20 Ideas to get your Jewelry Biz Busy

by Judy Ellis

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

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.
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!

20 Ideas to get your Jewelry Biz Busy

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