• Was there ever a point where you said to yourself, “OK, I can definitely do this and I’m going to make PLC my main gig?”
No, never! The life of a small business person is 24/7 and difficult. I only recently cut back my hours at my Day Job (I work for Electronic Arts as the Product Manager for Club Pogo — pogo.com). My Day Job is really great and it was a very difficult decision to take more time for PLC. There were a couple of worries — that I couldn’t make ends meet financially. That I would stop enjoying jewelry making because it was now my main source of income. That I would lose my career credibility now that I was an “artist”.
They may sound like silly fears, but they were very real for me. Numbers don’t lie and the toughest part was realizing that I would have to make sacrifices and live with a little financial insecurity by taking my business to the next level. I guess the question now is if I would ever do jewelry full-time — if I didn’t live in the Bay Area where the cost of living is so enormous, maybe I would!
• It seems like a lot of folks end up making a bunch of different styles of jewelry. In other words, they don’t seem to actually have a coherent style or look that runs through all of their works. Do you feel you have a “style” and if so, how would you describe it? Do you think this is necessary to be successful?
I’ll answer your question in reverse. YES, I think it is really helpful/important to have a “signature style”. It helps identify your look and helps customers relate to you. It is also important for approaching stores and magazines. They want to be able to sum you up in one sentence –
they want to be able to put your work next to another designer’s and it will be two different looks.
The only way your design style will evolve is if you have some focus and build from past learnings. Some distinct styles would be like Robert Lee Morris, David Yurman, Me & Ro. You can recognize any of those pieces just by looking at them.
That said, I don’t think I’ve nailed my own signature style. It definitely is a clean, spare, feminine, asthetic. It is a little quirky and eclectic — which is very me. Again, I’ve built my business a little differently than the traditional path, and have never released a true “line”. I’m releasing new designs all the time! I’m lucky that it has worked for me.
• I think a lot of our readers are interested in some of the “business” aspects of selling handmade jewelry. When you started out did you have anything formal like a business plan? How about funding? Press releases?
Uh…. no. :) No formal business plan, no press releases, all my own funding. I never set out to sell my jewelry. I knew a piece of press was going to come out (via the Buffy connection), so I asked a friend to build a site for me and started from there. I could grow my business slowly and with the pieces I wanted to make. What I did do was take the Buffy connection and turn it into more — I told fan sites about my work and they helped spread the word. It was also a good time to be on the Internet with a great website — at the time my site launched, the spare asthetic and easy navigation was a great asset that helped set my work above the rest (IMHO).
• Speaking of the web… The internet has dramatically increased the viability of small businesses like jewelry making. How important is a website today for someone making jewelry and other crafts? Do you have any tips for jewelry makers who want to increase their presence through the web?
I wouldn’t have my business without my website. It is a very cost-effective way to get your product in front of the public. My tips would be:
1) Build a professional looking website. If you don’t want to be thought of as a hobbyist handicrafter, then your site shouldn’t look that way.
2) You still have to promote it. There is so much competition out there, you have to work hard for people to find your site. Basic tools like adwords and such help, but are hard on a small budget. My best advice would be to find other sites like yours and team up through link exchanges and directory/review sites.
3) Update often. Don’t let your web content get stale. It’s important for your page rankings as well as for keeping your customers coming back. I don’t mean you need new items, but you could have a blog or news section that you keep fresh.
• Did you start off trying to sell at craft/art shows at all, or was it mostly word of mouth?
It was mostly word of mouth. I got plugs for my work on other websites and created a press kit for magazines. I did approach some local Los Angeles stores (Jennifer Kaufman). I was working full-time in Los Angeles and did not even try the craft show scene until I moved to the Bay Area.
• What about consignment in shops and stores… have you found that worthwhile?
Since I don’t work with a sales rep or do wholesale shows, being in the right stores has been key for me. By “right” I mean small boutiques whose owners are easy to work with and allow me to have a more flexible schedule when working with them. They are not huge sources of direct income, but they are great publicity, magazines like to know you are in brick and mortar stores, and it is a great way to make contacts in the fashion industry.
• How important is it to actually “promote” yourself and your work… is it a matter of finding customers or customers finding out about you?
You have to promote yourself. No one will talk about you unless you talk about yourself first! Everyone is always looking for the next new thing, they will forget about you unless you remind them.
I feel very lucky in that I’ve had great relations with the press and with word-of-mouth promotion. Craft shows have been great as well. You can’t work in a vaccumn! You must get your work in front of people!
(Note that I rarely wear my own jewelry — a promotional no-no. Always show off your stuff!)
