Ok, so in my last post (waaay back in November) I said jewellery making is my hobby. Well, it still is, but it’s going to be a bit more than that – I decided a few weeks ago to start selling my pieces online. I’m not so keen on the craft fair circuit as I like to be at home, and I still have the garden design business to run. So I joined the FOLKSY website to give it a go and see how I get on.
There’s loads of things I need to think about while I’m setting off on this new adventure: style (do I need one?) ; pricing (how much is too much – or too little?); selling (who are my customers?); time (shall I allocate specific days to make?); website (should I have one of my own or not?) packaging (so much to choose from!).
I know the business side of it like HMRC returns, insurance, presentation etc. but I also need to think about the creative and practical side of The Reluctant Gem.
I went out for dinner with some professional friends last night, and one asked about a particular gemstone featured on my Facebook page. I haven’t put it up for sale yet so I hadn’t decided on a price, but it would be in the region of £45. ‘Is that ALL?!!’, he said, somewhat taken aback. Here’s my dilemma (and I’ve touched on this before) – one person will happily pay for what I think is a good price, while others would not pay anywhere near it. Now I’m thinking it’s priced too low and he’ll think it’s cheap so won’t want it as a gift for someone. Which brings me back to one of my questions – who are my customers? I’ll have to make a decision soon!
The Reluctant Gem 