8 Tips For Starting A Jewelry Business At Home

how to start a home jewelry business online startup

If you are already known among your friends and family as "first name" + jewelry / earrings / designs, then it is time to go pro as a jewelry entrepreneur. 

And if the thought of having your own jewelry line makes you buzz with excitement but the thought of filing those business taxes drags you back to anxiety-ville, then you're in the right place. 

Keep reading to know all about starting a jewelry business, making (and keeping it) successful by following those 8 top tips. 

1. Starting A Jewelry Business Is In The Name 

So here is how to pick a jewelry business name wisely. 

Whether going all in for rubber bracelets or haute couture headwear pieces, don't limit your brand in its name. 

Keep it short and concise, because that name will be on official licensure, online, offline, on business cards, on your pet's vests, and on your kids' bags (because you will use every avenue of advertising available to you). 

You get the idea, and brands can grow or evolve over time. 

2. Going Official: Register Your Business Name 

After spending sleepless nights getting that perfect name for your jewelry business, you need to protect it. 

First, you will have to find out whether that name belongs to someone else, and if not, then go ahead and register it for your business. 

No matter how long a business has been operating under a specific name, if it isn't registered; any other business can come tomorrow and register that name for themselves. Don't do that to yourself. 

Go to your state's Secretary of State website and check if your selected business name is free. 

Once you are done with your research, you will usually find information regarding registering your business in that same section. 

Traditionally, you will have to contact your county's clerk to take care of the procedures and paperwork. 

Now that you have the state protection and registration all figured out, the next step is trademarking your business name and logo. 

You don't need to figure that one on your own, just contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or use a legal expert to fill another bunch of paperwork and you are good to go. You can also use a professional registering site to get things done correctly and quickly too. Go and visit a Company Formation website now so your new business setup is in good hands and ready for the adventure ahead.

3. Get Mission Ready 

It is now time to write down your mission statement and business goals. 

Sounds boring? Maybe, but it is crucial for a successful business to have a solid mission statement. 

A mission statement is a simple and straightforward way to describe your business, its core values, and its priorities. 

If you are looking for a place to start, answer these questions: 

• Who is your target audience and consumers? 
• What do you bring to the table that improves customers' lives? 
• What is your jewelry's aesthetic? 
• Is your brand going green? Is your brand socially-conscious? 

Depending on what kind of jewelry you want to sell, you will need to find a silver jewelry supplier or gold jewelry supplier that can offer you good prices with high quality material.

4. Market Your Brand Online 

Whether you will be setting your jewelry in a brick-and-mortar operation or you're going fully- digital; you need to have a good online presence. 

Setting Up Online 

If you're interested in selling your pieces online, then you need to have a website set up. You can do that by checking out how to monetize your website and have it set up for success. 

Through your website, you can show off your designs and actively sell your jewelry. And if the thought of having your own website is too tedious, then you'll have to start checking out open shopping sites like Etsy, eBay and place your pieces in online boutiques. 

Digital Marketing 

After you set your jewelry online, you can now start the marketing portion of the program. There is a variety of digital marketing tools that can elevate your brand presence, and establish a solid online customer base. 

But we'll stick to the basics here, and there is nothing more basic -and essential- than social media platforms. 

Start with creating a Facebook and Instagram account for your brand, and check if going the Pinterest route is beneficial for your brand or not. 

There are a lot of social media platforms out there, you'll have to select the ones with the highest percentages of your target audience. 

But make sure that you're not stretched too thin that you can't effectively manage your social media accounts and respond to your customers in a timely manner. 

5. Business License Or Permit In Hand 

Yes, the paperwork section of running a jewelry business is not done yet. Registering your business name is not enough to legally run your business, you'll need to get a business license or permit of some sort depending on your state. 

Remember that delightful county clerk we asked you to call to register your business name? You'll give them another call to check what sort of license/permit/paperwork is needed to operate a jewelry business. 

For some states, if you're outside the city limits, you're good to go without any permits. But if it turns out you need one, then the good news is that it's usually a one-page form and will cost you a small fee. 

6. You Need A Resale Tax Number 

Another set of paperwork that you'll need to take care of is getting a resale tax number. Contact your state's Department of Revenue Sales Tax Division, fill out a form and pay a fee to get that golden tax exemption number. 

Also known as resale tax number, it'll help you buy materials from suppliers at wholesale prices and there will be no sales tax. 

However, depending on the supplier, some will have a minimum dollar amount or minimal quantity of items to make a purchase. 

Of course, that little quality will be useful once your business grows and the economies of scale start to kick in. 

The less fun part will be filling and returning a quarterly state sales tax forms whether you made sales or not in the previous quarter. 

7. Your New Brand Needs Its Own Bank Account 

Your business has its own entity, as such, it'll need a separate bank account to sort out its finances. 

Not only is it a good practice to do so, but it is also required by the IRS to have clear boundaries between personal and business finances. 

However, that doesn't mean you need to set up an official business checking account. Simply opening a separate personal-level checking account in your name will hit those pesky IRS requirements and you won't have to pay a ton of fees and other expenses. 

8. Be Kind To Yourself While Building Your Jewelry Company

Building the glorious jewelry business of your dreams from home will take time, maybe even years. But with all of your creative juices flowing and a bit of patience, you'll have the delight of seeing your own business grow bit by bit. 

So be patient and kind to yourself during your journey starting a jewelry business at home. First-time entrepreneurs in the jewelry industry have it rough at the beginning, but your home jewelry company will get there in the end. 

Ready To Start Your Jewelry Business At Home? 

Glad to hear you are ready to proceed with starting a jewelry business at home! After all, starting a jewelry business that is 100% your own is not for the faint of heart, but with these top eight tips in your pocket, you're good to go. Just make sure you learn more about saving money when starting your business. Also check out our informative and inspirational frugal entrepreneurship blog!

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