January 5, 2011

Online Crafty Markets to Sell your Silver Charm Jewelry Designs

Filed under: Business — Tags: , , — @ 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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October 6, 2010

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

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 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)
(more…)

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October 5, 2010

Winner of Gold Vermeil Earrings

Filed under: FUN Contests and Giveaways — Tags: , — @ 10:42 am

PRIZE Earrings

We’d like to thank all the jewelry designers, bead shops, and jewelry enthusiasts who gave us important feedback on our Welcome Video. We were happy to learn it played with little to no trouble for everyone. We were even happier to hear how much you enjoyed it.

And, now . . . for the winner. After consulting our Random Number Generator Machine . . . (drum roll please) . . . we are pleased to announce that Benicia Beads is the winner! Please contact juanita@ninadesigns.com so that we can send you these lovely gold vermeil earrings.

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July 30, 2010

The Art and Business of Jewelry Design

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — @ 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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July 15, 2010

Silver Jewelry Findings Help Clean Up the Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast

Filed under: Greening — Tags: , , , — @ 9:54 am

We think it’s wonderful that silver jewelry findings can help support the efforts to restore the Gulf Coast. Thanks so much to all you Nina Designs fans for inviting your friends to join us on Facebook and supporting the Environmental Defense Fund. We added almost 1000 new friends and fellow designers to our community as a result of your efforts. In return, Nina Designs is sending a check for $1000 to help support the Environmental Defense Fund and their team of wetlands experts in the Gulf Coast who are working so hard to repair the damage and restore coastal Louisiana.

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June 16, 2010

International Shipping for Nina Designs Jewelry Supplies

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 1:31 pm

Here at Nina Designs, we believe in excellent service, including providing quality shipping options for our jewelry supplies. We have received questions from our International customers regarding International shipping rates and custom fees. Currently, US Postal Service International Express Mail is our only International Shipping method for $40.00.

Our $40 international shipping rate may be higher than some other on-line bead stores. Based on experience and customer feedback, we concluded that USPS Express Mail International is the safest and most efficient international shipping method for both our customers and our company. USPS Express Mail International has many great advantages. Packages are insured, delivery is guaranteed, the status of the package can be tracked with a tracking number, and the average number of days for delivery is 3-5 business days once it has left our facility. We have also learned from our customers that in many cases, customs fees are less expensive when shipping via USPS Express Mail International.

Some companies factor part of the shipping costs into the prices of their items. They can then offer lower shipping rates and still cover shipping costs because of the padding in their sales prices. Our items are priced as competitively as possible, without any additional padding for shipping costs.

While our past experiences using less expensive international shipping methods often resulted in seriously delayed packages, lost packages, a lengthy resolution process, and a lot of frustration, we are currently investigating other international shipping options. Our customers are important to us. We want to make sure we are providing top quality service all the way through from the initial design of an item to the receipt of your order.

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June 14, 2010

Jewelry Business, Partners or Solo?

Filed under: Business — Tags: , , — @ 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?

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June 9, 2010

Jewelery Findings ~ Get Them While They are HOT!

Filed under: Business — Tags: , , — @ 8:30 am

Mermaid's Dive Necklace


In my most recent reviews of our jewelery findings inventory, I have noticed a trend towards pieces with an ocean theme. Sales have spiked for items such as the sweet little sea-horse charm in silver and in gold, the seashell charm and the small mermaid charm. Could this be due to the changing weather? Maybe designers are anticipating sales for their clients that come through and purchase items during their summer travels? Regardless of the cause, I have taken note of this trend and will respond by increasing our on-hand inventory to meet the needs of our customers. I will also review our on-hand quantities of other ocean themed items that may not have shown up in my inventory review just to be sure that those are completely stocked as well. Get them while they are hot so that you don’t miss out and I will also do my best to make sure that we won’t run out! How do you respond to trends that you notice in your orders?

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May 31, 2010

Improving our Silver Charms Website

Filed under: Customer Service,Website Shopping Features — Tags: , , — @ 8:30 am

Designing silver charms is one thing, making them easy to buy is another. We are constantly updating our website in search of the most user friendly experience possible.  Some of the improvements are immediately obvious, as when we add videos or launch a blog, but many upgrades are made on the back end. For instance, this week we moved to a larger server, an enormous project that is invisible but will keep our site running smoothly with increasing content and visitors.

We listen closely to your comments and try to build solutions quickly. Recently, we have had requests for an Express Shopping template that would allow customers to quickly type in style numbers and quantities. We also heard that our silk cords and ribbons are tricky to order.

Snapshot of New Easy-to-Use Silk Order Form

We have already improved the silk ordering process by adding an easy to use template where you can order all your colors at once. The  Express Shopping feature is almost complete.

Please let us know whenever you get frustrated or have a great idea. Our goal is to create a website that designers look forward to visiting! You can always reach us at nina@ninadesigns.com, or leave a comment on our Facebook page.

What is the most frustrating part of the Nina Designs website? What features would you like us to add?

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April 26, 2010

Starting a Jewelry Business

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — @ 8:30 am

Jewelry Businesses range in size from small part time affairs to large corporations. I am a firm believer that for jewelry, bigger is not always better. Before you decide to start or expand a jewelry business, take the time to get clear on your priorities. Are you primarily interested in making money? If money is your chief motivator, I can tell you right now that there are many other businesses that are more profitable.

Are you looking for a way to spend more time designing and making jewelry? Hobbies actually optimize design time. Any art form that is turned into a business will usually decrease the time you have to work in the studio. Running a full time jewelry business, you will be lucky if you get to spend 10% of your time making jewelry. You would be amazed at how many hours get sucked up in book keeping, marketing, shipping and other generic tasks. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to spend 90% of my time running my business?” If the answer is yes, then by all means, jump in! If the answer is no, you might want to sell just enough to keep you in beads.

Job or Hobby?

In short, use caution before you turn your jewelry hobby into a full time business. Running a Jewelry Business is just as difficult, if not more so, than any other business. Read my articles Starting a Jewelry Business and Is It time to Quit Your Day Job? for more thoughts on the subject.

Here are a few helpful websites for starting a jewelry business: The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, for information regarding basic business decisions. Start here to find out your state agency for sales tax. And, go to Home Jewelry Business Success Tips for answers to many of the questions you may have.

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