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silver Girl
29-09-2009, 04:16 PM
hi all

I just wondering if anyone can give me some advice on starting up a small online business , I would like to start frist with making up the website , so I can sell the jewellery I make. if any one knows where I could get a website up and running for a good price , that would be most helpful

bustagasket
29-09-2009, 04:18 PM
I think a lot of people on here use MrSite which is pretty reasonable, but we are also blessed with a lot of IT people on here so i think you will soon get plenty of info. There have been a couple fo threads in the vein so lots of info to be had :D

silver Girl
29-09-2009, 04:24 PM
I think a lot of people on here use MrSite which is pretty reasonable, but we are also blessed with a lot of IT people on here so i think you will soon get plenty of info. There have been a couple fo threads in the vein so lots of info to be had :D



thanks for that , I will look into that , thanks again :)

bustagasket
29-09-2009, 04:26 PM
you are welcome, i very rarely actually have any knowledge to share lol as i am a total noob :D

silver Girl
29-09-2009, 04:30 PM
you are welcome, i very rarely actually have any knowledge to share lol as i am a total noob :D

lol :rofl:

amazingbabe
29-09-2009, 05:38 PM
Hi there are 2 reasonably priced, Yola.com and Mrsite.com,,, I used mrsite.com and i find it grand and i am not great with computers but i manage it,,, have a look at my site if you wish Palace Gems - PALACE GEMS (http://www.palacegemshandmadejewellery.com) and i only have the basic, cheapest mrsite package.. If you decide to get it we will all help you along, the people on here are so fab!!!!:~::Y::Y:

agent_44
29-09-2009, 07:47 PM
I think if you aren't knowledgeable in Web Development or Design a Mr Site or something like that is a good option. Have you thought about Etsy or something like that where you can potentially reach a huge audience without having to do so much work in terms of SEO and promotion?

Also take a peek at the Business Link site, lots of free resources for going into business: Business support, information and advice | Business Link (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk)

mizgeorge
30-09-2009, 05:40 PM
I have to say it. If you're going to even consider writing anything for a website, or for etsy, you really have to start doing it in 'real' English. Textspeak, deliberate mis-spellings (which seem popular with teenagers at the moment for some reason) etc, just will not do, both here in the UK and especially for anything like etsy which also covers the US market.

If you're dyslexic, or have problems with spellings, please make sure you either use a good spellcheck, or better still, ask somebody to proofread for you.

There are few things more offputting in a website than bad spelling, punctuation and even grammar. They just imply a lack of pride and professionalism, and there's no excuse for them.

I'm not that keen on mangling the English language on forums either.

fiona davies
01-10-2009, 03:08 PM
coodnt agree more...nofink wors den bad speeling.!!!http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/images/smilies/nono.gif would say is that if you want to really sell jewellery online then you need a good ecomerce site and they can cost up to £1,500...then SEO and with a term like 'Jewellery' to optmise you are looking to spend thousands £££££££. I know of a good SEO company so PM me if you want....spend depends on what you want/need...

fiona davies
01-10-2009, 03:11 PM
sorry, just tried to add a smilie but came out wrong in previous thread

caroleallen
01-10-2009, 04:57 PM
You're so right George. Spelling mistakes jump off the page at me. I'd be put right off buying from someone who's site was full of grammatical and spelling errors. Mind you, my spelling isn't what it once was.

Kalorlo
01-10-2009, 06:23 PM
You did that on purpose, right Carole? :rofl:

silver Girl
02-10-2009, 03:34 PM
I have to say it. If you're going to even consider writing anything for a website, or for etsy, you really have to start doing it in 'real' English. Textspeak, deliberate mis-spellings (which seem popular with teenagers at the moment for some reason) etc, just will not do, both here in the UK and especially for anything like etsy which also covers the US market.

If you're dyslexic, or have problems with spellings, please make sure you either use a good spellcheck, or better still, ask somebody to proofread for you.

There are few things more offputting in a website than bad spelling, punctuation and even grammar. They just imply a lack of pride and professionalism, and there's no excuse for them.

I'm not that keen on mangling the English language on forums either.

and what makes you think my english is bad ??[-X[-X

Jayne
02-10-2009, 03:45 PM
I'm sure George wasn't referring to you specifically Silvergirl - there are a whole load of us on the Cookson Forum on the precipice of launching a website and it sounded like good general advice to me :)
J x

Ominicci
03-10-2009, 01:18 PM
:":

And if anyone wants to get a MrSite Package there's a link on my site Ominicci - Links (http://www.ominicci.co.uk/page5.htm) for a 25% or 15% discount on your purchase :D

lesley
03-10-2009, 01:25 PM
Is something missing?

Ominicci
03-10-2009, 01:54 PM
What do you mean Lesley???

silver Girl
06-10-2009, 09:56 AM
hi guys
I just though I should let you know where am with my website.
mr site told me they could have it up and runing by next week.
:D
any advice on what I should name my website ??
I though I should name it jewellery 2 go , but I don't know weather or not that a good name ?????

agent_44
06-10-2009, 09:59 AM
That's good news :)

With your name, have a think about what image you want to promote around your jewellery, e.g posh high end, affordable, etc etc, and see if you feel your name fits in with that.

Otherwise the name sounds OK to me, Silver Girl Jewellery just popped into my head, which kind of sounds OK too, to me any way :D

Jayne
06-10-2009, 10:14 AM
hi guys
I just though I should let you know where am with my website.
mr site told me they could have it up and runing by next week.
:D
any advice on what I should name my website ??
I though I should name it jewellery 2 go , but I don't know weather or not that a good name ?????

Hi Silvergirl

Well done :) that's really exciting news!
I agree with Agent 44 about the name - I think it would be really useful to think about who it is that you want to sell your jewellery to and think carefully about what is going to appeal to them. Try putting yourself into your customers shoes and have a surf on the net - see what is enticing and what other people have done that works.
For me, the name 'jewellery 2 go' suggests something fast moving, contemporary, instant, cutting edge and speedy - if that's the image that you want to portray then that's all good! :Y:
Good luck & keep us updated :)
J x

Emerald
06-10-2009, 10:20 AM
Hi Silvergirl why did Mr site say next week you can usually get it up and running within moments of buying, did you buy from the web or did you buy a box.?

pauljoels
06-10-2009, 10:56 AM
It's great about the website, and agree with the 2 previous posts about the name. The association I make with Jewellery 2 go is similar to Jayne, but the first thing I think of is cheaper end jewellery, which is not a negative if that was the intention.

Do you know the type of customers you would like to target? Think of the places they will shop at already for other things -Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's or Waitrose for instance - what appeals to them and why do they choose to shop in those places, is price important, or is it the quality of the products they are buying, or is it the service they recieve that is important? Try to think of the other places they will shop at - clothes shops for instance - are they shopping at Primark, Monsoon or Independents? That way you will be able to build up a picture, a bit like a mood board of the person you want to sell to and you'll be able to think in their mindset (at least that's the idea).

Also have a look at the other names of jewellery makers that you think your jewellery is aligned to - have a look at the names of the other makers on this forum - there are loads of really good ones! You want it to be something memorable so that people recognise it. I often think using your own name is a great way of doing this, and many of the jewellery makers I like and remember are those who have used their names as their company name - and it can be more personal, which adds to the fact everything is handmade.

mizgeorge
06-10-2009, 11:11 AM
I think you'll find jewellery2go is already registered (certainly as a .com) and I think it's always a good idea to have a unique name if possible.

Silvergirl, and silvergirljewelry are also taken.

When you register your domain name with Mr Site, it will tell you if the name is available.

It's worth being careful about the words jewellery/jewelry as the difference between the US and UK spellings can cause confusion.

As Mr Site works on an annual basis, it may be worth holding off registering your copy until you have your photography and text ready to start uploading, otherwise you're effectively paying for a blank site while you get it ready.

Petal
06-10-2009, 11:14 AM
Yes, I was thinking a similar thing as PaulJoels mentioned, which is that 'jewellery 2go' sounds like a quick turnaround jewellery idea? Is that what you wanted to do?

I know I wouldn't want to convey that kind of message for my website if I was doing one, as it would put me under too much pressure. (I've had enough of that in my previous job)..

You might want to think about what sort of website you want to have, is it one where you make up lots of stock and then send out as necessary, or have a six week turnaround time for orders to be 'made on request' type of thing?

Just a thought..

silver Girl
06-10-2009, 01:26 PM
hi guys
thanks so much for all your advice.
can anyone help me with a name that would be more better then jewellery 2go?? :confused:

Jayne
06-10-2009, 01:52 PM
Ah, Silvergirl, I wish I could give you an easy answer..........
I think the name for your business and website will be unique and particular to you and will be born from a combination of your personality, your style of jewellery and the image that you want to portray. It took me weeks (literally) to find the right name for my site, most of it spent annoyingly snapping 'NO!' at family and friends when they made suggestions (they didn't share my vision ha ha).
Then, there is the demoralising experience of typing it into Google to find that someone is using your 'unique' business name already :mad:
Grab a thesaurus, have a brainstorm and see what you come up with, oh and GOOD LUCK :)
J x

caroleallen
06-10-2009, 03:02 PM
A lot of jewellers use their own name, which I think conveys the message that the work is hand made by them. I'd be much more inclined to buy from someone who uses their own name as otherwise it's a bit too impersonal and sounds mass produced. I'd never buy from Jewellery2Go, no matter how much I liked the jewellery. As said before, it depends on the market you're aiming for. If it's teenagers, then they won't pay much.

silver Girl
06-10-2009, 06:01 PM
hi guys

I've come up with a name what do you think of this one :
evanescence's jewels . is this one any better then jewellery2go ??? :confused:

mizgeorge
06-10-2009, 06:07 PM
Depends on how much you want to be associated with the band of the same name I guess ;)

I'd go with the majority here, and recommend seeing if you can come up with something using your own name - or make one up if you don't feel comfortable with your own!

Jayne
06-10-2009, 06:09 PM
hi guys

I've come up with a name what do you think of this one :
evanescence's jewels . is this one any better then jewellery2go ??? :confused:


drop the 's (too many s's) and I think you're on to something good.

evanescence jewels

Yup, I like it :)
J x

pauljoels
06-10-2009, 06:39 PM
My first thought was to the band as well, so am not sure on it. I would also beware of it, because you may be fighting an uphill struggle in terms of search engine optimisation and getting Google to find it, because of the band's presence.

How woud you describe your jewellery? What inspires the jewllery you design and make? If you tell us a few more things about you or your jewellery more people may be able to help, but it is very difficult to come up with a name as others have said - it can be a very personal thing and at the end of the day only you will know if something is right.

Don't rule out your own name - look at Paul Smith - quite a dull name really, but recognised globally. Ema Takahashi produces some lovely designs and I think her name stands out because it is foreign. I guess I 'm tyring to say the designers own name is good - simple, or more complicated.

Di Sandland
06-10-2009, 06:42 PM
The other thing to think about here, Silver Girl, is copyright. You might find that the band get a bit miffed to find a jewellery maker using their name!

pauljoels
06-10-2009, 06:46 PM
I'm not sure. I think you would get away with it since the industries are different enough, but I may be wrong and it's always worth checking these things.

I would say, before getting too excited about any name, I would always do a quick domain check on it using one of the many services you can find whilst Googling.

My last company were setting up a company based on an old clockmaking name, and we found that an American had registered the name and was using it for a blog that was out of date by a year or so...we were pretty miffed, but it just meant we had to get clever with it and find another solution.

Solunar Silver Studio
06-10-2009, 06:49 PM
If you look at the dictionary definition of the word it might be a bit of a weird one to associate with jewellery...

evanescence - definition of evanescence by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/evanescence)
evanescence
1. the process of vanishing or fading away.
2. the condition of being transitory.

Boo
06-10-2009, 07:09 PM
I'd also recommend typing your chosen name out as it would appear as a domain name on business cards etc. - tricky words merged together with no spaces or capitals to differentiate them can, at best, be hard to make sense of and remember - at worst, say something you really didn't intend.

Imagine the business the Antiques Exchange; antiquesexchange.co.uk (http://www.antiquesexchange.co.uk) :)

Di Sandland
06-10-2009, 07:26 PM
Imagine the business the Antiques Exchange; antiquesexchange.co.uk (http://www.antiquesexchange.co.uk) :)

PMSL:giggle:

fi79
06-10-2009, 07:27 PM
:yeah: Hehehe!

mizgeorge
06-10-2009, 07:53 PM
Here's a few more favourites ;)

Who Represents” is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is www.whorepresents.com (http://www.whorepresents.com)

Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com (http://www.expertsexchange.com)

Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.com (http://www.penisland.net)

Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.com (http://www.therapistfinder.com)

There’s the Italian Power Generator company, www.powergenitalia.com (http://www.powergenitalia.com)

And don’t forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales , www.molestationnursery.com (http://www.molestationnursery.com)

If you’re looking for IP computer software, there’s always www.ipanywhere.com (http://www.ipanywhere.com)

The First Cumming Methodist Church Web site is www.cummingfirst.com (http://www.cummingfirst.com)

And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their wacky Web site, www.speedofart.com (http://www.speedofart.com)

pauljoels
06-10-2009, 08:02 PM
:D I cannot believe some of those!

Jayne
06-10-2009, 08:30 PM
that was funny!! :rofl:
J x

MuranoSilver
06-10-2009, 08:55 PM
hi guys
I've come up with a name what do you think of this one :
evanescence's jewels . is this one any better then jewellery2go ??? :confused:

I'd be wary of that one Silvergirl - it might be difficult to remember....
How about trying Domain Name Suggestions Generator - MakeWords.com (http://www.makewords.com/) keep hitting generate until you find one your like.
You can aslo add prefix or suffixes.
e.g. I added the Suffix Silver and it came up with
ErSilver.com and
Disilver.com

You'll be able to find lots of memorable site names this way
Nic x

agent_44
06-10-2009, 08:57 PM
I used to use 'expertsexchange' in an old job, lol! Nothing to do with sex changes for the record, I was an IT manager....


I woudln't use Evanescencse, the band association wouldn't work. Maybe if yo ucan have a brain storm and think of words that describe your jewellery and your inspiration and maybe we can come up with some ideas :)

Di Sandland
06-10-2009, 09:09 PM
Jason John.....

Lisa Quinn
06-10-2009, 09:10 PM
Hi there Silvergirl,

perhaps you could create an album in your profile page here on the forum of a range of your jewellery pieces, once we can see the designs we would probably be able to get some ideas for some names that would be inspired by your own creations.

Lisa xx

geti-titanium
06-10-2009, 09:33 PM
The best name to have is one that contains your main keywords for search engine optimisation purposes. For example, if your main keywords are 'silver bracelets', then silverbracelets.co.uk would be your best name. This name, as you would imagine, has gone but other uk extensions are still available.

The name you have on your site can still be your own name and you can also buy a second domain name for printed literature and business cards that reflects the name on the homepage - just point it to the main site.

Years ago I chose fatcowdesigns.com for a website which, for a jewellery site, is completely wrong. On the other hand now that it has got on to page 1 of google.co.uk for titanium rings, it does stand out and it certainly causes a few chuckles when I direct somebody to it over the phone.

silver Girl
07-10-2009, 10:27 AM
The other thing to think about here, Silver Girl, is copyright. You might find that the band get a bit miffed to find a jewellery maker using their name!

band ????? what band ???? , I didn't know there was a band ????????????

pauljoels
07-10-2009, 10:29 AM
band ????? what band ???? , I didn't know there was a band ????????????
Evanescence (http://www.evanescence.com/)

silver Girl
07-10-2009, 10:30 AM
ok guys
what about gems and jewls ???? is this one any better ???

pauljoels
07-10-2009, 10:33 AM
To me it sounds a bit too generic - it doesn't tell me anything about you or the jewellery, and unfortunately many of the .com/.co.uk/.net domains are already taken (presuming you meant gems and jewels rather than jewls?, if not then you may be ok, but it would probably confuse customers).

agent_44
07-10-2009, 10:37 AM
There's also a Jewels and Gems website already registered, so that could be confusing, you wouldn't want to send your customers somewhere else by accident, would you? ;)

Lisa Quinn
07-10-2009, 11:39 AM
Mochia and mocha made a comment on your bracelet, that it looks quite magical and conjured up images of elves in the Lord of the Rings, so perhaps you could start thinking up words associated with those subjects. For example when I think of elves the word "ethereal" springs into my head and also I think of the Queen of the fairies, who is called Titania, there are hundreds of words ( that you may, possibly consider to be equally unsuitable) but it be might worth considering the magical qualities that your jewellery has and googling keywords associated with those qualities which may bring some joy to your quest.

Lisa x

silver Girl
07-10-2009, 12:57 PM
:ta: to all who gave me advice,
I've have come up with some other names ?(here goes )

evan's jewels

jewellery art

handmade designs

precious gems

let me know if any of them are good , if not , I will ry to think of some others .

caroleallen
07-10-2009, 01:04 PM
Is Evan your name? It's very pretty. How about:

Jewellery by Evan
Essence of Evan Jewellery
Evan's Jewellery Designs

pauljoels
07-10-2009, 01:08 PM
In my mind the last two are too generic - handmade designs tells me nothing about anything, apart from you're selling something that is handmade (not a bad thing, but it doesn't tell me what else to expect). Precious Gems I feel is too generic and would expect you to be some sort of gemologist.

Thinking about Evan's Jewels (and this is probably just me) sounds a little clunky. It doesn't quite flow and roll off the tongue for me. Also - I'd be careful when using this - I know it's not quite the same, but a quick Google of Evan and Jewellery pulls up EvansJewelry.Com (http://www.evansjewelry.com/) as the number one page.

Jewellery Art - nothing in particular against it, but I don't feel anything for it.

It's hard work coming up with a name for anything, so please do not be put off - it's worth the hardwork to get it all right - and I may be completely wrong in my opinions. It would be easier if we knew more about your work, style and inspiration though.

agent_44
07-10-2009, 01:17 PM
Is Evan your name? It's very pretty. How about:

Jewellery by Evan
Essence of Evan Jewellery
Evan's Jewellery Designs

I like Jewellery by Evan or Essence of Evan jewellery :D

Jayne
07-10-2009, 01:21 PM
:ta: to all who gave me advice,
I've have come up with some other names ?(here goes )

evan's jewels

jewellery art

handmade designs

precious gems

let me know if any of them are good , if not , I will ry to think of some others .

Ok, this is just my opinion (which might not mean much......I was the only person in the western hemisphere who thought that 'evanescence' was a good idea lol) but I think that they all sound a bit bland. Now, split the phrases and then it think it gets quite interesting - a more minimilist approach:
- 'precious'
- 'gems'
- 'design'
- 'handmade'
- 'art'
- 'jewel'

I think they all sound as if they have some style and gravitas.
but like I say, it's just my opinion.
J x

Solunar Silver Studio
07-10-2009, 01:49 PM
Instead of Handmade Jewellery try Evanmade Jewellery (Evan Made Jewellery. Evan-Made Jewellery) ...

pauljoels
07-10-2009, 01:56 PM
or something like Silver by Evan, a bit like Light by Conran? I suppose it that would depend on what you will be making though - it wouldn't be a great description if you were predominantly using gold! and just to note - a quick domain check for the website shows www.silverbyevan.com and .co.uk are available.

Jayne
07-10-2009, 02:01 PM
Instead of Handmade Jewellery try Evanmade Jewellery (Evan Made Jewellery. Evan-Made Jewellery) ...

that has a nice ring to it :)
J x

agent_44
07-10-2009, 02:17 PM
Instead of Handmade Jewellery try Evanmade Jewellery (Evan Made Jewellery. Evan-Made Jewellery) ...

Ohh, I like that too! Nice idea :D

Lisa Quinn
07-10-2009, 03:22 PM
Evanmade Jewellery sounds really good, well done x

silver Girl
09-10-2009, 03:00 PM
thanks guys for all your help.
I've have one quesion I need help on , at the mo, I would accept a postal order (P.O) and cheque (C.Q) , but to be fair to the customer , I want to accept credit cards , does anyone know how can I do this ??? :confused::confused:

Di Sandland
09-10-2009, 03:07 PM
Paypal, Silver Girl. I've not used Mr Site so I'm not sure how the paypal function on there works. One of the others will have the answer. Its very simple though and customers don't have to have a paypal account to use it - just a credit card.

mizgeorge
09-10-2009, 03:19 PM
Mr Site comes with a built in paypal shopping cart that's very easy to use. You need to have an upgraded paypal account which can accept card payments though.

If you're selling from your site, you need to make sure you comply with distance selling regulations, which includes things like having your terms and conditions published, along with your physical address.

silver Girl
14-10-2009, 11:18 AM
hi guys
thank you to all who posted and give me some help.
I'm just wordering , what rules should I have , coz I'll be making hand made jewellery and selling it, I'm worried some people won't wait for jewellery to be made , please can you give me some advice on this , thanks
:confused::confused:

mizgeorge
14-10-2009, 11:29 AM
If you feel ready to sell, then it's really best to start off with pieces that are already finished, and can be accurately photographed, so that expectations are fully managed. Once you gain confidence about the whole process, you can start thinking about collections or making to order. Turnaround times vary for this depending on the complexity and price.

Boo
14-10-2009, 12:02 PM
This is a good summary .pdf document created by the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) on the distance selling regulations - which as George says, you need to comply with to trade on-line legally.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

silver Girl
14-10-2009, 01:30 PM
This is a good summary .pdf document created by the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) on the distance selling regulations - which as George says, you need to comply with to trade on-line legally.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

so , do I have to fill out any froms ???:confused: cos I will selling by myself

mizgeorge
14-10-2009, 01:43 PM
You need to register as self-employed. Your local tax office will be surprising helpful about taking you through this process.

Boo
14-10-2009, 02:45 PM
Are you sure you're ready for this business venture silver Girl - you seem pretty unprepared for it and asking some very fundamental questions? I've been self-employed for 23 years and selling things on-line for many of the recent years and still learn things every single day and it's taken a great deal of work to get my site to the state of completion that it now is and me to feel confident enough that my business looks reasonably good to the outside world - but I'm nowhere near done yet - still a lot I can do to get it better.

As I mentioned to you in another topic, you need to master a lot more skills than you'd perhaps imagine - I do everything from maintaining and repairing my equipment to my own accounts and tax return. I have to make each piece, photograph it, retouch the photos, write some descriptive text, present it well and then market it. If it sells, I have to present it nicely to the customer, package it well and send it on its way, which needs an understanding of the postal system too. You need to be aware of your legal responsibilities and be canny with customer service.

You're going to have to be prepared for a lot of hard work and to master a great number of skills. Making the jewellery is often the easiest bit. It's certainly the most fun.

kymbi
14-10-2009, 02:59 PM
Some good points there Boo :Y:

It's easy to forget or overlook all the "back office" work that is needed when you are setting up and running your own business - the jewellery is just the tip of the iceberg.

AlexandraBuckle
14-10-2009, 05:02 PM
It is hard work and there are a lot of hidden tasks you don't realise you will have to do when you start out (my online shop has been running for nearly two years now) but once you get to grips with it it's all good.

I'm currently preparing mine and my husbands tax return - v.tedious! I've been filing (paperwork, not silver) all day, infact I haven't actually made any jewellery for a while now.

The jewellery IS definatley the easy bit.
Just think yourself lucky - when I started out I didn't have so many helpful people just a message away! I had to figure it all out for myself, but I got there and you will too Silvergirl - if you put the work in :)

Jayne
14-10-2009, 06:03 PM
Hi Silvergirl

Just a thought - have you had any contact with Business Link? They run free (yes free!!) courses in various locations across the country designed for people who want to start their own businesses. They cover all aspects of self-employment, have a website which is packed with info and a phone line for those trickier questions.

It really is worth a look :)
J x
Business support, information and advice | Business Link (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk&target=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk&tc=000KWBL200230110007)

Ominicci
14-10-2009, 08:58 PM
Oooh thanks for that Jayne - I knew about business link, but that is a useful resource to have on line to dip int and out of.

SilverGirl if you look under Sales & Marketing on the link Jayne gave there are sections about selling online and they key issues to consider when setting up an online shop.

There are also free courses in your area that the HM Revenue & Customs run that you can book on to when you register as self employed. I've just done the Completing your Tax Return for Self Employed this week!

glen
27-10-2009, 05:55 PM
thanks for the link to OFT Boo
I agree with many of the last posts. I have been running a jewellery company alone this year as well as making / running a website as well as trying to make jewellery. As you read in the other post, you can probably guess what I am going to say... I cant wait to make jewellery again.
I have been working on my website for almost a year, one wouldnt think it, but i have chisseled a little when i could. Lately I am spending days on the website and people have to drag me into the real world.
I can tell you from the experience it is not easy. I am in effect doing 3 jobs atm and because of that I am barely doing any of them properly.

My best advice to you is plan plan plan. Do not just jump into the water because you wont know what hit you and you would stress yourself out. Understand all the things you want to do and what you need to do first.

Have you decided if you are going to be a sole-trader or a limited company? That is the first step to take before you do anything else because it can affect everything else in the future including how your suppliers treat your accounts.

There are pro's and cons to each. the best way to figure this out is here:
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.s=sl&r.lc=en&topicId=1077472554)

It has taken me lots of years and tears in the jewellery trade before I even considered I was capable of going on my own. I am actually astounded by the amount of jewellery stores out there that even offer repair and bespoke services who dont have a clue what theyre doing. I can tell you stories that my customers have come to me with.

Look before you leap.
If you do not know much about webdesign I would reccommend a professional advice or services to set yr online store up if you can afford it. I have had quotes of thousands of pounds.

Good Luck, if you are determined, take your time and you will get there.

glen
27-10-2009, 07:03 PM
forgot to say that a good site to set up an online store is ebay

Di Sandland
27-10-2009, 07:07 PM
forgot to say that a good site to set up an online store is ebay

Ooh, I dunno Glen, it seems to me that those who frequent eBay want to pay peanuts.

geti-titanium
27-10-2009, 10:12 PM
forgot to say that a good site to set up an online store is ebay

Ebay to me is the online equivalent of a car boot sale

glen
28-10-2009, 09:22 AM
I will go back and use ebay in the future. I have pulled a few of my products off there because I dont want to get distracted now as I am trying to concentrate on the website.

The reason for setting up products or shop on ebay is for marketing reasons. I may come back in the future and discuss this further and tell you why my strategy is a winner.

For a beginner that might not even know much about online trading or website design ebay has paypal and the store is already there, for a small fee you can have a complete 'store' with several products. And the integration with Paypal is a world leader.
Another store option is the
Roman Cart
Cube Cart
etc etc

These are good places for a novice webdesigner to get started with userfriendly interface. There are 100's out there.

An online store will need a merchant account, which is a very important thing to consider, especially if you are not a company with a business bank account. You can sell things as a personal seller on ebay. << BIG POINT

I agree with what you say about ebay but there is more to it than just meets the eye.
Paypal was made for eBay, and PayPal is my stores preffered merchant. You can set up a 'Paypal Store' on your own webpages too, by just adding a simple button.

Trudy
28-10-2009, 09:29 AM
I agree that handmade items on Ebay do sell too cheaply...BUT I have to say also that I do buy a lot of beads on there...I often see some amazing lampwork on there...I bought some great handmade beads a few days ago and because the maker had also listed her own website on her profile I then visited that I bought three more strings of beads so in that case it did work out quite well.
I also find that when I have bought something on there sellers often send out a business card with the products and then I usually have a peek at their site too and they get more exposure :)

Boo
28-10-2009, 09:36 AM
I had a portfolio advert page in the classifieds on eBay hoping it might get exposure on eBay without selling there, which wasn't expensive, something like £3.50 a month with 20 photos - but I'm not aware it did much good.

@ glen: You can integrate PayPal as a payment system with all the major cart systems I've tried (I settled on CubeCart) - it's not necessary to have a merchant account, I don't.

For a seller with no experience or budget for setting up their own site, you can open an Etsy shop (and there are many other such selling venues) and both sell there and integrate your Etsy mini onto your own site if you prefer to market with your own domain.

glen
28-10-2009, 10:16 AM
Trudy hit the nail on the head
Boo I was just looking at Amazinbabes etsy site funny enough
I then ventured to your site, love yr site, very similar to mine own but i didnt use cubecart.

The thing is that paypal is a payment gateway and a merchant account in one. Ideal for those starting out (like me)

snow_imp
28-10-2009, 10:29 AM
Hm, last time I looked at setting up a store on ebay the costs involved shoked me - especially since it appears that over the last 18 months or so they've hugely increased the costs of having a store on ebay. I could be wrong of course, but it looked like I'd have to sell a lot of items to make it worth having an ebay store 'cos of the charges involved.

Boo
28-10-2009, 11:28 AM
Boo I was just looking at Amazinbabes etsy site funny enough
Thanks for the kind words - the site has been an enormous amount of work to get this far and I still have much to do, but it's hit a state where I've stopped worrying about and just get on with working with it now - I'm sure I'll be perpetually tweaking it. I meant to post my Etsy shop too and forgot: Jewellery hand crafted in Lancashire England by boojewels on Etsy (http://boojewels.etsy.com)

I did also have a Folksy shop (UK based) but just didn't like the interface and have abandoned it now - never sold anything there. So I just concentrate on my own shop and Etsy - the two compliment each other pretty well and it's enough work.