Slow Economy on the SoftFlex site helps you to keep your cool and not panic.

Back to craft shows, Beth Wicker has written a guide to figuring out what it’s really going to cost you in The Cost of Showing.

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