The below article was published earlier
and had a overwhelming response. It is only natural for us to bring
it back here again in anticipation of a repeat performance from our
esteemed customers. Starting and running a jewelry business - Part 9 . This is the concluding Part in our series, "Starting and running a jewelry business." I would like to start this segment with a quick anecdote about frustration and burnout among beaded jewelry makers: A woman spent her weekdays making simple, sweet necklaces that she would sell for $29, and earrings that she sold for $8. When she got bored making jewelry, she would make toll work and other inexpensive crafts to sell, too. She spent her weekends selling her work, and although she sold most of it, she never seemed to get ahead, financially. Also, she felt her buyers didn’t appreciate the energy she had invested in her work. All of this caused her to become frustrated and depressed. Her friends asked her to "go out" with them, but she never seemed to be able to find the time, and money. She realized that she didn’t "have a life." and this, too, added to her frustration. She became angry, started denigrating the handcrafted jewelry business, and blamed everyone else for her predicament. When caring friends and other jewelry makers tried to help her, and suggest changes in her operation, she would become defensive and very angry. She refused to listen to their helpful suggestions, and she said they didn’t know what they were talking about, but that she did. She refused to look at what she was doing and continued to blame everyone else. This is just one person, but I have known a number of people with virtually the same story. Now that you’ve read this series I hope you can pick out some of the steps that led to her decline. Here are a few points that might not be so evident: She may have had low self-esteem and was afraid to go beyond a $29 price point. She continued to make simple, inexpensive pieces of jewelry that would have to compete with mass-produced, low price, imports. It takes the same time to make a $100 necklace as it does to make a $29 necklace. It is said, "The best defense is an offense." Her anger and blaming others would be this defense. Let’s review the quotes I gave in an earlier part of this series: "……(Charge) all the market will bear." Ambrose Bierce "Make your own myths. That’s the way the gods started." By a famous Polish philosopher. Plus, here’s a new one. "A definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different result." Bill & friends. Bead and craft business – Books How to be Successful in the Bead Jewelry Business, by Kate Drew-Wilkinson. Crafting for a Business, by Wendy Rosen. Crafting for Dollars, by Sylvia Landman Bead and craft business – Magazines The CraftsReport - www.craftsreport.com Beading – Magazines Lapidary Journal - www.lapidaryjournal.com Bead & Button - www.beadandbutton.com Sales source book Designer Jewelry Showcase - www.designerjewelryshowcase.com Art show venue listings – Magazines Craftmaster News (AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, NB, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, & WY.) - www.craftmasternews.com Art & Craft Show Yellow Pages. (CT, DE, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV, ++) www.SmartFrogs.com Where It’s At. A guide to Arts & Crafts Shows. (AL, AZ, AR, CO, GA, KS, LA, MS, MO, NM, OK, TN, & TX) 1-800-972-8589 Art Fair Source Book (Includes a shop rating) - www.ArtFairSourceBook.com |
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