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Yesterday my Silentaire compressor went completely flat in the middle of a project. I stopped the project to check the tank and found that it was filling up perfectly, but somewhere there was a bleed in the line between my two GraverMax machines. After following the tubing through the attic of my space, I found a place where it had cracked, letting all the pressure go.
While my steady unpaid studio assistant (aka my husband) was crawling around the attic on his belly trying to run new tubing, I discovered there was a nick in my foot pedal as well, which explained why I lost every bit of pressure on both machines. The next thing I knew, I was online searching for Superthane Ester-based tubing to replace it.
When did I become my own in-house machinist?
A Day in the Life of a Business Owner
I got into jewelry design because I love the hands-on aspects of making beautiful pieces that people will wear and treasure forever. What I didn’t anticipate was all of the other stuff that goes with it. A typical “day in the life” includes many different things, including working on marketing, social media, accounting, invoices, and meeting with clients. Oh, and I occasionally write magazine articles as well.
There is a significant learning curve between being just a jewelry designer and being an entrepreneur. Suddenly, you have to be the logistics manager, marketing manager, tech support, quality control, accountant and so much more. But don’t worry, it is possible to stay on top of everything without losing sight of what matters most: your clients.
Organize and Prioritize
No matter what, the top priority as a small business owner is your clients. That means prioritizing time in the studio so you can meet your deadlines and scheduling time for face-to-face meetings or phone calls. However, it can be tempting to devote all your time to studio and customer service, leaving nothing for anything else. When tax season comes around, you might find yourself in a bind. Been there, done that, learned the lessons.
That’s why it’s important to schedule dedicated time for non-studio and non-client work. Having a few hours a week blocked out on the calendar for bookkeeping, marketing, and emails makes a huge difference. Be firm about these working blocks. Other things will pop up, but at least you will have your basics covered.
Use Tools and Delegate
Using digital tools like Meta Business Suite and Canva is also beneficial. If you want to, you can knock out a full month’s worth of content in a single day, schedule everything to post automatically, and then move on. In the early days, when you are your sole employee, this is a lifesaver. For email marketing, I highly recommend Flodesk for its beautiful and easy-to-use layouts and no limits on how far ahead you can schedule.
Over time, however, you will want to grow your team with experts who can run these areas of your business with more creativity and flexibility. These days, I have an incredible team that helps with social media, content, and photography. I even hired an accountant! (Although I still do much of my daily bookkeeping myself.) This frees up more time for clients and the studio. But, somewhat ironically, it also pushes me to try on even more non-jewelry-making hats. There are always ways to improve your business.
Learn New Things
While I was working on a commission piece in the studio today, I popped on some YouTube tutorials about making video content on your phone. Did you know that those point-of-view videos are created with a phone mount connected to a mouthguard? This allows the creator to hold the phone in their mouth and have both hands free for the video. My mind was blown.
I’ve learned so many new things already this year, such as how to present a virtual jewelry-making demo, how to create a TikTok video, and how not to run a pop-up sale. On the jewelry-making side, I’ve improved my skills with CAD and mastered the laser welder.
Being a small business owner can be tough, but it’s also a gift. The opportunities to learn and discover are never ending. The trick is to find the right balance between a perfectly organized Google calendar and an unexpected journey where anything can happen!
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