8 Blogging Tips for Jewelry Designers

Since we are starting our new weekly Beady Link Party, I thought I'd share a few blogging tips with our readers.

1. Photos are super important. Make them big and beautiful. Shoot in diffused natural daylight whenever possible.  I like to have my photos on the x-large size here on blogger or 600 pixels wide.

2. Break up the same ol', same ol' and style your photos. Get creative and style those photos for your blog. Add some personality into your photos. Consider showing your jewelry styled on your work table, on a dresser with props that match your jewelry, or on a model (doesn't have to be a professional model). Tell a story with your photos.

We have an excellent article on styling your jewelry photos here.

3. Talk to us like we are over for a cup of tea and visiting in your studio. Share with us the creative process, your inspirations, why you created a piece or a story behind it.

If I sat in your studio and you only told me a list of what went into each piece, I'd have some questions. Oh, who made that bead, what's that stone? Does it have any symbolism or fabled mystical properties? Did something about that piece of jewelry remind you of poem or photo you took? Share stories with us. We all love a good story.

4. K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short Sweetie. We love stories, but we are also all crazy busy and your stories should be right at the heart of the tale and not too meandering.

Also, make things easier to read. Break up longer piece of text with photos or shorten paragraphs. We skim more than we read on blogs, make it easy to digest for your visitors.

You don't have to write a book when you write a blog post. Make it easy on yourself too, the more fun you are having the more like you are to keep at it.

5. Blog consistently. That may be weekly or bi-weekly but don't neglect your blog anymore! Dust it off, spruce it up and get ready for company. Don't write the "sorry, I've been gone or neglected my blog," posts, no need - just start up again and blog when you can. I recommend making it part of your weekly schedule, make time for it. If you are going to be busy, write them up in advance and schedule your posts throughout the month.

6. Have fun and connect with your fellow bead bloggers. You took the time to make the tea, put some flowers in a vase and now it's time to invite us over. Participate in the weekly Beady Link Party. Share your blog post on Facebook. Visit your fellow bloggers and leave thoughtful comments. Visit those who leave comments on your blog. When you read a great blog post share it on Facebook.

7. Use blogging as part of your creative process. Share your inspirations, behind the scenes, do-overs and outakes, Ultimately write the blog for yourself and as record of your brave, creative explorations! We will happily travel along on your journey.

8. Blog content is found by search engines and doesn't get lost in the noise of social media. Do you feel like your Facebook posts get lost in the sea of feeds?I have more stories to tell and want more than a thumbs up communication when I'm sharing my work and process. And if I'm creating content and sharing, it's nice for them to have a home instead of disappearing into the endless scroll of a feed! Blogging gives you original content to share on social media and offer something of value to your followers. And search engines still love blogs.

Let's bring back old school blogging and work on building a fun and strong community of beady bloggers! Make sure to share your blog posts with us every Monday here on the Art Bead Scene!

Selling More Jewelry Part 4: Selling to Stores

So in my last post I talked about working with stores and boutiques to host trunk shows. And today I will share some tips for selling your work directly to stores.

Stores are going to want to pay 50% of your retail price. This is really important to consider. If you aren't pricing enough for your work, you aren't going to be able to sell your jewelry to stores and make any money. Who wants to stock a store and not make money from it? So read up on pricing if you aren't sure you are charging enough. Quick quiz: could you take 50% off your current price and still cover your materials, overhead, time and make a profit?

Two things to do if your prices aren't going to sustain a wholesale account - design jewelry at a price point that your local customers would be able to afford. That may mean using less art beads or designing simpler pieces. Or do your homework and raise those prices if you are underselling.

There is a third thing you can do, which has it's own sets of pros and cons.  And that is have your work on consignment. Usually the commission is 30-40% of your retail price.

Click here for some tips on consignment. (Great read for consignment or wholesale!)

I would only consign with a shop that you actually know the owner and if you live in a smaller town where a shop may not be able to purchase items outright. Another option for consignment are galleries but they may want to take a 50% commission. Make sure you have a written agreement/contract from the shops and follow up every month to see if they need new work and to keep your display looking fresh.

Selling to Shops

If you are interested in creating a line of jewelry that you sell wholesale to stores across the country, I'm going to send you here for some wholesale basics and creating a line of jewelry for wholesale.

But I'm assuming most of you make one-of-a-kind pieces that feature handmade beads from your favorite artists.  And would like to find a shop or two to sell your jewelry.

Finding Stores

First find the right kind of store. Scout out options in your local area by visiting the shops on a weekday if possible. Don't plan to talk business at that first visit and don't plan to bring your jewelry in on that day. If you find a store that looks like a great fit, ask the salesperson at the counter if you can have a business card with the shop owner or buyers contact information. Explain you are a local artist and would like to make an appointment with them.

Look at galleries, boutiques, gift shops, botanical garden and art center gift shops and clothing shops.

I would email the buyer/owner an introduction email with a quick introduction, why you love their shop and feel your jewelry would be a good fit and a link to your website. Keep it short and sweet. Ask for an appointment to bring in your jewelry. If you don't hear back from them in a week, pick up the phone and call. Just do it. They are just people, who need to fill their store with goods that will make them money. You are helping them, not bothering them!

At the Appointment

At the appointment, have your jewelry arranged on portable trays or boxes in sets that would merchandise together. So group them according to themes or colors, the way you would imagine them on the shelf in the store. This will also help the buyer imagine how they would display in their store and can increase sales.

Dress professionally at the meeting, be excited about your work and share what makes your pieces unique. Don't ever feel like a sales person - you are sharing and helping this person and working on building a relationship. Keep their needs in mind and how your jewelry can help them. Don't worry about being perfect, just be yourself!

Terms and Business Details

Have a minimum order. You wouldn't sell one piece for half-off to the store. The point of wholesale is that sell a large enough amount at one time to make it worth the effort. You could do a piece minimum, like 12-15 so that they have a nice sampling of your work. Or it could be a dollar amount for the minimum. For myself, I have a $400 retail minimum for a 50% discount for stores.

You should also have a written return and repair policy.

Your jewelry can be on your own earring cards and have hang tags that give a little information about your line, but don't include your website on the cards. Your store will want buyers to come back to them to buy more, not head to your website.

Make sure you have receipts to write up the purchase and your Square for credit cards if you take credit cards.

After you have a local store, consider visiting towns in your surrounding area to expand and gain a few more accounts. Follow up every few months with your wholesale accounts and make appointments to bring in your new work.

I am going to take my own advice and finally find a shop in my hometown. I've sold wholesale to stores around the world but have yet to find a place that is a good fit here in my tiny tourist town. Silly me!

Homework: 
Make a list of possible shops.
Have your prices and terms clearly figured out before your appointment.
Set up an appointment.
Work with the buyer to find which items are a best fit for their shop.
Follow up a few months later to restock.
Rinse and Repeat.

Selling More Jewelry Part 3 - Selling at Events

This week we are going to focus on selling your jewelry at live events. I wanted to go over this information early because you can still apply for some shows right now and schedule events with enough lead time before the holiday season.

This week I'll cover:
Markets and Holiday Shows
Trunk Shows
Home Parties

Getting your work in front of the right people is the easiest and quickest way to sell your jewelry. For each of us the right people means different things. Over the course of 20 years of selling jewelry I've done a little bit of most kinds of shows. From the church bazaar to high school fundraiser, to events in stadiums, to shows with cultural centers and art museums.

For me, I need to be where people are who appreciate art and have disposable income. My best shows cater to older women, have something to do with cultural centers or the arts and are usually part of a fundraiser for an organization.

Holiday Markets and Shows
Shows are always a bit of gamble.  The hard part about shows is that good ones have application deadlines months and months in advance, usually at the beginning of the year. So if you have shows scheduled already - awesome sauce, you are are ahead of the game. If not, make a list of the top shows in your area and their deadlines so next year you aren't in the same spot!

If you don't have shows booked yet, let's discuss how to hustle.

1. Look for shows that are art related, not craft shows for your best bet. Craft shows are always a bomb for me. It's just not my crowd. It may be your crowd, it's hard to say. Know the show a little bit before you commit to the application. New to an area? Most shows have a Facebook page with photos from the previous year, great way to tell what kind of crowd and vendors will be there.

I like holiday markets at art centers, those work well in our area. I've signed up for two. These type of shows often have you drop off your work, they display it and sell it over a period of time and then you are paid within a few weeks after the event.

Check out your local cultural center or art museums to see if they host holiday shows.

Visit sites like Art Fair Calendar or check your state Arts Council to see if they have a listing of shows. Google can be your friend, type in your town and holiday art shows to see what's in your area.

2. Look for shows that are juried and handmade only. There is many a holiday market that is not handmade and it's not your crowd if you are selling art bead jewelry!

3. It's better to invest in one or two quality shows with a higher booth fee than to do several small shows that aren't your market but have a lower both fee. Don't shy away from shows that take a commission, this is common with shows that are fundraisers for art and cultural centers. These have always been my best shows. I paid much more in commissions, but I also sold more jewelry than at any other type of event.

4. If you are going to do a church or school show, does the community have money to spend? If you live an area like a do, a little farm town - the answer is no. But I can look at shows an hour away and would consider doing shows in more affluent areas. It's not a judgement, but you need to go where shoppers have money to spend on handmade jewelry and aren't looking for a bargain! Some travel may be required.

Trunk Shows
This one takes a little more courage on your part and requires picking up the phone and doing a little leg work before you begin. A trunk show is an event at a store, office or other location where you set up your display for a day or several hours. Usually there is a percentage of the sales that is given to the store or a donation to an organization or charity.

Here is a great article on trunk show basics.

My tips: visit shops first, if it's not busy ask who books special events or who is the shop buyer. Get a card and call. You can set up the event over the phone or ask for a few minutes to bring in your work. You can email, but you will get better results calling.

Look for shops or boutiques that match your jewelry style.

Get creative with places that might host a trunk show!

School or colleges - you can do a trunk show at a school during lunch hour as a fundraiser. Bring lots of earrings and affordable stocking stuffer type items. I used to do trunk shows at my art school for several days before the holidays. Work with your contact to have your show on payday, be smart!

Or think about local businesses or offices that might like to host a trunk show. Some larger businesses even have small holiday shows for their employees, I've participated in a few over the years. I know in San Antonio there is a very large insurance company that hosts artisans to come in for the day so their workers can shop during their break.

Think about what kind of businesses you could partner with to host a trunk show for the day. Do you know anyone who works in a busy office or school?

Promote the event onsite a few weeks before. If you are going to go into a business, work with the contact person to send her flyers or postcards for the event.

Home Parties and Open House Events
A home party is a trunk show in your home or hosted by someone else. It's an easy way to share your jewelry with your friends and family and offer them a little relaxed holiday shopping. Take a chance on a holiday open house, it's a nice throw your local customers, friends and family a little holiday jewelry party - who doesn't love that!

Read Lorelei Eurto's advice for hosting a jewelry Open House.

And stop by the Jewelry Making Journal for tips Home Party Success.

Tips for Shows

No matter where you sell face to face this holiday season keep these tips in mind:

1. Adjust your inventory to the event and crowd. Design simpler pieces with gift giving in mind. Think earrings, simple pendants and bracelets and holiday/winter themes.

2. Keep your displays simple, clutter-free and don't put everything out at once. Display your work in themes or sets (remember the merchandising lesson last week!).  Use bed risers to raise your tables for easy shopping at events. Think neutrals for props and table clothes, your jewelry should stand out more than your displays.

3. Collect emails at events. Have a guest book at every event for people to sign up for your email list or ask them to enter their email when they check out with a credit card. Offer a special gift (free shipping or a percentage off to those who sign up.) More on email later - but don't miss a single opportunity to collect emails from your customers or potential customers. If someone asks for a business card at a show say, "Sure, and I'd love to have you sign up for my email list to get special promotions and holiday offers."

4. Create postcard invites. Use Vista Print to print up postcards and invites to events. Sign up for their mailing list and take advantage of sales.

5. Become a better salesperson. Engage with every customer at an event, a friendly hello and short little pitch about your work or what makes your jewelry unique will go a long way. If someone is looking at something intently, offer a mirror so they can try it on, if they say it's for a gift, offer them a little story about the piece that has captured their eye. Don't be shy, don't feel like a pushy sales person.

YOU ARE THERE TO HELP and fill a need! No one likes to sell but everyone loves to share. Helping and sharing, hello! That's being a good salesperson.

Use this give and take method of selling: when at your booth, greet, give a short and light pitch, let them look. Offer more information or ask if they have any questions if they stick around. Offer the mirror. Give them space to decide. Ask if they are buying a gift, let them know you have gift boxes if you do. Ask if they need any help with gift ideas. Listen to them and see what they really need. Let them ponder for a bit. Let them know you take credit cards. (And you better if you are doing shows!!!) While they are shopping, look busy doing something at your table. NOT ON YOUR PHONE. I also recommend standing as much as possible while you are there to sell.

Read this great article on Sales Techniques for Craftspeople.

Homework:
*Look at your schedule, any weeks you'd like to book before the holidays?

*Research shows and options. Books events.

*Schedule your own Open House. Order postcards.

*Create a FRANK list and use your list to see who you know who works in an office, school or might like to host a home party or attend your open house. 

(F)riends 

(R)elatives

(A)cquaintances or Activities

(N)eighbors

(K)ids

Remember, all you can do is ask - a no won't kill you. I promise!

Read over week 1 & 2 of this series and catch up.

Share your tips for events in the comments below.

Selling More Jewelry Part 2: Inventory and Pricing

Last week I announced a new series with all the dirt you need to sell more jewelry.  You can click here to read that post if you missed it.

To start our series I'm going to talk about inventory and everyone's favorite topic: pricing!

I'm going to assume, since this is the Art Bead Scene, that most of you have jewelry that are one-of-a-kinds that feature handcrafted beads. Which is awesome news because you have something that distinguishes your jewelry from the masses and chances are you can share a story about what makes your jewelry unique. 

Inventory:

1. Gather your jewelry and divide it into several small collections that would display nicely together. Think of themes or color groups. My example is the Bird and Nest collection above. 

2. Take notes on holes in your inventory. Each grouping should have the following:

*Showstoppers - this is a piece or two that stops buyers in their tracks, it will be the most expensive piece in the group and the most labor-intensive or the materials may be of a higher quality.

*Variations of your best-selling designs. These may be a pendant or bracelet style that you sell quickly at every show. They will be in the mid-price range of your inventory.

*Impulse buys - these are your earrings or simple designs that are $35 and under. This should be the bulk of your inventory if you do shows or in-person events. 

From now on whenever you display your work and even in your online shop, group these items together. When you show your work to shops, show them in the groups. This type of merchandising will increase your sales. And at shows it makes it much easier if someone is looking at a pendant to say, "Did you see the earrings that go with that design?" and hopefully they are right next to each other! 

3. If you have jewelry in your inventory that has been around for quite some time and doesn't get picked up at shows or doesn't has many views online, if the design is dated or just doesn't fit in with the style of the rest of your jewelry - it's time to upcycle it. Take it apart and use those beads in a new design that work in one of your groupings. 

*If you have seasonal jewelry or designs you like but just didn't sell - consider having a Flash Sale or Trunk Show to quickly move this inventory. 

Designing in collections will help increase your sales at shows and online and it will help in the creative process. 

You don't always have to re-invent the wheel. Revisit your best-selling designs and use similar beads to create it in several different variations. 

One thing I have learned over the years of doing shows (20+ years) is that too many choices overwhelms buyers and they end up walking away. You are not JCPenny - you will not be able to appeal to everyone. So stick with a few designs you know sell well and focus most of your inventory on those designs and variations of those designs. 

You still have room to play and experiment but know your best sellers and have plenty of them! If you are new to shows or selling or haven't sold much yet, what designs get the most likes on social media? It may be a matter of trial and error before you know your best-sellers. 

Pricing - that's such a loaded topic. I want you to answer a quick question for me - could you sell your jewelry at a 50% discount right now and cover your materials, pay yourself a living wage and use a portion of it to cover your business expenses? If you can't do this, you won't be able to sell to stores, galleries or shows that want a percentage of yours sales instead of a booth fee. 

If not, you are probably charging wholesale prices instead of retail. It's a common mistake. And the first argument is "I can't sell it for what I would need to charge!" A common cry and one that has an easy fix. 

A. Design jewelry that fits in the price point you can sell at - it might mean simplifying a design or mixing more affordable beads with the pricier art beads. Or it may mean buying materials at wholesale to reduce your costs. 

B. Find venues that have customers willing to pay the higher prices for more artistic and creative jewelry. We'll talk more about this in the next few weeks. 

It would be nice if we could just create whatever tickles our muse, but at some point you have to ask yourself if you are in the business of selling jewelry - can I sell this design at a price that covers my expenses and pays me. 

A hobby costs you money - a business makes you money. Which one does your jewelry business fall under, is it a hobby or a business? You want to sell more but you also need to pay yourself! 

Homework:

1. Gather your collections and take grouped photos to share on social media this week with a link to your online shop. Share them on Instagram and Facebook throughout the week. Don't share the same photos in both places, mix it up! 

Share your best photos on your blog and pin the images. 

Take lots of great photos of these grouped collections - you can use them in your marketing in upcoming assignments! 

2. Make a plan to fill the holes in your collections. 

3.Your required reading on pricing:

http://www.handmadeology.com/pricing-your-handmade-jewelry/

http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/pricing-handmade-jewelry-too-low/

http://www.launchgrowjoy.com/how-to-price-your-products/

Report your successes, questions and share your photos in the Art Bead Scene Lounge on Facebook! 

Selling More Jewelry Series

One thing I hear from my bead customers over again is the need to sell more jewelry. They want to buy more beads and they want to move inventory to make room for new creations. Who doesn't want to sell more, right? And even more importantly, I think it feels wonderful to have someone fall in love with one of creations and want to take it home!

So starting next week through October join me here on Tuesdays for a little biz advice and a challenge or two to help you keep motivated. Now is the perfect time to start gearing up for holiday sales, getting into shops and it's an easy time of year to sell jewelry - everyone is looking for gifts during the holidays and they need jewelry to dress up for events and parties.

The tips, lessons and challenges will include advice for selling more jewelry in person and online.

Until then, I invite you to read one of my favorite ABS posts from a few years ago, 20 Sales in 20 Days. Click here for a day by day challenge from the smart women at the Flourish & Thrive Academy. I do this challenge every year in October and always see a quick bump in sales. Print it out and try a few or all 20!

Call for Submissions for Jewelry Designers

Would you like to see your jewelry in a magazine?  It's a great thrill to see your work on the bookshelves of your favorite bead shop or craft store!  Having publishing credits adds creditablity to designers who are starting to teach.  It's also great for promoting your business locally when you are published in a magazine, send out a press release to your local paper and a introduce them to your jewelry business.  Customers are impressed by when you display a few of your publications at your booth during markets and it lends a certain professionalism to your share your publishing credits on your website or blog. 

Using art beads in your submissions is the best compliment you can give to your favorite designers and offers a unique look to your jewelry - which is always a plus when submitting!

Stringing Magazine Winter Issue Editorial Guidelines

Bead Trends Editorial Calendar

Art Bead Scene - We'd love to feature our readers' projects!  If you'd like to submit a free project, send a sample photo and a short description of your piece.  We'll only accept projects that feature art beads. Email your proposals here. 

Humblebeads Quarterly - We are launching a quarterly e-booklet featuring projects with Humblebeads.  Check out my blog post for the exciting details.

The jewelry featured in this post were a few of my designs published in Easy Wire 2011. 

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!

Increase Your Jewelry Sales - Interview with Robin Kramer

Would you like to increase your jewelry sales today? Tired of spinning your wheels in your jewelry business and not seeing the sales results you desire? Keeping busy online and making sales don't always go hand-in-hand, learn the tricks to be more productive! I'm super excited today to share my interview with sales expert Robin Kramer from the Flourish & Thrive Academy. Read closely and take notes - Robin's invaluble advice will help you increase your sales and get your jewelry business on track.

H: What is the difference between brand building activities and income generating activities?

In the Flourish & Thrive Academy Facebook group you once posted:

"Set your intentions for the day and do 5 revenue generating activities today. Pick up the phone and call existing customers or new customers. If you sell direct to consumer/retail, contact existing customers and give them incentive to buy from you or refer a friend or friends. Have a positive attitude and be friendly and see what happens!"

I have this as a daily reminder and my iPod sends me this message every morning!

R: Heather, I LOVE that you have this in your your iPod as a daily reminder! The difference between brand building and income generating activities is such a great question!

Brand building activities are actions that gets your company/business name out to your audience.

It would be things like working on your social media - facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram - or updating images on your website so you customer is seeing new and fresh images frequently (this gives them even more of a reason to come back to your site). It's also blogging or creating a new collections postcard. It is even contacting press and sending samples out to an editor or stylist. These things are important, but really can be time sucks and in order to stay in business you need actual sales.

Revenue generating activities are actions specifically geared towards bringing in sales.

In my opinion, business owners should do revenue generating activities daily. I know there are many hats that a person wears when running a business so this isn't always possible, however, sales should be a priority.

SIDE NOTE: By having set sales goals, one can see what is needed sales wise for the business. By taking the goals for the year and then breaking it down by quarter, month, week and day, one will learn what they need to sell on a daily basis in order to meet goals. This information will help when doing revenue generating activities.

So what are revenue generating activities?

*My favorite one is picking up the phone and calling existing customers. This doesn't have to be a "salesie" call, but rather a connection call. Find out how they are, how is your jewelry selling for them, if they have any events coming up that you can help support. Let them know what is happening with you and your line. What are your best selling styles right now, what you are doing for upcoming holidays and happenings like Mother's Day, Graduation, Wedding Season, Father's Day, etc. Ask if they are ready for these holidays and happenings.

Sales is about relationships and a good sales person does what they can to help their customer.

*Calling potential customers. Maybe it's a store you saw listed in Lucky Magazine or Daily Candy. It could be someone you met at a party who was interested in your jewelry and you exchanged business cards. No matter how you found them, call them! Start the conversation and learn more about them and their needs. Do research before you call them - look up their website. This will help when talking with them.

*Face to face interaction is the best. It allows you to share your story and really find out your customer or potential customers needs. Trade shows, Craft Shows, Trunk shows, sample sales or house party sale are all good revenue generating activities. The type of event you have will depend on your business.

*Partner with another person on doing a show or an online event.

*Create an email promotion with a call to action. For example, place your order of $150 today and receive free shipping. Or create urgency like limited edition pieces, only 2 left.

*Increase your sales by always adding 1 or 2 more pieces to every order.

H. Do you have advice for getting over the fear or shyness of making sales calls to stores or potential clients?

R: I know if calling is not your favorite thing or you are shy it can be challenging. My advice is to script out what you want to say so you are never at a loss for words.

Remember your focus is your customer/client and their needs.

Smile when you talk, people can actually hear your smile. Be prepared with letting them know how you want to help them and that your goal is to make their job easier. For example Mother's Day is May 12, have an order prepared for them based on what sells well for them or prepare an order based on your best sellers for this special day. If you are working direct to consumer, let them know what special packaging you have for Mother's Day or that you can include a handwritten note.

Practice is the best way to get over the fear of making sales calls. I heard the term "lean in" recently and I love it. When a person is interested in hearing what you have to say, they "lean in". People want to be heard and many times we don't take the time to listen. The most important thing when speaking with your customer is to be sincere friendly and listen. Also, if someone is not interested in working with you, don't take it personally thank them for their time and feedback and move on. No usually means not right now. I have a jewelry company that I work with and they had been trying to get into this one store for 10 years. They knew it was the right fit so they kept in contact with the buyer and then it happened... they received their first order. That was 3 years ago and that store is one of their top accounts today.

H: What is your secret weapon for a super effective sales week?

R: The phone is my secret (or not so secret) weapon. Calling and connecting with customers is joyful for me. I genuinely care about the buyers and clients I work with. I want their businesses to succeed and they know it.

H: How important is packaging and display in selling to stores and boutiques?

R: Packaging is important because you want to make sure your product is branded with your logo. The type of packaging will of course vary depending on the type of jewelry or product you make. I have to admit I more then sometimes buy things because I am in love with the packaging.

Good display and merchandising of your product is essential for a store. You want to make sure you provide your customer with ways to display your product. Giving merchandising recommendations is something I like to do. Again, it is about making things easier for your customer. In many cases, I have taken pictures of my suggestions and shared them with my customers. A picture can not only provide your customer with a great visual, but it will also show them why they need to purchase the pieces and quantity you recommended.

H: Do you have any advice on ways to stand out when starting out in the wholesale market?

R: Know you "WHY". Know "WHY" you started your business and know YOUR story. What's going to set you apart and make you stand out is who you are, why you are doing what you are doing and your story. It's hard to design or create a product that hasn't been done before, don't get me wrong, great product is important, but what will define you and your line is your story. People want to connect on some level. I believe this is why video is playing such an important role in today's business. I also believe that connection is why calling a customer or meeting them face to face produces the best results.

H: And finally, Flourish & Thrive is getting ready to launch Volume 2. How would a solo-entrepreneur benefit from the course?

R: Tracy and I are super excited about our Vol 2 course, Mulitply Your Profits! The course is for jewelry designers who want a roadmap for structuring their business for maximum profitability and freedom. Tracy and I know first hand that if you truly want a successful business you need to run it like a business and not a hobby. Having systems and best practices in place will allow a business owner even a solo-entrepreneur to do the things that they love (one of which is most likely designing). The course will empower the jewelry designer to step into the role of CEO of her/his business (even if they are the only person in your business). Tracy and I will be sharing the systems we’ve used to help build & manage businesses of all sizes. We can't wait!

Robin Kramer is a brand marketing maven and sales expert who has an impressive history with leaders in the retail industry that have built their brands on innovative merchandising and strong service cultures. Among these brands are Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and Old Navy division of Gap, Inc.

For the past 12 plus years, Robin has worked with primarily small, upscale wholesale jewelry brands and designers to bring their products to market, position these niche brands for maximum exposure to their target customers and build relationships with national and international retailers. She has a keen eye for recognizing products, designs and brands that represent a unique and fresh approach in a crowded and competitive space.

In 2010 Robin started her consulting business, Red Boot Consulting and in 2012 she partnered with jewelry designer Tracy Matthews to launch Flourish & ThriveAcademy, an online academy for teaching jewelry designers everything they need to know about running a business.

She is based in Sausalito, California.

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!)