TopTen Tips for Opening a Wholesale Jewelry Business

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You’ve spent some time researching and planning your next move, and you have come to the conclusion that jewelry is something you would like to take a shot at. Of course, this is a business that is loaded with possibilities… but it’s also a tricky trade to get into, if you hope to make some money. Taking a walk through the diverse and powerful pages of toptenwholesale.com, manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, and offpricenetwork.com can give you some ideas about the operators who are already succeeding in this business, but maybe you have a different thing in mind, and you’d like to have a go yourself? Today I’m going to talk about launching and managing your own wholesale jewelry business, so read on… and keep in mind that diamonds are not necessarily your only best friend!

Whether you like to hand-make your own custom jewelry, or purchase from an existing designer, there are endless choices when it comes to selecting the right style and target market for your product. It helps to have a personal interest in the kind of jewelry you sell, since most wholesale operations are made better when they’re supported by passionate and enthusiastic individuals that really enjoy the trade. Since jewelry is a historically significant item, this could be a no-brainer for the jewelry lover in you… but what steps to take from there? It’s not enough to simply love jewelry, and there are some specific things to address when you’re getting into the business. Here’s a handy TopTen list of tips for opening a wholesale jewelry business, to get you started:

1. The jewelry business is highly competitive and possibly high-stakes, so take time to cover yourself, legally speaking. Think of a creative name for your business, and take the time to come up with one that effectively speaks to customers bout what your jewelry business is all about. Have fun with it, too… because a humorous and catchy name will stick in people’s minds far better than a staid and proper one that sounds like a shopping mall cookie-cutter wedding ring store. You also need to make sure your desired name isn’t already somebody else’s. Check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office… consult the Secretary of State… or reach out to a lawyer.
2. While we’re on the topic of legalities, let’s make sure you’re up to speed with your city and county on any needed licenses and permits. You might need to ensure that you are zoned to operate a business from home. You will also need to register your business, and get familiar with tax forms and policies. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, or the Small Business Development Center in your city, since these things tend to be different for everyone, depending on where you live and operate your business. This goes double for those of you who are looking to source from China, India, or any other one of the big overseas suppliers.
3. Start looking into jewelry shows, because they can be a mecca for those who seek something new. As customers and buyers flock to the big exhibitions – as well as the smaller, more local ones – you would do well to put together a nice-looking display of your wares. This is a very important point if you’re going to show… because nothing will keep people at a 20-foot radius away from your display, if you decide to simply toss a few earrings onto a piece of black cloth. Don’t think small, either… since most jewelry is rather tiny and detailed, you’ll need display pieces that are big and bold, to put your table in the foreground.
4. Now you need a website. This is pretty much mandatory for the successful seller, and you’ll want to make sure that you get a lot of traffic too. When designing the site, keep simplicity in mind, and don’t load the site with painfully-slow streaming galleries of jewelry photos that come up in a steady and unyielding procession… right on your home page. Make that home page a pleasure to work with, and keep it clean, sharp, and easy to read. There’s a lot of jewelry sites out there, and they mostly range from clumsily amateurish to ridiculously cluttered. Your site should be one of the winners, and that’s something you have complete control over!
5. You want to make some big sales? Sure you do. Take measures to accept credit cards.
6. Experiment with seller sites, as well as promoting and selling your goods on your own site. Some buyers will only trust you if you’ve got a presence on a major forum, but you need to keep in mind that you’ll have to keep your activity levels high, and let people know that you’re always there to give support when someone needs to know something about your product. Sometimes the only thing a sale hinges on is the speed of the response.
7. While you’re tinkering around with the seller sites and your own site, don’t forget the jewelry forums. Jewelry is a big and popular field, and there are a lot of sites that cater to everyone from the rank novice, to the juggernaut sellers and even manufacturers. Get in the know. Get recognized for asking good questions… and eventually for providing good answers. In time, you will be known for your name, and it will create an environment of respect for your commitment to the business.
8. Don’t be cheap when it comes to pictures of your jewelry! You’re probably getting used to hearing me say that this is a competitive business, so why make it harder for yourself by offering your customers grainy, low-res, poorly-colored, and embarrassingly bad pictures you shot with your mobile phone’s camera? This is fine for your secret mission shots of the competition’s stuff, and little snaps to send your associates… but anything your customers see should be in full detail, and without any doubts! Invest in a real camera, or hire a pro. Simple as that. If you really want to be creative and artsy, you can scan your jewelry ona  flatbed scanner. Very cool results can be achieved this way, and it will set you apart from the rest if you make them a theme in your presentations.
9. Custom orders can be a blessing or a curse. Be prepared to face the fact that your customers might want something unique, and plan out your strategy for working within some acceptable limits for accommodating them without putting your production and distribution to a grinding halt.
10. Little service touches and detail-oriented signature style makes a huge difference. Offering customers free gift wrap can increase your sales, so make sure to provide a selection of different types of boxes, bags, and interesting pouches and delicate liner papers. This is especially important as a selling point around the holidays. Offer to ship the gift for them, to the recipient’s address. Include interesting and special information about the materials used to make the jewelry right in the package. Design and implement professional-looking tags and labels to polish your image when the customer opens the box. The deal maker or breaker will be the moment they clap eyes on your product, and it will seal the deal for continued sales if you impress them the first time.

Stay organized and be business-minded… but don’t forget to have fun with this thing, too! Jewelry can provide a lifetime of lasting memories for anyone, and it could be the ticket to your success in the wholesale business as you continue to Find it. Source it. Profit!