The Design Trust and Set Up a Jewelry Business In Ten Steps

by Robyn Hawk on November 17, 2013

I recently came across this article it is really concise and well written from The Design Trust website.  What you ask is The Design Trust?  

The Design Trust is a British Community of Crafters – An expert one-stop-shop where you can:

  • Find out and get specialist business advice, training and supportfor your small design or crafts businesses
  • Find marketing opportunities for consumer and trade shows, commissions, competitions, PR interest and the like
  • Learn how to do business things in our business blogs and reviews, listen to podcasts, or watch video’s
  • Participate in our business events, webinars or group coaching, comment on our blogs, join our Linked In or Face Book groups
  • Purchase hand-picked design and craft business books and courses

Here is a little teaser…follow the link for the entire list.

Ten steps to setting up a jewellery business – jeweller Angie Boothroyd

Originally from California, Angie Boothroyd worked as a graphic designer when she moved to London in 1994.  She then retrained in jewellery at London Guildhall University and then at the Royal College of Art where she completed her MA in 2001.
Angie set up a workshop at Cockpit Arts with the help of a Cockpit Arts Seedbed Award and a Setting Up Grant from the Crafts Council.  Since then she has exhibited her work throughout the UK and abroad at many prestigious events.  She has taught jewellery making at a variety of institutions.
In 2011 she published the popular book Setting Up a Successful Jewellery Business (Setting Up Guides) with A&C Black, which was The Design Trust’s Book of the Month in October 2012. You can read our extensive book review here.
We are really pleased that she wrote this guest blog post for us:
“Beginnings are always messy.” – John Galsworthy
 ‘As exciting as starting up a business is, the questions of where to start, and how, and ‘Am I doing it right?’ can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry. It’s supposed to feel that way.
That thought may not provide much comfort; however, having a few handy steps to guide you through the process may help.
I have presented these ten steps in roughly chronological order. However, one of the reasons setting up a business can feel so dizzying is that many pieces to the puzzle are interdependent, so in truth you will find yourself needing to juggle many of these at once. Think of it as a giant crossword. You may think you’ve got an answer all figured out, only to discover later you should have only penciled it in.
Let’s start at the beginning…

1. Write a mission statement.

This might sound like a waste of time. It’s not. It is a way of agreeing, with yourself, what the whole point of your business is. It defines what is important to you, what is essential, and what you are willing to compromise. What are your priorities? Design? Environmental sustainability? Using locally sourced materials? Profit?
Decide what is important to you and sum it up in one or two sentences.
Tiffany & Co.’s mission statement is:  ‘Tiffany & Co. seeks to enrich the lives of its customers by creating enduring objects of extraordinary beauty that will be cherished for generations.’

2. Do a cash flow forecast.



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