Any home-based business is challenging, and owning and operating a jewelry business from your home is no exception. Just making and selling your jewelry isn't nearly all there is to having a home-based jewelry business. You must take into account the paperwork, potential stress on your family, and if you really have the extra time required to go from hobbyist to professional jewelry maker. So think it over carefully before making the decision to open a home-based jewelry business, and if you're sure it's for you, it can be quite rewarding.



How many hours per day will your shop be open? How many hours per day can you spend on designing and making jewelry? When will you do housework and run errands? Do you have small children at home? These are all things you need to take into consideration when you sit down to plan your schedule. You may have to re-work your schedule once or twice, but the important thing is to make a schedule that works for you, and discipline yourself to stick to it!

Keeping your after-hours schedule is just as important as sticking to your business hours! Many small businesses?both those run from home and outside locations?suffer or fail from owner/operator burnout. You need time away from your job to relax, spend time with friends and family, and catch up on housework. State your business hours on your answering machine, and turn the phone ringer off if you can't ignore it when it rings. It will all still be waiting for you when you next open for business!

Having made the decision to go ahead with your home-based jewelry business, you need to set boundaries for you family and your customers. Have your studio in an area of your house that has its own entrance?not the kitchen! You want your customers to know that you are a professional and selling jewelry while making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a hungry child is not the environment that shows the professionalism you need to convey. If you have young children at home, arrange for daycare, or hire someone to come in to care for your children and help with household chores so you can concentrate on your business. These expenses are tax deductible, as are your business phone line and any office equipment you use for business. Establish a separate mailing address and bank account for your business; this will let the IRS know that you run a real business, even though you operate it from home. Keeping your studio isolated from the remainder of your house also helps enforce business hours, so when that CLOSED sign goes up, customers will know that you are unavailable for the rest of the day.

It's not unusual for home-based business owners to be unaware of Federal, State and local regulations. There are zoning restrictions, and building and safety codes, all of which you must be in compliance before your business license is granted. Go to your CPA, City Hall, or County or Parrish Courthouse to learn what you must do to get a business license. Inspection and license fees usually apply, so be sure you have enough cash in reserve to pay the necessary costs.

Becoming part of a network of crafters is a good way of learning the ropes of making your home business success. At arts and crafts fairs, shows, seminars or festivals where other jewelry makers sell their designs you can make friends learn of or meet wholesale marketers of jewelry supplies, and generally have a great time! There are crafters? and home-based jewelry makers? forums on the Internet that will help you expand your network. Your local Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful resource for learning about state and local jewelry-makers? guilds and clubs, and introduce you to other business owners in your community. Networking with business peers can make all the difference in earning your home-based jewelry business the success it deserves!

Owning and operating your handcrafted jewelry business from your home could be the best thing you've ever done for yourself! You can work from the comfort of your home, set your own hours, and, without having to commute, have more time for your family. Respecting your neighbors establishes good will between you and the people who live around you. In fact, they may be some of your most frequent customers! So, with hard work and dedication, it is possible to turn your hobby into a lucrative home-based jewelry business!