How Do You Feel About A Schedule?

My daughter is currently taking a class on time management. She is taking a full class load at college and works 30 hours a week. In addition to being involved at church she likes to socialize, and so the class is being a tremendous help to her. I met with a dear friend today who is doing some volunteer work for our Christian ladies' publication ministry and she showed me her weekly schedule. This is a lady who built a multi-million dollar business and now uses those talents to help others. Her schedule is incredible and shows why she is able to accomplish so much. I grew up on a dairy farm, which meant that we had to milk the cows twice a day every single day. You could never just decide not to milk those cows; they had to be milked. If you wanted the best production it was important for the cows to be milked at the same time every morning and every night. Being forced to do so much by schedule on the farm was very good for me.

There are times I feel overwhelmed and feel I just can't get everything done. This is an extremely busy time of year for me because our church will host an international ladies conference in just five weeks. But every time I get overwhelmed I know what the answer is...schedule all the things I have to do rather than worry about them.

When frustrated it is important to look at all the demands on our time and evaluate if there are some things we should let go, but often times the real culprit is that we are not scheduled. We don't live by a plan, and therefore, do not accomplish all that we should be able to do.

Fall is a great time to re-establish your priorities and schedule our time. We resist putting constraints on our time and the things we do as it can seem constrictive. There is a part of me that just wants to do things as I feel like it, but the problem with that is it makes it impossible for me to accomplish all that I am supposed to do each day!

Start small and start now. Make a list of all the things you feel you need to accomplish in the next 24 hours. Be realistic; if you are feeling overwhelmed tomorrow is not the day to clean out the attic! List the duties in order of priority and then work on them one at a time. Stay focused. When you are tempted to do something not on your list resist the temptation and stay on track.

Have some goals and make a plan to reach those goals. I have a jewelry shop on Etsy. There are two extremes that can happen. One is that I don't schedule "Etsy" time and do nothing or very little to build that business. The other extreme is that I list new items and then spend unlimited time in the forums...causing me to neglect other responsibilities. I talked with my husband and we made a plan for how much time I will spend on the jewelry business each day. That helps me to keep the balance. I had time to list the above pictured bracelet today because I scheduled time to take pictures, edit the pictures, and post the listing.

Schedule and planning are your friends. Embrace them...and have a wonderful and productive fall!

Starting A Jewelry Business: Choose Your Medium

A second factor to consider when deciding to make jewelry is the components you will use in your designs. When I first began making jewelry I realized quickly that I could get "no name" crystals for much cheaper than I could purchase Swarovski crystals. And I purchased a good number of those crystals. However, as I began making jewelry I realized immediately that the clean crisp edges and the sparkle for which Swarovski crystals are known was missing. It was at that point that I had to decide what types of components I would use. I could charge less for my jewelry using the less expensive crystals, but my name was on my designs and I decided that I wanted to use Swarovski crystals. Neither crystal is right or wrong. I had worn plenty of jewelry in my lifetime with jewelry containing the less expensive crystals. I just decided that with my perfectionistic tendencies and my penchant for quality I would never be happy with jewelry I made using lesser quality components. Again, neither one is right or wrong. You just have to decide what is right for you and then pursue it with all of your heart!

Getting Started

In the coming weeks I want to give you some guidelines and principles that I have learned in the five years I have been making jewelry.

Jesus gave an illustration in the New Testament that teaches before a man begins to build a building he should sit down and consider whether or not he has the resources to finish the building. That's a really great principle.

When we decide to take on a new task, whether it is a responsibility, a job, a new business, or even a marriage, we should sit down and think through whether or not we have the resources necessary to succeed. If you are wanting to start a jewelry business consider the following.

Consider the Cost
It costs a lot of money to start a jewelry business that will offer more than five or 10 necklaces at your first show or in your online shop. I recall when I was first starting I had not yet purchased any beads. I heard about the Gem and Jewelry Show in Chicago so decided that would be a great place to buy supplies and beads. I walked in and was immediately overwhelmed by the hundreds of tables filled with every kind of bead imaginable. I didn't know where to start! Someone told me they thought I could get started for $1,000. What a laugh! I spent nearly $1,000 at that show and walked out with a few small bags of beads. It was enough to get started making jewelry but it was not enough to start a business! The start up of our jewelry business required much more than $1,000 cash because we made the decision to make quality jewelry using the best quality beads, sterling silver, and components we could find. If you are contemplating starting a jewelry business, consider the cost.