[Jewelry making - Article 00062] - Re: [Orchid] Truth or dare survey

[Pam East]

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    I'm mostly a supply business now, so maybe I don't qualify to answer
    this survey, but I thought I'd contribute my thoughts anyway.  I've
    been in business since 1997.  I'm very fortunate that I've got a
    spouse who makes a good income, because I wouldn't have survived
    otherwise.  I made less than nothing the first couple of years.  My
    company didn't really take off until I changed the primary focus of
    my business from selling jewelry to selling supplies and teaching. 
    2002 was the first year I significantly contributed to our
    household, but I'm still at a low percentage.  It's getting better
    all the time though. 

    There are certainly a lot of factors that contribute to success or
    failure.  One of the biggest is that you have to treat it like
    business. You have to work in a business like manner.  This may seem
    obvious on the surface, but I can't tell you how many struggling
    jewelry makers I talk to who really haven't got a clue how to run a
    business.  So many are still trying to "make some money with their
    hobby".  That isn't a mind-set that leads to significant income. 
    There's so much more to it than making pretty things and waiting for
    the world to beat a path to your door. 90% of any business is
    marketing.  Fail in that, and no matter how good your work is,
    you're never going to make a living off of it. 

    One organization I highly recommend for anyone just starting out is
    the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE).  It's a volunteer
    organization that works hand and glove with the Small Business
    Administration (SBA).  SCORE provides free counseling for
    individuals starting or running small businesses. They also offer
    free or very low cost seminars on a wide variety of business topics.
     It's an incredible resource for people who are serious about making
    a living from their work.  You can find more information about them
    at http://www.score.org/ 

Pam East
www.pinzart.com
Enamel Bead Making Made Easy!


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