I was lucky enough to catch up with lampwork bead artist Jill Symons. Here’s what she has to say about the business of beads:
BN: How long have you been making and selling beads?
JS: I started making beads in 1999, it was late 1998 when I first saw lampwork beads on eBay… there were just a handful of pages at that time, and it just took me by storm! I researched what I’d need to start making my own – and before long was lighting a torch with a shaking hand… over the sink in my TX kitchen. That was then, this is now!!
BN: Do you make or sell anything else? Like Jewelry? Have you always sold a combination? How do you find a balance, or how does that work for you?
JS: For a long time I only made beads – I didn’t EVEN think I was capable of making them into anything. I had such an incredible drive to just simply make oooodles of beads. It took me maybe 5 years to gain the confidence to realize that maybe I could/should make my own pieces. I also think it was partially due to the fact that I didn’t want to become known as someone who made jewelry…just BEADS.
Now – a few years later – I offer finished pieces – earrings, bracelets, pendants, an occasional necklace, some silver-smithed-bezel-set lampwork cabochons, bottle openers, wine stoppers, spreaders (I’ve got a weakness for hunting down findings for spreaders, openers, cake knives, ice cream scoops and pie servers…so the possibilities are all there – I just would…(come say it with me) RATHER BE MAKING BEADS!
BN: How many hours a day/week do you work? How much time is spent on creating and how much on the business side?
JS: Who me? I don’t “WORK”…I make beads – I love it, and look forward to carving out a chunk of time as often as possible. Early on I spent 6-8 hours a day – sometimes 5 days a week making beads – then when the sales started becoming more regular – I had to divvy up my precious creation time to cover the other necessary items: advertising, accounting, shipping, blogs, website, blogs… etc.
It’s usually about 70creative/30admin split. Depends on if it’s an update week or not. I used to dread all the invoicing and packaging – but seems now that have been streamlined so much with invoicing through PayPal and printing online postage directly from that same PayPal account. I DO have a few customers who are staunch check writers – and that’s fine too, I just shift gears for them.
BN: Where/how have you sold beads in the past and where do you sell them currently?
JS: I have only exclusively sold online, in the past on eBay under KCTORI – but it’s been a few years since I decided not to let eBay run my life…I’ve recently decided to see what ETSY is all about, but I’m still in a learning mode there.
Primarily I sell on my website – www.jillsymons.com through website update sales that encompass 5 pages or so – and often up to 20 sets of beads. I can usually manage one of these updates every three or four weeks. I’ve tried to have these updates every week, but decided that would quickly drive me crazy! (As often as I can comfortably manage)
I’m a little gun-shy about having to ‘justify’ my pricing as I stand behind a table. SO – I’ve never EVER sold at a show, this includes even a home party type scenario. I think a lot of my aversion to this is that if people seek you out online – more than likely – they know what lampwork is, and its value and allure as being art. Plus, if people don’t like your items – they don’t come to your site or bid on your auctions.
BN: How long would you say it took before you had a following or a more steady stream of buyers?
JS: For me, being that I started back before it was so wildly popular, my following came pretty quickly…I’d say in the first 4 or 5 months. I was lucky enough to catch the eye of a few of the power bidders on eBay – and back then, they all ‘shopped’ each others’ lists…so – your name and your auctions got around.
BN: Other than selling your beads, do you supplement bead making income in other ways?
I have taught a handful of students…I had a great teaching setup back in 2001-2005, but have since scaled back to a single torch setup. I dabbled in silversmithing in 2004 – enjoyed it – but missed making beads…I do offer a smattering of findings – headpins, hammered rings, closures and such on my site…these seem to do well on ETSY!! I enjoy offering the whole shebang to my customers at one place… you know – one stop shopping!
My Father is Glassdaddy and I am thankful that he has endless stock of Lauscha glass. Although I cut my teeth on Moretti – I long for the clarity and heat tolerance of Lauscha German glass. I work hot and fast – and this glass, for me, is the most cooperative.
BN: How has the business of making and selling beads changed for you since the time you started?
JS: My degree is in Interior Design – but my military marriage is such that we relocate often, and starting over can be so difficult. I found that when the decision came to abandon an 11 year career in design – I needed to find ‘self-worth’ somewhere else than just what I could glean from keeping a home and being a wife/mother. To be able to create something that enchants someone – and to get paid to do so was just the kind of affirmation I was looking for. I was so smugly flattered the first time someone referred to my beads in this way – “I love your ‘work’” I had WORK… I guess that also qualified me as an artist. How cool was that??
I spend a good chunk of time regularly what-iffing… you know, seeing where else I could go – perhaps a new direction to head or new style. Ruts are not good.
My confidence has grown, and I am content that the ‘vision of style’ I have carved out is my own. Sometimes I hear people saying back to me just what I’ve been preaching from the start – that the glass holds such beauty in itself, how nice it is that my work allow this beauty to shine through. It’s good to know that they equate this thinking with my work…it means that I have achieved my goal, and that feels good. I also strive to continually be moving forward – constantly seeing where else I could go with something – a new direction, new style, new technique… I have found that ruts are not good – and truly having your own voice/vision is incredibly uplifting.
BN: If there was one thing that you could change if you knew then what you know now, what would it be?
Hmmm, what would I have changed… I think I dove into everything and tried every possible way to do it – I’m the ‘version-queen’… don’t just do it one way, try it every conceivable way!!
BN: What piece of business advice would you give to someone just starting out?
I think putting your best foot forward is most important – take the time to figure out how to take the best possible images to put online…make sure that they are representative of your work – truly. This is the only thing your online buyers have to be able to count on – and it’s sooo important to give them the best possible idea of what they’re buying.
My site will never hold blurry images or chatter about politics, religion or bad things about other people, after all, who wants to return to a site that leaves you feeling bad? I try to imagine what it is that people come wanting to see, I’m always open to suggestions and try to treat customers with extras – sometimes it’s beads, or chocolates or even homemade biscotti *usually for those I know a little better*.
I try to keep track of what people have purchased in the past – so that if I choose to enclose extras – they can complement a prior purchase. I want them to feel that they’re special and appreciated – sheesh – don’t we ALL??
BN: Where else can our readers find more information about you and your work?
JS: I have a few other blogs out there – linked on my journal page – one site that’s more about photography www.eptitude.blogspot.com and not beads… and one that’s solely about beads www.jillsymons.blogspot.com…but no sales there –just good juicy images!!!
These other blogs are evidence that I have a hard time keeping my focus narrow, sometimes I feel like I need to wear blinders – as I get so charged about trying new things – sometimes there are simply not enough hours in the day! I design and print my own business cards, so – desktop publishing is a huge distraction. Because I do all my own photography, I have all the raw materials for creating the cards, as well as producing the mastheads on my ETSY site and my beads blog. I’ve helped friends with their designs, photography and generally the concept of the total package.
BN: Thanks for the interview Jill!
