I've been doing what I do in a number of incarnations for going on 30 years. In those 30 years, I have made many mistakes. I don't beat myself up for having made them; as the mistakes were made, I've struggled to break bad thought patterns and habits, and turn things around. Sometimes I am more successful at change than other times.
As I prepare to teach the Build A Line Master Class again this winter, I have been thinking of a short summary of 'big mistakes'. I think I can speak to these errors well, because I'm guilty of all of them. I have MADE these mistakes. I STILL struggle with a few things.
So here's my short list of FIVE big mistakes that artisan jewelry designers tend to make, especially when they are just starting out. See what you think, and if you want to leave me a comment, by all means, do that. If you blog, maybe you will have the next five big mistakes and continue on for me! But these are the ones that stand out the most, at least for me:
1. Going over the top too much.
Artisan jewelry designers are all about the art. They love texture, they love unique materials, they love to make a statement with their work. They WANT their work to be memorable. They want it to resemble the droolworthy photos of big-opus pieces that might make better wall hangings than neck hangings, so to speak.
The photo of me in my old video set, above, is a great example of going over the top. Everyone wants to know about that necklace, when they see that picture. It was from my 'kitchen-sinker' video. What fun it is to make kitchen sink jewelry----in other words, jewelry that has everything on it but the kitchen sink! But how much is practical?
Well....what would I have to charge for that necklace? I'd say at least a couple of hundred dollars. All of the heart pendants are handmade. I stood there, rolled out polymer clay, cut it, textured it and added surface treatment to 14-15 pendants. I baked them, re-drilled holes, and then I arranged them on a triple strand necklace I had to carefully measure, and if you know me, I only use good chain. So there is probably 25.00 worth of chain in that piece, too.
Then that chain went on a mannequin where I spent half the afternoon connecting, arranging, re-arranging, fiddling and fussing with the placement of the hearts and other assorted doofus. When I got done, yeah, it looked pretty good, and it drapes well, as you can see.
And it weighs a ton. Do I wear it? No. Is it for sale? No. I honestly don't think I could get enough for it. How many newer or even established artisan designers have clientele that will pay 200.00 up for one piece? Some do.....but the vast majority of us do not.
Tell you what. That necklace should be taken apart and made into 14-15 separate necklaces on less-expensive (but nice) chain, accompanied with a few little ornaments/charms to make them pop, and sold for 29.95-35.00 each. Let's do the math on that one: if I did that, was able to sell them all, and priced them at 29.95 each, I'd make 449.25. That's over twice what I think I would have to get for this one necklace.
This doesn't mean you should never do over-the-top pieces. They are GREAT window dressing for shows or even your online shops. People love to see them. They may make sales for you via people stopping to look and then having a look at all your other more practically-priced lovelies. They have their place and isn't that grand? Because we all love to make them, and we still can. There really is a need to scale back on the big statement pieces, though. Break it down to what people will really buy, and can afford.
Having said that, it leads us to the next mistake....
2. Having no concept of the customer. Being artists we love to go off on our own artistic tangent and do as we please, use the colors we like, go where we want to go with the piece. And you CAN, sometimes. You NEED to do that for your own soul. But: if you intend to make any money and gain clientele as an artisan jewelry designer, you can't do that all the time. You MUST think of your customer.
So who IS your customer? Who IS it that buys your work? Who do you WANT to buy your work? What do you think your customers would like to buy from you?
You might think, well, I want to play to very wealthy ladies who have everything and will pay me to do whatever I want. Well, okey dokey!! Don't we all? Being very honest with ourselves, though, we'll quickly realize that it is the masses who will pay your show rent and keep you in business as an artist. They do not have unlimited funds. They are probably not quite comfortable wearing things that are too busy. So, the trick is to find that balance between who you are as an artist, and who your customer is.
I had a ball making that big floral necklace and it went together easily for me. It was a custom commission as a mother of the bride piece. The customer went nuts over it and paid me well. But I don't imagine for a minute that she wore those huge earrings or this heavy necklace all night. It probably made a fantastic entrance, though.
If I was to do it again, I would do ONE of those sections, less fussy, on 18-20 inch chain accented with a few beads and accompanied by a pair of drop ears. I could probably make it in 30 minutes and use far less product, and I think I could get 45.00 for it. And I could make more than one, which would mean a number of people could enjoy this pretty look. That's called 'artistic generosity', reaching out to please and play to more than one customer. Find a way to do your thing and still make people happy and your work affordable.
It's just smart business. And you do have to be a business person besides being an artist. Which takes me to number 3.....
3. Ignoring the Pyramid of Sales
How can you ignore it, though, if you never knew about it?
Okay, I'll give you that, maybe you didn't know about it. But now you do, and here is a great visual for you.
You will notice that the bottom layer, or tier, of the pyramid, is 25.00 or less. This is your FOUNDATION. This is where you have something for everyone. I have often suggested to those who do sales that they have a rack of 5.00 earrings. Some balk at that, they say they don't want to play to the 'cheap market'.
Yet, having such things is SMART. It's not that people are cheap. They have stopped at your show booth or website because they love your look. They hang around because they are intrigued. The fact is, they just don't have the money to buy the big pieces. Maybe it is gifting time and they have a bunch of people to buy for. GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. With the purchase of a bunch of 5-10.00 pieces, hand them some extra business cards. Be kind, be obliging, THANK THEM for shopping with you. Money is hard to come by for MANY. And here, look at that! They just spent what they had with YOU. What a grateful heart you should have, thinking of it that way is humbling!
You can create a lot of goodwill by having as much as you can in that lower tier. Make a special section for it, because you DO want to showcase your better pieces as well. At the same time, though, be sure to have something for everyone. This can be the difference between having a successful show, or an unsuccessful show or selling season.
I hope you will spend some time with that pricing infographic and adapt it to your art, and see what you come up with. We discuss it at length in the Build a Line Class, which will start again in January 2018.
4. Not counting the cost properly.
It's a sticky wicket, costing. So many of us begin not costing out and pricing our work effectively. It's something we have got to get a grip on.
You need to be able to sell at a profit, but also at a practical price. Many fail to figure in the cost of every aspect of what it took to create their jewelry, down to the last jump ring and a little bit for the cost of the electricity in your work space as well. They don't often think of the cost of packaging and branding materials; these, too, must be figured into the cost of a piece. You've got to take a careful look at this or you won't be making enough money to keep going.
There are many pricing formulas that you can Google and consider. Find the one that works best for you and don't be afraid to jiggle it a bit. You must work as hard not to price your stuff too high, as not price it too low.
And finally.....
5. Not having an organized work space.
This is a shot of one of the many incarnations of my workspace, from about 7 years back when I began to shoot instructional videos for my You Tube channel. It has evolved greatly over the years, and my guess is that yours will, too.
If you want to take yourself seriously and get something done as an artisan designer, you need a dedicated work area and there needs to be some organization to it. It's okay if it gets messy sometimes. The photo above was when it was all cleaned up for a video. Normally that space looked like this:
I think organized chaos is okay, so long as you have a basic idea of where you can grab this or that when you need it, instead of wasting precious creative time, searching for things.
I have the best creative space I have ever had so far, now:
I have more work surfaces than ever in my space, I can make messes everywhere! But I have a place for everything and a basic idea of where I might find it. I can get everything out and have it at my fingertips before I even get started. My biggest error when I create a new work space is being practical rather than trying to decorate the space. It's good to have fun and personal stuff in your space as well as things for inspiration, but there are things here in this last picture that had to go, like the dolls. I moved them to another spot, as that surface along there is a major mess-making place.
These pix were taken just after we moved back from the shop we had had, downtown. Now I have carpet on the floor and more rubber matting. There is also way more stuff in here, and it is truly my happy place. Everything I need to make mixed media jewelry is down there. I don't have expensive tools; I have only basic stuff. That's all I need.
Many are working in much smaller spaces than this, and some are working in fantastic renovated barns and even little sheds and buildings created just for their art. Small or large doesn't matter at all for jewelry making. The main thing is that you are able to work efficiently. If your space is poorly organized and you cannot find anything, result will not be creativity, but confusion and disappointment. We all only have just so much time to spend doing this, so we must make the best of it. Even if you have the privilege of being a full time jewelry maker, you still have to quit at a decent time to eat well, get enough rest, and live a balanced life.
You know, that last statement could really be a number 6. That is the one I still struggle with most of all.
Living a balanced life, eating right, getting exercise, and getting my rest is something that has always been hard for me. It's so easy to become so immersed in what you do that you neglect your health, and sadly, sometimes even friends and family. If you take a good look at your life as an artisan designer and find that you are being neglectful of these basic, very important things....resolve today to find a way to straighten that out as soon as possible.
Focus is a good thing, obsession is not. Do your best to find balance, and you will find you are not only a better artisan designer, but you will be living an artful, generous life.
(If you would like to join us for the 2018 Build A Line class from B'sue Boutiques, you will find basic information here: Build a Line Class Syllabus This is last year's syllabus so those are 2017 dates. A few other things have changed to make the class simpler; for example, we are posting our lines at Pinterest rather than blogging as a class. Also, you can join me in my work shop by watching my free instructional videos at You Tube: B'sue Boutiques Channel )
An interesting read and so much matches my thinking. Not the I always follow that but to me 3 component is about the limit in my work that has sold. Earrings are my best seller at 18 and 28.00.
Good to read all this thanks.
Posted by: Harry Wood | October 21, 2017 at 04:33 PM
Thank you so much for your input, Harry Wood ;-)
Posted by: Brenda | October 21, 2017 at 05:11 PM
Wow--this is a great post! I took and loved the Build a Line Challenge Class and will always be grateful for what I learned, and to know Brenda and all the wonderful beaders. This really sums up the 5 mistakes well--even tho I know them, I don't always do them! I really needed a reminder, esp. since I'll be doing a couple of shows. I love Brenda for her great heart and generosity! And I've spent a lot at Bsue Boutiques! Since I changed into charm things, my best sellers are also earrings and bangles or charm bracelets in the $12-38 range. I am needing to do more of #2 and #4! Thank you Brenda for all this and more! <3<3<3
Posted by: Alexandra Sefton | October 21, 2017 at 09:57 PM
Wonderful information, thank you. Complicated stuff made understandable. Peace💜
Posted by: Diane Lee | October 21, 2017 at 11:40 PM
I don't think you can overestimate the importance of point #5. After a period of intense overwork, my office/studio is a shambles, and I can't even begin to think of doing any creative work until it is tidied up.
Posted by: Carole Carlson | October 22, 2017 at 09:32 AM
I enjoyed reading this post, the points you have made are so useful I have taken them onboard and will give more thought to where exactly I am going when I start back up again, thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Jackie Ryan | October 22, 2017 at 11:14 AM
What a treat it was to look at what I had written yesterday and see all your positive comments. Sometimes when I blog I wonder if anyone reads the post! I guess I picked a good topic. I am so happy to know that you all find it helpful. For me, it's not all about selling supplies....I also want to share and encourage. Maybe I got that right this time. Thanks again for taking time to comment.
Posted by: Brenda | October 22, 2017 at 03:46 PM
Thank you so much! This was very helpful and gave me important things to think about. I have learned so much from you and your YouTube videos and you made it so delightful and fun. Thanks! I've had such difficulty with pricing, getting conflicting advice from friends and family and tutorials out there. Thanks again...it's great to hear from the voice of experience.
Posted by: Joyce Bailey | October 22, 2017 at 05:31 PM
I learned so much from Brenda through the years and the BALC class was the foundation for my jewelry business. Brenda is a wonderful teacher and I love how she is so willing to share with her students. Thank you so much, Brenda, for this post and for everything you do?
Posted by: Chris | October 23, 2017 at 05:00 AM
I love this post, Brenda. I did very little creating these past 10 months or so, and am back at it, so these reminders are timely. While I did very well with large assemblage necklaces a few years ago, they no longer seem to sell, so I'm no longer making them. I do really well with pieces in the $50-range. The $25 and under goes quickly at this time of year. Sometimes my challenge for the less expensive pieces is to be sure the piece has "my voice."
Posted by: Valerie | October 25, 2017 at 07:44 AM
Really like your stuff. This really helped me to add things into my jewelry business.
Posted by: Carolyn | May 26, 2021 at 09:02 AM