Finding New Niche Markets for Your Handmade Jewelry
Hi everyone! As you've probably figured out by now I'm really big on finding niche markets for your handmade jewelry. It's so much easier to identify and target your market when you sell to a focused group. Plus, your niche market is usually very eager to buy when they find that there's a product line "just for them". I hope I'm not beginning to bore you with this niche stuff. If so, just let me know and I'll try to give you a break. :-)
I wanted to give you some ideas for new niche markets that you can approach and sell your jewelry. You don't need to necessarily design a new jewelry line to approach this markets. It can be as simple as adding a silver charm to a necklace or bracelet in a motif favored by your niche market. You could also give it a new name which appeals to your niche market. Here are some ideas:
1.Do you have a ballet studio in your area? Why not add a silver ballerina charm and some Swarovski crystals to one of your bracelet designs and market it as jewelry for dancers. Expand into necklaces and earrings. Ask the ballet studio owners in your area if you can set up a display with your items. Offer to give them 20% commission on every item sold. On recital night, why not see if you can set up a booth in the front where the production is to be held and sell your ballet jewelry! I should think this would be a big hit with both parents and the dancers.
2.This is one I'm going to try in my own area as soon as I have time. We have a large veterinary clinic in our area devoted entirely to the care of cats. (that vet was thinking niche too, huh?). You could add a few cat charms to your designs as well as cat beads. (I've seen some in semiprecious stone) and market them at veterinary clinics devoted to cats. How about approaching cat rescue organizations with your designs? This would be an excellent fundraiser for them. I've noticed at our bead store that people gravitate towards cat designs.
3. How about modifying one of your designs by adding a football charm and a few cheerleader charms. Approach a local school's cheerleading coordinator and see if they'd like to use your "team spirit bracelets" as a fundraiser. I'm sure every cheerleader on the squad would love to have one also. :-)
4. I've seen some really nice nurse charms with nurse motifs, stetheoscopes etc. which could easily be added to your designs to create "the spirit of nursing" jewelry. An added benefit is that nurses tend to love jewelry. When I used to round at the hospital, the nursing staff would always ask when I was planning to bring in my jewelry to sell. You could possibly sell your nursing jewelry in hospital gift shops or you could find a nurse who's interested in making some extra money and have her sell to the other nurses at her hospital or clinic for a 20-30% commission.
5. Do you have a zoo in your local area? Most zoos have a gift shop of some sort that carries a variety of animal motifs. Why not modify your designs to include some animal charms and market your new "zoorific" jewelry to the zoo gift store? I'm sure they'd love to have some unique handmade jewelry that other zoos don't have access too. Of course, if you have a website, you could sell to zoos all over the country.
6. How about modifying your designs to reflect a Christian theme? There are Christian bookstores all over the country that would be a good market for this type of jewelry, not to mention local churches who might be interested in using your handmade jewelry for fundraising. You could use silver cross charms and other Christian symbols in your pieces.
7. How about marketing to local civic organizations, sororities, and fraternities? If you have access to a local engraver, you could buy some metal engravable charms and have the name of the organization engraved on the charm. Add some beautiful beads along with the name charm and create a beautiful line of handmade jewelry customized for their particular organization. Just make sure to check with the organization to make sure you're not in violation of a trademark infringement. This could also be used as a fundraiser for the organization.
8. Spring will be here soon and the gardeners will be out in force! You could modify your jewelry by adding garden motifs including charms with a fruit, vegetable, flower, or gardening utensil theme. These would likely be quick sellers at your local gardening supply store or nursery.
These are only a very few of the many niche markets that await you out there. You might want to get out your telephone book and look through the yellow pages to see what others you can find. When I come upon new and interesting ones, I'll let you know.
If you're interested in selling more handmade jewelry at home parties, you might want to check out this book. Lorri really shows you all the details you need to know to be successful in this business. Home party businesses are doing very well right now and with more people staying at home as opposed to shopping at the malls, this concept is destined to explode. She also gives you a good bonus with Ebay marketing tips and ideas on how to build an Ebay empire.
As usual, thanks for reading. Have a great afternoon. :-)
Hi everyone! As you've probably figured out by now I'm really big on finding niche markets for your handmade jewelry. It's so much easier to identify and target your market when you sell to a focused group. Plus, your niche market is usually very eager to buy when they find that there's a product line "just for them". I hope I'm not beginning to bore you with this niche stuff. If so, just let me know and I'll try to give you a break. :-)
I wanted to give you some ideas for new niche markets that you can approach and sell your jewelry. You don't need to necessarily design a new jewelry line to approach this markets. It can be as simple as adding a silver charm to a necklace or bracelet in a motif favored by your niche market. You could also give it a new name which appeals to your niche market. Here are some ideas:
1.Do you have a ballet studio in your area? Why not add a silver ballerina charm and some Swarovski crystals to one of your bracelet designs and market it as jewelry for dancers. Expand into necklaces and earrings. Ask the ballet studio owners in your area if you can set up a display with your items. Offer to give them 20% commission on every item sold. On recital night, why not see if you can set up a booth in the front where the production is to be held and sell your ballet jewelry! I should think this would be a big hit with both parents and the dancers.
2.This is one I'm going to try in my own area as soon as I have time. We have a large veterinary clinic in our area devoted entirely to the care of cats. (that vet was thinking niche too, huh?). You could add a few cat charms to your designs as well as cat beads. (I've seen some in semiprecious stone) and market them at veterinary clinics devoted to cats. How about approaching cat rescue organizations with your designs? This would be an excellent fundraiser for them. I've noticed at our bead store that people gravitate towards cat designs.
3. How about modifying one of your designs by adding a football charm and a few cheerleader charms. Approach a local school's cheerleading coordinator and see if they'd like to use your "team spirit bracelets" as a fundraiser. I'm sure every cheerleader on the squad would love to have one also. :-)
4. I've seen some really nice nurse charms with nurse motifs, stetheoscopes etc. which could easily be added to your designs to create "the spirit of nursing" jewelry. An added benefit is that nurses tend to love jewelry. When I used to round at the hospital, the nursing staff would always ask when I was planning to bring in my jewelry to sell. You could possibly sell your nursing jewelry in hospital gift shops or you could find a nurse who's interested in making some extra money and have her sell to the other nurses at her hospital or clinic for a 20-30% commission.
5. Do you have a zoo in your local area? Most zoos have a gift shop of some sort that carries a variety of animal motifs. Why not modify your designs to include some animal charms and market your new "zoorific" jewelry to the zoo gift store? I'm sure they'd love to have some unique handmade jewelry that other zoos don't have access too. Of course, if you have a website, you could sell to zoos all over the country.
6. How about modifying your designs to reflect a Christian theme? There are Christian bookstores all over the country that would be a good market for this type of jewelry, not to mention local churches who might be interested in using your handmade jewelry for fundraising. You could use silver cross charms and other Christian symbols in your pieces.
7. How about marketing to local civic organizations, sororities, and fraternities? If you have access to a local engraver, you could buy some metal engravable charms and have the name of the organization engraved on the charm. Add some beautiful beads along with the name charm and create a beautiful line of handmade jewelry customized for their particular organization. Just make sure to check with the organization to make sure you're not in violation of a trademark infringement. This could also be used as a fundraiser for the organization.
8. Spring will be here soon and the gardeners will be out in force! You could modify your jewelry by adding garden motifs including charms with a fruit, vegetable, flower, or gardening utensil theme. These would likely be quick sellers at your local gardening supply store or nursery.
These are only a very few of the many niche markets that await you out there. You might want to get out your telephone book and look through the yellow pages to see what others you can find. When I come upon new and interesting ones, I'll let you know.
If you're interested in selling more handmade jewelry at home parties, you might want to check out this book. Lorri really shows you all the details you need to know to be successful in this business. Home party businesses are doing very well right now and with more people staying at home as opposed to shopping at the malls, this concept is destined to explode. She also gives you a good bonus with Ebay marketing tips and ideas on how to build an Ebay empire.
As usual, thanks for reading. Have a great afternoon. :-)
posted by Your friends at Beads Indeed | 3:51 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for your comment, Bistre Maven! The nice thing about having a distinctive line of jewelry like you have is that when you do find your niche market, they tend to be a very loyal. You might want to consider marketing your line to women who have high power positions such as women in the corporate world. They tend to have solid self esteems and appreciate jewelry that's strong and different. Possibly, you could get permission to sell your designs at business conferences that come to your area. Sometimes it just takes a little time to find and reach your market but when you do the rewards can be great. Best of luck to you. :-)
Kristie
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