Begley

Herrin must be onto something. This year, through a collection of consultants, she is closing in on $500,000 in annual sales.

At a recent expo in Downingtown hosted by the Chester County Business Connection, I happened to meet a local woman who arranges at-home parties: Kathy Lehman of Silpada jewelry.

I was so engaged by Lehman’s vivacious personality that I ordered four necklaces costing $385.79. Gulp. Yes, that was a lot of vivaciousness.

The jewelry arrived a few days later with a personal note from Lehman. So my neck and I were both satisfied customers.

I dare say Lehman and competitors such as Sue Neff of Premier Designs, who also was at the expo, will make less this year than Herrin’s cool half million.

But apparently there is some moola in this modern-day fake gold and silver rush.

So what if you want to get into this industry, which has the advantage of requiring a minimal investment compared to most businesses. What should you do now, to enter the market, and later, to sell the jewelry? RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH >> When I typed “home parties” into my computer search engine, I came up with dozens of hits. Even when I refined the term to “jewelry parties,” I found numerous results. A word to the wise before jumping in: find an article by an objective source such as the Wall Street Journal or Forbes magazine. LEARN HOW TO SPEAK >> I don’t mean to family and friends. When you sell jewelry at home, you need to be able to stand before a crowd and present your wares. “To be a good fit for the home party business, you must ask yourself if you enjoy speaking in public,” writes Deb Bixler at www.theworkathomewoman.com. “Con- sider how you feel about giving product presentations and selling a product line. If you get the shakes just thinking about it, you may want to reassess your plans.” DECIDE ON YOUR LINE >> Besides Silpada and Premier, you can sell jewelry at home parties from Sabika, Touchstone Crystal, Lia Sophia and others. They all have their own websites. I told you the field was big — and growing. GET THE WORD OUT >> It was no accident that both Lehman of Silpada and Neff of Premier paid for display booths at the business expo. Just like any product, jewelry refuses to sell itself. Getting people to host parties for their well-heeled – you can hope — family and friends takes intense networking. ARRIVE PREPARED >> When you’re setting up shop in someone else’s house, you need to make sure ahead of time that the place contains enough flat surfaces to display your jewelry. If not, bring your own folding tables and tablecloths. You also need to be ready to complete sales on the spot, perhaps with a smart phone equipped with an attachment to accept and verify credit cards. And, oh yes. Remember your brochures and business cards. DEVELOP PATIENCE >> You’re unlikely to be successful from the get-go. Who is? Even Tupperware, founded in 1945 by Earl Tupper, initially faced massive consumer distrust. The reason was a post-World War II unfamiliarity with plastic, which had a reputation as smelly and unsanitary. When Tupper teamed up with a marketing maven named Browne Wise, things changed. Why? Wise introduced the home party. “These parties with friends, acquaintances and neighbors in a homey atmosphere were designed to gain women’s trust, so that they would feel secure enough to purchase a product and encourage others to do the same,” says an article about Tupperware history at www.tupperware.com. BUILD IN A FALLBACK POSITION >> If you get sick and tired of the hard work involved in marketing and selling home jewelry parties, consider this. You probably can close up shop without losing your spouse and your house in the process. Besides, like me and entertainers such as P. Diddy and Jennifer Lopez, you’ll have a much better appreciation of all things bling. Kathleen Begley of East Goshen owns Write Company Plus, which helps clients make more money through effective communication. Interacting, presenting, writing and using social media are con- sidered the main road to business success. Begley, who has a doctorate, gives communications seminars and writes for various publications. She produces this column packed with news-you-can-use tips every Sunday in the Daily Local News. She responds to all reader feedback. You can reach her at KBegley@ writecompanyplus.com and read earlier columns at www.dailylocal.com.