So You Want to Start Your Own Home Based Jewelry Business
By Christopher Gage
So you think you are ready to take the plunge into your own home
based jewelry business. This will be a very exciting step for
you, your family, and your business. You will be able to finally
unleash that creative side of you that has been dying to blossom.
OK, now what?
Owning or operating a small jewelry business — no matter what
type of jewelry or where it is — can be a challenge, but it really
takes a special kind of person to operate a home based business.
Most people who run their own home business probably had asked
themselves at some point, “What do I want from my business? What
do I want from my life?”
I asked myself this same question seven years ago. At that time
my daughter was entering kindergarten and my son was in preschool.
I was spending three hours a day in my car commuting to a job,
and during the short days of late fall and early winter, I didn’t
see the light of day at home until the weekend. More importantly,
I was losing three precious hours a day that I could be spending
being creative and being with my family.
Although there are many answers to the question above, the clear-cut
choice for me was the need to spend more time at home on what
I truly love to do and being with my family. By being honest with
myself, I was able to make the courageous leap from being employed
by someone else to starting my own jewelry business.
One might think that a home based business is the ideal situation
for them, but working at home can, and will be challenging. You
may find yourself working longer hours due to the fact that the
survival of the business is totally your responsibility. Because
your studio is in your home, you and your family may feel an intrusion
of the business upon your personal life, especially if you have
clients come to your house.
Before embarking in a home jewelry business, you must first honestly,
critically answer the following three questions:
- Are you disciplined enough to set and meet work schedules?
- Can you make a transition from home to business during the
work hours you set for yourself, and from business to home during
off hours?
- Can you deal with the isolation of working from home?
Discipline plays a large part in answering the first two questions.
At times there will be distractions at home. For example, you
may become more aware of dishes that need to be cleaned, laundry
that needs to be washed, the lawn that should be cut, or even
the weeds that have to be pulled. This is where you must set your
work schedule each day, and stick firmly to it. At the end of
your work schedule, you should keep your focus on your home life
once you call it quits for the day or you may find yourself burning
out quickly. It’s extremely difficult not to run to the office
to pick up a phone call, play a message on the answering machine,
or read a fax that just came over, but with a bit of practice
you will soon realize that the work you put down at 5 PM will
be there for you in the morning at 9 AM.
In answering the third question, you no longer work for a company
where co-workers and staff are available for support. Nor do you
have an endless stream of company supplies and materials at your
disposal. This is where setting yourself up with a network of
confidants can be helpful. Surround yourself with people that
are reliable, knowledgeable and possibly veterans of the craft.
Join your local or state guild of craftsman. Get to know the other
artists in your community. When you attend fairs or shows, get
to know some of the other artists. Find a friendly forum on the
Internet where you can bounce ideas off other members or troubleshoot a problem.
You already found one site with great resources!
Another source may be your local Chamber of Commerce, and manufacturers
and suppliers of small business technologies and products. The
Chamber can provide networking opportunities for you with other
business members of your community, some of whom may be in a similar
situation that you now find yourself.
Once you have committed to running a home based business, it
should be treated as a separate entity from the rest of your house.
Whether you are using a garage, a basement, or a spare room as
your studio space, you should maintain a professional environment
in your work area. Rooms such as the bedroom or kitchen, in my
opinion are not suitable for a professional set up because they
do not afford your business privacy and separate space from the
rest of the house. If you are going to take this seriously, then
you will need a more permanent solution, a situation where you
can leave your wares out without being disturbed by family or
curious pets. In addition, your business should have its own phone
line, mailing address and bank account. This makes tax time much
less complicated and it will appear to the IRS that you are a
REAL business versus a hobby.
Many home based business owners are honestly unaware of Federal,
State and Local regulations. A good place to start is by consulting
with your CPA or local tax authorities for specific recommendations
appropriate to your individual situation. Finding out this information
is important when considering what type of business you will run
from your home. Zoning regulations may not allow you to run certain
types of businesses from a residential home, for example, the
manufacturing of certain goods or using such equipment like a
torch or kiln. You should also respect your neighbors and the
type of neighborhood you live in. By having a home based business,
there will more than likely be an increase of traffic in your
immediate neighborhood from your clients, suppliers and any mail
services you use. Keep in mind that you must register your business
with the proper authorities.
Owning and operating a home based business is a lot of hard work,
but it can also be very gratifying especially when one realizes
that the things they are looking for in life are being made possible
by their dedication to this idea. One of the most positive advantages
I have found by running a home business is being able to say, "Yes, I can do
it.” In addition, not only do I see my children
off to school in the morning, but I’m there for them at the end
of their day. •
© 2005 by Christopher Gage. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Christopher Gage and his wife Holly own Gage Designs, the manufacturer
of original design jewelry. They are now spending most of their
time spreading peace, hope and love throughout the world with
their line of jewelry When Peace Talks©. If you would like to
see their jewelry, please go to www.WhenPeaceTalks.com.
04/14/05
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