Health Benefits of Copper Bracelets

April 17, 2009 at 1:31 pm · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade jewelry, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Copper Bracelets

Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Copper Bracelets

Copper Bracelets have been worn for pain relief for centuries. The benefits of wearing copper next to the skin are reputed to begin working within 2 or 3 weeks of wearing. Studies throughout the world have indicated that a copper deficiency may cause those rheumatic aches and pains. A copper bracelet worn next to the skin may rectify this imbalance and give relief to the whole body. As the present generation grows older, many people are looking for non-invasive methods to maintain their health and well being in order that they may continue to enjoy their lives.

Copper bracelets are considered to be an unproven remedy. While this home remedy is generally dismissed by the scientific community, the fact remains that we have received many compliments from those who believe that wearing our copper bracelets help them in some way. Perhaps the best information you can get is from someone who wears a copper bracelet. The next time you see one on someone’s wrist, ask them about it!

The copper bracelet which for decades has been worn for arthritis relief remains popular today. Studies have shown that some people with arthritis seem to have difficulty metabolizing copper from the food they eat, leading to increased pain. Doctors theorize that arthritis sufferers may need to get their copper from another source. Physicians remain somewhat skeptical about copper bracelets but don’t entirely dismiss them, either. It’s possible that a copper deficiency increases joint inflammation, and it doesn’t seem that supplementing copper in the diet has the same effect as wearing it. Although most people do not know the importance of copper intake in a daily diet, copper is one of the most essential nutrients needed in a body. Copper is of vital importance for many different reasons. Among these are its central roles in protecting us from cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, free radicals, and cancer. Copper is also vital for keeping our skin, blood vessels and connective tissue supple and elastic. While severe, chronic copper deficiency results in anemia, leukopenia, and skeletal demineralization.

Trace amounts of organic-bound copper have helped some individuals suffering from arthritis. Studies have shown that low tissue stores of copper cause pain and joint stiffness similar to that of arthritis. In the 1970s, there was a fad of wearing copper bracelets to stop arthritic pain. Although many people experienced reduced pain, they were shamed out of wearing them because this was so unscientific and only folklore. The pain disappearance was explained as being due to the “come and go” nature of the disease. In one study of patients wearing copper bracelets, it was found that people absorbed an average of 13 milligrams of copper during a month. This could bring many people into the recommended daily intake range for copper (1.5 to 3.0 milligrams). Copper absorbed through the skin gets into the circulation very efficiently – more so than dietary copper. Incidentally, the people absorbing the copper noticed significant improvement in their arthritic conditions as well as a reduction of pain. Many arthritis patients felt better wearing copper bracelets saying there was less pain while they wore the bracelets.

Copper Reflections provides unique handcrafted jewelry and unique gift ideas using an exclusive ancient copper craft. All of our copper handmade bracelets are silver plated and individually diamond cut on copper. Each piece has a protective acrylic coating to prevent tarnishing so no polishing is required. We have been designing and producing our artisan handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas since 1985, including our copper handmade bracelets. Our wide selection of copper bracelets and copper rings are very popular with golfers. The artisans of Copper Reflections provide a wide selection of copper handmade bracelets and rings in a great variety of styles and designs.

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Handmade Jewelry Distributors Wanted for Europe and UK

April 17, 2009 at 10:35 am · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Copper Bracelets

Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Copper Bracelets

Copper Reflections is looking for distributors in the UK and other European countries. We can make custom designs that will represent the country, and also designs that people are looking for and will enjoy more. This way we believe we can be more successful.

Copper Reflections, we are family owned company specialized in the designing and manufacturing of unique copper gift items and handmade jewelry. We have been working on our craft since 1985 and we believe that we are the only ones doing this type of work. The designs and the techniques that we have come up with over the years are unique to us.

We have been established in wholesale in Canada and the United States for over 20 years. We have distributors in the US and Canada. We can be contacted online at www.copperreflections.com . Please visit our website to see all of our handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas.

The artisans of www.copperreflections.com have been providing unique handcrafted jewelry and unique gift ideas using an exclusive ancient copper craft for over 23 years. All of our handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas are silver plated and individually diamond cut on copper. Each piece of our handcrafted copper jewelry and unique gift idea has a protective acrylic coating to prevent tarnishing so no polishing is required. We have been designing and producing our handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas since 1985.

We have many animal jewelry and gifts designs, northwest and southwest Native American jewelry and gift designs as well as flower jewelry and gift designs on our handcrafted unique jewelry and unique gift ideas:

*Animal designs include hummingbird, cat, butterfly, dolphin, whales, turtles, wolf, eagle, bear, polar bear, horse, loon, elk, moose, coyote, roadrunner, unicorn, dragonfly, owl, elephant and puffin. We have a wide selection of dolphin jewelry, as well as western and horse jewelry.

*Southwest designs include end of the trail, four elements, desert scene, cactus, roadrunner, sunburst, star, geometrical, cloud, kokopelli, turtle, feathers, hummingbird, butterfly, frog, thunderbird and fetish bear.

*Northwest designs include hands of creation, killer whale / orca, bear, sun, eagle, salmon, wolf, otter, moon, hummingbird, butterfly, raven, lovebirds, beaver, totem poles, totemic, frog, thunderbird and owl.

*We also have a wide range of handcrafted artisan jewelry and gift designs including inukshuk, maple leaf, angel, cross, geometrical, art deco, art nouveau, medieval and celtic.

*North American western designs include cowboy boots, cowboy hat, horseshoe, team ropers, bull rider, guitar and horse jewelry & gifts.

*We have many styles of unique handcrafted jewelry and unique gift ideas with flower designs including daisy, iris and lilies.

The artisans of www.copperreflections.com can also make your custom designs in our handcrafted artisan jewelry including handcrafted necklaces, handmade earrings and unique bracelets. All of our wholesale jewelry and gifts can be handmade using your unique gift idea.

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Truly Unique Handmade Jewelry by Copper Reflections

March 25, 2009 at 12:26 pm · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Handcrafted Jewelry-Handmade Earrings-Native American Jewelry

Handcrafted Jewelry-Handmade Earrings-Native American Jewelry

Unique handcrafted jewelry by the artisans of Copper Reflections is unusual as we are the only ones making this type of handmade jewelry using techniques and designs that we have developed over the years. We have been designing and producing our artisan handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas since 1985. I started my wholesale fashion jewelry business in Vancouver, Canada. I was making jewelry and selling it on the street in Gastown,Vancouver. I began selling my unique jewelry crafts at retail craft shows in British Columbia and Alberta showcasing my handcrafted necklaces, unique handmade earrings, handmade bracelets and various styles of my handcrafted artisan jewelry and unique copper gifts. I was making custom jewelry for my customers. Later I moved to Ontario, Canada and began doing the craft shows there. I also started my business in the United States and traveled to the craft shows in New York State, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, Vermont and many others. I really enjoyed traveling, seeing new places, meeting other craftspeople and customers.

It was at a craft show in Columbus, Ohio when I met a man from Missouri who showed my how to do diamond cut. This greatly increased our sales. I have always appreciated his help teaching me this technique. Diamond cut made all our copper jewelry and gift ideas sparkle like there was diamonds on them. This made everything look more expensive. Being so unusual that most people had not seen it before combined with our reasonable prices have made our handmade jewelry business a great success.

I began to wholesale my artistic jewelry and my unique gift ideas throughout the United States and Canada at wholesale jewelry and gift shows focusing on wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale costume jewelry and wholesale trendy jewelry. We came up with new techniques and artistic designs over the years that has made this type of handmade jewelry and copper gifts unique to us. We have received artisan awards for the originality of our unique handcrafted jewelry and for the quality of our unique craft. The designers and artisans of Copper Reflections make each piece by hand, individually handcrafting copper into unique modern jewelry. Our artisans bring to you the antique copper craft in modern designs and exceptional quality. We enjoy making them with great care hoping that you will enjoy wearing them.

Copper Reflections have many skillful and talented artisans who have 20 years of experience of handcrafting handmade jewelry and unique gifts. We do not use pre-made jewelry parts and put them together. Copper sheets come into our workshop in coils. They are sliced into the correct lengths for handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, unique rings, handcrafted necklaces, etc using guillotines. These copper sheets are then polished using buffing tools and steel brushing to achieve the matte and subtle effect on copper. Jewelry designs are made ready after hard months of work, many trials and experiments and are finally transferred onto the copper sheets. Handmade jewelry designs are then silver plated and special finishes are applied to make them last for years, so people can enjoy their handmade jewelry without any special care. There are actually three layers of finish on our unique jewelry to prevent the color changing or tarnishing over the years. These handmade jewelry pieces are then cut-out by hand using jewellers shears or cutting tools. At our workshop, Ms.Vildan has been cutting handmade earrings, handmade brooches and handcrafted hair clips for over 20 years. After the jewelry pieces are cut-out to their shapes, they are then meticulously diamond cut ( or bright cut ) so that they sparkle as if the handcrafted jewelry has had diamonds inserted in them. This makes our very reasonably priced wholesale jewelry look more expensive. We believe that because of this very reason, our unique handmade jewelry has been selling so well for almost 25 years. Our wholesale jewelry is very reasonably priced compared to their percieved value. Our handmade jewelry looks more expensive when you take their uniqueness and great quality into consideration, and compare that with their prices. They look very expensive but they are very reasonably priced. After the bright cut, another coat of finish is applied to our unique jewelry for extra protection. Handmade earrings, unique brooches, handcrafted necklaces, handmade bracelets, unique hair clips and handmade rings are then formed into their unique jewelry shapes. Copper sheets come into our work shop in coils of raw copper and go out as beautiful, unique, great quality and very reasonably priced handmade jewelry, handcrafted copper jewelry and wholesale jewelry. Our years of hard work has been very enjoyable for all of us at the workshop of Copper Reflections as we take great pride in our meticulous work and enjoy what we are doing. We are happy to know that there has been many customers over the years who have enjoyed our unique handmade jewelry for many years which has made all our hard work worthwhile.

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Handmade Jewelry Online Advertising

March 4, 2009 at 10:52 am · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, online marketing, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Handcrafted Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Butterfly Jewelry

Handcrafted Jewelry-Handmade Bracelets-Butterfly Jewelry

The internet provides everyone with many opportunities for online advertising their handmade jewelry. Taking advantage of all the opportunities is very time consuming; blogging, article submission, press releases, social networking, directories, lens, the list is almost endless. Handmade jewelry retailers and handmade jewelry wholesalers need to focus on branding and advertising in the right places. There are only so many hours in the day so you have to reach your target market and make sure they respond. You have only one chance to make a first impression, how do you ensure it is a good one?

Every handmade jewelry artist needs a well optimized website. Research your target market and find the right keywords for your products. Use your keywords properly within your content to get good search engine rankings. Pay close attention to meta-tags; create title and description tags that will let search engines know what your webpage is about, but even more important is to tell your customers (or prospective customers) why they should visit your webpage. Don’t forget to use your keywords in the image alt attributes to let the search engines know what the picture is about.

Your website should reflect your personality and your creativity. You are the one who knows your handmade jewelry the best. People want to connect with the artist, feel comfortable and relaxed. High pressure flash may work for some but generally to be avoided. Show your work, tell your story and let your handcrafted jewelry do the rest!

Your website should be well organized with easy navigation. Every link is a good place for keywords and another chance to get into the search engine rankings. Search engines are your best friend and will send more targeted visitors to your handmade jewelry website than anything else.

Use blogs, press releases and article submissions to get backlinks as well as drive targeted traffic to your website. The more people that see your handmade jewelry the more likely they are to buy your handcrafted jewelry. The more often they see your name and your work, then they may refer other people to your sight giving you added exposure to your target audience.

Social networking is another great way to get your name out there. Although it can be very time consuming, bookmarking sites and social sites add to your handmade jewelry advertising. The more active you are on the sites the more chances of connecting with the right people and even coming up in the search engines. Personally speaking, it’s better to focus on one or two sites than trying to be on everything. See what your response is and if it’s not working try something else until you find something that fits your personal style.

Just like making handmade jewelry, it’s alot of trial and experimentation that in the end will yield the results that you want. The amount of time that all these things require is at times a little frightening. Focus is key to bring your handmade jewelry website into view. The online handcrafted jewelry marketplace is forever changing and you will constantly need to update and re-focus your efforts. All your efforts will be rewarded in time, enjoy the journey!

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Handmade Jewelry Displays have Increased Retail Sales

January 16, 2009 at 11:14 am · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , ,

Handmade jewelry-Handcrafted necklaces-Butterfly jewelry

Handmade jewelry-Handcrafted necklaces-Butterfly jewelry

 Handmade Jewelry displays have increased retail sales. We have seen that retailers who take advantage of our handmade jewelry display packages dramatically increase their sales and their reorder rate also increases.

An important factor for sale increases in the 300-400% range has to be offering your customers a wider variety of choices. Most handmade jewelry displays are designed to hold handmade earrings, unique bracelets, handcrafted necklaces, rings, lockets, etc. This increases the number of multiple piece sales, “Aunt June loves butterfly jewelry, let’s get these butterfly earrings and the matching bracelet.” When placing your orders at the upcoming Wholesale Jewelry and gift shows always keep in mind that most customers who like a product will also be likely to buy matching sets.

Most handmade jewelry wholesalers offer retail display packages that are free of charge or the cost of the display is offset with free merchandise. Generally the buyer is responsible for the shipping charges of the display. Jewelry wholesalers will work with the retail store buyers to find the most suitable display for their stores taking into consideration space restrictions of the store itself. Large free-standing displays work well for bigger stores increasing the variety of designs, styles and products that you can make available to your customers. Smaller stores with limited space tend to opt for the countertop displays.

Other points to consider when choosing a handmade jewelry display is your stores clientelle as well as your stores traffic patterns:

A) If you are located in a tourist area where you have large numbers of people arriving at the same time, like bus tours, you need to have a good variety as well as quantity on the display. The larger free standing displays will make sure you don’t run out of the best selling designs and more people can view the product at the same time.

B) If your clientelle is composed largely of repeat local customers offering a larger selection will increase your sales but the countertop display is probably your best option. Always have a catalogue close by in case they would to special order their favorite design if out of stock. You may want to reorder often so the products are always new and fresh to returning customers.

C) Keep in mind your stores’ security record, these are tough times and some stores are more vunerable than others. In these cases, when ever possible place handmade jewelry displays in close proximity to the cashier where customers are in plain view. Having sales staff in those areas to help customers will also provide additional security.

D) Especially with handmade jewelry your customers always appreciate extra information so be knowledgable on each product line you carry. Some wholesale jewelry suppliers will go that extra mile and supply literature regarding their products, cards or flyers, explaining how they make their unique handcrafted jewelry. This gives each purchase a personal touch and a connection with the artisans who have made the jewelry.

Handmade Jewelry displays are well worth the investment and your store will benefit from greatly increased sales. Your customers will appreciate the wider selection of designs and styles to fit everyones tastes and budget. In these days of financial crisis it is important to offer your customers unique products of lasting quality and value.

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Wholesale Jewelry and Gift Shows-Buyers Tips

January 7, 2009 at 12:15 pm · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Unique handmade bracelet watches-Wholesale handcrafted jewelry-Butterfly jewelry

Unique handmade bracelet watches-Wholesale handcrafted jewelry-Butterfly jewelry

Well, it’s that time of year again, the wholesale jewelry and gift shows for 2009 are underway! Is it just me or did 2008 go by exceptionally fast? It seems as though we just started preparing for the new season and now it’s here. Our wholesale show preparations are finished, new designs and lines of our unique handcrafted jewelry are now available for review. For Buyers the preparations are just beginning. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your buying season:

1. Review your sales records for last year. This will give you a good idea of what sells and what hasn’t sold well in your area. Sometimes this review will surprise you.

2. Eliminate slow sellers, discount them and sell through remaining stock to make room for new products.

3. Go through the buyers guides for the wholesale jewelry and gift shows that you will be attending. Mark your suppliers booths on the show map to ensure you place your orders with your existing suppliers. Some shows have expanded recently, the CGTA show in Toronto for example, alot of your suppliers have moved into larger booths because of the expansion of the Toronto Congress Centre, make sure you know where they are so you don’t miss out on seeing their new products for 2009.

4. Make a budget and stick to it! Make allowances for new products from existing suppliers and well as new suppliers’ minimum order requirements. Leave yourself room for some last minute additions.

5. Research new products online. Go through the buyers’ guide and visit the websites of suppliers you are interested in. You can find out about their products and services, minimum orders, shipping costs, etc. without walking that extra mile to see their booth.

6. Make a list of questions for suppliers. During the hustle and bustle of shows important questions sometimes get overlooked.

7. Take advantage of “Show Specials”. Many suppliers will offer free shipping or free point of purchase displays. Displays, especially for handmade jewelry, will greatly increase your sales. Most of our customers who have taken advantage of our jewelry display packages have seen significant increases in sales of our handcrafted jewelry, some 200-300% increases.

8. Make sure to offer your customers a variety of unique gift ideas. Focus on your best selling price points, but also offer some high-end as well as low-end alternatives.

9. Keep in mind your customers! If you are a local retailer you will want to freshen up your existing lines for your existing customer base. If you are in a resort or tourist centre you can stick will proven sellers as your customers are always changing.

10. Wear comfortable shoes!

Making the right preparations will ensure your buying success. Research is key, these days everyone is online and trying to provide you all the information you need to make the correct buying decisions for your stores. We hope these tips will help you with your Wholesale Jewelry and Gift Show preparations.

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Handmade Jewelry Photography Tips

November 3, 2008 at 12:17 pm · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, online marketing, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Earrings-Animal Jewelry
Handmade Jewelry-Handmade Earrings-Animal Jewelry

I personally think that taking good photos is more difficult than making our handmade jewelry! Everything has to be perfect to do justice to your handcrafted artisan jewelry. A picture is worth a thousand words if you’re a writer; a picture is priceless if you are trying to market your jewelry and unique gifts online!

Handmade jewelry photography is too important to leave to chance. Waiting for the sun to be exactly right is okay if you don’t have anything better to do but time is money and both are in short supply! Actually most of our pictures have been taken in the wee hours of the morning, once you get everything right it’s like you just can’t stop! If you are serious about taking great pictures you need a studio set-up. It’s not difficult and not too expensive considering the online marketing advantages.

We made our own light tent by making a cube and covering it with white rip-stop nylon fabric, cost about $20 to make. Let me know if you need instructions. We use  three 5200′K spotlights (daylight) about $35 each. We use studio stands (kinda costly) but swing arm lamps work too, just less adjustable. We bought a professional digital camera with a great macro lens, it hooks up directly to the computer and you just press enter so no shaky out of focus shots. The photos come up on the monitor so you can adjust the coloring, etc. You just set up the first item getting it just right, then replace it with the next item so photo shoots go quickly. Touch ups are at a minimum if the photos are taken well. There will always be those really shiny pieces that when zoomed in at 5000 times the actual size you will see yourself taking the picture. Smudging tools work well in those cases!

Take your time to learn about your camera and all the features, it will make your life much easier. Experiment with background colors but we have found that nothing shows our handmade jewelry as well as a white background. Make sure your designs stand out emphasizing the unique features of each piece. It is all about experimenting and finding the perfect settings for each photograph.

This maybe is extreme for someone just starting out but we have been making handcrafted jewelry and unique gifts for over 23 years and we have over 3,000 items! Photos are extremely important especially when marketing online and well worth the investment.

If you have any special tips or tricks that help to take great photos, I’d love to hear from you! We all need all the help we can get!

Best of Luck to everyone in their handmade jewelry business, Jenn

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Handmade Jewelry by Copper Reflections

October 23, 2008 at 11:21 am · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

The artisans of copperreflections.com have been making handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas since 1985. Inspired by the beauty of wildlife, nature and Native Peoples of North America, each piece is carefully designed and handcrafted especially for you. Our designs are silver plated and diamond cut on copper handcrafted jewelry and unique gift ideas. To see our unique handcrafted artisan jewelry please visit our website: http://www.copperreflections.com

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Handmade Jewelry Online Marketing Requires Patience

October 15, 2008 at 11:01 am · Filed under fashion jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Handmade Jewelry-Handcrafted Stud Earrings-Butterfly Jewelry

Handmade Jewelry-Handcrafted Stud Earrings-Butterfly Jewelry

Despite what all the so-called internet gurus say, internet marketing is not as easy as collecting money while you sleep, well at least not for us! No, we did not wake up today to piles of money being deposited into our personal bank accounts. Not yesterday, not today and probably not tomorrow! But that dream is still there and we continue to work on it hoping that someday all our hard work will pay off, big time!

Getting top ranking in the search engines will drive targeted customers to your website, some days it seems more difficult than others. One day your site is climbing steadily up the ladder of success and the next day you’re gone, vanished without a trace. It can be frustrating to say the least. But keep at it , change the things you need to change and hopefully it won’t be long before your website is climbing again. Patience is a necessary virtue to market handmade jewelry online.

Until then we’ll continue to do what we have always done, sell handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas. I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t quit your day job quite yet. A lot of people get fed up with their life and want to start something new. One of the easiest looking things to do seems to be working at home on an internet business. Looks can be deceiving and frustrating, very frustrating. The list of things to do never stops with an online business and it takes a long time to establish that internet empire. If we didn’t have an existing business we would have been broke a while ago.

The only ones making money on the internet seem to be people telling you how easy it is to make a million dollars online. So how come they don’t have a page rank? For instance we got an estimate from an SEO company, $4,000 for optimization and $500 monthly maintenance for a year, guaranteed #1 ranking. We have a better page rank then they do! Maybe they should optimize their own site first and then give us a call!

There are so many scams that it becomes frustrating trying to do an honest business online. When all is said and done, it seems the only thing left to do is put ads on your site and make a little money to pay a few bills. That really wasn’t the plan we had in mind. We have worked hard to get traffic to our site to sell our handmade jewelry and unique gifts; we don’t want people clicking off our page to some other jewelry supplier. We want visitors to our site to become our customers. We have a 90% re-order rate with our wholesale jewelry and gifts. We are not ready to sell out to ads quite yet.

Perseverance is a virtue and today I’m feeling virtuous (that doesn’t happen all that often!). I’m not ready to jump at that dangling carrot, I’m going to stick with it and keep doing whatever needs to be done to get quality customers to our site. I’m not going to give in to the lure of easy money. If we made a successful business offline, we are sure to be able to make a successful business online.

We initially went online so we didn’t have to print an 80 page catalog, the expense was killing us as we are constantly adding new products and handmade jewelry lines and revising items to make them sell faster. The website is so easy to keep up to date. We have saved a lot of money, quite a few trees and made it easier for our customers to order. Our website has done its job.

Our main source of targeted customers comes from Wholesale Jewelry and Gift Shows, but more and more we are getting inquiries from around the world because of our website. It takes a lot of time and SEO work to get the targeted traffic so don’t waste your efforts on the wrong keywords and phrases. Do your homework and you’ll get lasting results!

The effort you put into your website shows to your customers and the search engines as well. Approach it like a “real world” business and you will do well.

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Handmade Jewelry Business-Tips for Taxes!

September 10, 2008 at 1:19 pm · Filed under handcrafted jewelry, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

 

When starting out in the handmade jewelry business or any business for that matter, look to the future by making sure to dot your i’s and cross all your t’s. There is no business that is immune to taxes so make sure all your books are in order from the start.

The best way to ensure that all the tax rules and regulations are being followed is to get your business a chartered accountant. They are more knowledgeable on tax matters and the required government paperwork. Although chartered accountants can be quite expensive it is an investment in a happy future.

Purchase a business accounting program. Everything may be easy to keep track of now but when your business grows it is too easy to forget important dates and information. We used to spend many hours every month trying to input invoices and amounts. With accounting programs everything is kept up to date and reminders such as due dates just pop up in front of you. This is a time saver and well worth the small investment.

Get a bookkeeper! Right from the start is much easier as there won’t be a backlog of transactions to input. Make sure to go with the accounting program that your bookkeeper is familiar with, just to lessen any learning curve. Everything will be input in the proper account and all bills and receipts will be reconciled at the end of every month.

Make sure your accounting is up to date. Make all payments and returns ready early, missed payments or late payments are red flags to the tax people. They see these as your inability to keep track of important information. If the tax people are continually seeing your business name next to red flags it won’t be long before they pay you a visit. No one is ever happy to see them at their door.

The tax people are becoming more diligent in tracking down home-based small business. Sometimes I think we all have a big bull’s eye on our forehead. It seems everyone you talk to has had a run in with the government, though few readily admit it. It feels like it’s only a matter of time. Make sure you are ready, better safe than sorry.

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