Starting off the year with simple checklists and a heap of planning.

Every jewelry designer and maker I know starts their business with a few ideas in common:

• Make things all the time.

• Make the best, most creative things that they are capable of making.

Some enter into it with an idea of how to make money from their craft:

• Do shows, make sales

• Make a website, make sales

These are, in fact, perfect and amazing goals when you are starting out (or at any stage, really).

These simple ideas are the starting point of your jewelry business plan

But how can you know if your growth is on a good track? What are you using to measure, and how do you know what to do at some stages of your craft business?

There aren’t firm answers – some of us will dive in feet first, some will continue working part time, others will work full time while practicing their craft as a side hustle. Other factors like spouses, parental care, child care and other, ya know, life events, might also change your trajectory or your growth plans.

Each person and each business might have different needs and goals, but there are enough commonalities that you can check a few things off of your list.

Your business stages checklist

I made a checklist not to make you think that everything is a “must-do” or that your timeline MUST LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE’S, but so that you can set your sights on larger goals, or move forward with some fresh ideas and fresh systems, so that you get a better sense of what your next steps could look like. See which ones resonate, which ones you’ve already accomplished, and which ones are waiting for you.*

The starting of your business stages

• Make the best possible work that you can and also try out a lot of creative and manufacturing methods.

• Think about and develop your brand voice.

• Sign yourself up for some shows – they can be low stakes/low cost shows if that is your current comfort zone. It’s great to get your feet wet at this point learning to talk to people about your craft.

• Start an email list and put it to use.

• Buy your domain name (even if you don’t set up a website yet)

• Snap up your name/possible business name across all social media platforms – even if you don’t think you’ll use them or don’t have a strategy for them yet. Just park your business name there.

• Cultivate a client list – even a small one is a start. A client list is different than an email list. A client list is the people who ask you for custom or bespoke work.

• In the US? Look up what your local city or county says about registering your DBA (Doing Business As)

• Get your seller’s permit and business license

• Start small, but do build a business savings cushion

Intermediate business stage

• Check in on your systems, strategies and collections – review what’s working, fix what isn’t.

• Especially check in on your collections – what sells well at shows? What sells well online? What gets a lot of love on social media? What stands out as a core part of your brand?

• Create a growth strategy – where is your next opportunity – will it be larger shows? eCommerce? Video?

• Set up time to review your numbers frequently – quarterly at least, weekly/monthly is better

• Learn from the numbers – use them to make decisions about your future and to not get too caught up in the shiny objects that other folks might be pursuing.

• Continue to build your email list and social media following – make this a focus of your business to attract new customers and take care of your current ones.

• Take weekends off (or any random days, really)

• Hire assistants -or- find contractors

• Talk to a lawyer or an accountant about your business structure – Can you stay a sole proprietor? Is it time to become an LLC? Should you restructure as an S Corp? Find qualified professionals to help you sort this part out – answers will be different for each business owner.

• Keep building that cushion – can you add even 5% of your revenue to a savings account?

Advanced jewelry business stages

• Focus on your profit margins and make spending and pricing decisions that increase it.

• Don’t be afraid to let go of pieces or collections that aren’t performing.

• Analyze your inventory and have systems to track and account for it. Focus on keeping your inventory manageable to avoid extra storage fees, taxes, and insurance costs.

• Give yourself a raise

• Continue to build your client list.

• Continue to follow and develop your marketing plan.

• Hire help for your marketing strategy – social media manager, email copywriter

• Take a vacation

What about you? What steps did you do in the early years of your business? Which ones do you wish you had done sooner rather than later?

*You may have noticed that I am not dispensing specific advice on things like LLCs, S Corps and Sole Proprietorships. These are questions to ask of a lawyer, or possibly a CPA.

There are legal AND financial issues to consider and I recommend not only going to a lawyer, but also getting a second opinion. In spite of what you may have read in other corners of the internet, not everyone needs an LLC right away.

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