[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message]Niche : Jewelry and Accessories
Shop link : https://www.etsy.com/shop/rusticgem/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/rusticgemjewelry
Website : https://rusticgemjewelry.com/[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]”
Tell us something about yourself. What is your niche? Why did you start your business?
I make uniquely handcrafted fashion jewelry. Many of the pieces are one of a kind and very on-trend for the fashion-forward woman. I strive to make unique beautiful jewelry that is on-trend and also affordable.
What type of products do you sell? How does your manufacturing process look like?
I sell the handmade jewelry that I make. I have a home-based studio where I make all the jewelry myself. Are used to have two part-time employees, but wasn’t able to sustain that over Covid.
What are some challenging aspects of your business? How did you overcome them?
It’s very difficult to find the time to do the more routine Monday and tasks, but then also think big picture and globally and manage all of the marketing. When you have a small business, you are the customer service and you are also the CEO. This can make time management and priorities challenging. And let’s not forget I love to make beautiful things, so I need to spend time on my creative outlet as well!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003654″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003653″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003651″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? What’s the hardest about it?
But I love the most is the freedom that I can do the things that I want to do and create a beautiful product. I have the ability to run my business and also do a great deal of volunteer work as well as spend time with my two young children.
What are some beginner mistakes you made? What advice or words of inspiration would you like to share?
I got I think it comes back to balance between managing the business aspect of your entrepreneurial venture versus managing the business process. Sometimes you may only want to create something beautiful when in fact you should be spending time on the business side of things.
What inspires you while designing and/or creating new products.
What inspires me is how I want my total fashion outfit to look. I want jewelry to basically be the item that makes an outfit. It should stand out enough to be interesting and unique, but not be overbearing.
How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business?
I’m 100% self-made. I taught myself to make jewelry and then also taught myself how to start my own business. I have a history and nonprofits and human resources management, and I think being organized helped me as I was starting my business.
What are some of the most effective ways in terms of marketing products to your customers?
Word-of-mouth is probably the number one Most effective Way. If someone sees you were in a beautiful piece of jewelry and they ask where you got it, sending them to my website is a perfect way to get loyal customers! Social media has been an interesting and tricky platform to navigate as it is changing so frequently. Things that used to work no longer work, and I find that keeping up with this and making sure that it’s useful without breaking the bank is a constant challenge.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful online business?
Making sure that you spend your time effectively on all different aspects of your business and not just a creative piece is a really huge component. It’s easy to get caught up in the details of making a business work or just wanting to design something. But you have to be able to get all aspects of the business all the time so that you don’t miss the next step or an evolving trend.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003650″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003649″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”100003648″ img_size=”737×737″ onclick=”link_image” css_animation=”appear” bb_tab_container=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
How do you personally define business success? Is it money? Freedom? Influence? Creative expression and innovation? Something else?
My happy customers are a great way that I consider myself successful. Certainly, the volume is important, and money matters, but being able to have a creative outlet and to influence the way that strong independent women are presenting themselves is a lot of fun too.
Describe your day-to-day operation. How do you manage your time?
Every morning I ship orders and then I’m constantly throughout the day going back-and-forth between making jewelry doing social media shipping orders as well as ordering supplies. I probably spend time on each of these areas every single day. But getting the orders out to my customers is my number one priority each day.
How do you plan on growing your business? What is the biggest impact on your profitability?
I plan to continue to grow and evolve by using social media outlets. Currently, the economy has the biggest impact on profitability.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
