bahamian.beauty: Any ideas about how to start selling the jewellerie I make?
I love semiprecious stones and have always made necklaces and other jewellerie for myself or friends. But recently I’ve started thinking about selling them, because a.) I desperately need another income and b.) people keep asking me where I’ve got my stuff from.
I live on an island, so a lot of tourists come and we also have quite a few people living here who can afford good things. My problem is how to market my jewellerie and how to price it ( I invest between 30 $ and 50 $ a piece). I might be able to do around 20 pieces but than what??? How do I start to sell them? Standing on the street and hustle them is out of the question. Please give me some ideas.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Amishcow
Craft fairs are always good…and have business cards made up so when people ask the p[eople that bought your stuff they can tell them where…word of mouth is great
Ebay – let the market decide how much it is worth.Answer by Katie B
Ask local shop owners if they would be interested in carrying it. Have plenty on hand in case they say yes!Answer by jseah114
Try contacting some tourist shops or boutiques to see if they are willing to carry your jewelry and sell it. They will want to make something on it, so you need to price it accordingly so that you make your profit and the store can make their profit as well.
At first, you might want to offer it on consignment. The store doesn’t buy the jewelry from you, but they display it at their store and if it sells, then they pay you for the jewelry when it sells. If your jewelry sells well, and the store sees that there is a market for it, then they can decided to buy it directly from you (so you get the money right away) and they will in turn sell it.
Answer by CarolynJayne– craft fairs
– start an ebay business
– send photos of your work to major chain stores
– create a brochure of your work and direct mail market it
– word of mouth
in the world of internet there is more then one way to get your business started
and don’t forget
research, research, research
enjoy!Answer by kimberlyjo_3
If you can’t afford shop space yourself, you can try talking to a local shop-owner about using some counter space to sell your jewelry on consignment. This means they let you display your items in their store and you set the price, and then the shop owner can get a small percentage when you sell something to compensate them for their store space.
You can also print business cards that have your contact information. Then when people see you wearing some of your jewelry and ask where you got it, you can give them your card and direct them to the shop if you’re selling on consignment.
A third option is setting up a website, complete with photos of your pieces. Be sure to include the URL on your business card.
As far as pricing, I would aim for a 50% markup, initially, while you see how things sell. If they go quickly, you can look at raising your prices a bit. If they’re not selling, you can consider lowering your price. (Note: NEVER sell an item for less than it costs you to make it.) 50% markup on a piece that costs you $ 30 to make is $ 45. 50% markup on a piece that costs you $ 50 to make is $ 75. In addition to the materials, you should consider how long it takes you to make the jewelry, and your creative effort when setting your prices. You deserve some compensation for those, so don’t feel bad about making a profit.
Answer by deahwestI like your ambition and your desire. You have a product you are passionate about. That is step one.
Look up my friend Patracia Tenegal and her business because they have all the marketing tools you need. Google her name and her business or businesses (I believe it is the latter) and you’ll hopefully find what you need.
I would also look into changing your investing strategry a little bit at first. IF I understand you correctly you only want to invest $ 30-$ 50 at first. I am thinking you’ll need more then that if your going to start selling this jewelry any time soon. You’ll need money for a website outside of yahoo. Also flyers and business cards might help and they also cost a lot of money.
I also so see you have no idea what you’re going to sell this jewelry for. I would go to jewelry merchandisers in your area and see how they grade your work and what it sell for at retail and wholesale shops.
Once you’ve picked your pricing scale and how much you’d like to spend on inventory each month decide if you want to sell monthly thematic jewelry or not. Decide whether necklaces or bracelets would be better to sell at first and then start selling.
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