#1 Jewelry Arts Diva's Dream of becoming JADIVA

Dreamer: Jennifer Kellogg

Business: Jadiva

Location: Mason City, IA

Industry Contest: Retail/Wholesale

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Retail/Wholesale Current Rank
18
Number of votes
191
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Jadiva focuses on Jewelry & Arts. I work in all mediums from the most expensive metals and gems to the cheapest goods and recycled finds. I encourage making jewelry and things from everyday found objects. Be they river rocks or playground stones. Unique & One of a Kind is what I offer my clients.
Business Description:
Thinking outside the box tends to give me a unique edge over my competitors. Not only can I produce items out of expensive high end gems but I can take plain uninteresting river rocks and turn them into the extraordinary. My money obviously comes from retail sales of jewelry, sculptures, photographs, and jewelry repair. I make a majority of the products I sell so there's less need to purchase any premade items. I'm set up to accept several forms of payments including all major credit cards & online payments like PayPal which will help add to my sales exponentially. My business design is encouraged for growth. Once certain profit margins are made my business is intended to upgrade itself. The first is moving from a home craft room into an actual solid storefront. Doing so will enable me to receive more clients & help generate more interest. Getting the retail store going will generate the revenue to go onto to the next phase in my vision. The second phase comes in the form of beads. By offering beads for my customers to buy I will bring in more varied clients interested in buying supplies to make their own things. This will open up my third phase and that comes in the form of instruction & classes. By teaching others I generate more revenue. The added profit will be used to buy more equipment I'll need to go from just beads to working on metals. This will give me the ability to produce more unique one of kind jewelry for sale and work on a wider range of jewelry repairs. Not only will I be able to produce more but then I'll be able to start making my own parts so I'll no longer have to purchase them from my suppliers. With the added ability to make things out of metal I will in turn be able to teach silversmithing classes which several of my clients have already been asking for. Once my silversmithing classes get going I'll be selling many more parts with the extra added sales of tools for students. Having unique tools for sale to students will also bring in sales from those that already know how to use the tools but have not had a place to find them locally or in Iowa. Once my students start producing more quality designs they will have the option to sell their work in the retail section of the shop bringing in a percentage for my store at the same time. My students will also get to start learning more about the repair of jewelry for future careers repairing jewelry in my shop for clients. Now that I've been making my own parts to use in my own designs these parts will be available for sale to students and other artists too. Once profit begins generating from all this I will expand my shop area to include more stations and larger classes working on even more advanced level stuff. The added bonus to the enlarged shop will be space that can be rented out for use to former students when classes are not in session. The added shop will also have a section that is used specifically for trade jewelry repair being brought in from other jewelry chain stores that don't have in store goldsmiths of their own. This way the shop can begin generating money when it's not in use for classes which will also in turn add to sales of tools & parts. At some point as I produce more parts I'll set up a catalog and begin selling them to wholesale buyers nationwide and internationally. The added sales in parts will then start the manufacturing phase of my business. As more requests come in more various things will be added to the manufacturing section of the shop. As more work comes in I can hire from the selection of trained students I have to produce even more parts for sale. Once the manufacturing side is working efficiently I'll be adding Lapidary & Stone Carving to the things I produce for sale, classes to teach, and parts to make & supply. High end gemstones and stone sculptures will start being sold both at a retail & wholesale level locally, nationally, & internationally. The process I used to turn my metal shop into a Learning center then on to a manufacturing center will be applied to the Lapidary & Stone Cutting section as well. Then I'll be making, selling, & supplying beads of my own rather then buying them from various suppliers. Once the business starts to bring in more profits I will focus on setting up a schooling area that is separated from the retail store. With focus on building a larger school that will specialize in everything I've been doing so far. I will bring in and host professional jewelry trainers to teach a wider variety of specialized classes that will both train future employees & train future business leaders of the jewelry trade.
Reason for Entering:
Jadiva is all about jewelry, the arts, and teaching my techniques to others. I make various types of jewelry, photography, and original arts. By selling my designs at the local Main Street Market and teaching a few classes at the local art museum I have noticed a need for both handmade goods as well as unique instructional classes. Many Jadiva customers have requested me to open a bead shop and teach art classes for either themselves or their children. I want my town to have a go to place that will encourage learning various art methods for self motivation and even possibly inspire them to create their own dream. I have seen a dramatic decline in the arts community due to restricted budgets at our local schools as well as museums and I want to bring that back to my hometown. My ultimate dream is to become a manufacturer of unique jewelry, beads, and artworks. I want to create an instructional school that makes this town a coveted place to come to. I want my visiting students to seek out the many historical sites our town has to offer. I want to be able to showcase, not only my original designs, but my students work as well. Jadiva products will sell locally, nationally, and hopefully internationally as well. I want to help other people like me that have disabilities find their footing again and see that there are different ways to get back on your feet again. I have a rare Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. I need my dream to come true before the disabilities I suffer from become a hindrance and stop me just short of my goal. I want my Jadiva business to get that kick-start that will launch my dream and better my community at the same time. I want to spread the word of my dream and find people who want to join my cause. Hopefully soon I'll be able to open up shop for everyone to enjoy. I'm looking for that stepping stone I need in order to move forward. I have done a lot of research for this. I have already taught classes of my own design. My background as a goldsmith at various retail jewelry stores for over 15 years has prepared me in advance for this. I love what I do and I want to share my knowledge with others. One way or another Jadiva will be your #1 jewelry arts center here in Iowa. I'm hoping to see my dream become a reality sooner rather than later.

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