Sharon Zimmerman
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How to make your website sell for you
Be your own customer on your website Confession time: I like to do consumer research on Reddit. The jewelry-making and general jewelry subreddits especially. Each of these smaller forums have been incredible places to do market research and get a glimpse into how consumers think. I highly recommend doing research this way – there are…
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How to plan for your business in case shit happens
Planning and strategizing in your business You read that right. Yes. It is true that “shit happens”, and that thought can bring on it’s own sense of fatalism, a sense that it’s OK to let things go because shit is going to happen anyway. But fatalism has never been my strong suit. Identify what you…
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Grants and Scholarships – alternative ways to fund your business
Let’s talk about a couple of upcoming funding opportunities! Setting aside my deep personal feelings about how there isn’t nearly enough funding for small businesses. Setting aside that I think many of us should be able to get grants that aren’t onerous to apply for. Setting aside that I recognize that we don’t have nearly…
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Debt is Morally Neutral
So why is it framed as shameful?
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Craft Shows in the USA
Find out which craft shows are taking applications Meet new customers at a craft show! Figuring out how to meet and greet your future customers is a process that takes time and persistence. Craft shows are a great way to put your work in front of potential customers and to get feedback on what’s working…
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Can you lower the setting on your engagement ring?
Can you lower the setting on your engagement ring?
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How to boost the bottom line of your business
It’s the line that tells us that we spent too much, or that we paid too much for that show with the splashy top line numbers. It’s the line that shows our time spent reconciling our receipts
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What skills should you build for your business?
Adding more skills to your business toolkit I am not an Excel or Google Sheets genius, I just like using both for my business. A lot. Spreadsheets are fun and I like using them to organize. I didn’t start out loving it. Matter of fact I was thrust into using spreadsheets at a restaurant job…
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How to shop for conflict-free jewelry
Shopping for conflict-free jewelry is harder than it should be But we have more options than we used to The jewelry industry is a dinosaur. I say this a lot. Heck, I’ve probably said it already on this blog. Broadly speaking, we are slow to adapt to new ideas, slow to recognize actual threats to…
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How to make a cohesive jewelry line
How to build a clear, cohesive design story when you don’t know which direction is your favorite Today’s column deals with a common artistic dilemma – how do you make your jewelry line make sense? “Do you have tips on how to narrow down or focus on a jewelry line? My issue is that I…