Hobbies: Jewelry Home-Business. Experienced knowledge welcome!

[Laveth]

I've been mulling this idea over for years, and I've never been able to do anything with it for a variety of reasons. I still can't, but I figure it can't hurt to get an idea of how to set it all up and what my price points, focus pieces, marketing strategies, office-maintenance and accounting would be all about. I've asked a few friends, I have another I haven't been able to talk to yet because our schedules clash and she's more a friend of my mom's than mine at this point (and if anyone has been viewing my threads, my mom and I don't really have what you'd call a functional relationship).

Anyway. I do a lot of work with sterling silver chain designs, beadwork, and accent pieces. I really want to start a more spirituality-oriented and fantasy styled focus (you know, how you'd accent fairy tale creatures and meditative pendant pieces).

I already have the skills, all the jewelry I own I've made myself and I get a lot of compliments on them. It's something I really enjoy doing, it really de-stresses me and I'd really like to oneday try and get out of this corporate madness that is retail. Frankly, the stress and the money-driven mindset at the expense of customers or my staff is simply depressing. I don't think the home-business idea would pay for all my living expenses, but I'm hoping it could take the majority of the edge off. In a pinch I could even supplement it with Tarot readings, especially when my spouse gets out of college and I don't have to keep scrimping to save for his tuition payments.

So, from you, because I know we have a lot of members here who are authors, crafters, artists, etc... Do you have any tips on where to start? On how to maintain bookwork? If you have done this yourself, are there any mistakes you would be sure to avoid if you did it again or any tips you wouldn't mind sharing on how to keep it all going smoothly? And were you able to make it a viable living, or was it more of a "it pays for itself and that's about it" endeavor?



I'll be honest, part of this idea reviving again is because I spent 3 hours last night in a room with 14 other girls who were younger than me and already had their master's degrees, internships, charity experience, and will have a much better shot at getting the kind of career I would like to get into. At least a home business I have some manner of control in, because I sure can't go after a master's anytime soon.

Alrighty, mini-rant over. ^^

[missgraceless]

I've been mulling this idea over for years, and I've never been able to do anything with it for a variety of reasons. I still can't, but I figure it can't hurt to get an idea of how to set it all up and what my price points, focus pieces, marketing strategies, office-maintenance and accounting would be all about. I've asked a few friends, I have another I haven't been able to talk to yet because our schedules clash and she's more a friend of my mom's than mine at this point (and if anyone has been viewing my threads, my mom and I don't really have what you'd call a functional relationship).

Anyway. I do a lot of work with sterling silver chain designs, beadwork, and accent pieces. I really want to start a more spirituality-oriented and fantasy styled focus (you know, how you'd accent fairy tale creatures and meditative pendant pieces).

I already have the skills, all the jewelry I own I've made myself and I get a lot of compliments on them. It's something I really enjoy doing, it really de-stresses me and I'd really like to oneday try and get out of this corporate madness that is retail. Frankly, the stress and the money-driven mindset at the expense of customers or my staff is simply depressing. I don't think the home-business idea would pay for all my living expenses, but I'm hoping it could take the majority of the edge off. In a pinch I could even supplement it with Tarot readings, especially when my spouse gets out of college and I don't have to keep scrimping to save for his tuition payments.

So, from you, because I know we have a lot of members here who are authors, crafters, artists, etc... Do you have any tips on where to start? On how to maintain bookwork? If you have done this yourself, are there any mistakes you would be sure to avoid if you did it again or any tips you wouldn't mind sharing on how to keep it all going smoothly? And were you able to make it a viable living, or was it more of a "it pays for itself and that's about it" endeavor?



I'll be honest, part of this idea reviving again is because I spent 3 hours last night in a room with 14 other girls who were younger than me and already had their master's degrees, internships, charity experience, and will have a much better shot at getting the kind of career I would like to get into. At least a home business I have some manner of control in, because I sure can't go after a master's anytime soon.

Alrighty, mini-rant over. ^^

Consider Etsy. I've got a shop that sells my business card designs. I'm a graphic design major in college, and it's good practice for me. There are tons of jewelry makers on Etsy. It's a great website.