Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

Women's Jewelry Assoc. Celebrates DIVA Design Contest Winners in Las Vegas

The Women's Jewelry Association -- the greatest way to connect with other powerful, amusing, useful and fun women (and men) in the industry -- held it's annual party in Las Vegas during the JCK Show in June. It was a great networking bash and a chance to celebrate the winners of the annual WJA DIVA Design Competition.

This year's competition had a Platinum Diva theme with five categories -- bridal ring trio suite below $5k retail and over $5k as well as bridal fashions under and over the same retail pricepoint and a natural color diamond bridal fashion category, too.

The winning designs were gorgeous and the contest attracted more than 150 entries.

Check out the Women's Jewelry Association website at www.womensjewelry.org to learn more about all the great events the WJA hosts around the country in 12 chapters. Of course, I'm biased -- I've been on the national Executive Board for many years -- but that's because it's a great way to grow your career in this industry. WJA owns the word networking in the jewelry industry -- our events bring together the power, energy and fun that fuels this business.

Seen here are four DIVA winners with WJA President Yancy Weinrich at DIVA party at TAO in Las Vegas:   From left, Jill MacKay, Yancy Weinrich, Carley McGee-Boehm, Lisa Krikawa, Erica Courtney.

Protecting Your Product Ideas

Ladies Who Launch is one of my favorite business programs -- it's a grassroots organization that offers "incubators" for women who have a great business idea and need support. Frankly, wish I'd thought of it!

However, on their blog this week there's a great entry on Patents and defending your brilliant ideas.
Kim Lavine, author of Mommy Millionaire, writes:

    I remember when I was just starting out, perhaps the scariest moments for me involved putting my ideas out there in the marketplace, worrying about somebody knocking them off. Since then I’ve learned that the idea is only 5% of a product’s success—and this may include the patent! The other 95% is sales and marketing. You can find a whole section in my book MOMMY MILLIONAIRE on patents, and I would suggest everyone read it to find out the absolute basics for going forward, including when to pay and attorney, and when not to. ..... read more

I never saw a 5%/95% ratio before  and I'm glad someone else said it other than me!

Sales trumps design - EVERY TIME!

Small-business owners work longer, happier hours

Speaking as someone who is online/plugged in almost all the time, I agree with with this report in the NAWBO Smartbrief:                   

    Small-business owners work longer hours and more holidays than the general population, but they also feel more in control of their lives, according to the latest index from Discover Small Business Watch. Another plus is small-business owners get more support from their spouses when they check their e-mail on their days off compared to those who work for other people, according to the report. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)/Associated Press

I'd say we're happier too and our families are more integrated into our work life. Would you?