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| Jewelry Collectibles Interview |
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I'd like to thank Maureen McCullough from Jewelry Collectibles for our latest Etailer Interview.
Let's get started.
1. Please tell us a little about your Jewelery Collectibles.
Jewelry
Collectibles is a website that caters now to both jewelry and
collectibles. It features my designer jewelry creations ~ beaded
earrings, bracelets, ankle bracelets, necklaces, fan pulls, lanyards,
eyeglass chains, rosary beads, rosary bracelets and rosary necklaces ~
my main jewelry products. It also features womens and babies crocheted
and cross stitched fashions as well as my antiques and collectibles.
Besides being a jewelry and textile designer, I'm a NJ antiques dealer.
2. When did you decide to start your own business?
When the job market became unstable after 9/11/01 and the few offers I
got for work were ridiculous and eventually hilarious. Prior to that I
had held management positions in a variety of industries. When the job
market became an untenable livelihood solution for me I decided to put
all of my collective skills from the past 25+ years to work for me.
When my mother became ill it was a blessing to be working from home so
I could care for her. When she passed away, I decided to stick with it
because I love working from home.
3. Why did you decide to open a jewelry business?
I'm hugely against mass produced accessories. I feel every woman, every
person, is an individual and therefore should have the right to wear
accessories that are just for them. One of a kind creations are as
unique as the person that buys them. Every woman deserves to wear good
quality affordable jewelry; every woman deserves to sparkle. No woman
should see "her" jewelry on someone else. I started out making jewelry
for me, always got huge compliments and therefore decided to make it a
business.
4. What is your favorite product that you sell?
I don't really have a favorite product. They are all my favorites!
5. What are the three most popular products?
Rosary bracelets, ankle bracelets, and bracelets.
6. Do you have a
hidden gem - a product that isn't getting the recognition that you
think it deserves? Please tell us why everyone needs to know about (and
use) this product.
The practical products ~ beaded eyeglass chains and beaded lanyards.
The beaded eyeglass chains were initially best seller 2 years straight
a few years ago. They keep your eyeglasses and your sunglasses from
"wandering" LOL and are sparkly practical jewelry and jewelry gifts.
Same with the beaded lanyards. Lanyards are not just for badges, they
make great keyring holders especially when out on exercise walks. You
never have to wonder did you forget the keys in the car, or if walking
locally, did you lock yourself out. They are right around your neck.
Another sparkly and practical gift to keep or give.
7. Where do you find the inspirations for your creations?
My intense love of individualism and my love of color. I'm not a trendy
designer that runs with the pack and tries to recreate what other folks
do. In fact, I rarely pay heed to other designers. Color gradients in
my beads and crystals inspire me because it reminds me of the colors
out in nature. Being a nature photographer for years has made me
intensely aware of color, which I love anyway. I also like variety in
textures and try to incorporate them while sticking to my more or less
traditional jewelry designs. I am inspired by daydreams, drumbeats, the
earth and history.
8. I noticed that
you are running 3 interconnected websites, Jewelry Collectibles,
Wedding Jewels, and Counted Cross Stitch Kits. What made you decide to
run the businesses as intereconnected businesses, instead of one bigger
business, or 3 completely, and what advice would you give to someone
who was interested in running interconnected, or separate businesses?
They are actually one business from a business perspective. For a
website and pleasant shopper experience perspective, they are
interconnected yet slightly seperate. I do not like websites that try
to cram all different kinds of products in under one roof. Jewelry
Collectibles features everyday women's fashions (and baby fashions)
that are collectible (because they are one of a kind) and therefore,
even when you factor in the antiques section, everything on JC is a
little treasure that someone can take home with them and know it's all
theirs, no one else will ever have it.
Wedding Jewels
is devoted strictly to the dressier occasions of life ~ memorable,
elegant and special ~ a shopping venue just for brides, prom girls and
ladies who need a special exquisite piece. Counted Cross Stitch Kits
feeds my arts and crafts background with the counted cross stitch kits
and some custom pieces I've created that are ready to purchase, as well
as some new cross stitch patterns and kits I am developing from my
photography. Eventually CCSK will feature only my original patterns and
kits from my photography, some free some for purchase.
I like them interconnected because my customers quite often shop
between them, getting a cross stitch kit and some jewelry or baby
items. It makes it easy for my customers to shop and get much bigger
pricebreaks and free shipping. It makes it a nice one stop shopping
experience.
My advice if you want to do this is give it some careful thought first
as to the website architecture, your shopping cart capabilities, and
how you will run your specials, newsletter or will work out
pricebreaks. Setting this up was not the easiest thing to do, not the
most difficult either. However, it takes a good bit of planning to make
it a great shopping experience for a customer and from a customer's
perspective. The rewards speak for themselves.
9. What advice would
you give to someone who is interested in purchasing your products, but
has never ordered online, or is scared about ordering something they
can't smell, or see?
I have a customer friendly website policy in place ~ all details are
spelled out ~ and a potential customer can always call me or email me
with absolutely ANY concerns they might have. I have very good pictures
on my website of all products and if a potential customer would like to
see more/better/detailed photos all they have to do is contact me. The
shopping cart is secure, but if they are uneasy about ordering online,
they can always call their order in and I will process their credit
card that way. Whatever I can do to make the customer feel comfortable.
10. Are there any websites that you visit daily? If so, what are they, and why do you visit them?
I'm so busy attending to all of my businesses (I have a design
and SEO business and a nature photography business besides those
discussed here), blogging, networking, etc. I really don't visit any
sites daily. However I do make it a point to check up on my targeted
competitors at least once a week.
11. Is there anything else that we should know about you, your business, your products, or your industry?
As we all know the handmade jewelry industry is flooded. Saturated,
just like the arts and crafts industry was a few years ago. My products
are all unique and classical styles, not trendy, and contain little
special touches in some cases down to a hand forged clasp or hook and
eye set. My main business goal is to attract and retain customers who
are interested in excellent handcrafted artisan styles, affordably
priced. I offer an excellent customer service policy, and excellent
customer rewards program, and the ability to create custom made pieces.
I do whatever I can to set my customers at ease and make them feel
special.
12. Is there anything you wished you knew before you started your business?
20/20 hindsight in this case is not relevant. Why? My business has
grown and I have grown as an artisan designer only from the lessons
I've learned from experience ~ from my own mistakes, from my customer
interactions and customer requests, from my competition. Experience
like that is invaluable. Business evolves and I've learned to grow with
it. Again, invaluable. I make it a practice to study all negative
incidents, turn them into positives and move on.
13. What advice that you would like to give to people who want to start their own business?
You must do what you love, you must be 110% committed to it, you must
be prepared to work hard. I've had people say to me "I don't care what
I sell, I just want to make money." I always tell them it simply won't
work with that mindset. You also must research your supplies,
suppliers, options, and work within your budget, in order to stay out
of mega debt. Start small, grow in time. Our culture and society today
is still so bent on instant gratification and if we don't get what we
want RIGHT NOW, well throw in the towel. You need to give yourself at
least 5 years, and you need to do reality checks on your expectations
and methods every so often. Make a business plan. Make alternate
business plans.
Be prepared to deviate from Plan A to Plan B or whatever as needed. Be
flexible. If possible, have more than one talent or skill, so when one
market slows down, the other will cover you for a while. Don't quit
your day job unless you are absolutely sure of what you want to be when
you grow up. If you are displaced from your job, start small on ebay
and move up to other venues including your own website in time. And,
remember to promote, promote, promote.
14. And finally, you
seem to have a well thought out in home, and online jewelry party plan,
would you mind sharing how that has impacted your business?
That has not impacted my business yet. It's a fairly new concept for
the website. There is always interest by others in a "how-to" sort of
way, I've seen some copycat plans, (easy to trace through webstats)
however I have as of yet to actually see it take off. I did a few local
parties that went well. That's a wait and see thing.
Thank you so much for the interview Maureen!
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responsible for any transactions that occur after you leave this site.
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