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Jewelry Business Tip: 20 Ideas to get your Jewelry Biz Busy!

By on March 20, 2013
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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Jewelry Resource for
March 20, 2013

20 ways to Focus your Jewelry Business

This weekend was one of “those” weekends. I sat at my workbench, spinning my wheels. I knew I wanted to make something, or do something – anything! – to improve my jewelry business. But I wasn’t sure where to start.

So I made a list of 20 things I could do, right then, to make my jewelry business better.

Not 20 new social media sites to use, or 20 new jewelry mediums to try: 20 things that I already knew how to do, that I could do at any time, but that I just wasn’t doing.

Here’s my list. How would you change it to fit your jewelry business? Leave a comment and let me know!

Organization

    1. Re-write my “care card” template and print new copies. I put this care card in each of my jewelry boxes.
    2. Put my wire back in its baggies
      Here’s 1 wire organizing idea, and here’s another!
    3. Make ear wires, jump rings, boxes, and anything else I can do to prepare for orders
    4. Take inventory of my beads and wire
    5. Make a list of the supplies I’m running low on. Time to reorder!
    6. Clean up my workspace, including getting wire bits out of the carpet and finding all my pliers (they tend to wander around the house when my back is turned)
    7. Browse clearance for great deals!

Customer Care

    1. Make sure I’ve responded to all customer emails
    2. Check-in with recent customers to make sure they love their jewelry
    3. Check-in with how I envision my ideal customer. Is my jewelry meeting her needs? Do I have any ideas for new products she wants to buy? How is she going to feel when she wears my jewelry?
    4. Make sure I have a Return Policy posted everywhere I sell, including spelling out how I’ll handle custom orders and broken jewelry. Dale has some great advice here about creating your custom order terms.
    5. Make a list of blog ideas to write about. Remember, if your customer reads your blog, you should be writing for your customer, not your jewelry-making friends. So write about what she wants to read about! (Same for Pinterest and Facebook, if you use those instead)

Business Growth

    1. Check-in with my “jewelry-selling role models.” What’s new in their shops? Tip: If you don’t have role models already, pick about 3 jewelry-sellers who are selling well and whose style is similar to yours. They can be on Etsy or they can be well-known jewelry designers you see in stores. Observe their photography style, how they describe their jewelry pieces, how much they engage with their customers. Then experiment to see if some of their business habits would work for your business!
    2. Check my pricing formulas. Have metal prices increased dramatically since I priced my silver jewelry? Make any adjustments necessary. (Remember, if the cost of your materials increases, even after you make the piece, you should include that in the price.)
    3. Rephotograph jewelry products in good lighting(Here’s how to make a lightbox!)
    4. Brainstorm the sales and promotions I want to do over the next 6 months or year
    5. Take a look at where my sales are coming from: in-person, online shops, my website: is there an obvious winner? Is there a venue that might not be worth my time? Where should I focus my energy?

Personal Development

  1. Practice that technique I’ve been avoiding but I know I could get good at, if just I spent a little time on it!
  2. Make a new design for me to test-wear
  3. Make a list of people I want to get to know better on Facebook, online, or in my community, and plan lunch dates or chats!

A word of caution (and reassurance): It can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Maybe your to-do list is long enough without any help from me! I understand. Setting a time every week – say, Saturday mornings, or Wednesday evenings – will help you have a dedicated space in your mind for jewelry-making and running your business. Just hide the TV remote and limit your “social media” time. And soon your to-do list will have less doom associated with it, and become a more helpful tool!

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13 Comments

  1. avatar

    SJ Churchill

    March 20, 2013 at 8:59 am

    super ideas! thanks

  2. avatar

    Sue R.

    March 20, 2013 at 10:32 am

    Thank-you! I NEEDED that! I printed, laminated it and will keep it on my craft desk!

    Thank-you, thank-you and thank-you!

    Sue
    SuesSuite

    • avatar

      Rose

      March 26, 2013 at 1:24 pm

      Glad to help, Sue :)

  3. avatar

    Linda Rusch

    March 20, 2013 at 11:00 am

    Great Stuff !! Thanks.

  4. avatar

    Honeydipped

    March 21, 2013 at 2:06 am

    20 Ideas…Thanks!

  5. avatar

    Sheila

    March 22, 2013 at 2:30 am

    Great ideas. I do most of what you suggest. As a matter of fact I even revamped my work space today. I’m even off the couch as I’m typing this, I have room on my work table to place my laptop.:) What caught my eye was #12, I am one of Wire-Sculpture.com customers as well. I feel that every email or suggestion/tip is directed to “me” even though I know these are really for all of us. Thank you Rose for making it personal.
    Sheila
    Chesapeake, Virginia

    • avatar

      Rose

      March 26, 2013 at 1:24 pm

      Aw, thanks Sheila, that means a lot! Glad to have you!
      Rose

  6. avatar

    Rhonda Chase

    March 22, 2013 at 4:50 am

    Great Ideas, Thank You! Here’s three more:

    – Keep a note page on your phone just for keeping track of things you think to do while out and about.

    – Check your design idea sketchbook to see if there is something you’ve been planning to work on. (I keep a great design notebook, but often forget it’s there)

    – Set up for future shows. Prepare trays, labels, price items, write up inventory sheets, etc. and box up what you can. If you’ve worked out a display set up, take photos before packing it all away.

    • avatar

      Rose

      March 26, 2013 at 1:24 pm

      Thanks, Rhonda!

  7. avatar

    Alice

    March 22, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    Thank you for the great ideas! It never occurred to me to divide my to-dos into categories. You’re a genius! I’m going to keep this on my work board right by my work table. It can really seem overwhelming to sit down & come up with a list. I appreciate the head start!

  8. avatar

    Emma McDermott

    March 23, 2013 at 7:14 am

    Wow, Thank you

    My mind find feel cleared out after reading your list and I am now re-focused on what to do. It is nice to know other people have to-do lists as long as mine!

  9. avatar

    Sherri Hazelton

    March 23, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    I really like the ideas for the care cards. Would it be possible for you to show an example of types of care cards? Or maybe even do a series of wire types and care tips for the various types for those of us that don’t work for a wire place? I really liked the whole blog today. Lots of great ideas to work on. Thanks.

    • avatar

      Rose

      March 26, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      Hmm, interesting idea, Sherri. I’ll see what we can do!

      But don’t wait for me – try coming up with your own care cards. What would you want to know if you received a pair of handmade earrings or a handmade bracelet? Would you want to know how to prevent tarnish, or just how to deal with it when it happens?

      And would you prefer recommendations for DIY kitchen cleaning (eg vinegar & baking soda to remove tarnish) or chemicals (eg tarnishing cloth, jewelry cleaners)? Think about it – you’d write a better care card than I could recommend! :)