How To Start A Jewelry Business 15 Steps With Pictures

Vision and mission: what you want to achieve with your business. Products and activities: the kind of jewelry you will sell and any other activities you will participate in (such as teaching or bespoke commissions). Customers: types of people you hope will buy your jewelry. Customer Service: how you will reach and interact with your potential customers (such as email, social media, or a physical storefront). Suppliers and Resources: everywhere you will get your supplies, including labor. Income Sources: how your business will bring in money (jewelry sales, workshops, or commissions, for example). Pricing and Cost Structure: how you will determine prices for your jewelry and what types of payment you will accept. Brand and Visuals: key elements of your brand and how you will represent yourself visually in marketing materials and online. Marketing: how you will get the word out about your business. Team: everyone involved in the business and what their roles will be.

To ensure your business name is not already taken by others, run a quick search to see if the website name is still available. You can also check with the Patent and Trademark Office, your local government, or an attorney, who can conduct a name search for you. [4] X Research source Many successful designers incorporate their own names into the titles of their jewelry businesses.

When registering your business, be sure to clarify what records you’ll be required to keep going forward. You don’t want to be stuck with the wrong data when it comes time to file your taxes. [6] X Research source

For example, if you want to use high-priced gemstones in your work, you’ll need to sell your pieces for a higher cost in order to make a profit. This may determine the types of customers you’ll need to target.

Whether you’re an experienced crafter or entirely new to jewelry-making, you can refine your skills through YouTube tutorials, instructional books, and websites. You can also search online to see what in-person courses may be available in your area at local schools and craft stores. [9] X Research source

To produce your designs, you can choose to use a simple pencil and sketch pad or invest in design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, Pixlr, Inkscape or DrawPlus. Especially if you’re working with fine jewelry, you might consider jewelry-specific design software like JewelCAD, Matrix, or Rhinojewel. [11] X Research source Local manufacturers can offer simpler communication and faster shipping times, while overseas manufacturers may be able to provide lower costs or more production options. Try searching https://makersrow. com, www. mfg. com, or www. alibaba. com for options. [12] X Research source

When purchasing jewelry wholesale, the price-per-item usually drops if you purchase more pieces. Consider waiting until you can place a large order to increase your profit on each piece of jewelry you sell. [14] X Research source

Speak with friends and family or do a poll on social media to determine what types of jewelry your potential audience is looking for and how they prefer to shop. [16] X Research source If you’ve already sold any pieces of jewelry, ask your customers why they chose to purchase from you.

Typically, retailers will sell jewelry at 1. 5-2. 5 times higher than the cost to produce the piece. So, for example, if it cost you $50 to produce a necklace, you could consider selling it for $75-$125. [19] X Research source

Try searching online and saving images that inspire you to see if any trends emerge. Pinterest, Etsy, and Instagram can be great places to start. If you don’t have a strong vision for your brand at the beginning, you can figure it out as you go. Make or purchase jewelry that what inspires you and then talk to your customers about what attracted them to your work. [21] X Research source

If you have the resources, you can hire a professional designer to create a logo for you. Try searching online for designers through websites like 99Designs. [23] X Research source If you’re on a tighter budget, there are plenty of free online logo makers. Shopify, Logaster, and Canva all offer easy to use logo makers or generators. [24] X Research source

Purchase the domain name for your business through a registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, 1&1 Internet or Dotster. [25] X Research source Based on your budget and design preferences, choose a service to host your website such as Google sites, Wix, Weebly, Intuit, Yahoo, Bluehost, Ruxter, or Squarespace. Many of these web hosts will provide templates for you to create your website. If you want to sell your jewelry through your website, look for a web hosting service that offers built-in ecommerce software, like Shopify, Bigcommerce, Wix, Weebly or Squarespace. If you’re more confident in your web development skills, you can also choose to use self-hosted open source shopping cart software, such as Magento, Word Press with WooCommerce, or Open Cart. [26] X Research source

If you’re not great at photography, hire a professional. Even just a handful of images can provide a strong base for marketing materials. [28] X Research source Be consistent with your product photography and try to use similar backgrounds for all your photos. For backdrops, consider using plain white, wood grain, marble, or slate. Also think about photographing your jewelry on a model to show scale and styling suggestions. [29] X Research source

Instagram is a great platform for visually striking products like jewelry. Start a profile for your business and create posts featuring your most photogenic jewelry. Follow accounts for similar businesses and use hashtags like #jewelry or #instajewelry to attract new eyes. If you have the budget, try reaching your audience through Instagram ads. Facebook is great for staying in touch with customers, posting product photos, and sharing news about your business, like sales or special deals. Encourage your friends, family, and repeat customers to share your posts with their own networks in order to reach new audiences. [30] X Research source