Sometimes the craft business tips I share come from a lot of people’s hard work & experience…

Today I want to talk about the few, the proud, the lucky winners. And what winning can do for your business.

Earlier today I noticed someone’s item on Etsy that was already familiar to me.* Know why? Because it had been one of the really great, and memorable, winners in a Rings & Things design contest. It’s been awarded other prizes too, so we’re talking about a proven, multiple winner. I knew all that already.

The remarkable thing to me today, though, was the price on this item. I’ll just estimate that it’s now going for five times what it would otherwise sell for. As a jewelry artisan, you know that your creations are legitimately worth money. Entering them into competitions and being independently judged as high-quality jewelry backs up that claim.

I’m very proud of the jewelry artist whose winning creation I’m talking about. Assuming you’re going to sell that superb jewelry item that you made, it’s wise to set its price to reflect your reputation. Good move!

We all know you can’t sell every one of your items at a high price. But it says a lot about your status as a serious jewelry artisan, if you have some “high-end” items.

Think about what designs you can come up with, create, and enter into design contests. Besides the prizes available in these contests, and the sheer glory of winning, you may find yourself recouping your investment of materials and labor many times over.

And that can grow your business!

* I’ve kept the artist’s name and the title of the piece anonymous. They’re tangential to my point!

Have your sales benefited after you’ve won a design contest? Share your story in a comment!

Looking at the new Wedding / Bridal / Prom section that we’re building in our Design Gallery, I learned a technique…

Strand enhancers can grow your business. For a second, I thought this might mean “necklace extenders“, which are amazingly useful findings themselves.

But no, strand enhancers are yet a different way of offering extra value to your jewelry customers. They instantly make any necklace into a “Y” necklace, as @wendytgibson put it on Twitter. See one detached, and one in action, in this “Always a Bridesmaid” necklace design:

The “Always a Bridesmaid” design from Rings & Things

For this necklace, designer Cindy made the “pearl enhancer” with a #39-541-11 9x15mm oval no-trigger lobster clasp, in sterling silver. Have a custom wedding order? You can make clip-on strand enhancers with colors that match the bridesmaids’ dresses!

You can take this idea to craft fairs and jewelry shops too! Offer necklace-buying customers a matching strand enhancer for a little sales bump. They let the customer multi-purpose her necklace, choosing the style she wants. And they’re easy to make — so you could even offer to “build to order”. As @CreationsWHeart (also on Twitter) pointed out, “I can see how you could come up w/ a ton of designs whether it’s on a chain or beaded necklace! How fun!”

PS: A little extra design trick is to use seed beads in a pearl necklace like the one seen here. They’re easy, affordable spacers and they take far less time than knotting the cord!

Want to suggest more necklace design tricks and tips? Share them in a comment below. You’ll be entered in our drawing!