Self-Funding Inspiration: Emily's Story

Approach & Inspiration

As a young child, I loved making things, so I thought it would be good to try and make my own jewellery in a professional style. As a result, I set up my own jewellery business where I created and then sold earrings and necklaces. They are all homemade, so I created my own brand name – “Bejewelled Be You”. […] there wasn’t packaging that was wasted, and they were sustainably made, […] This was very important for me as I wanted to prevent waste as much as possible

Achievements & Challenges

A highlight has been selling my jewellery on a stall and raising £41. Also in school, I sold my jewellery by word of mouth, and within a week, I had earnt £20. This was brilliant, as everyone said how much they loved it!

I did find some challenges – especially struggling to correctly price my items. I worried too much about over pricing, but then I realized that I hadn’t properly costed up the price of my materials, and my own labour, so I was under paying myself.

Feedback & Review

I have had many people comment that my jewellery is really nice. My next-door neighbour wears her necklace every day, and she has commissioned me to make her another one! One major thing I learned was that social media is also a good way to promote my brand.

If I was to do this again, I would definitely design my own logo and stickers, as it made my brand seem professional.