Starting Up

[Patstone]

As some of you already know my daughter and I make silver jewellery. I have just gone back to work again for three days a week after five or so years of retirement, but my daughter is the one with the problem. She works for the Donkey Sanctuary, and as its working on a farm for safety reasons they work in pairs, recently they have paired her with a girl that she doesnt get on with. My daughter has been there for a long time (12 years or so) and until last week, really enjoyed her job and is thought highly off by her boss. However because of the rift, she wants to leave and wants to know if she wanted to make jewellery as a full time job, could she make it pay enough to cover the £1200 a month she gets while working, and where would she start. We do craft fairs two weekends a month and make about £200 on each, so not enough to stop work. I am really worried for her as she has a mortgage which she pays on her own, so no other income coming in apart from her job. Personally I think she is mad, apart from a reasonable wage that she is getting now, she also gets a wonderful pension, they pay in as much as she does, so decision not to be taken lightly. I know Carole in Cornwall does it, but she teaches as well, daughter cant really teach from her spare bedroom where her workshop is. Help and advice needed please.

[caroleallen]

I wish I could tell you it will be easy Pat but I'm afraid it's not. It's really all about building up a brand and being seen in all the right places. It's taken me years of doing very expensive shows all over the country, getting my website noticed, being in various publications, doing trade shows etc etc. It wasn't until the last couple of years that I can finally say it's taken off. Much of my success is down to Notonthehighstreet.

My advice for what it's worth is for her to grit her teeth and keep doing the day job for now. Things are sure to settle down and maybe the Donkey Sanctuary will pair her up with someone else as they wouldn't want to lose her.

My next bit of advice is to learn a skill that will make her jewellery unique so that if people are searching for i.e. men's jewellery, enamelled jewellery, Christening jewellery etc etc, they'll find her online. With just generic jewellery, she'll never be found.

Wishing her lots of luck and hope it all works out.

[Goldsmith]

I would totally agree with Carole, your daughter should keep the day job to pay the bills while developing some new skills. Nowadays with the oncoming items of CD/CAM, machine made jewellery you have to think of something unique and desirable, something that cannot be mass produced via CAD/CAM.

One idea, how about developing some donkey jewellery to sell at the sanctuary to visitors :-)

James

[caroleallen]

I would totally agree with Carole, your daughter should keep the day job to pay the bills while developing some new skills. Nowadays with the oncoming items of CD/CAM, machine made jewellery you have to think of something unique and desirable, something that cannot be mass produced via CAD/CAM.

One idea, how about developing some donkey jewellery to sell at the sanctuary to visitors :-)

James

That's a brilliant idea James. She should learn wax or milliput carving and make little donkeys! I see a line of little donkey key rings, charm bracelets, cufflinks, etc. She could make different ones like little Thelwell donkeys and give them a name. Kids would love them. Oh dear, I'm getting carried away now.

[Gemsetterchris]

Never quit a reliable regular wage, just add to it. Maybe a chat with the boss will solve the issue of partners...

[mizgeorge]

I'd agree with all the above. I think a good boss should be able to resolve the current pairing problem, and I'd also say this was not the time to be giving up a steady job.

However, I also love the idea of some donkey themed pieces! My BiL has rehomed several donks over the years, and we sponsor several more at home in Antigua, and we'd certainly be in the market for the right sort of charm etc.

[Patstone]

Thanks guys, glad you are reiterating what I have already said. I think it started when I told her that Wallace had left her job to do jewellery full time, but to start with Wallace has been at it a lot longer than us. Good idea about the donkey keyrings etc, not sure if silver items would be good though, bit pricey, but there again they do have a lot of people leaving money in their wills to the sanctuary so a lot of people love donkeys.

[mizgeorge]

She might think about starting out with offering them in pewter. Easy to cast yourself and can always be plated for a more 'polished' finish.

[medusa]

For those who don't have a regular income, don't forget that at least for now, you can get working and child tax credits if you are working over 30 (36 if no kids) hours, including as self-employed.

[pearlescence]

From an employment law perspective, I would advise her to get some advice from a specialist lawyer - I can recommend one - who will talk through options - a change of working practice which makes someone so unhappy can be constructive dismissal, especially with an employee who has worked happily for 12 years
I'd say your joint business situation is not such that you could just speed it up a bit to produce a living wage just like that - there is a lot more to building a business than a couple of craft fairs a month. It can be done, but realistically, if your daughter was going to do it, she would be getting to the stage where she was doing it by now - you have to want to have your own business more than anything.