Archive for home-based business
September 1, 2009 at 8:15 am
· Filed under handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged business, copper jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted unique jewelry, handmade jewelry wholesalers, jewelry distributors, success tips, tips to succeed
Handmade bracelets, unique bracelets, handcrafted bracelets, wholesale bracelets
We have been making and selling our handmade jewelry for almost 25 years and would not trade our lifestyle for any other. The handmade jewelry business is a very rewarding way of life. Everyone has a different measure for success. There are some secrets to being truly successful. Whether you are looking for a creative outlet, happiness or money, the handmade jewelry and wholesale jewelry business may be your answer to all of the above.
We have been working hard building our handmade jewelry and wholesale jewelry business with our children on our laps. Because we have always had a home-based business, we haven’t missed a minute of our children’s lives and it makes me feel good as a parent. Hopefully we have been good role models and have shaped their characters to succeed in not only business but life in general. Seeing us working hard and succeeding in our business will greatly influence the way our children look at life.
Above everything else, I love creating handmade jewelry. There is a great source of satisfaction when you create a beautiful design and bring it to life. Customers always comment on our new designs and styles and it has always been a huge encouragement to create even more unique jewelry designs of handmade earrings and handmade bracelets.
Honestly, the money has been great. There has never been a moment when we have worried about money. Before I met my husband and began to work with him in the handmade jewelry business, I had quite a few miserable jobs with miserable pay and was well quite miserable. The handmade jewelry business, not to mention my husband, filled my life with purpose and happiness. I could never have imagined living the life we live.
We are living all our dreams thanks to the handmade jewelry and wholesale jewelry business. We believe that anything is possible with hard work and creativity. Hopefully this will encourage you to take control of your life and begin to live the life you dream of living, success in the handcrafted jewelry business is waiting for you!
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August 28, 2009 at 12:07 pm
· 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 business, copper jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, handmade jewelry wholesalers, small business, success tips, tips to succeed, wholesale jewelry suppliers
Handmade bracelets, handcrafted jewelry, unique hummingbird jewelry bracelets
We know how to achieve success in the handmade jewelry business and believe that you can achieve your goals as well. Success in a home based business is a dream that many people share, but it’s not all fun and games. Do you want to do what you want, when you want? Then, you need a big inheritance from a rich relative!
Making a business a success takes a lot of hard work and determination above all else. You will be doing all that you can, as much as you can. Success is everything you ever wanted, but it can be frustrating. You must be determined and push yourself above and beyond all your competitors.
Working from home has many benefits especially if you have small children. You can be with them and build your handmade jewelry or wholesale jewelry business gradually. You will not have the extra expenses that are involved in a renting a separate work location. Best of all you will be working in the comfort of your own home when it is more convenient for you.
The handmade jewelry business is very competitive but also very rewarding. To succeed you must be more creative to make the most unique handcrafted jewelry than your competition. You must offer better customer service than the others. Having a good relationship with customers will help your business succeed. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful advertisements for your business.
Home based businesses are the easiest and often the most profitable. Handmade jewelry can be ones of the most creative crafts which requires few tools and start up costs. With a little imagination and some hard but enjoyable work you will be able to succeed in the handmade jewelry business.
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August 15, 2009 at 11:15 am
· Filed under handcrafted jewelry, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, online marketing, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged handcrafted artisan jewelry, copper jewelry, unique gift ideas, wholesale trendy jewelry, business, wholesale jewelry suppliers
Handmade Bracelets, Handcrafted Jewelry, Cat Jewelry Bracelets
There are so many ways to sell Copper Reflections handcrafted artisan jewelry with a good profit as the jewelry looks more expensive than they actually cost. Selling these unique jewelry pieces at craft shows, art and craft fairs could be one of the ways to sell. Tony, his wife and brother were selling their handmade jewelry at craft shows when they first started their business 1985 and they were very successful. Their handmade jewelry creations have been tested at trade shows for a very long time and they all sell well. Doing craft shows had been a great learning experience for them to know what retail jewelry customers are looking for. Their handmade unique gifts and jewelry could be one of the best crafts to sell at art festivals, craft shows, trunk shows and home parties.
Many people have been selling Copper Reflections wholesale jewelry at their retail gift shops, gift stores, trading posts. Especially the gift stores that focus on more unique handcrafted jewelry and handmade gifts have done very well. These store owners also put Copper Reflections jewelry and gifts in their websites or sell at Artfire, Etsy or E-bay. Some of the customers sell through their catalogue mail order business as well as retailing at their craft stores.
Some of Copper Reflections wholesale jewelry customers sell these beautiful artisan crafted jewelry pieces at pow-wows. There are so many good pow-wows organized by the Native American communities that you can sell Native American jewelry and Native American Indian themed handmade gifts. Copper Reflections has many unique jewelry and unique gifts with Native Indian designs that many customers have sold very well.
Copper Reflections always made their wholesale jewelry and gift customers happy with their quality of their unique jewelry, prices and the friendly customer services. Most of their customers became their friends as they have been working together for a long time. This is what one of Copper Reflections customers said, “We have carried Tony’s items for years and even though we are a very small town and thought that we’d saturated the market with his items years ago, we still find they’re very popular. I think that’s a great testament to Tony’s creativity! Thanks, Hazel”
At Copper Reflections, with our jewelry designs and our artisan handcrafted jewelry, we have been aware of the importance of high quality, reasonable wholesale jewelry prices and the most unique jewelry. You would know that when all these conditions are realized in real life the business becomes success. This, of course, goes for all kinds of business, not only handmade jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, artisan handmade jewelry business. They should always give the exclusive rights to our wholesale jewelry customers for especially small town gift shops. This has always worked well for us, as handmade jewelry suppliers as well as the gift store owners.
Copper Reflections is your best source when it comes to handmade jewelry, bracelets and earrings. Copper Reflections artisans have specialized in handmade jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, unique jewelry and wholesale jewelry since 1985. Vast selections of handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, unique rings, handcrafted necklaces, lockets, brooches.
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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, handcrafted jewelry, wholesale jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, copper jewelry, handmade earrings, handmade bracelets, unique gift ideas, unique jewelry, small business
- 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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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 copper jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handcrafted necklaces, handmade bracelets, handmade earrings, handmade jewelry, unique gift ideas, unique handcrafted jewelry, unique handmade jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, wholesale jewelry
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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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 jewelry, wholesale jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, copper jewelry, handmade earrings, handmade bracelets, fashion jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, unique 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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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 articles, blogs, business, copper jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade jewelry, online marketing, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry
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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August 21, 2008 at 12:17 pm
· Filed under handcrafted jewelry, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, home-based business, small business, unique jewelry, wholesale jewelry ·Tagged handcrafted artisan jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, handmade jewelry, handmade jewelry business, wholesale handmade jewelry, wholesale jewelry
wholesale handmade jewelry-handcrafted barrettes-butterfly jewelry
If you have a retail store or boutique these days you have to stand out from the crowd. With so many products available, providing handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas for your customers makes your store stand out and people take notice. Variety is the key to great sales. Provide your customers a wide range of styles, shapes, colors and prices. Offer a choice of materials; stones, beads, shells, resins and metals. You will find that casual sales become repeat customers if you select a great variety of unique handcrafted jewelry and gifts that will suit everyones personal style! Aim to give your customers an unique shopping experience, unusual high quality products and excellent personal service.
Where do you find suppliers for wholesale handmade jewelry and gifts? You have lots of choices but obviously the easiest and fastest way would be online. Just Google or Yahoo! search “wholesale handmade jewelry” to find suppliers for your store, can’t get much easier than that! You can also search “handmade jewelry directories”, most web directories even have a separate section for unique handmade jewelry. You can search anywhere, anytime; whenever it is convenient for you. Today you can find everything you need online without all the expenses of attending the traditional Wholesale Jewelry and Gift Shows. Everyone has a contact us page so you can ask any questions you may have if its not already in the FAQ. Online companies try to give you as much information about their products as they can. This is hard to absorb in the hustle and bustle of shows but comes naturally when you are relaxed and interested in the product. You will know the special features and techniques used to make the handmade jewelry and gifts. This information will help you to sell the products better.
If you are more a hands-on type, wholesale jewelry and gift shows are the next best option. At these shows you will see the actual products but attending these shows can be quite costly, tiring and they are only held at certain times of the year. The wide range of products available might overwhelm first time buyers but you’ll quickly learn how to narrow your search to find the items you want to see. You may just find that you can sell the handcrafted products better when you have made a connection with a real person. Pay attention to how they sell their products to you and you can carry that over to when you are selling their products to your own customers. The better the personal connection with a product, the better your sales will be!
Handcrafted artisan jewelry will attract new customers to your store. Many jewelry artists have a loyal following who will seek you out in order to buy their favorite artists’ jewelry. Look to provide a range of products and prices. People generally look for that extra special piece once in a while; for anniversaries or weddings. Have some outstanding pieces for them and to draw people into your store. More reasonably priced jewelry will sell more often to more people. Pay special attention to what we call the “added value” jewelry – this is handmade jewelry that looks more expensive than it is. This is the impulse buy type of jewelry; who can say no to unique handcrafted jewelry that is affordable and you can wear it every day?
Your goal is to make your customers come back time after time to check out your great selection of handmade jewelry. Whatever the occasion handcrafted jewelry will continue to keep them coming back for more!
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August 13, 2008 at 2:31 pm
· 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 jewelry, unique handmade jewelry, wholesale jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, copper jewelry, handmade earrings, handmade bracelets, unique jewelry, handmade jewelry business
handcrafted jewelry-handmade earrings-wolf jewelry
We have been making handmade copper jewelry and gifts for almost 25 years. We have built our company from the ground up. We started with just a small table on the street, we had a retail store, we have participated in arts and crafts shows in Canada and the United States, exhibited at wholesale jewelry and gift shows and now we are online for the entire world! There is no overnight success in business; you need to build your business step by step on a solid foundation to ensure continued success.
A lot has changed over the years but we still find that the wholesale gift shows are continuing to generate increased sales. Exhibiting at wholesale gift shows is still the best way to get your product noticed. Buyers from all over the country come to the gift shows looking for new products and suppliers. Even if you come away with just sales leads, they are targeted and with a few follow-up calls you will make the sale. You are showing your product to a targeted market that has been established for decades. People go to wholesale gift shows to place orders and see your products first hand. Even the best photos cannot sell your product as well as you can.
Most wholesale buyers still find ordering online intimidating. At wholesale gift shows buyers see the product, touch the product and time and time again they order the product. They feel confident that they will be able to sell your products. The sale becomes more personal in a world that every day becomes more impersonal; there is nothing better than making the sale face to face. Buyers associate your product with you. The relationships that you build at the gift shows will continue for many years. We have found that many of our new customers are referred to us by our existing customers. There is no better compliment.
While online marketing opens the whole world for your wholesale products, it is still very important to have a continued presence at wholesale jewelry and gift shows. The majority of our orders and re-orders come directly from wholesale shows. We continue our online efforts to support our existing customers in Canada and the United States and we are making good progress to attract our targeted market from around the world.
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August 1, 2008 at 12:11 pm
· 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 jewelry, wholesale jewelry, handcrafted artisan jewelry, copper jewelry, handmade earrings, handmade bracelets, fashion jewelry, wholesale fashion jewelry, unique jewelry
Handcrafted jewelry-Unique handmade earrings-Floral jewelry
How do find your inspiration for your handmade jewelry, writing your blog or just plain living? Every one finds inspiration in their own place. We look to nature and the beauty that surrounds us every single day for our handmade jewelry designs. The colors of the sea, the greens of the leaves blowing in the wind, everything around us provides us with inspiration. We have even made earring designs inspired by buildings and architecture. There is no lack of inspiration if you just look around with an open mind. We can all be looking at the same scene but what makes an artist is that we will all see different things and create unique pieces of handcrafted artisan jewelry. I believe this is the most exciting part of the handmade jewelry process. An open mind and observation are the key not only to making jewelry but also living life to its fullest whatever you do for a living.
But what do you do when your pool of creativity seems to have dried up? Creativity is not something that can be pushed or you just get the same old things and it feels like your going in the same circle. It’s time to take a break from your every day life; go for a walk, visit somewhere new, get away from things that cause you stress and do something fun. You’ll be refreshed, inspired and feel a new enthusium for your work. Who knows, you might even have missed it!
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