Guts & Glory: Business Beginnings
Though her wrap design is still one of her staples, Noelle quickly learned more about making jewelry and eventually started participating in art shows. As many of us know, these shows were exhausting and frustrating. She explained to me how they were "pot luck" until she found Clematis by Night, a street festival held every Thursday evening in West Palm Beach which is just a few minutes north of where her shop is now. "I was finally making some money, and the nicer my displays were, the more money I made. I found a direct correlation," she explained. She also started raising her prices because she started having confidence in her work. In addition, she said it seemed that when she raised her prices, customers seemed to think her jewelry was worth more. It wasn't unusual for her to make $800 in just one night at this weekly festival.
After nine months of Clematis, she made the big leap and opened her store on Atlantic Avenue. Today she pays rent on a gorgeous store in a prime location at a rate of $40 a square foot. And, she is "making it" - literally! "I make jewelry all day and all night, but I love it. I wake up, and I can't wait to get started. I'm constantly thinking up new designs and color combinations," she declared to me.
I know many people are saying, "Is she crazy?" However, after talking with her, she makes a lot of sense. Before she even got started, Noelle explained that she calculated her family's finances and figured out exactly what they needed to live on. With the numbers crunched, she figured out what her costs would be and what she would need to earn. So, instead of paying herself $10-20 an hour like many of us do, she decided she needed to make $100 an hour. She knows the cost of every bead and piece of wire, and she also considers what the market will bear when she decides on the prices to charge.
Next Page->To read about how Noelle's store is doing today
Sign up for the weekly Jewelry Making Newsletter and
find out about new additions to this site each week.
Chat with other jewelry makers in our chat room.
All graphics created by Tammy Powley.
Previous Features
