This e-book is brought to you as a free download by www.beading-software.com. It is not for resale. You may give this e-book away for free or as part of a bonus package but may not sell for profit.
COPYRIGHT
© 2008 www.beading-software.com. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher.
LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
The material contained in this e-book is general in nature and is not intended as specific advice on any particular matter. The author expressly disclaims any and all liability to any persons whatsoever in respect of anything done by any such person in reliance, whether in whole or in part, on this e-book. The author is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or accounting services. Please take appropriate legal or financial advice before acting on any information in this e-book.
Table Of ContentsAm I The Right Person For A Home Based Jewelry Business?.................................3
Nine important questions you must answer honestly...........................................................3
Prepare To Succeed In Your Home Based Jewelry Business....................................6
Draw a roadmap to take you where you want to go .............................................................6
Find Your Unique Customer For Your Jewelry Business...........................................9
Every business needs a USP– Unique Selling Position .....................................................9
How To Make Jewelry 101 ..........................................................................................11
Learn how to make beautiful handcrafted jewelry at home.............................................. 11
How To Find Great Jewelry Designs..........................................................................13
Secret sources for jewelry designs that sell........................................................................ 13
Pricing Your Jewelry For Profit ..................................................................................15
How to determine fair market value for your jewelry pieces............................................. 15
Sourcing Your Stones & Beads..................................................................................19
How to find the best product for the best price................................................................... 19
Your Best Guess .........................................................................................................21
How to estimate the value of jewelry.................................................................................... 21
Managing Your Ideas & Jewelry Inventory................................................................23
Left brain details support right brain creations.................................................................... 23
Photographs That Sell Your Jewelry .........................................................................27
A picture paints a thousand words!...................................................................................... 27
Jewelry Marketing 101 ................................................................................................30
Get your jewelry business off the ground with a marketing mix....................................... 30
Promoting Your Home Based Jewelry Business Website........................................34
8 step guide to getting online ................................................................................................ 34
Selling Your Jewelry On Ebay....................................................................................37
How to sell your jewelry in the largest department store in the world!............................ 37
Setting Up Your Consignment Accounts & Receivables..........................................39
Learn to collect money with confidence and grace............................................................ 39
Party ON! What’s The Buzz? .....................................................................................42
Success secrets to a successful home jewelry party ........................................................ 42
How To Use Incentives To Attract A Host For Jewelry Parties ................................44
Moving people from their comfort zone to a win-win business relationship................... 44
Hosting An Online Jewelry Party ...............................................................................46
A great option to the home party; online convenience at work!....................................... 46
How To Create A Winning Jewelry Catalog...............................................................48
Let your art speak for itself .................................................................................................... 48
Take Your Home Based Jewelry Business To A Trade Show Or Fair .....................51
Make money away from home - how to choose the right jewelry show ......................... 51
Jewelry Trade Show Money Management Tips.........................................................53
Make money away from home - budgeting to attend the show....................................... 53
Jewelry Trade Show Display Ideas ............................................................................55
Make money away from home - how to display your jewelry........................................... 55
Making Sales At Jewelry Trade Shows......................................................................57
Make money away from home - how to sell more jewelry at your booth ....................... 57
What It Takes To Make A Successful Home Jewelry Business ...............................60
You!!!......................................................................................................................................... 60
Stay Connected ...........................................................................................................62
References............................................................................................................................... 62
I have been where you are, and in fact, I revisit to this spot quite regularly. This is the place where the rubber meets the road. Dreams and bank accounts collide, and visions for the future are often hindered by the vague memories of the past.
· Am I good enough?
· Do I have what it takes?
· Will I make enough money? · Will the lifestyle suit my personality?
Your first lesson is all about settling this issue once and for all. Once completed, you will know if you “have it” or not, and you can then proceed in the right direction.
First Things First
1. Begin by asking yourself the most important question of all: Why do you want to be in a home-based business? Take time to think about this and be honest with yourself. You might find it helpful to make a list of what you are looking for: is it more time, freedom from a boss, a chance to be at home with the kids, a desire to create business for yourself, etc.
2. What kind of experience do you have in management? Were you the leader at work, in a community project, church related activities or school programs? What type of skills did you develop that would be useful to a home based business? If you do recognize some weaknesses, can you think of ways that you can compensate or overcome them? For instance, can you hire someone to do those items or contract it out to another company?
It is important that you face reality here and tell it like it is. HOWEVER, be as honest with yourself about your strengths as you are about your perceived weaknesses.
3. Do you have the space you need for a jewelry business? The jewelry business can create a good deal of clutter, and requires ample storage space. You will need room for a desk, a larger flat surface for your workstation, and room to store your materials. Lenna Green in her e-Book; How To Make Money From Beading and Jewelry Making, suggests actually creating a floor plan of your work and storage area, calculating the square footage you require, and deciding what space you have, or can locate, to accommodate your needs.
4. Who do you know that is involved in business? Either they own a retail business, run a business from home, or have done so in the past. Do you have relationships with people who can mentor you and teach you by example? Are you willing to find those kinds of people if you are not presently connected to them? What would you do to connect and learn from them?
5. What equipment would you need to purchase or rent for your new business? Do you own a computer; fax machine, desk, and car for deliveries? What jewelry making tools do you own, and which ones do you need to buy to get the business going? You may not need everything on day one, but do you have a plan for how to acquire what you need as you move along?
6. What about the licenses and permits required to run a business from home in your city? Have you checked with the municipalities for pertinent information? Are there any by-laws that limit your business activities in your residential area? Have you checked to see that your business name is cleared for registration? Typically, the chamber of commerce has good information regarding these issues for start-up businesses, and if not, they will know where to refer you for the right information.
7. Have you detailed a one-year budget including both expenses and projected revenue? This is tough, because you really have no idea. To insure you have worked from the worst-case scenario, be conservative in your revenue projections and as thorough as you can be in estimating expenses. Will you be able to survive is you dont break even the first year? If yes, how will you do it? What is your plan?
8. Have you done a good analysis of your competition? What makes them great and what are they missing? What do they offer that is attractive, and where can they improve? Dont just examine pricing. Pricing is not always the best way to compete. Look at everything from selection, to delivery methods and production time to customer service standards. Where can you jump in and capture some of the market with your unique strengths?
9. What are the goals you have for your business? What do you want to accomplish in one year? Three years? Five years? Is this a family business to pass on to your children, or an investment business to grow and sell in a few years for profit? What kind of money do you want and need to generate to make the business a profitable use of your time and energy?
The more you can think through these points and answer clearly, the higher the chances are that you will be successful in your venture. To be honest, I believe you would not be reading this if you didnt already possess what it takes to be successful. The biggest challenge you face is to know yourself and your abilities and finding the people or systems that will „pick up the slack „where your talents or energy wanes and partner with you toward success.
For more valuable information on preparing yourself for business and a detailed look at the business administration, I recommend Lenna Greens: How to Make Money From Beading and Jewelry Making. Her style is personable and every page (all 220 of them) is packed with practical information you can refer to again and again.
You have your hands full and you will to take time, probably on a few occasions, to complete todays assignment. In our next lesson, we will discuss the basics for setting up shop – Basic Business 101.
You will learn:
1. What to avoid in the first 60 days of business.
2. How to manage your time more effectively
3. What about the new boss? How are you getting along with yourself?
4. Family issues: What does “Do Not Disturb” mean in “family speak”? And much more…