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Press Release: MJSA will present its third annual MJSA ConFab conference on November 2 at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.
“Some of the jewelry industry's best business minds will offer what they know about running — and profiting from — a successful operation,” said David W. Cochran, MJSA's president and CEO. “From the basics of developing a business plan and a viable collection, to pricing, merchandising and marketing, this year's ConFab will again feature the type of information that can be put to use directly and immediately by jewelry makers and designers who are new to our field.” Among the topics and presenters for the 2014 conference: • In Business 101: The Basics Every Jewelry Business Person Needs to Know, by Ben Janowski, the owner of Janos Consultants and an experienced top management specialist and strategist in the worldwide jewelry industry who will help attendees understand current business conditions and what it takes to create a sustainable jewelry business. He’ll talk about the development of a business plan, criteria for product development, establishment of target markets, internal requirements, timelines, sourcing options and financial and pricing basics. • In Legal 101: A Jewelry Business Guide to Laws and Regulations, by Suzan Flamm, the senior counsel at Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the jewelry industry’s legal expert, who will cover laws that impact the making and selling of jewelry. It will be an easy-to-understand introduction to legal compliance for jewelers, including: protecting intellectual property, marking precious metals and creating legally compliant advertising. Flamm will also help attendees understand their anti-money laundering obligations, as well as the Kimberley Process for conflict diamonds. • In Merchandising: Creating a Line That Sells, by Cindy Edelstein, the owner of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, who will outline how designers can create an overall design concept, direction and merchandise mix. Based on her long experience working with designers and seeing what works (and what doesn’t), Edelstein will share a plan for developing your own viable collection, which can grow and evolve over the lifespan of your business. • In Digital Marketing: A 2014 Update, by Eugene Brill, the vice president of operations at Jewelry.com, a Richline Group venture, who will share the latest on search engine optimization, search engine marketing, pay-per-click and social media. Among MJSA’s most popular speakers on internet marketing and communications, Brill’s updates prove Greek philosopher Heraclitus’s maxim that “The only constant in life is change.” • In Photography: Creating Images That Sell, by Matthew Perosi, the principal of JewelerWebsites.com, who returns with a presentation that wowed audiences at MJSA Expo New York earlier in 2014. Attendees will learn the basics of how to take photos that compel customers to give their jewelry a second look, in a competitive online environment where good images are the Holy Grail for success in marketing. “MJSA ConFab, from the perspective of a jewelry maker, showed us how difficult it can be for jewelry designers to get a foothold in this industry,” said Steve Anderson, the general manager at Trung Do's / JD & Co. Inc. in Tacoma, Washington, who attended ConFab last year. “ConFab gave us ideas on how to help these individuals create their designs, and once established, produce multiple pieces of merchandise within a determined budget. Additionally, the information we received from the digital marketing session was especially useful. The positive points and the potential pitfalls discussed from those individuals well versed in this medium were well worth the trip,” said Anderson. To learn more and register, visit: http://www.mjsa.org/events_and_programs/mjsa_confab MJSA ConFab is sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation, Richline Group, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, Leach Garner, Rio Grande and Edelstein of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau. Funding for the conference was also made possible by a grant from the JCK Industry Fund, which is also sponsoring two related MJSA Online Learning webinars for jewelry makers and designers in the months of October and November, taught by well-known small business industry consultant Andrea Hill, the owner/CEO of Hill Management Group and StrategyWerx. The two seminars are: • Better Subcontracting for Jewelry Makers and Designers on October 17. Hill will explain how to develop successful relationships with subcontractors – the experts who perform the CAD/CAM, casting, setting, finishing and other processes needed to bring jewelry designs to life. The webinar will teach attendees how to evaluate contractors and their capabilities, communicate expectations and understand theirs, establish a successful working relationship, and manage outcomes. The webinar will also help non-bench-trained designers do a better job in speaking the language of jewelry making. • Getting Lean for the Small Jewelry Maker or Designer on November 7. Hill will explain how to run a small jewelry business as efficiently as possible using the lean management 5S concept, which means Sort (remove/reduce), Straighten (streamline/organize), Shine (clean/inspect), Standardize (create a standard of consistent behavior), and Sustain (commit to repeatable behaviors). MJSA Online Learning Webinars are $15 for MJSA members, and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit: http://mjsa.org/careers_and_education/mjsa_online_learning
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