Conquering The Creative Marketplace (ePub)

How dreams are made
between the fickleness of business
and the pursuit of jewelry design

This guidebook is a must-have for anyone serious about making money selling jewelry. I focus on straightforward, workable strategies for integrating business practices with the creative design process. These strategies make balancing your creative self with your productive self easier and more fluid.

Based both on the creation and development of my own jewelry design business, as well as teaching countless students over the past 35+ years about business and craft, I address what should be some of your key concerns and uncertainties. I help you plan your road map.

Whether you are a hobbyist or a self-supporting business, success as a jewelry designer involves many things to think about, know and do. I share with you the kinds of things it takes to start your own jewelry business, run it, anticipate risks and rewards, and lead it to a level of success you feel is right for you, including

Getting Started: Naming business, identifying resources, protecting intellectual property

Financial Management: basic accounting, break even analysis, understanding risk-reward-return on investment, inventory management

Product Development: identifying target market, specifying product attributes, developing jewelry line, production, distribution, pricing, launching

Marketing, Promoting, Branding: competitor analysis, developing message, establishing emotional connections to your products, social media marketing

Selling: linking product to buyer among many venues, such as store, department store, online, trunk show, home show, trade show, sales reps and showrooms, catalogs, TV shopping, galleries, advertising, cold calling, making the pitch

Resiliency: building business, professional and psychological resiliency

Professional Responsibilities: preparing artist statement, portfolio, look book, resume, biographical sketch, profile, FAQ, self-care