Business Tips | Jewelry Designer Blog

January 19, 2011

Online Crafty Markets to Sell your Silver Charm Jewelry Designs (Part 2)

Figuring out where to sell your silver charm jewelry online is no easy task. In Part One of this blog series I listed a bunch of online crafty markets as alternatives to Etsy. Today I started doing a little comparison. Of all the ones I listed I liked the look of Cargoh the best. The pictures are tasteful and well balanced, and because entry to their marketplace is juried, there is a nice balance in the variety of jewelry offered for sale. And, unlike Etsy, there is not an overwhelming amount of jewelry for sale. For instance, Cargoh currently has 37 pages of jewelry for sale, compared to Etsy’s 1250 pages of jewelry. Would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond? That seems to be the choice.

Here’s the funny thing though. While I was shopping on Cargoh, I randomly selected a few jewelry shops to see how they’re doing. Each of the 12 shops I sampled had no more than a few sales. Most had been opened just about 6 months to a year. Weird, I wonder what’s going on? Why aren’t they selling more? Does Cargoh not drive traffic to their site as well as Etsy? Not sure. Do the shop owners have other shops? Indeed, every one had Etsy shops that had a lot more sales. Whether that’s because these shop owners spend more time marketing their Etsy shop and keeping their Etsy shops current compared to their Cargoh shop, I’m not sure. But that’s what it looks like. Of their two shops, the Etsy shops are filled with lots more items, and their Facebook pages direct traffic to Etsy more often than to their Cargoh shops.

Where do you sell your jewelry?

Cost of selling on Cargoh: You pay a percentage of your sale price when your item sells. If you sign up before January 31, 2011, that percentage is only 3.5%. There is no listing fee.

Cost of selling on Etsy: You pay 3.5% of your sale price when your item sells, plus $0.20 for each item listed.

Where do you sell your jewelry?

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January 10, 2011

Shopping for Silver Beads and Gemstones in Tucson

Filed under: On The Road — Tags: business tips, jewelry business, tradeshows — juanita @ 12:05 pm

We are re-posting this blog entry because shopping for silver beads and gemstones in Tucson is a lot more enjoyable when you’re prepared. It truly is an experience like no other. The entire city literally turns into one big giant bead show. There are thousands of vendors, some even on the road side. It can be a bit overwhelming. This will be my 8th trip to Tucson and after years of learning the hard way, I have compiled some tips to make your trip more productive and fun.

I highly recommend you check out my earlier blog post titled Bead Show Survival Guide. Make sure you pay special attention to tips # 1, 3, and 5. Having your documents in order, your feet cozy and your energy levels stable will definitely make your shopping days more pleasant.

Plan for all kinds of weather in Tucson. It is usually chilly, but there often are days with full sun and days that are blustery and rainy. Pack an umbrella, a waterproof tote, and a raincoat.

You will need good shoes. I cannot emphasize this enough. I have ruined at least 3 pairs over the years walking through muddy gravel to get from the parking lots to the main entrance of the shows. If your weatherproof shoes aren’t very comfy, bring an extra pair to change into once you get inside.

We Love Dansko Shoes

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January 5, 2011

Online Crafty Markets to Sell your Silver Charm Jewelry Designs

Filed under: Business — Tags: business tips, jewelry business, silver charms — juanita @ 11:53 am

Let’s face it – we all love to shop for unique silver charms and clasps, earring findings, unusual gemstones, and all the other jewelry findings we need, need, NEED! And, as jewelry designers we cannot wait to make all the jewelry that dances through our heads. The harder part is figuring out how and where to market our wares. An entire thesis can be written on this topic and, indeed, people have. (Check out Crafting an MBA and Home Jewelry Business Success Tips). This is not my intention here. The question I’ve been thinking about lately is: What are some good alternatives to Etsy for jewelry designers?

Of course, it’s always a good idea to host your own website, but driving traffic there can be a full time job. Having a shop in a crafty marketplace in addition to your own does some of this work for you. It drives a bit of traffic to your site. But for all kinds of reasons jewelry designers may be looking for alternatives to Etsy. So I decided to do some quick research into the alternatives. The following is a short list of the sites that I found. Throughout the month, I will write a brief overview and my opinion of some of these sites in more depth.

Hmm, Where should I sell my Yoga Spirit Collection online?

For now, here’s the list of what I found this morning:
Ruby Lane
Art Fire
Zibbet
Cargoh
Bonanza (formerly 1000 Markets)
Poppy Talk
Made It
Cafe Handmade
Handmade News Blog

These last two aren’t markets so much as resources. Have fun exploring. Do you have any others you’d like to add to the list?

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November 30, 2010

Jewelry Design Success Stories

Filed under: Success Stories — Tags: business tips, Inspiration, jewelry design, women business owners — juanita @ 10:20 am

Meet Brandy Thomason of Bella Vita

The “who, where, and how” behind fabulous jewelry designs is just as interesting and inspiring as the jewelry itself. This month we’d like you to meet Brandy Thomason of Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry. Brandy is a successful and free-spirited jewelry designer living near Little Rock, AR, with her partner, Matt, and their adventurous puppy, Arlo. Her online store encompasses three very distinct lines of jewelry that feature semi-precious gemstones, vintage glass, and found objects. Brandy’s jewelry is breathtaking and quite an inspiration.

Check out her designs at www.bellavitajewelry.net. Become a fan of Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry on Facebook. And, peruse her blog, where you’ll get lost in her rich, colorful photos and meet her darling puppy, Arlo.

We managed to catch up with Brandy and ask her a few questions. Here are her answers:

When did you discover your talent for jewelry design?
I discovered my love for jewelry design early. When I was 12 years old I made friendship bracelets with seed beads on floral wire. By the time I was 14 I practically lived at the local bead store where I learned to macramé, properly crimp beads and much more. I received many compliments on my jewelry and began selling it in high school. I thought my interest in jewelry was just a phase and that I would soon get tired of it. I went away to college and earned my degree in Interior Design. I enjoyed it, but after my first job in an architecture firm I decided it wasn’t for me. Before long I found myself heading to the local bead store in Little Rock to fill out a job application! I started there the next week. Then I dug out my old bead boxes and made enough jewelry for a little Christmas show at a friend’s house. I got so much praise I decided maybe I should pursue jewelry design. I started Bella Vita Jewelry in December of 2008. Over the last two years I have come to realize that this is what I am supposed to be doing. It comes so naturally I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

(psst . . . click on the link below to read more).
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October 6, 2010

Why you need a seller’s permit if you sell your jewelry

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: business tips, jewelry business — juanita @ 10:28 am

If you want to buy Nina Designs jewelry components at wholesale prices to make jewelry to re-sell, then we require your state resale license. Here’s why. Most states require vendors to collect tax on sales made within that state. These states require you to obtain a resale license (different states call this document by different names) which gives you the right to make wholesale purchases and the responsibility to collect sales tax on retail sales which is then paid to the state at a later date. California requires us to charge sales tax on every retail sale that’s shipped to any address within California.

Selling your jewelry? Be sure to get your resale license.

The ONLY exception is when buyers have a valid California Seller’s Permit issued by the State Board of Equalization. This documents the buyer as a Wholesale Buyer who doesn’t have to pay tax on items they plan to re-sell. When you re-sell these items, then you as the vendor must charge tax for that retail sale and send it to the State of California. If you are a vendor who is selling your jewelry wholesale (and not retail, meaning you’re not charging or collecting sales tax), California still requires you to obtain a Seller’s Permit.

(click the link below to learn more)
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September 30, 2010

Jewelry Design Success Story

Filed under: Success Stories — Tags: business tips, Inspiration, jewelry design, women business owners — juanita @ 12:21 pm

Meet Lezli

There are as many avenues into jewelry design as there are jewelry designers. Each story is unique and inspiring. In our first Customer Success Story we’d like you to meet Lezli Goodwin. Lezli is a well known jewelry designer, accomplished modern painter and creative director for Bead World Inc, an Arizona chain of boutique bead stores. Her modern beaded jewelry features metaphysically active gemstones, gorgeous sterling silver findings and exquisite handcrafted techniques. Lezli Goodwin Jewelry and Design is celebrating its tenth year by launching a fabulous new web site this October!

We asked Lezli a series of questions. Here are her answers.

Who is your ideal customer? Who do you make jewelry for?
My client is fun, active and stylish. She probably does yoga, goes out dancing with friends and has an infectious laugh. She’s the kind of gal who would pull you aside at the bar to tell you she loves your dress. She’s reached the point in her life where she can afford really nice things, but wouldn’t wear stuffy, formal jewelry. She prefers sassy, bohemian pieces made with really gorgeous materials. Once I have a really clear image of that woman in my mind, I go to the beads and findings I have on hand. It’s really organic, the way the right combination of materials emerges. At the end of the day, no matter how beautiful it is, it has to be the perfect balance of gorgeous and wearable to make it into my collection.

(psst . . . click on the link below to read more).
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September 27, 2010

Computer Crash Stalls Silver Charms

Filed under: Behind the Scenes,Business — Tags: business tips — nina @ 2:32 pm

We prefer to spend our days designing and selling our silver charms but when the computers crashed last week our office was almost paralyzed. There was the mad scurry to figure out what happened, “But we ran the back ups EVERY DAY. What do you mean they haven’t worked since Aug.2 ?!?!?!” Then the flurry of phone calls to Quick Books and the tense wait to see if they could rebuild our data base.

Note to self, “Restore from a backup at least once a week to make sure the system is working!”

Many people think that jewelry designers primarily design jewelry. But anyone reading this site knows that to running a jewelry business forces you to wear many hats just to keep the lights on: marketing, book keeping, employee management and, yes, software management. Then, if you are lucky, you get to sit down and design.

Has your computer ever crashed and left you stranded? What did you do?

Computer Bashing Fantasy

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July 30, 2010

The Art and Business of Jewelry Design

Filed under: Business — Tags: business tips, jewelry business — juanita @ 10:45 am

Craft MBA

I love the art of making jewelry, especially with Nina Designs jewelry components. For years I have been thinking about taking the leap and selling my jewelry online. Over the years I have sold to friends, family and the occasional stranger at a restaurant. Last year I participated in two holiday sales – one of which was a complete disaster, and another that was a success, but both great learning experiences. With the holiday season approaching again (I can’t believe it either!) I have started thinking about my plan and I have realized that I need to take the leap and dive into the world of online selling (ok, maybe not diving, but at least dipping my toe in the water.)

I am a researcher, so naturally, I decided to get started by reading some of the articles in our own Nina Designs Library: Starting a Jewelry Business and Is It Time To Quit Your Day Job?

I also branched out and started looking on the internet for more information. As it turns out there are tons of great resources out there, but my current favorite is Crafting an MBA. Megan Auman’s thoughtful and insightful blog is packed with tips about running a small business, and specifically a small business that sells handcrafted goods, and I have been reading it every day since I found it. Her advice comes from experience and reading the articles she writes and the comments of her readers has really helped me understand more about the ins and outs of starting and running a small business.

In Why you shouldn’t pay yourself (and other myths about profit), Megan examines some common myths about running a small business and makes some compelling arguments to refute old ideas (you mean I can pay myself and my business just might be profitable in the first year?!)?

Megan truly believes that small businesses selling handmade goods can compete and flourish in the current economic market and I really recommend you spend some time at her blog as soon as you can. I think you will learn a lot.

What small-business blogs do you read? What tips would you give to someone starting their jewelry business?

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June 21, 2010

Invest in Silver Pendants!

Filed under: Business — Tags: business tips, marketing — nina @ 8:35 am

Silver Pendants are gorgeous. We all know that but did you realize they are good investments too? In this economy, every marketing angle you can get is valuable. Don’t forget to remind your customers that silver jewelry is a great investment! If you tune in to just about any investment oriented news broadcast, you will hear the pundits pushing gold. The reasoning goes that with a weak dollar, a weak Euro and most countries deep in debt, other investments are risky while gold will surely hold its value. The fact that precious metals have increased in price so dramatically in recent years helps feed the frenzy. On the flip side, there are many companies offering to pay cash for gold jewelry. I have even heard of women throwing parties where everyone brings their old jewelry and a broker cashes it in on the spot. (Don’t do it! You can get a better rate at Rio Grande)!

What you may not realize is that silver prices have increased alongside gold. Over the past 10 years gold has appreciated about 400% and silver is a close second at 360%. In many cultures silver and gold jewelry is a woman’s only source of financial security. In the US, we have many other options, but it is nice to know that our silver pendants and silver jewelry are good investments!

10 Year Gold Chart

10 Year Silver Chart

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June 14, 2010

Jewelry Business, Partners or Solo?

Filed under: Business — Tags: business tips, jewelry business, start a business — nina @ 8:48 am

Starting a Jewelry Business is often an idea that friends light upon together. Usually, they are friends who enjoy making jewelry together and find the idea of launching a joint commercial venture challenging and exciting. It feels like the natural extension of a fun hobby and a way to deepen and reinforce the friendship. When I am approached by friends at this stage, I always sit them down for “The Talk”. This is not the warm, fuzzy, encouraging pep talk they expect. Rather, I run them through various scenarios to test how well they have really thought through their endeavor.

Collaborating on designs is one of the best parts of partnerships

First, I ask if they are ready to marry each other. Not only that, but are they ready to marry into each others family? A partnership really is like a marriage. Everything you love about your partner will also drive you crazy. Everything that happens to your partner or their close family, also happens to you. If you think it is complicated running your own family, wait until you have to coordinate two families!

What happens if one partner gets divorced? Could an ex-spouse end up owning part of the business? What if a partner gets ill and can’t work anymore? What if one family is forced to move out of town? What if one person just decides they don’t want to do it anymore?

When those questions are answered it is time to move on to more practical issues. Do both partners agree on how many hours a week they can commit to work? Do they agree on how much money to invest in the venture and how much of the profits they will take out or reinvest? Do they have the same vision of how large they want to grow the company?

You get the idea. Partnerships sound appealing but they can actually strain if not end friendships. To avoid that, it is always better to ask the hard questions up front. If you are happy with the answers, go for it! But be sure to have a legal partnership agreement in place before you embark on your new adventure.

Designers, what is your experience with partnerships?