Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelery Booth

The Book's New Look

I recently purchased this book from Rena Klingenberg's website.  I had the option to purchase it as a paper book or an e-book.  If I had purchased the paper book, the order would have been placed through LuLu.com., and sent to me by mail.  It would have cost $39 plus shipping.  I ordered the downloadable e-book (PDF file) so I could get it right away.  The e-book cost $39, and it was the best $39 I ever spent.  This book is a practical, easy-to-read user's manual for jewelery artists who want to sell their work at retail events like craft fairs, art shows, trade shows, seasonal fairs, bazaars, etc.  I've done a few small local shows, and I've definitely learned from my mistakes! Rena's advice allows me to circumvent some of these newbie mistakes.  The book covers everything about running a jewellery booth, from taxes and insurance, pricing, smooth transactions at shows, finding good shows, applying for shows, practical tips for managing your booth, displaying your wares for maximum profitability and selling tips.  Rena includes comprehensive checklists for what to bring, and timelines for stress-free show preparation. I found these tips and checklists really helped me prepare for and do well at my last show.  After the show, I used the self-evaluation checklist to reflect on how I felt I did, and how I would improve things for the next event.

Klingenberg's writing style is accessible, supportive and down-to-earth.  Her anecdotes about her own growth and experiences as a seller are comforting and inspiring.  I've referred back to this book time and time again while preparing for my next show.  I would absolutely recommend this book to newbies to the craft show scene, and even jewellery designers who have many shows under their belts will find valuable tips and things to try in this book.  I plan on purchasing Rena Klingenberg's other books, Social Networking: Selling Your Jewelery Online, and Secrets of a Handcrafted Jewelery Shopping Service.  Check out Rena Klingenberg's website, and sign up for her monthly e-newsletter.  I look forward to receiving mine each month.  Here's the link:

http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/

Later, readers!

The Handmade Marketplace

Must-Have Resource for the Budding Bead Tycoon

I found a book that is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to sell handcrafts.  It's called The Handmade Marketplace:  How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online.  Written by Kari Chapin, it is chock full of ideas, hints, and advice on everything you need to start up an online handcrafts business.  The book begins with advice on finding your niche, setting up a space in which to work, and identifying your motivation and goals.  Chapin goes on to talk about branding, pricing your work, collecting money, marketing, and becoming part of a community as a way to find help, inspiration, and spread the word about your product.  There are three whole chapters on using social networks to market your work.  The chapter on blogging was particularly helpful for me, as I had never even read a blog before starting this one.  The next part of the book is about selling your work at craft fairs, online marketplaces, and at brick-and-mortar stores, including wholesale and consignment.  The last chapter suggests ways to diversify your empire, such as doing  trunk shows, parties, teaching courses, and offering kits.  Chapin's advice is clear, practical, and timely, and she gives plenty of examples of how her suggestions might be used by artists of various media, such as jewellery designers, knitters, sewers, fabric artists, painters, and woodworkers, to name a few.  The author calls upon artists in various fields who are running successful businesses to share their advice and experiences (good and bad) with the reader, which they do in a friendly, open and personal way.  Some sections are set up in an easy-to-access FAQ style.

The book is illustrated by Emily Martin and Jen Skelley.  The hand-drawn black and white cartoon illustrations are simple and charming, just like the handcrafts they illustrate.  The headings are clear and relevant, making it easy to find pertinent information again and again, even after you've read the book from cover to cover.  Even the shape of the book is pleasing.  It's almost square. 

I usually hate instruction manual-type books, but this book reads more like a novel.  I read it from cover to cover, and have referred back to one section or another many times since.  I would definitely recommend this book to other budding handcrafts tycoons.