How to grow a best-selling jewellery business
Blog
As part of the new book ‘Start and Grow a Profitable Jewellery Business’ with Jessica Rose, a handful of talented and successful, handmade jewellers were invited to be interviewed about various different elements of their business.
Each jeweller was chosen specifically to talk about a particular area of focus within their business which they were doing brilliantly at, to share their real life experience and demonstrate how its done. One of these areas of focus was how to grow a profitable and successful business…
So for this chapter of the book, Jess invited established jeweller Alice Rivers Cripps of Posh Totty Designs - which became best-selling and top-performing brand on the popular online platform Not On The High Street, to talk about the decisions she made that led her to real growth.
Here’s what Alice had to say…
Alice in her store
How long have you been a jeweller for?
I have been making jewellery for about 20 yrs. I initially learnt the basics out in Mexico, I was fresh out of university and had little more than $60 to my name, so I found some work with a group of amazing local Mayan jewellers. Here, I was taught the fundamentals of jewellery making, which planted the seed for my future career. After nearly two years I finally earned enough money to pay for a flight back home to the UK.
When I came back I was full of inspiration but I knew I needed to refine my technical skills so I did some evening classes which galvanized my ambition and confirmed that becoming a jeweller was what I wanted to do.
How did you start making jewellery?
I initially started making jewellery in front of the TV and then realised I was annoying my partner so set up a work bench under the stairs and started to figure out my signature style from there. I tried a lot of different things from working with Perspex, enamel to etching but finally settled on the element of personalising after discovering a set of steel letter stamps at a car boot sale.
It was a slow start and a lot of hard graft. I would make jewellery in the evenings and at weekends in my little bench space (without a window) and I would gift every friend and family member I could. It is funny now when an aunt appears wearing one of my very old jewel encrusted pieces, I’d handmade from vintage finds. It is definitely not my signature style now as they are one off giant pieces that wouldn’t be able to be commercialised. Fun to look back at though, to see how far I’ve developed.
I still had to have a full-time job to pay the bills, so my spare time was my only time for making, even though my brain was constantly ticking with ideas for jewellery and how to develop my style. Once I had developed by my creative signature style, I walked the streets of Brighton, and anywhere else I visited, to ask if they would take my designs on a sale or return basis. It was quite a hard slog and could be upsetting when you approached shops and they turned you down as every piece was so personal to you.
It was also hard to chase the payments when you were fortunate enough to sell something, so in the end I opted to go big or go home and I joined Design Gap where they helped me get a 1x1 metre at a trade show- Top Drawer. From there I started to get shops all over the country who would pay for my jewellery up front and slowly I reduced my hours until I could work full time as a jeweller. I soon realised there was an appetite for my work and my confidence grew.
My dream was always to have a shop so in 2006 I fulfilled that and opened up a tiny store in the North Laine in Brighton. It was perfect for me as I could make bespoke pieces all day for lovely customers, however the location was quiet with not much passing trade or footfall. Also I hadn’t gained my full confidence yet, so I would often under value my work.
However, one day I was visited by Holly Tucker who had just launched a website called notonthehighstreet.com and she loved what I was doing and hadn’t discovered any personalised jewellery at that point.
The rest as they say it history, Posh Totty Designs became their best-selling and top performing brand, and we grew sales in tandem with the incredible success of NOTHS.
We then continued to develop and grow the brand and communicate who and what we are to wider audience. We established our own site poshtottydesigns.com and stated working with additional platforms such as Etsy to continue to extend our reach without comprising the integrity of the products.
how long have you had posh totty designs for?
Since 2004. 18 years now. Aghh! It simultaneously feels like a lifetime ago and yesterday!
Did you have a clear vision of how you wanted to grow the business?
Not really, I have learnt everything along the way. There is always something new to learn but I thrive on that as it keeps it interesting.
I knew I wanted to keep making jewellery that mattered to people, so it was more a case of finding new innovative ways to make this happen that were both compelling to the customer and commercially viable as a business. It’s about keeping the balance between planning ahead and being able to react quickly to opportunities or, equally as important, adversities.
Did you know how big it would become?
Definitely not. I was more than happy having a little shop in Brighton in the quiet alleyway!
I knew I had tapped into something that resonated with people – jewellery which had meaning - but the growth has been very organic.
What advice would you give to a jeweller with a business that is looking to grow?
Take it slow and be prepared to put in long hours. Nothing comes without hard work.
Look at what you want to do and then ask yourself would you like to do it every day for the next 20 years? Are you passionate about it or are you doing it to earn a quick buck? If it’s just for the money I would rethink as I absolutely love what I do. Even 18 years on.
As a jeweller it is also important to get your signature look. One that is unique to you and can be recognised by your customers. Don’t copy, be original. It will take time but once you’re there that will be your USP (unique selling point)
Have you faced any challenges with growth? How did you overcome them?
Copycats who sell their products for a cheaper price, which is hugely frustrating.
Finding the balance between finding new markets and platforms but staying to true to the essence of the brand and our core offering.
What are your growth visions for the future?
To keep designing and creating quality pieces that will be treasured by our customers and their families.
To reach new customers who might not have discovered us yet but want to give a meaningful keepsake to their someone special.
Anything else you’d like to share?
And last, but not least, always employ people that are better than you. You can’t do it all! Look at what you do well and then look at what you are not so strong on and get that covered by someone stronger. Don’t be afraid to tell your team they are better than you….at the things they are better than you at. We all have our diamonds.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to learn more about growing a profitable business, as well as read Alice’s top tip for new jewellers starting out, then you’ll find it all here in the new book - ‘Start and Grow a Profitable Jewellery Business’ with Jessica Rose.