Yesterday’s post about the challenges of combining art and commerce reminded me of an essay about small business that I wrote for the Huffington Post in 2012. And, like I said recently, it’s occurred to me that I need to republish all my Huffington Post pieces on this blog, because they could vanish at any…
education
Wednesday’s Video: Advice About Advice
I’m continuing my series of YouTube videos about business issues and my advice for this week is to be … wary of advice. Naturally, my advice is an exception to the rule. You should trust me 100%! As I explain in the video, I didn’t take all the bad advice I was offered over the…
Wednesday’s Video: BS Your Way Through a Business Plan
People considering entrepreneurship often ask me if they need a business plan. My answer is, yes, you should have one. My caveat is that it will probably be complete bullshit. Yep, lots of business plans that are full of optimistic bullshit, and that’s true whether they are drawn up by a one-person company or by…
Wednesday’s Video: Career Advice for Disruptive Times
My latest YouTube video is a continuation of my series of job and business tips. This time, I’m sharing what I’ve learned from the my own surprising career path, which took me from journalism to jewelry design. Today I reveal the faulty logic behind two bits of conventional wisdom: That NOT having a Plan B…
Wednesday’s Video: So, You Wanna Start a Jewelry Biz!
My pre-holiday gift to you is going to be a whole lot of business advice! I’m following up yesterday’s post on lessons learned from my three-year Eminem merchandise debacle with a new YouTube video that addresses jewelry-industry challenges. However, once you remove the unusual jewelry-biz issue of consignment from the equation, many of these tips…
You’re Invited to the GIA Career Fair (and I’ll Be There)
Ever wanted to work in the jewelry biz? Whether you want to start a new career the way I did, or you’re hoping to steer your current jewelry job in a new direction, you’re welcome to come to the Gemological Institute of America Career Fair tomorrow at New York City’s Javits Center. The event starts…
Recommended Reading: Fine Jewelry in the News
There were two good articles about fine jewelry in consumer-oriented publications recently. I’m excited because it’s relatively rare to find interesting stories about my industry outside the trade press. Laurie Brookins’s article in the September 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter was called “Hollywood’s Pay-to-Wear Jewelry Wars” (in the print edition). This is far from…
The Agony and Ecstasy of a Small Business, Revisited
Last year, I wrote a story for the Huffington Post called “The Agony and Ecstasy of a Small Business.” It dealt with economies of scale, which is something I’ve also discussed on this blog here, here and here. In manufacturing, economies of scale means that the bigger the order (of widgets, iPhones, pens or jewelry),…
Gold-Chain Sticker Shock Strikes Again
The price of gold has more than tripled since I started my first jewelry business in 2005. If you have questions about why gold costs what it costs, I have answers for you in these posts: Get Smart (About the Price of Gold) Get Smart (About the Price of Gold), Part II If those posts…
Get Smart (About $4,000 Suits and $10,000 Rings)
I’ve written plenty about the classic small-business issue of economy of scale: the high cost of producing low quantity (and the even higher cost of producing low quality without a way to distribute the goods). My Huffington Post story, “The Agony and Ecstasy of Small Business,” offers the most concise explanation, but you can get…