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Fast Start Your Jewelry Business

I am carried shape in, and I am thrilled to be here today, I it really passionate about helping people get their handmade businesses off the ground and making their dreams come true, and I'm thrilled to be back at creative live with our focus on jewelry business for this particular fast start, and this course is all about what it feels like to start a business with some practical elements thrown in. So we all know that there's lots of resources online if you just want tio started jewelry business or start any business. Actually, you can easily find what you need on the internet, but today we're really going to start with what does it need to start a business? What does that commitment feel like? And we're going to move through important practical topics like tools, tohave and financial concerns that you need to pay attention to what we're going to sort of, and the course when our time is done with a clear pathway or outlook on what it would really take to start a jewelry business today...

, and we are going to do that with the help of a special guest, alexa alana mo is going to be here today, she owns a company called foamy waiter, and we're going to talk to her a little later on, and we're going to learn more about early around two so I want to start off by saying that part of what I've created for this course today is a fast our action guide, and this is what it looks like if you have a fancy printer that is able tio put this little binding, they're on it for you, but if you don't have that it's still gonna look justice good. Um, and this is what you get when you purchase the session, and I just want to share what's in it with you a little bit it's got a lot of really great stuff. First of all, there is a financial tip sheet from lauren bernal, who has a creative live coming out in january, and this talks about a lot of things that we should think about when we were first starting a business to make sure that we start off on the right financial foot, which is one of the areas that all people who are starting out of business and a lot of people who have been in business for a long time, and a lot of people who think they're busy experts are still like what money comes in, I spent the money, money goes out there's actually a little bit more to it than that, and lauren has helped to break that all down for us, I'm really very grateful that she was able to provide that resource for us. So thank you, lauren. Also, there are some social media, social media cheat sheet in the action guide, and that was put together by a company called little farm media social media. They help people with their social media and all different kinds of ways, strategy, content, figuring out what's best to post and when and where so that has re sources for ten things to tweet about if you're not sure what you should be putting on twitter right now. But you know you should do something. How to build effective pinterest boards for your business and how to utilize instagram for business, too. So that's, a really great cheat, cheat that's in there. Also, what is in the action guide is my favorite resource is that I use the newsletter service that I recommend to people who are just starting out and trying to grow their email list. Even my favorite podcast that I listened to while I'm working that keep me motivated and engaged in our community and that helped me feel like I'm not working alone even when I really am I've included that kind of stuff and just the different resource is that I used to run my business and that I see a lot of my hand me business clients also having success with so that's a part of what's what's in the faster action guide that I want you to be aware of but also included is a full audio conversation for an hour in some cases over an hour actually between me and between me and my guest. So speaking of that coming up is is alexa here? And so not only is she going tio dio a google hangout with us for this particular creative live, but alexa and I also talked for an hour together that and you're going to get that conversation if you buy the course and if our conversation that we have now during the as fast start is more of like a one o one when election I were on the phone when we're on the recording it's sort of like her business up a level like a lot more really behind the scenes of what it was like for her to go from a girl selling jewelry a craft shows to somebody owns a flagship store in seattle washington today so that was a lot of fun and really interesting. I like being able to take those conversations offline, but still having the foresight to record them for you and to be able to share them with you because there's a lot of good good information in there, just two. So this is election her husband outside of her store when they opened it in september, and I really liked that picture. But if you wanted to go check out her web site in advance, its foamy waiter dot com that will actually just kick you right over to her at sea store. But if you wanted to gather up any questions that you have for her she's going to be with us in the second segment, and it would be really great if some questions from people who were interested in jewellery businesses chimed in and really got some information from from an expert when it comes to owning a jeweler business. And just because I thought you might want to know, I wrote these books, the first one, which is on the right side, is called the handmade marketplace, and the second edition of that book just came out. So that was really exciting for me, because I remember when I wrote the first one that felt like such a big deal and now now there's a second edition, which felt very very nice. I remember when my mom's new copy of our bodies ourselves would come in the mail when I was a kid. It was always a new edition, but but anyway, this is the second one. So here you go. So let's, dive right into this content I want to start with why jewelry whyyou I want tio really talk about this having a jewelry business, and all of the different things that are involved in that because you may or may not know, but jewelry is actually the most popular, handmade business and craft that there. Yes, when I first found that out, I was actually really surprise for a lot of reasons and ast time went on, and I realized why I was so surprised I was actually no longer surprised. The reason I was surprised was because I really only thought about the kind of jewelry that, as a person I myself wanted to think about I wasn't considering things like booker shells on straw necklaces or whatever, that you might buy the beach, because I was not going to wear anything like that myself. So I really when I thought of jewelry, thought about jewelry that I liked, and the thing is, is that the world is so big and so fantastic that there is some sort of style of jewelry for every person which means there's a style of jewelry for every person who wants to make it and I did some unofficial scientific studies and I came to the conclusion that every person I know owns at least one piece of jewelry so that's saying a lot because there's a lot of things that all of us do know own at least one of us but even my dad owns jewelry he has he isn't an eerie now actually that he just got while he was on a cruise so now he has two pieces of jewelry but he probably did not need to know that about my dad but everybody owns a piece of jewelry which means everybody needs some sort of jewelry that fits their own particular personality so no wonder it's the most popular craft that there is because there are just so many people that love to own some sort of piece of jewelry so that's really important to keep in mind because when you start doing a little bit of research about the jewellery business it's kind of comes up again and again and again that it's the most popular it's the most popular is the most popular and I know for a fact that for a lot of you that's going to make you feel like why should I try if it's the most popular why should I why should I threw my be jeweled hat into the ring if there's so many people who are doing it and the reason is is because nobody is going to make the same kind of jewelry as you and nobody is going to do it in the way that you are going to do it and nobody is going to have the same kind of businesses you so rather than letting the fact that it is so popular, be an intimidating fact. I want you, teo, try to reframe and try to change your mindset about that and say, if it is the most popular than it must be a great place for me to be, because that means that there are people out there who are going to like what I make because so many people are interested in buying and so many people are looking for jewelry and it's great that my business is going to be able to meet the needs of somebody out there in the world once they know about me. So that's why jewelry being the most popular business is good news instead of intimidating news. So let's try to keep that in mind. And I also think that you are going to do a really good job at this jewelry is so different and there's so many different directions that you can take it that no matter what your particular style is or what your vision is for your company or how you want your things toe look, you're going to find a market for it. There happens to be a woman that I know online who actually is quite familiar with creative live rishel shells, a company called red scorpion, and she makes beautiful jewelry with photographs on it, and I look at her website sometimes in how gorgeous her work is. You sent to her photograph that's special to you, and she turns it into a necklace or bracelet and that's one way that she had a vision to make to make necklaces, which maybe you would feel are there so many people doing it, and she really turned it into something individual and unique about who she is as a person, and that is just one example of how you can make your business what whatever you wanted to be. Welcome to red scorpio. Great to see you here shortly appreciated that I'm glad that she's there she's, she's, amazing and she's a really good example of following your dream of what you want your jewelry to be like and then turning it into that exact thing so jewelry offers something for everyone. This is what we've been chatting about for the past few minutes, but these are just some of the different focuses that jewelry has beaded jewelry, jewelry with charms, those air really popular now, jewelry made from clay beads made from clay wouldn't beads would necklaces? Those air really popular medal, of course, seems almost endless pressure, precious metals, which reminded me of you out there in the audience when I was thinking about all the different types of jewelry, uh, there's, just anything that you can think of, really, I even have a paper necklace, and I have a wool bracelet that somebody made me so there's actually, no materials that exists that you really can't turn into something beautiful or something useful to someone else if you want tio so that's another reason that makes a jewelry business really good for somebody who has a particular passion or a particular vision for their life because you, khun definitely fit that into what you make. Jewelry also has a lot of different avenues that you can go down cultural pieces, or you can pay a lot of attention to where you're from, where the history where you are vintage, you can go in a lot of different directions, so there's really the only thing that's going to limit you, andrew jewelry business. Is actually yourself. So do yourself a favor and stop limiting yourself it's pretty so carried you have a particular favorite medium that you like to work in what's your favorite julianne moore who? Your favorite jewelry jewelers? Well, I happen. Tio love, a company in portland, oregon, that I have worked with for a long time called betsy anna they were actually guests on my very first creative live. They came in and helped him. They make a lot of metal thing ls which I buy. I also love alexis jewelry from foamy waiter that's why I invited her to be on the show let's see, in my real life, I wear a lot of crystal jewelry because I happen to like that kind of stuff. Tio I like me like my jewelry to have a story behind it and a meaning and sense ideo a lot of things that either scare me constantly all the time. I like having a little bit of protection with me. So if I feel if I look down and see something that says to me, you know, here's they've been I feel a lot better and I really should have loaded up on that kind of jewelry today, but I did not so I I really like everything I've actually wearing the same pair of earrings for twelve years, so your company so yeah, I I'm very loyal so if you make something for me and I love it, chances are all actually never take it off this is like my fourth wedding ring to so because I'm also not very very responsible I wash my hands and leave stuff and then just walk away like nothing's happened but so that's a sign the good customer because obviously I'm a repeat customer I have to go back again and again what kind of jewelry do you like? Well I only where a couple of rings but I wear silver because gold it's not right for my coloring and I took me a long, long time to work that out but I actually got this ring in india and it has she has an emerald in it because they were just trying to get me to buy it but they told me that it had, you know, very significant might have a very long life if I wore this they also took some really horrible things about my personality in this city by war the ring it would change it hasn't but I like it so I just wear a couple ring and I would wear a watch which I guess councils george yeah definitely does when my husband and I first met we were taking a big trip together and he gave me a watch and a lot of older women in my community who notice that I was wearing a watch would say oh that's like the precursor to an engagement ring and my day they would say if a man gave you a watch it meant you were going to get an engagement ring and I took that watch off like this boom and but just kidding we're married now so anyway jewelry offers something for everyone and that means you so I did a little bit of research online to actually get some statistics for what jewelry sales were like online with different stores and I found this website called craft count dot com and I'm not advocating for this website by by any stretch of the imagination. However I did like how they laid out their findings and I'm not sure how they really get them but the point of this slide is actually to give you hope that there is room for everybody out there these air actually, according to this website that's hopton jewelry business is on at see right now and they sell us election between supplies and actually handmade jewelry and what I thought was so great about these top ten shops are it is a place where you can look at this list and you could get supplies to make what you wanted or you could actually buy fully finished pieces of jewelry but just look at the numbers are staggering to think that there's been thirty you know thirty nine thousand sales or, you know, twenty one two million, if the numbers are so big that I think that it proves that being in the jewelry business is definitely not a bad place to be, so whatever your whatever you're leaning towards or whatever you're interested in, you're going to be able to find a niche for you to slide right in and keep going with your business, because a couple of things we're going to talk about our knowing that you can do it and then actually doing it are two entirely separate things, so we're spending some time right now making sure that, you know, you can do it on then then we're going to talk about why you should or what it means to actually do it. Let's see, today, we've already got a question from gori and asking, do you recommend at sea for your storefront that someone's going to be chatting about? We're going to talk about a little bit here and there, but I'm definitely not a nazi expert, so but as far as starting out in a place that's really welcoming to you were really easy to get started, but I think that he is a good place, I don't think that it is smart to rely on any website to drive your traffic, I think. That is something that's, a little bit of a different conversation just because you have a store and at sea doesn't mean that people can find it, but as far as the ease of setting something up in being able to appoint somebody to a place to go that's reliable people are comfortable with is easy for anybody to use to make changes teo, and to interact with I do think that he is a really good option, there's a couple of different places in the fast start action guide, where we list other websites that people like, so each contributor in an hour case today for this fast star alexa has also given their tip sheets for their top favorite tools their top places to sell things like that. And so I do believe that most people mentioned at sea as being a great place to sell. Ok, so let's get started. What do you need to start a business today? You need more than this, but this is where I wanted to start. I want you to think about your vision, your plan, the supplies, tools and the courage that it actually takes to start a business. These are all fantastic places to begin or to start when you're just in the thinking face, which is where a lot of us start, so I sort of want to break down what each one of these things means and how you can apply them. Tio, your overall business when you decide to start it, um, it's is easy. Starting a business these days is easy. Is having an internet connection, a phone and really something to sell. You know, we could take jail, and I could sell one of his rings right now. Just by using my phone, we could take a picture of it. We could open an etsy account. We could load it up. We could have a description. We could connect to our paypal, and one of you could buy it within ten minutes. I mean, we could start a business lickety split it's. Not that it. You know, we might not start the best business, but we could absolutely sell something online within ten minutes if we put our minds to it. Just with something that we happen to have on our person in a telephone and an intern. That connection. So when you think about it like that it's actually not a cz. Daunting as it could be if you decide, tio, if your vision includes really big grand plans, then you know you're going to obviously need to take more time. To really work that out and that's where your vision comes in, what do you actually want for your business? That's what it means to have a vision, what do you want to dio? And by that I mean, what do you want to sell? What do you want your business to look like? What do you want it to be like? What is your overall plan for what your business is going to do for you? I think it is very different, and something I run into frequently is it is really different to decide that you want to have a business without thinking about what that actually means to your life. Having a business is a lot of commitment, and you need to think about how that's going tio really play out for you. Do you have the time devoted to make things to you is your vision, tio. Be able to leave your full time job and make a full time living off of what you make that's all part of what your business actually means to you, so deciding what you want to work. For in the end, and how you want your business to actually work for you is a really important place to start. If you're okay, just dipping your toe in the water and experimenting or testing the marketplace to see if they like what you would like to offer than that is also a part of your business. But it doesn't have to be an integral part of your big vision can just be where you are now, it's really important tow actually just start and to begin, and once you take one step toward doing something, the rest of it is a lot easier, but you have to decide what that first step is a part of that will come from finding out what you are actual vision is so starting with what you want to create, and what you want that toe look like is a really fun part of the process of starting a business, and even though you're not earning any money at, or perhaps not even making anything yet, just deciding what you're going to do and what that's going to look like. It is it's, one of the most important things you, khun dio and it's, sort of your foundation, and you'll go back to that again and again, and change that up a cz you like, which is really good, and the next part that I really want to talk about is your plan and that's, where you put your vision into action. That's what your plan is, so your plan could be to open an s e shop, your plan could be to buy the materials that you need. Your plan could be to do anything that is an action step that actually helps you make your vision come true, so parts of planning are deciding where you're going to sell what you're going to sell, how much you're going to charge. When are you going to do it? Are you going to attach a website to that? Are you gonna blogger, or you're going to have a social media strategy around that? What are you going to d'oh with your plan that helps your vision come to fruition? So if you could be really great time, actually, if anybody in the chat room had any questions about planning your vision, or if anybody wanted to talk through any of that, because it's, the work of that, a lot of the times happens in her head, but it feels as big as the whole entire world and it's, a really scary spot to be in that process of if can I make this work? Will I make this work? What if everybody hates it? There's a lot of room for fear and negativity and intimidation to come into the vision in the planning stage of your business. So if anybody wants tio get get some support around that, I would be happy to do that while we're talking about these things. Is there one thing quickly carry? Because I have seen some questions already along, people asking about taxes in their state and how they get started that's not something that really you're going to be able to help with me, that's something you really do need to check out for yourself within your state? Yes, so people are asking legal questions or questions about taxes or copyright issues, those kinds of things, we're not really covering that in this course, those air really important parts of being in business, and that is undeniable, but I'm not an accountant, and I am not a lawyer, and I do not really answer a lot of technical money or legal questions, but on dh that's simply because I can't know all of the inn information in the united states, I get a lot of email from people all around the world with these kinds of questions, and the united states alone has fifty states, and then the laws or the rules can be different based on your county or town if you need certain permits or licenses. What what kind of taxes you pay? Lauren does talk a little bit about taxes in her financial tip sheet, and that would be a great course for people to sign up and watching that's in january about have filing quarterly texas so we do talk a little bit about that in the fast our action guide, but those aren't questions that apply to our entire audience or that I have frankly, the knowledge to answer I and not not the person to help with that technical side of your business. So that's a little disclaimer that you don't have to know everything to be in business or to be good at your own business, you know, that's why people with other careers and educations exists so that we can get help and support when it comes to the law or money that's why I'm so grateful that there's lots of people who are interested in capable of doing that kind of work and it's another little lesson in there that too help you with your business? I don't have to know everything that there is out there to still be able to do a good job just like to run your own business and to do a good job you don't need to know every detail about everything because that's, what the whole world exists for is to support you and help you when you need it I would suggest to anybody who's watching that you may find that supporting our chat rooms, you just never know those people and they started their own jewelry business. They may be at the very beginning there may be much further along, so definitely get into the chat rooms and join the community and join the conversation you have for you built to find some of those answers there. But if you have a question very specifically that you'd like carrie to answer online or you need to do is strictly asked button that you'll see just to the right video screen. We've already got great questions coming in, but it does need to be something that carrie is going to be able to answer on an issue that she's not going to be talking about legal issues, he's not going to be talking about copyright, all of those things, but several people are asking the same. They're just really getting started there getting going with their jewellery business, they don't feel they really have enough products yet or even ever developed a line. Is that still too soon to get going? Or do you recommend that people just get out there and get that started? Actually recommend that you just get out there and get started. Well, I think it is really good to have a lot of products to back you up if you have at least alexis suggests five of something when she's experimenting with a new style, and we talk about that in the podcast actually on we could ask her about that when she comes when she comes into the google hangout, but just start there is a theory out in the business world that is is gaining some traction, or at least it's coming up in handmade communities a lot more than it used teo and that's called the minimum viable product your m v p and that means you make something and you put it out into the world and you see what the audience responses and you say, this is where I'm starting. This is what I have so far, this is how much it costs right now because I'm working on improving it are expanding and growing it, or whatever it is that you're going to do with it, and you ask people to purchase it the way that it isthe so and if you don't have one hundred of something that's, actually good news, because you might not sell one hundred of that thing, or you might find a different design detail that you want to add in, or you might start getting feedback from your customer that point to you in a different direction just start with where we're at, because that's the best you can dio if you honestly are holding off on starting a business of any kind because you think that you don't have enough product around or you're not sure what the response is going to be that's a form of procrastination and that's actually just harming yourself in harming your business. If you are worried about having a full, complete line, you don't have to start there if you don't want to. If it's really important to you, it really speaks to your overall vision of if you plan on selling rings, bracelets, jewelry, a necklace, s and earrings and a tiara, and you just have not gotten to those tiaras yet. Well, then I guess you should weigh if you're selling it all is one big package somebody's going to get all five things at once, then obviously, you need to have all your products together, but if you are simply holding off on following your dreams and starting what you want to do because you think that you're not ready, I would like to call shenanigans on that because just get started with where you're at just speaking right now that's all that's all we can do is take the first step and that includes you and if you have five things to sell put it out there, start getting feedback let your friends know maybe you'll get suggestions from the community maybe people will tell you something else that they're looking for and no wonder if you'll be able to do it you don't know where you don't know where that first step is going to lead you and so you will never find out if you don't take it shenanigans is my favorite words so I'm glad we finally got that into a creative life course off don so what a good places to test your products are that you have a recommendation for that is instagram good for that? I think instagram is great for testing your products in fact instagram if instagram is a person I would ask it to again with me it is amazing it's a wonderful place to be it's a great place to test your products to say I'm thinking about these colors what do you think and to start hearing back from people right away or you could put up a necklace and say, well, I'm thinking about changing out these b they're putting this charm on it or increasing the neck the length of the chain what do you think instagram is a really great place to test products, get immediate feedback, engage with people who are interested in what you're interested in right away. It's. A great, great way to start.