Ready to Get Serious About your Jewelry Making Hobby?

At some point in your wire jewelry making hobby you start to realize that you are good enough to “sell this stuff!”  And then the next step is you’re going to have to take it seriously to make a go of it while being very careful to not lose the joy wire jewelry making brings to your life!

This article is to help you make the leap, albeit small in comparison to many other “startup” businesses that require capital, an office or store, and probably other people.  This business is more of a shift of focus from what you love to create to “packaging and marketing” what you love to create.  And on top of this you will need to account for the expenses of doing so and for the income derived from your wire jewelry making activities.  Beyond that, it’s pretty much the same as you’ve been doing before.  You may decide to make more pieces faster, streamlining your processes but still, it’s pretty much a replication of what your hobby required of you to design, create, and share with your audience.

You will still have to buy wire jewelry making supplies.  You will still need inspiration.  You’ll also still need to do the work itself and then make sure someone is going to wear it.  So, given that these are natural to you as a hobbyist, let’s focus on the new things that will be required of you.

Packaging and marketing are often scary elements of “going into business.”  Yes, it can be intimidating but the best way to learn how to do it is to look at your competition.  See what they are doing that you like and what they are doing that you don’t like.  Decide how you want to sell your pieces.  Do you want to sell online, at events as a vendor, or through retail stores / boutiques?  Do research to determine the requirements of doing each and figure out what fits your style the best.

You may need to hire someone to create packaging for you, designing also your logo, business cards, and product information as well as publishing a website for you.  You may exchange help from a friend or family member for some jewelry pieces.  After you have created your packaging for marketing, you’ll need to market yourself and your jewelry.

Discover what your competition does to “get out there” and design your own plan.  Ask for help from others and learn about low cost methods to get found (if you are going to sell direct).  Hire a marketing consultant for a few hours to get advice.  If you are selling wholesale you will need to learn how to find distributors of wire jewelry but in this case you may have to produce more pieces than you are willing to do.  But again, this is up to you about how you want to proceed with your business, in your own way that fits your personality.  Some people like to go out big; others take it one step at a time.  Do what works for you.

Finally, the accounting piece is very important.  When you begin, start with accounting software or hire a bookkeeper on an hourly basis.  Meet with your bookkeeper prior to starting your business so that you set everything up right from the beginning and know exactly what kind of paper trail he/she is going to want from you.  Get advice about establishing your business properly with required license(s).  Being organized will save you time, money and stress.

So, all in all, starting a business rooted in a hobby is not hard to do as long as you are open to asking questions and getting help.  There is SO MUCH free help out there if you just do a little research.  Take your time in your startup and most importantly, retain the joy of wire jewelry making throughout the process!

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2 Comments

1. 

   Elizabeth

   September 22, 2009 at 3:35 pm

   Thank You! This is such good advice. Retaining the joy of making Jewelry while still maintaining the business aspect of it can be a challenge. I have had so many demanding customers lately that I have forgton that I love this job. Thanks again for reminding me to enjoy it.
2. 

   Denise

   July 9, 2014 at 4:25 pm

   Thank you for such great tips!