2015 Review - Discovering What Is and Isn't Working for Your Business

This is the time of year for reflecting and dreaming, I'm just as susceptible to the collective reboot we all get to enjoy in January.

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So here is what worked and didn't work for me in 2015 - I hope it helps you on your journey.

What Didn't Work for Me: 

- Not taking enough time for myself and managing stress

After suffering several stress induced illnesses over the years, you'd think I'd learn this lesson already. I have to manage stress and take more time for myself. I plan to spend more time at our local pool, exploring creative side projects that aren't biz related like painting, and taking days off. Also getting enough sleep is still a struggle for me, but I know I'm much more creative and happy when I'm well rested.

- Not being careful with my hands

Until you mess up your hands from working them to death - you just don't know how much trouble you can cause. Learn some massage and stretching techniques for your hands and take breaks often. Also if you haven't upgraded to ergonomic tools, put that on your New Year's to-do list. Your hands will thank you. 

- Over-scheduling and not allowing myself enough time between big events

I didn't give myself enough time while running off to events all over the country and caused myself some serious stress and all nighters trying to catch up on my regular day-to-day duties. 

- A messy studio

I know, we all have messy studios. Well, maybe there a few organized angels that have it all marked and put away. I struggle with this and after finishing two books this year and big events all year my studio is a series of piled up boxes and that needs to be tackled. I don't know how to do this, I've tried several methods over the years and it never sticks. Maybe this will be the year I grow up and learn to pick up after myself. 

- Not planning for enough events for the fall/Christmas selling season

Every fall I'm kicking myself for not planning out my fall better with events for selling jewelry. I have a schedule already set of deadlines for 2016 show applications.

- Reactionary scheduling/working

Most of my time this year was trying to catch up after events or rushing to finish work for deadlines. I  didn't have a schedule that felt reasonable or offered time for me to work on proactive projects instead of just whirling around trying to stay afloat. Mini-monthly goals, weekly goals and using my 6 Most Important Things daily task list will help with that for 2016. 

What Did Work

- Traveling and taking chances

As tough as it was during this transition year, traveling and teaching is one of my all time favorite things. Saying yes to new opportunities and stretching to work on new projects helped me grow as a person and helped my business grow. 

- Tackling big projects

I didn't shy away from big projects this year. In fact when a publisher came to me with a 52 project beadmaking book two weeks after I finished my second book, I said bring it on. There is no limit to our creativity. I did more, went bigger and loved the results. But now with a little more wisdom I know to over-estimate how long projects will take and set some boundaries as to how much work I can do in a year. Taking on bigger projects means letting go of smaller projects and setting priorities so that you can stay sane!  

- Connecting more directly with my customers

I created a Facebook group to have a space to chat with my customers, offer them specials and events. It's been the best thing I did this year. I love connecting more, making beady friends, being inspired by their feedback and projects. It feeds my soul. 

- Sending emails on a regular basis 

Can't stress this enough as the best thing I do for my business. I offer my email list free projects, tips and inspiration to make sure they enjoy getting my emails. It's by far the best sales tool I have in my bag of tricks. 

- Following my muse and going off on creative tangents

I didn't spend enough time this year making new beads, mainly for the big shows and during the holidays. But when I did, oh it was a little slice of heaven. I need to make time to have more fun in the studio, experimenting instead of only production work.

- Teaching more

Whether it was in person or online teaching helped increase my income. I love being with people, traveling and sharing my skills. I plan to teach more in 2016.

- Connecting and networking more 

Life stuck in the studio is no fun. Doing shows and events brought new opportunities and helped my business grow over the year. It's all about people, not sales. So the more you meet, connect and offer to the world, the more success you'll see head your way.

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So that was my 2015, the good and the bad. The lessons and the triumphs will help me form my plan for 2016. Take some time this week to go over your year and make a list of what did and didn't work for you - what can you glean and take into 2016?

I wish you a year filled with beads, creativity and community! 

Overcome Fear and Self-Doubt in Your Jewelry Business

(Susan Farmington)

I've been thinking this week about what steals our creative mojo.

Sometimes it's a busy schedule, a health issue, a family crisis - difficult things that we have to wade through and grab onto little bits of creative times when we can.

Other times it's a matter of psyching ourselves out. Comparing ourselves to others, feeling our work is not good enough, feeling envious of someone's success, not feeling like you have anything new to say or create. Comparison really is the thief of joy.  It can zap your enthusiasm and energy, it can shrivel up a long hoped for dream like a little raisin.

I've been reading an excellent book called, "I Just Like to Make Things" by Lilla Rogers. It's geared more toward 2-d artists but there are some amazing lessons for all creatives in the book on how to deal with the common inner struggles of the artist.  Below are a few things I've learned from the book:

People buy your joy and passion
So what makes you joyful, what makes you feel alive?  How can you bring that joy into your jewelry?  What you are in love with and excited about? That's what's going to help you succeed. Create things you absolutely love.

Whenever you are starting to compare yourself to others bring it back to joy -  what's your joy? What makes you deliriously happy and then go work on it!

Change envy into admiration and then into action.
When you feel envy or like your work isn't as good, ask yourself what is that you admire about that artist? What specifically has captured your attention? What could you do to improve your work based on what you admire? Create an action plan.

So, if you love a designer's website ask yourself what specifically do you love? Her photographs. What could you do? Learn to take better photos. Your plan on action? Take an digital photography class.

Improve your Skills by Practice and Instruction
There is no short cut, you have to put in the practice and learn the basics to improve your craft.  Take classes, read books, watch videos and make, make, make.  The more you create the better your work will get, it's a proven fact!

Find your Niche 
The sooner you find a niche, a speciality, a common thread in your work that you are known for, the easier it will be to reach out to the audience that loves what you make! You have a voice, a unique and beautiful voice. Yes, you! Don't doubt it for a second!

Join me over on my blog to get your jewelry making mojo back! I'm hosting a 12-week challenge to help inspire and encourage others to jump in and get creating. 

Creative Marketing: Glossi E-Publications

Sometimes you want something for your jewelry business that creates a splash. Something beyond a newsletter or blog post that really brings in new traffic and you can excitedly share on your social media channels and that your fans will share with their friends. I would like to introduce to to Glossi.com to create catalogs, look books, gift guides or e-magazines to promote your business.

Here is one we put together for my jewelry business, it's a mini-magazine that will be put out monthly featuring jewelry, gift ideas, quotes and inspiration for nature lovers. (I have an assistant who helps me with this - just so you don't think I'm some kind of super woman!)

Click to view Inspired by Nature - May 2013 on GLOSSI.COM

Be a team player and pair up with other artisans to create a seasonal gift guide.   Or if you feature a gift guide using other artist's work, get their permission first and then send them the link when you publish your guide. 

Glossi is super easy to use, just grab the link from your shop or website and pick what photos you'd like to upload.  They will automatically include the link back to your item.  They have templates that making designing a snap and some fun backgrounds and other features to make your publication a little snazzier. 

My advice with Glossi - bigger photos, more quotes and less wordy text seem to provide the best results. 


The one drawback to Glossi is you can't download or print a publication.  If you are looking for that option, I would point you over to Issuu.com to upload PDF's that turn into ebooks that can be viewed online, downloaded or printed.  Of course, you have to create each page using a design program. 

And don't do it all yourself! Pair up with a design student to work on this for their portfolio or trade a designer jewelry to create your pages for you. Or work with a team of other creatives - this would be a great project for an Etsy team!

"Working smarter, not harder" really means not doing everything yourself!

I'd like to give a shout out to Artisan Whimsy and their Bead Chat magazine for their inspiration!

Pricing Secrets with Tracy Matthews

How to price your jewelry so you can pay your rent every month!

Are you pricing your jewelry to incorporate your overhead? Do you even think about it, or do you just throw a number out there and hope for the best? Staying positive and having faith are great on an energetic level, however, if you are trying to run a business, you’ll probably want to price your product with a solid understanding of your expenses and your goals.

My business partner, Robin Kramer, and I are asked about pricing all the time. Pricing your jewelry is a very touchy subject for many of reasons. If you price it too low, you cheapen your brand and can become stuck in the low pricing syndrome. If you price your work too high, you risk pricing yourself out of the market until you have an established brand. How do you actually find the sweet spot with your pricing so that you can cover your expenses AND make a profit every month.

You need to understand a few things before you get started.

1. What are the COGs associated with each piece you design? COGs are things like materials and labor.
2. What are your total monthly expenses for your other costs in your business? Or what is your overhead?

Once you understand your costs, you need to take a look at your volume.

1. Do you sell roughly the same amount of pieces every month?
2. Or does your volume vary significantly month over month?

I ask these questions because these are the markers that will determine how to incorporate your overhead into your jewelry pricing.

 (Pin me!)

Let’s take option #1. If you sell roughly the same amount of pieces every month, you can use this method.

1. Calculate your total overhead.
2. Divide that number by the number of pieces that you sell every month.
3. You’ll end with a per piece overhead price.

For example, if you had $1000 in overhead and you estimated selling 100 pieces per month, you would add $10 to each piece as you were pricing.

Now let’s look at option # 2. If you have a business where the pricing range per piece of jewelry varies widely or you sell a different number of pieces every month the formula in the first option won’t work. In this case, you need to work backwards.

1. Figure out your monthly expenses first.
2. Take a look at the margin in your pricing so you can understand exactly how much profit you make.
3. Then make sure that you sell that volume in order to cover your expenses.

For instance, I use this method in my current business model. I understand what I need to bring on from a profit stand-point, instead of per item. So let’s say I have an overhead of $1000 a month and a margin of 50% on my work. My average piece of jewelry costs $1000 and the cost to make it is $500. I would need to sell 2 pieces at $1000 to cover my monthly overhead of $1000.

Pricing your jewelry is a bit of a dance. You may need to adjust your method from time to time. Unfortunately, it’s not an exact science. 

The key to pricing your jewelry for profit is to start with the end in mind. If you start every month with clearly defined profit goals, you are able to work backwards to understand what you need to sell in order to make those goals. The big picture is a lot more detailed than a simple pricing formula regardless of your business model. It’s important to look at your profit goals first, make sure you account for paying yourself and work on generating cash flow to cover your expenses along the way.

Tracy Matthews is a bespoke luxury jewelry designer and founder of Flourish & Thrive Academy, an active community of dynamic jewelry designers who share design tips, sales successes and marketing secrets.

F&TA began as a solution to a problem many new jewelry designers face: how to treat their business like a business instead of a hobby. It has evolved into an answer to the plea, “I wish there was somewhere I can learn everything there is to know about starting a jewelry business so I can focus on being creative and work on the big picture.” 

Find Flourish & Thrive Academy on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. 

Tracy and Robin are offering a free Q&A call for any designers who have business questions. 

Do you have any burning jewelry design questions?
Sign up for their live Q&A call……it’s FREE

The call is Wednesday at 12 noon EDT. They'll be on the phone to answer questions.

Click here to sign up for the free coaching call and don't miss this great opportunity!  

(This is an affiliate link, the Art Bead Scene is a proud partner with Flourish & Thrive Academy.)

The best thing I did in 2012 for my jewelry business...

Last year I discovered an amazing resource that I've shared several times here on the Art Bead Scene - the Flourish & Thrive Academy.  Their informative blog and conference calls were some of the first places I turned to when I started to seriously work on the wholesale line of my jewelry business.  I always clicked on Tracy and Robin's emails because I knew every time I'm going to learn something valuable.  So last fall when they opened up registration to their Flourish and & Thrive Academy course, I signed up right away. 

It is hands-down the best thing I've done for my business.  I started the course, knowing I would be in the middle of a move during part of it.  But with the lifetime access to the course, I knew I would be able to pick up where I left off and later enjoy listening in on the calls, learning from what others were struggling with each week.  Tracy and Robin also offer encouragement and support in a Facebook group for the course, so I knew if I had a burning question about the course they would be there to help.

From an in-depth discovery of who my ideal client was, to creating a collection of jewelry that appeals to buyers, to finding places to market my work and lots of tips for promotions, this 4-week course was jammed packed with just the information I had been searching for.  You know how you just wish someone would come along and tell you exactly what you need to do to make your business a success - yeah, that was Tracy and Robin!  The bonus material for the class is like getting a big Christmas present at the end of the course.  Sort of like, here are all the tools - go make your dreams happen.  Along with Tracy and Robins' wisdom during weekly conference calls we were introduced to other great coaches and resources that offered invaluable insights into our clients and our businesses.  Along with the big, lofty questions of branding and advice on rounding out your collection, there were practical tips like putting together a successful line-sheet, ways to merchandise your work and improve customer service. 

The designers taking the course ranged from high-end goldsmiths to those who string beads.  Each of us learned to tell our own unique story and were given the tools to find the customers who will fall in love with our work.  If you have been struggling with your business, whether you want to sell wholesale or retail, I can't recommend the Flourish & Thrive Academy enough.

Click here for more information on registration. 

(Disclosure: I'm a proud affiliate partner with Flourish & Thrive Academy, but even it wasn't, I'd send you there - they know what they are taking about and I love sharing a good thing!)

Holiday Fair Preparation

I'm at the start of my run of Holiday Fairs - I have 7 between now and Christmas, including two open house events - one in Edinburgh at my mum's house, and one at my home here in Manchester. (If you live in either of these areas, drop me an email - I'd love to welcome you to an open house event!) I have a monthly market which I take part in here in Manchester which is having a special Christmas event as well as it's usual monthly event, and I'm going down to London for a fair at Old Spitalfields Market on the 22nd December. I don't know about you, but that is often when I do my best Christmas shopping - when there's only days to go! I'm really excited to go down to England's capital city, somewhere I love to visit especially around Christmas time, as it's the first time I have exhibited down there. Hopefully the first time of many!

But my holiday fair season is kicked off with The Handmade Show in Perth on the 4th November, about an hour away from my home town of Edinburgh. (If you are in the area, I do recommend coming along, absolutely stunning work will be available! And come and say hi if you are an ABS reader :-)). And it's a big event for me, so it's what I'm gearing up for now. You saw on my last Studio Saturday  that I've revamped my craft fair stand. I debuted it last Sunday, and it went down very well - the best local fair of the year! Every time you have a craft fair, it's always a good idea to think of tweaking your display, there are always small changes you can make to make your stand just that wee bit better. Here's a shot from the last week's market:

I've also set up taking card payments. Unfortunately, we don't have anything like Square over here, which many American friends have told me is a brilliant tool for taking cards. I am hoping we'll have something like that over here in the UK soon! We have a virtual terminal, which means customers can make card payments via an internet-enabled devise. So it could just be a smart phone, but we have it set up so that my phone can act as a WiFi hotspot for a laptop. We took our first card payment last weekend which was very exciting! 

But that's the 'backstage' technicalities. What about the jewellery itself - the fun bit?! Well, I've been going through what sold well at The Handmade Show last year, what's been selling well recently at my craft fairs this year, and what has gone down well online. My work has definitely developed, changed and moved on since last year, but it's still worth looking over exactly what the people of Perth liked last year! If you are returning to a jewellery fair, it's always worth checking through to see what your clientele liked. I'm trying to find a balance between unique, one-off pieces, and designs that I can make in multiples; small batches of easy to repeat designs. I try to use art beads in as many of my designs as possible - so I try and use beads that designers make in batches for these staple designs.

I have a couple of these designs sorted - like these simple ceramic house pendants using beads from Elukka. I use relatively fine chain, and as well as each tiny house being slightly different in due to the way they are made, I try and mix up what I suspend from each one. This means it's a simple design for me to create, but I keep that OOAK aspect to these pendants. 

Another design I can easily repeat are my bluebell earrings - but these don't need to be blue, I am working on pinkbells, peachbells, aquabells and everything in between!

You can see here are my earrings, half done. Again, they are similar and easy to recreate, but again each pair will be different - the Gardanne enamelled flowers are each slightly different and I use different gemstone briolettes for each pair. Both of these have been popular designs for me either online or at craft fairs so I want to make sure I am fully prepared with many of these. Here's a finished pair:

I'm sure there are a few other designs that I will come up with that are similar, in that I can produce many but keep them unique, something that I and my clientele really value. 

What staples do you create for fairs? Do you have any tips to share when you have a big run a fairs coming up? Share with us here on ABS!

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer and singer, currently living in Manchester, England. 

You can read more about beads and singing at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com.

Wholesale Tips

Have you thought about selling your jewelry to shops or galleries?  I am working on a wholesale line and have been doing lots of research.  Here are some of my favorite resources.

• Flourish and Thrive Academy - lots of great tips and a series to download if you subscribe to their mailing list. 
• Indie Retail Academy - a good resource if you are just starting out or not sure how to approach shops.
• If you have your jewelry line designed but aren't sure what to do next, check out this great list of policies and line sheet information.  This was so helpful as I prepare to debut my line.

A simple wholesale checklist:

1. Identify your perfect customer/niche market.

2. Create your collection samples - you'll want signature pieces, a cohesive body of work, and designs that are easy to reproduce.

3. Photograph your work: crisp, clear photos on white backgrounds and 'glamour' shots on models and with props to brand your work.

4. Source supplies.

5. Work out your pricing and financing.

6. Create your policies and terms.

7. Create a line sheet. 

8. Create a website to showcase your line.

9. Create your list of dream clients.

10. Contact buyers/shops to set up appointments or to send your sales packet.

The Worth of Your Jewelry

I've been reading a lot of creative business blogs, articles and books lately and one thing that has been sticking and breaking through as a common theme is a successful business helps solve a customer's problems.  So while I may have focused before on what I put into my jewelry: handcrafted artisan beads, my well-honed design aesthetic and beautiful color choices. I didn't think much about how it filled my customer's needs - other than it's something pretty to wear. 

When I ran across an article from Rena Klingenberg on Developing Your Niche Jewelry, it really clicked for me.  She gave a list of how jewelry solves a customer's problems and I had never given much thought to this and wanted to share it with you.


Rita advises: So think creatively about how to blend the things you love with ways your jewelry can solve people's issues related to:

• accessorizing
• giving gifts
• feeling good about themselves
• rewarding themselves
• defining themselves
• creating their public image
• belonging to a group
• collecting
• personalizing
• preserving memories
• celebrating occasions or milestones

So in the light of that list, how can your jewelry help solves those needs?  The worth of your jewelry will greatly increase when you discover how it can fit into those categories.  I wouldn't say a big changes is needed to meet any of these needs, just a little finessing in how you word your copy and market your work. 

Ask yourself, which categories does your jewelry fit into, can you add a little personalization?  A birthstone, stamped name or tiny charm can turn a design into a more gift-worthy option. 

Etsy puts out a Merchandising Desk list every month and it's filled with current trends, take a look at their list and see what you can cull to make your jewelry more on topic for collecting, celebrating and accessorizing.

I was looking through the top jewelry sellers on Etsy - don't do it, it's depressing.  Most of the top sellers offer stamped designs that can be personalized, birthstones, bridesmaids gifts and tiny trendy charms.  That's not something you need to do succeed as a jewelry designer - but it did illustrate that designs that easily fit those needs were the highest selling.  Something to think about. 

When you are writing up your descriptions for your online shop, think first about how your jewelry fills a need.  How would your customer use this piece of jewelry, what would they pair it with, who would love it as a gift?  Spend some time thinking about your ideal customer this week and what she is looking for in handmade jewelry and how you can add value to your work by showing how your pieces help her out!

Feel free to visit my Humblebeads Jewelry Etsy shop - I'm learning as I go and writing descriptions, tags and titles through this filter.

Selling Tips for Mother's Day

If you sell your own line of handcrafted jewelry, gift-giving holidays can be a great time to increase sales.  With May just a few weeks away, now is the time to work those floral designs, nests and butterfly jewelry to sell for Mother's Day gifts. 

A Little Extra

Treat your customer right and they will be back time and again for their gift-giving needs.  Some easy ways to please your peeps would be taking your gift packaging just a little step above and beyond the plain cardboard box.  Ribbons, pieces of lace, washi tape and custom gift tags are quick ways to jazz it up.

Packaging Ideas

Another simple way to give more value to your clients are ways to personalize your jewelry pieces.  If you stamp on metal, adding monograms and names are an easy addition to a bracelet or pendant with charms.  Adding birthstones to a simple design also gives Mother's Day gifts that custom touch.  Or if you work on wire nests, add one, two or three beads depending on how many children are in your clients family.  You get the idea - with just a little thought the gift becomes more than a piece a jewelry, it is suddenly a memento of their family.

Get Your Jewelry Out There

Check in with your local botanical gardens and garden boutiques in your area to see if they sell jewelry.  If they do book an appointment to bring in your line. Gift and clothing boutiques are other places that always need unique items for upcoming holidays. 

Tips for selling wholesale

Book a Spring Fling lunch hour with a friend who works at an office or a local school.  (Get permission first, of course!) Donating a small percentage to the PTA or a charity are always appreciated as a thank you to those who let you sell at their location.  Bring items in portable displays that can quickly be set out and have everything ready to go before the hour starts.  Make sure you bring a mirror!  Earrings, bracelets and small pendants are always big hits at these events.

Create earring displays or bracelet racks that could easily be set up on a shop counter.  Talk to your hairdresser about setting up a display for a month on commission.  This could work at a local coffee shop, a yoga studio or a bridal shop - depending on your style of jewelry.  Quickly transform a frame with a piece of foam core covered in fabric for an instant display.

Jewelry Display Ideas

Tag! You're It!

At some point your jewelry or art beads may need to be put on display or take a trip somewhere. A gift given on a lovely card, tag or in a package is all the more special! Jewelry displayed on a simple but original card will help it stand out and give it a back ground to stand out on. Recycling is a great way to make original tags. Old magazines or news print can be the perfect base for a fantastic card. 

gaea.etsy.com

Handmade cards and pins from Carrie Rubalcava.

Wooden cards/tags from moieti.etsy.com

Jewelry and cards from Tobi Jo Green at tobijo.etsy.com

 Packaging and pendant from kylieparry.etsy.com

Pillow box from rabbitandme.etsy.com

Clean and lovely! yolandasclay.etsy.com

Satin and paper hang tags from junghwa.etsy.com

Felted art dolls and bead from boridolls.etsy.com

No more wire hangers! Except for these from karboojeh Handmade Jewelry

Stamped tags from Humblebeads.

What are your favorite ways to display or send jewelry or beads?

The Bead Biz- Opening a Gallery-Getting Customers

Once you have your store ready to open you'll need customers. By now you have spent most, if not all, of your budget getting the space ready. If you were smart and everything went as planned(it never does) then you would have money set aside for advertising in the local papers, radio,etc.

But if you are like me and most others by now you have spent it all. Here are some ways to get started that don't cost much, if anything.

1. Get a blog. I blog here. I post pictures of the store often as well as new products. Nobody wants to read a blog that is all advertising so make sure you add personal stories, what you working, behind the scenes stuff and more. My blog is pretty much my open journal of my life, which also includes running a gallery.

2. Get a Facebook page. This is great for getting the local folks to know what's going on. I am planning classes for fall and my Facebook page is where I will keep a current schedule, announce open houses, sales, and events.

3. Send out a press release. Newspapers and magazines need stories to write about. Send out a disc of photos and a letter stating that you are open and what you will be selling and providing.

4. Look for local charities, teams, or clubs to support through your business. Being kind goes a long way.

5. Have classes, people love to learn new techniques. That was my number one request when I opened the doors. I now have classes scheduled to start in September.

6. Have a grand opening. This one, I unfortunately never did. I never could fit one in. I am planning a series of open houses with special events in the fall.


Good luck! I hope I have provided some insight to opening a gallery. A lot of this information can be used for starting any kind of business. Good luck in all of your business adventures.

Thanks for reading!

Jennifer Heynen a.k.a. Jennifer Jangles

The Bead Biz- Opening a Gallery -The Fun Part

This is my third post in my Opening a Gallery Series. This is what I think is the fun part of owning a gallery. What to sell and how to display it. It is more challenging than I expected. I like to make everything. I am still finding out that sometimes you have to buy displays and products, let me explain...


I started out making absolutely everything in my gallery. Painted pottery, wall hangings, ornaments, jewelry, etc. Seemed like a great idea at the time but first of all I found that folks coming into my store were crafty. They were buying buttons, fabric, and beads to make things of their own. I found that customers wanted beading wire and clasps to string a necklace. Hmm, I couldn't make that. When you are providing things for your customers you can't just provide what you want and make. Since opening I have added beading necessities, accent beads, trims, and embellishments to compliment my work. And as a side note the gallery is expanding as we speak and I am going to have even more, unique supplies to go with my work. You will find your customers will guide you to what they want. You will then know what to provide.

Displays are another thing I wanted to make. First of all not to look like every other stores and second to save money. No one wants to spend money on displays. You can see some of the pieces I built here and here. Sometimes though it's best to display things on a spinner rack. You don't want your display to over power what your selling.

Once you get everything made, bought, priced, tagged, displayed....

You are ready to open for business. I have one more post in the Opening a Gallery series and it's about getting customers.

Have a great day!
Jennifer Heynen a.k.a. Jennifer Jangles

More Jewelry Display Ideas

I'm always on the hunt for simply and fun ways to display my jewelry.  These four come from Pinterest - my new Internet love.  First up is this shabby chic earring holder.  This would be cute on a dresser or add some tiny L-bracelets to the back to use them at shows.  Tutorial from Kevin & Amanda.

Another DIY goodie is actually a recycled art case - green and chic.  I like it.  You can find the directions from On My Side of the Room.

I love this one.  I'm not exactly sure how it was made, this was just a photo from a retail shop.  But I'm sure you are clever enough to come up with a plan if you ran across a cool stash of vintage door knobs.  This would be great with decorative dresser knobs too, if you could find some interesting ones.

How simple and fun.  Just tacks and twig.  Perfection.

This bit of genius comes from Lou et Tom.

So that's it, four great display ideas.  If you are gearing up for shows you might want to check our Lorelei's post today on jewelry booth displays.

The Bead Biz- Opening a Gallery- Your Look

Hi there, I spoke in my last post about obtaining a gallery space. I moved in and didn't open the gallery portion until three months later. My top priority was getting the studio part of the space up and running. It was a lot of work getting tables, equipment, and storage in the right place for working. Once things were running as smoothly as possible, I could focus more on the store.


Your store needs a "look". That look encompasses your logo, your sign, your bags, your work, your displays, etc. If you're starting from scratch this is probably a lot to think about. If you are already making jewelry to sell than your work most likely, already has a feel. You'll most likely want to expand on that. My work is bright and whimsical. I always have some lime green, black, and white in it somewhere. I wanted the work to be the focus in the gallery not the walls. I choose to go with a light blue-ish purple for the walls, of course a black and white checkered floor, and lime green accents.


My signage is all black, white, and green as well.


My bags, tissue, and tags are the same too.



See where I am going with this post?



Pick two or three colors and use them consistently. Pick a font and use it again ad again. Get a logo and use it again and again.

Consistency is the key to getting customers to know your work and your style. It also shows that you are stable for a lack of better words. Customers want to know when they come shop with you that they will be able to get the same thing again and again.

Stay tuned for more....

Jennifer Heynen a.k.a. Jennifer Jangles

The Bead Biz- Opening a Gallery- The first Steps

Heather asked me to do a series of posts on opening a gallery. At first I was a bit hesitant to do this. I have felt out of my element this past year getting it up and running. I have a much better grip on things now and am ready to take you on the journey of opening a small gallery. By no way am I an expert, this is just my experience.

I found everyone has a different approach, ideas, and circumstances. My gallery idea has been in the back of my head for about ten years. There was a jewelry artist in my college town that got too big for her house. She rented a space downtown and worked and sold her work in the space. She told me that she paid for the space with her walk in sales. I thought that would be the perfect situation. With kids, moving, etc, the time was never right to take the leap. I did know that one of these days the time would just be right.


It came last year when I had taken over the studio, garage, rec room, and more with button making. I had two employees and craziness in my house. That's when I knew it was the time. I started looking for a space. There are many different ways to look at spaces. Before you commit to one, you have to consider some things;

1. How much can you afford? You won't automatically have customers, you'll have to advertise, work on your orders and show that you are already committed too, etc. I chose to rent something I could afford without much walk in business.

2. Are you in an area that will have walk in business? Will you have open houses? How will you get customers? You can spend more money and be in a prime location, if your goal is to support yourself mostly by local sales then spend the money to be in a prime location. If you're hoping to have a few open house a year then go off the beaten path and save some rent money.

3. How many customers do you want? Remember customers will need help selecting items, checking out, etc. Make sure you have enough time in your day to add service in.

4. Don't forget you'll need rental insurance, electricity, phone, water, internet, and signage. Make sure to add them in to your budget.

It is a lot to think about. I did a lot of "shopping research" at stores around town. I would see how many customers folks had in stores, what kinds of items were being sold, and how things were being displayed. I also asked a lot of questions, people are usually very generous with there information.

I happen to live in an area where the arts are appreciated. There is a fantastic yarn store down the road, and art gallery around the corner, many local potters, and a fabulous art center. It's not a very big town, but I felt more comfortable in a smaller place. I did make sure I wasn't going to be selling anything that stores were already selling, that's not good for anyone. You want to have something different to offer.

I ended up finding a store that was just a block off of main street. I don't have a prime location but I am in an easy to find spot. This way I could afford more space than I would have been able to in a prime location.

While you're doing your research to see if you should open a store another valuable experience that has helped me immensely is retail experience. Make sure that you have worked in retail. I have worked a lot of retail from high school until I started my business. I have worked for large and small stores. I have been able to think back about how things were done in these stores and tweak it to fit my gallery. If you haven't worked retail get out there and volunteer to work in store! You will be so thankful you did.

Once you have taken the plunge and signed a lease, the list of things to do becomes very long. First of all check with your city on zoning, signage, and permits. Every place will be different. I had to get a local business permit, stand up and tell the city my plans at a council meeting to be approved, draw out my signage and have it approved, and prove that I was insured to my landlord. Whew...

After ALL of those things are out of the way, start moving in, I will be back soon with another post with your look, what to sell, and more.

Good Luck!
Jennifer Heynen a.k.a. Jennifer Jangles