How to Make a Name for Your Handmade Jewelry Locally: Part Two

I thought I'd continue in the series on how to make a name for your handmade jewelry locally. If you didn't read part one, you can access it through the archives.

In the last article, we talked about how the importance of creating visibility for your jewelry by participating in a variety of local events where you can display and sell your jewelry such as craft shows, special event shows, and trunk shows. Now, I want to cover another effective technique which is growing your jewelry business through charitable giving.

Your local area probably has a variety of chariatable organizations and other groups who need to raise funds. There are a variety of ways you can help them meet their goals while promoting your jewelry line. Here are some ideas:

1. Many charitable organizations have a yearly auction where they auction off products and services donated by local businesses. Why not offer one of your jewelry sets that hasn't sold as quickly as you would have liked for auction? If the organization has a lot of women members, your jewelry is sure to catch their eye and their interest. When you donate the jewelry include a card and a brochure featuring your jewelry designs as well as your contact information. This is an excellent way to increase the visibility of your jewelry line locally.

2. Offer members of your chosen charity a special discount when they shop with you. In turn, you could donate a small portion of the proceeds to their charitable organization. They may even let you set up a display or sponsor a jewelry show for their members.

3. Offer to help your chosen charity raise funds by selling your line of handmade jewelry. For each piece of your jewelry the members sell to their family and friends, you agree to donate a percentage to their organization.

4  Advertise your business in their newsletter, or if it's a church, in their church bulletin. Again, offer members a small discount on your jewelry designs.

5. Create jewelry that's custom designed for the charity featuring their special colors or logo. They could use this jewelry for charitable fundraising.

6. Donate a portion of your jewelry sales to a charity. The charity, in turn, would allow you to advertise that you support their cause. You could include this on all of your marketing material. This would also be a way to get free publicity from the media in your local area. They could write a storyabout the jeweler who gives back to the local community.

Charitable organizations can be an excellent way to market your handmade jewelry line while doing something positive for your local community. Choose a charity you can passionately support. If you're concerned about the plight of homeless people, network with a local organization that supports the homeless. If homeless animals are your passion, your local SPCA would probably love to work with you. Not only will your jewelry business become more visible to your local community, you'll probably feel pretty good making a charitable contribution. Why not give it a try?

Kristie

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