Wholesale Jewelry

How To Make A Blog Site - Free Seminar

Take the plunge into blogging by watching a free teleseminar online Saturday. Typepad, the blogging platform I use, is having their first class tomorrow. I use it for blogging for my business www.JoJewelry.com and find it easy to post and maneuver plus they have great professional looking blog templates.  If you live in San Francisco you can attend the class live at their office on 548 4th St. Click here for more information and to register.

If you've wondered how to start a blog, this is a great opportunity to learn and see what TypePad has to offer. Can't make it Saturday morning? No problem. They will be recording the audio and screen cast and posting them on the Everything TypePad blog. 

Magic Market Place Las Vegas February 2009

Need great wholesale clothing and wholesale jewelry from the best designers for your business? Try a fashion and apparel trade show in Las Vegas. The Magic Market Place will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Las Vegas Hilton from February 17 to February 19. Preregister before February 2 to avoid lines.

You’ll see aisles and aisles of the latest in clothing from sportswear, jackets, t-shirts and so much more from designer to less expensive brands. The Hilton houses vendors with great wholesale jewelry.  Visit www.magiconline.com or call 877.554.4834 for more information.  Keep trying if the website is not working because this is the right link.

And if you can’t make it to Las Vegas and want to buy wholesale silver jewelry or costume jewelry with no minimum, visit my website at www.JoJewelry.com.

Project Las Vegas Starts February 18, 2009

Project Show Las Vegas starts on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 and ends on the 20th featuring luxurious designer sportswear at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Last year Project Show set a record with over 26,000 attendees. This year vendors will be exhibiting over 1,400 brands of clothing lines. For more information including registration and hotels, call 1.877.554.4834 from the US or outside the US call 218.740.7092 or email them at cs@projectshow.com. Visit their website at http://www.projectshow.com. I found it hard to find information on it and there was a red lasso constantly attached to my mouse.

This is another show that can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. Study the show book before entering the convention center. If you can get an advanced copy, that’s even better. Make a budget  based on your past sales and market conditions. I normally do a quick walk through of the floor the first day to make notes of vendors I intend to buy from. Rise early and bring comfortable shoes!

And should you need wholesale sterling silver jewelry or costume jewelry to accent your purchases, please visit my website at www.JoJewelry.com. Post questions and I will reply on this blog. Or if you’ve been to the show, let me know. I will be glad to post any pictures of your store here and link to your site.

Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show 2009

In just a couple of days starts the Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show.  I exhibited here years ago with my wholesale jewelry company, Jo Jewelry. As a seller, I was overwhelmed. As a buyer, be prepared and organized to make the most out of Tucson Gem Show.  It is actually composed of thirty shows and they all have slightly different dates.  Here is a listing of some:

J.O.G.S. Jewelry Show Buyer attendance is expected to exceed 27,000 and over 4,000 jewelry firms will exhibit.

GEM & Jewelry Exchange This show runs from February 4 to 9 and has over 700 booths specializing in finished gemstones, jewelry, gem carvings and/or related lapidary equipment and packaging.

American Gem Trade Association From February 4 to 9, 2009 at the Tucson Convention Center.

G.L.D.A.'s 2009 Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show at the Starr Pass Marriott on February 3 to 8.

Gem & Lapidary Wholesale has several shows at several locations and different dates including one at the Holidome.  

Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show is held at the River Park Inn from January 31 to February 12, 2009.

Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show from January 31 to February 14, 2009.

Jewelry, Gem & Mineral Expositionfrom January 31 to February 14, 2009.

This is just a small listing of the shows at the Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show.  Please post any questions or comments you may have. 

Free Constant Contact Email Marketing Seminar

Two free Constant Contact email marketing seminars will be held here in Denver on January 27.  I’ve never used other email marketing tools but Constant Contact’s product is easy to learn and use. It’s even helped me understand HTML, linking, matching colors to your website, and more – yes simple things for some but not for all. 

I also learned about permission email marketing lists- you never want to spam anyone. If you are considering using email as part of your marketing plan, sign up for the seminars to be held at the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. One is entitled The Power of Email Marketing and the other is Getting Started with Constant Contact. Since they are free they will probably fill up fast.

If you’re outside of the Denver area, check out their website to look at their list of seminars and webinars. I've used it to stay in touch with my customers through my company www.jojewelry.com.

The Atlanta Spring Mart, Home Furnishings & Holiday Mart

Two upcoming trade shows are the Atlanta Spring Mart, Home Furnishings & Holiday Market plus The Atlanta International Fine Linen & Home Textiles Market from March 14-16. Both will be at the same time in of course, Atlanta, Georgia. If you'd like to participate in this show as a vendor go to: http://tinyurl.com/cvqyrn or http://www.americasmart.com/exhibitors/gifttemps/march2009/.

Or if you are a buyer visit http://www.americasmart.com/markets/giftrug/march2009/ to sign up.

If you can't go to Atlanta or if this is not your product line, I will try to post more wholesale and trade shows. Post any questions you may have. If you just need to order wholesale jewelry, please visit my website at www.JoJewelry.com where everyone can purchase with no minimum.

 

Staying Positive In Today's Economy - An Inspirational Message

I received this inspirational email from Tom LaRotanda of Core Matters in Lakewood, Colorado.  Although this is very different than my business blog, I know it is so revelant to what is going on today.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. And perhaps I will share more inspirational stories.

“Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”
- Helen Keller

I seem to have a problem. According to the news headlines I should be depressed, worried, terrified, and running for cover. Things are in dire straights we’re being told. Yet as I sit sipping my morning coffee on this third day of 2009, I have never been filled with more optimism, hope, and excitement for the future. What is wrong with me? Why am I not hiding under my bedspread? As far as I know, Starbucks has not been found guilty of putting hallucinogenic drugs into their coffee!

It’s not that I’m shielded from the consequences of what’s happening in our economy. The events of the past few months combined with some decisions I’ve made in the past few years have totally wiped out my 401K retirement portfolio. I have no equity left in my home. My credit card debt is at an all-time high. This is the first time since my early twenties that I have no savings account to fall back on. If I don’t generate enough money in the months to come my bills won’t get paid. What I find ironic about the timing of my situation is that it’s occurring when I’ve chosen to be a co-provider for two beautiful children. God has an amazing sense of humor and poetic justice, yes?!

My story isn’t unique. I know many of you reading this have even more challenging stories than mine. So how can I be so bold to state that my excitement is at an all-time high? Have I finally lost my mind? The truth is… I am losing my ego-mind… and choosing to turn to a Higher Vision. This Higher Vision is reconnecting me to a passionate sense of adventure and purpose I haven’t felt since my early twenties. The disappearance of my financial security has cleared the slate. It’s a second chance at life. By finding a deeper meaning in this crisis I’m engaging a vibrantly fresh vision that is energizing me to recreate my life!

When “worldly” security evaporates we have two choices: 1) continue to idolize the ego’s definition of security and live under the fearful vibration it creates or; 2) challenge that definition by stepping into the adventure of a spiritual being experiencing this physical realm. My personal economic crisis has become the greatest opportunity ever gifted me. It’s a wake up call from my Higher Self to claim my divine inheritance as a human being – unlimited access to the enormous creative power and laws of the Universe. I’m not alone in this opportunity. It’s my premise that we are all allies in the most perfect plan to ever unfold in the history of this world. Humanity is being called to awaken its highest potential by letting go of the false concepts of security.

Victor Frankel was a psychiatrist who was imprisoned in a German concentration camp from September 1942 until April 1945. His wife and parents were quickly killed in the camps. Yet under the harshest inhuman conditions ever experienced in modern times, he continued to assist fellow prisoners in any way he could and after the war chronicled his experience. He discovered that in even the most sordid conditions, human beings can find a meaning and reason to live and serve. My favorite quote of his is, “The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I chose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedom is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.”

If Victor Frankel’s quote rings with truth, which I believe it does, surely you and I can find meaning in this current economic crisis and choose to thrive despite all the fear and anxiety surrounding us. We are losing our jobs and assets – Victor lost that and much more, including the lives of those he dearly loved and endured nearly three years of torture, starvation, and indignity at its worst. Let’s get real and put this crisis in proper perspective. We can overcome anything with the power of our choices and attitude. This is true security and freedom.

My inspiration to you, this day, is to look inside you and discover your true security. Let no one or no thing take away that power. Make a choice to welcome this crisis as a golden opportunity. Then go out and inspire others by seizing this opportunity with optimism, courage, and confidence. This is how we will solve this crisis and all others to follow.

Tom LaRotonda, CEO of Core Matters, L.L.C. has over 25 years of international corporate senior level management experience delivering outstanding business solutions impacting profitability, productivity, quality and service. He is an innovative change agent, coach, facilitator, speaker, writer and trainer. Visit his website at www.corematters.com.  Email him at Tom@CoreMatters.comor call him at 303.964.0969.

My normal posts are about sterling silver jewelry, the jewelry business, importing jewelry, customs regulations, etc. However, I also have over 3,200 connections on LinkedIn and am increasing my Twitter, Facebook and other social networking contacts. 

Quite a long time ago, I quickly learned about phishing emails.  But now there are new dangers of social networking sites.  When I was on Facebook recently I clicked on a link and the page duplicated about once every second.  I am not sure that this was necessarily the new Facebook virus, koobface worm or not. 

But here’s a great article about how worms are spreading through social networking sites. 
This link will take you to the New York Times article about the Facebook worm:   http://tinyurl.com/5vbss8 or preview the url at: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5vbss8/  Also, look at facebooks security page to see more about this new phishing phehomena: http://www.facebook.com/security. 

In any case, it’s a great idea to change your passwords on your social networking sites and run virus checks often.