Rose of Sharon Jewelry

The “creative title” you give yourself tells a story. Words set an image and affect how potential customers approach you. When introducing yourself, how do you describe yourself and your  creative work? Do you say you’re a busy Mom trying to earn some extra money, a Artisan with original work, a single gal with expensive hobbies or a devoted Grandma who does some crafting to keep busy?

How you present yourself tells people how you value what you do. Earning money from your talents is an honorable career. Don’t undermine your image by diluting your work story with “poor me” talk – I’m just trying to make some extra money, I need to pay for my hobbies, etc. By definition, if you are selling your creative work – then you are a professional. And you do not have to have formal training!

For example, people often mistakenly believe Artists are more talented or produce more “important” work than Crafters. In spite of multi-millionaire Martha Stewart working diligently to advance the image of Crafters, many of us still have to “upgrade” our titles.

Professionals have “titles” that have perceived value (notice the word perceived does not mean actual). Unfortunately, that’s the way the world works and if you want to earn money from your art/craft/creative work, you need to be sure you are representing yourself as a valuable, creative talent.

For many years during my early writing career, I never told people I was a writer. I was just a Mom, a wife and freelancer. A wise Life Coach made me introduce myself every morning to my bathroom mirror. I’m a professional writer who specializes in….

She also made me carry my business cards everywhere and to assertively introduce myself to as many people as I could for 2 weeks. That was a hard task for me! It made my knees shake every time. BUT, at the end of the 2 weeks – I knew I was a professional writer and published author.

So when I launched Rose of Sharon Jewelry, I proudly announced to everyone that I am a professional Jewelry Artist. I’m not a Grandma stringing necklaces, a wife making money on the side or a woman hoping to pay for her bead addiction – I’m an ARTIST!

So this week, rework your story, update your Twitter, blog, Facebook or MySpace profile to reflect your position within the creative world. Announce proudly, who you are (not who you are in relationship to others). Put it on your business cards and get out there and tell everyone!

 

Good Luck!

 

P.S. Never be embarrassed that you want to be paid for your work! What you do has value beyond money but money is a good start. LOL

This evening I've been busy joining a variety of handmade communities online. This gives me an opportunity to promote Rose of Sharon Jewelry, A.F.F. Jewelry and New Life Jewelry Art to people who appreciate the creativity, uniqueness and economic power of buying handmade.

There are lots of places to promote your handmade jewelry business online and even more communities that cover anything you might hand make.

You'll find us on PlumDrop now (see the box in the right column), JewelryGeeks and Buyhand.me. I just love sharing the photos I took recently - cannot just let those little digital images go stale in my laptop!

Here is a lovely Violetta by Sandra Lee. It will be in the store next week.If you cannot wait, drop me a line to reserve.

Recently I posted a reply in a jewelry business forum about selling handmade jewelry to a hair salon. I think this is a tough one for many new jewelry artists so I thought I'd reprint it for my blog readers.

The question was "What do I need to know before meeting with a salon owner to sell my jewelry?"

Most venues will want you to place your jewelry on consignment. It would be unusual to have them purchase anything out right but that is the best case scenario for you, the artist. Under a consignment agreement, you typically take the majority of the risk in hopes of selling someone. How your jewelry is displayed and cared for is typically out of control.

Be prepared for the consignment talk before you go. That means have a consignment agreement with you that outlines what you want to have done. Many stores will insist on using their own agreement which you must review before signing. Google "jewelry consignment" and you'll find sample agreements. Remember these are contracts but often the consignee (store) is pretty lax about honoring them.

In today's economy, it can be risky leaving your jewelry with someone who might not be in business tomorrow. I have heard stories of businesses closing with no warning and you never get your products back. Consider the store's longevity and community reputation before signing an agreement.

Don't want to scare you just want you to be prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly! Hopefully all will be good for you.

With that  said, don't mention consignment unless asked. Better to approach it as a sale and then adjust your "sales pitch" on the fly. Build in incentives for the shop to buy as opposed to just getting a cut when the item is sold as with consignment.

The most important advice anyone ever gave me is DO NOT UNDERVALUE YOURSELF and YOUR JEWELRY.

The economy may be tough but don't work for nothing. No one else does so why should artists. It amazes me that so many jewelry designers price their products so low. I know the cost of material even at large volume wholesale and I certainly don't want to make less than I deserve for my efforts.

Hope these tips help someone new to the handmade jewelry biz. Now I want to hear from you.

How do you approach salons, boutiques and other fashion-oriented venues to sell and/or consign your handmade jewelry? Tell us your successes and stories.