Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip

Question:

What is your opinion on creating jewelry while at a show? I’ve had some people say they love to see it being made, and others say I shouldn’t have “all that mess” out. Me, I try to keep the “mess” put away, all I have out are the stone, wire, and tools that I am currently using.

-Lorinda in Smithfield, Utah

Answer:

Well Lorinda, there are pros and cons to making jewelry at your booth – mostly pros! To share my experience and reasoning: when I began participating in shows, my dream was to have someone else there to take care of selling, while I just worked making jewelry as part of my display. Even though the people I had working with me knew about my work, stones, etc, I spent so much time answering questions that I couldn’t do any serious work! However, every item I made with folks watching sold, the crowd observing me drew more people to my booth, and I took a lot of custom orders (paid in full to be delivered or shipped to them within 3 weeks after the show). Personally, I have found that I sell more of my work without continuously creating during a show.

Now, to balance working and selling, I prepare and bring items that I can work on “in my sleep.” This way people can still enjoy the demonstrations, and I can carry on a detailed conversation at the same time. For example, I will have a bunch of rings made without wrapped shanks, and will wrap them during the show. I also prep several wire bundles for all-wire bangles that I can wrap while conversing, and people love to watch while I mindlessly braid beads into the Woven Beaded Bracelet (also prepped ahead of time).

Overall, in my opinion having your tools, some wire and a few supplies (like loose cabs) on a small table in your booth is a Good Thing! When folks ask about the wire, “No solder or glue? How does it stay together?” you can just pick up a coil and say, “It all begins here.” Mystify, Educate, and Create your customers!

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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At some point in your wire jewelry making hobby you start to realize that you are good enough to “sell this stuff!”  And then the next step is you’re going to have to take it seriously to make a go of it while being very careful to not lose the joy wire jewelry making brings to your life!

This article is to help you make the leap, albeit small in comparison to many other “startup” businesses that require capital, an office or store, and probably other people.  This business is more of a shift of focus from what you love to create to “packaging and marketing” what you love to create.  And on top of this you will need to account for the expenses of doing so and for the income derived from your wire jewelry making activities.  Beyond that, it’s pretty much the same as you’ve been doing before.  You may decide to make more pieces faster, streamlining your processes but still, it’s pretty much a replication of what your hobby required of you to design, create, and share with your audience.

You will still have to buy wire jewelry making supplies.  You will still need inspiration.  You’ll also still need to do the work itself and then make sure someone is going to wear it.  So, given that these are natural to you as a hobbyist, let’s focus on the new things that will be required of you.

Packaging and marketing are often scary elements of “going into business.”  Yes, it can be intimidating but the best way to learn how to do it is to look at your competition.  See what they are doing that you like and what they are doing that you don’t like.  Decide how you want to sell your pieces.  Do you want to sell online, at events as a vendor, or through retail stores / boutiques?  Do research to determine the requirements of doing each and figure out what fits your style the best.

You may need to hire someone to create packaging for you, designing also your logo, business cards, and product information as well as publishing a website for you.  You may exchange help from a friend or family member for some jewelry pieces.  After you have created your packaging for marketing, you’ll need to market yourself and your jewelry.

Discover what your competition does to “get out there” and design your own plan.  Ask for help from others and learn about low cost methods to get found (if you are going to sell direct).  Hire a marketing consultant for a few hours to get advice.  If you are selling wholesale you will need to learn how to find distributors of wire jewelry but in this case you may have to produce more pieces than you are willing to do.  But again, this is up to you about how you want to proceed with your business, in your own way that fits your personality.  Some people like to go out big; others take it one step at a time.  Do what works for you.

Finally, the accounting piece is very important.  When you begin, start with accounting software or hire a bookkeeper on an hourly basis.  Meet with your bookkeeper prior to starting your business so that you set everything up right from the beginning and know exactly what kind of paper trail he/she is going to want from you.  Get advice about establishing your business properly with required license(s).  Being organized will save you time, money and stress.

So, all in all, starting a business rooted in a hobby is not hard to do as long as you are open to asking questions and getting help.  There is SO MUCH free help out there if you just do a little research.  Take your time in your startup and most importantly, retain the joy of wire jewelry making throughout the process!

We at Wire-Sculpture really care about the craft of wire jewelry making and those of you who work at it as a profession as well as those of you who just make jewelry for the love of it.  We aren’t just a store or a jewelry supplies company; we are so much more.  So, this post is to let you know all the ways we show that we care so that you know the path to our doorway is always open to you whenever you need anything.

First of all, we go out of our way to take care of you with extraordinary customer care.  We actually have wire jewelry making experts on our staff so that any question you have can be answered in a timely manner.  We also know in detail, the specifics of the supplies we sell.  And, we know all about the tools and even create original instructional materials and patterns.  And we publish our number so you can call us – 877-636-0608.

We also guarantee your satisfaction no matter what.  We are wire jewelry artists ourselves and we understand what works and what doesn’t.  We also offer a wide range of wire jewelry supplies and help you determine the best ones for you.  And, if for some reason you buy something and it doesn’t meet your expectation you are invited to return it and have up to 30 days to do so.  We want you to be satisfied with those of us that help you be successful in your business or hobby.

We also strongly believe in community, in sharing ideas, and in learning from others.  That is why we offer blogs, a tip of the day, a newsletter, and an open phone line when you need something.  No question is too small or insignificant to us.  If we can help you learn faster, then you will enjoy the art of wire jewelry making even more!

Last but not least, we want to hear from you to tell us how we can help you.  We make our best guess at what questions might be “out there” but it would help us immensely if you would give us some insider information about what questions you have about wire jewelry making.  When we hear from you we will come up with a way to meet your needs as quickly and as efficiently as we can.

That number again is:  877-636-0608.  Please also feel free to respond to this blog with any comments – we want to hear from you!

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