Wednesday, September 29, 2010

More on Fraud Prevention: Verifying Online Transactions on your Wholesale Jewelry Business

By now, business owners, not just wholesale jewelry businessmen, should know that bulk orders of high-priced wholesale jewelry items should call for suspicion. Yes, doing business over the internet poses a lot of risks and dangers but fraudulent transactions should not discourage you from putting your business out on the web. There are many ways to detect AND prevent counterfeit wholesale jewelry transactions online.
Verifying online transactions is just the second step when doing wholesale jewelry business. The first and foremost thing an owner needs to do is to prevent fraudulent transactions at the order-level. If orders involve multiple items or big orders of expensive wholesale jewelry items, more often than not, the orders are fraudulent. It’s especially more suspicious if the customer requests urgent or next-day shipping. Thieves, especially online, always want to get their hands on the items as soon as possible.

Once the order has been placed, verification is the next step. And here we share with you how to verify whether the transaction is legitimate or fraudulent.

1. Thank the technologies because with Google Maps, verifying the shipping and billing address of orders is a breeze. The satellite view offered by Google Maps allows you to see where your wholesale rings will be shipped.

2. The phone number provided with the order was given for a reason. Call that number to verify if it’s real. Scammers usually give non-working phone numbers and when in doubt, always verify. Never ship your wholesale jewelry items until you’ve talked to the customer.

3. Verify the IP address of your customer. The payment gateway should be able to provide the IP address of the purchaser for all your wholesale jewelry orders. The series of numbers and periods represent a traceable address for the computer where the order was placed. Numerous free IP checking services are available online should your payment gateway not give you this information. IP checkers give you the country where the order came from, and this can help you verify if the shipping and billing address given match.

These tips are not exactly fool proof and while scammers evolve with the times, these can certainly help you prevent and eliminate most of the online fraud that occurs in the business world. Protect your wholesale jewelry business by practicing caution and great care when doing business over the phone and on the internet.

Simple Tips to Prevent Check and Credit Card Fraud In Your Wholesale Jewelry Business


Scams are inevitable risks of establishing any kind of wholesale business, especially in the wholesale jewelry business where owners not only have to deal with few orders but they have to deal with fraudulent transactions too. Fraudsters are easy to spot if you know what to look for. To protect your wholesale jewelry business from scammers and fraudsters, here are a few tips you can follow:

1. Customers who buy wholesale jewelry items in bulk AND in a hurry often present suspicious motives. Picking wholesale rings or wholesale bracelets (especially the high-priced ones) in a fast-paced manner means that your customer is pressed with time. Be cautious because hurried behavior most often involves fraud.

2. When a customer pays with a check, carefully verify that the check is backdated. Fraudsters usually backdate checks to claim that the funds might have dried up after they have written the check. Better yet, invest in a credit processing and check reading machine. They may put a small hole in your pocket but they will definitely save your wholesale jewelry business in the long run.

3. Avoid multi-tasking when processing the transaction. Fraudsters sometimes come in pairs or in groups and they don’t operate on their own. Confusing you during the process might be a part of their modus operandi so focus on the job at hand. Attention and concentration is greatly needed to check the details.
5. The 419 scam is one of the most thriving scams that affect businessmen. If a customer orders a big volume of wholesale jewelry such as wholesale pendants, wholesale necklaces or wholesale earrings, and asks that the items be shipped to a different address (most often to a different country) than the one stated on the billing information of the credit card being used, immediately terminate the transaction and cease all forms of communication.


6. For online or over-the-phone transactions, ask for certain information such as the CVV number, the bank listed on the credit card, and the customer service number on the card. This information can then be used to verify the information and you could call the number provided by the customer to ensure that the transaction is a legitimate one.

Early prevention can bring great savings to your business. Fraudsters are experts and without much to lose as you do, they can do it speedily and easily. Invest in tools to verify credit card and check transactions.

Promotions That Can Jumpstart Your Wholesale Jewelry Business



Selling wholesale jewelry at low prices can certainly help your wholesale jewelry business. Retailers usually experiment on wholesale jewelry promotions to find out which ones work and which ones don’t. Here, we give you different promotional ideas to help jumpstart your wholesale jewelry business.
If you do mail order wholesale jewelry selling, take advantage of this opportunity to promote your wholesale jewelry collection by including promotional materials when shipping wholesale jewelry orders. Promotional items include brochures, flyers, catalogs, newsletters or postcards announcing future deals and/or featured products such as wholesale earrings or new arrivals of the latest styles in wholesale jewelry. One tip here is to overprint marketing materials that are regularly mailed to clients and include these items when mailing wholesale jewelry orders.
Birthstones are great wholesale jewelry items. Birthstones help you create monthly promotions because celebrators will want to purchase wholesale gemstone jewelry for themselves and for their loved ones. Create brochures and catalogs displaying the birthstone for each month and these promotional items can be used as excellent marketing pieces for mailing lists, trade shows, and at home parties.
Free shipping helps. Constantly offering free shipping or low cost shipping for orders that reach a certain amount encourages your clients to purchase more wholesale jewelry items. They might add wholesale bracelets to their orders or they may decide to purchase wholesale men’s jewelry just for the free shipping. Additionally, free shipping is a way of increasing value without having to lower or discount your wholesale jewelry prices.
Just as free shipping can increase sales, so does free gift-wrapping. Many people purchase wholesale jewelry for their loved ones as gifts so having a free gift-wrapping promotion will persuade them to purchase from you. Free gift-wrapping is especially useful during the holidays – whether it’s the Yuletide season or Valentine’s Day or other celebrations such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

Have a refer-a-friend program for your customers. The internet isn’t always the fastest way of doing business. News travels through word of mouth, and with promotions such as the refer-a-friend program, customers can receive more if they refer more of their friends to come to your store. For example, wholesale jewelry suppliers can offer final order discounts or gift certificates for clients who can bring in a friend or two to purchase wholesale jewelry from your store. Not only does this program encourage repeat buys, you also use your existing customer base to make a sales force for you.
There are more ways to promote your business but here are a few suggestions that you can use to create a name in the wholesale jewelry world. There’s no formula to increase sales but with creativity, one or two promotions are can work for you.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Welcoming Customers into Your Wholesale Jewelry Shop


Despite the abundance of online wholesale jewelry stores, nothing beats the feel of having a physical wholesale jewelry shop and seeing your clients face-to-face. Envision yourself as a customer and imagine a friendly face greeting you as you walk into a store. It feels good, doesn’t it? For wholesale jewelry suppliers, there are many ways to make clients feel welcome and valued. Here are a few:
1. This might be hard to believe but keeping candy in your wholesale jewelry store actually helps increase wholesale jewelry sales. Why? A bowl of candy makes people stop and look at your wholesale jewelry collection. This gives you time to strike up a conversation and talk about the jewelry they’re interested in. If they’re looking at wholesale bridal rings, you can talk about it and mention some information about the wholesale rings.
2. Notice the wholesale jewelry piece your client is wearing. Asking customers about the jewelry they wear makes for a great icebreaker. Talking about their jewelry is a great way to lead into a discussion about the wholesale jewelry products that you offer. For example, if you notice a customer wearing chandelier earrings, you can mention the wholesale earrings in your collection that fashionistas will certainly love.
3. Just as noticing wholesale jewelry accessories your client wears helps sell more wholesale jewelry, complimenting them will make your clients feel appreciated. Don’t be shy giving compliments on wholesale jewelry bracelets that you think are perfect accessories to your customer. Knowing that you work in the wholesale jewelry world, compliments that come from you will be significant and credible to the customer. It also increases makes talking about wholesale jewelry in general a little easier.
4. Give ideas and suggestions on how to wear wholesale jewelry pieces. Once a client tries on a wholesale jewelry item such as wholesale necklace, you can offer ideas on how to wear a wholesale sterling silver necklace, for instance. You can suggest the kinds of shoes or ensembles to pair with a certain kind of wholesale jewelry piece.

5. Avoid starting conversations by asking “How may I help you?” Smile and say hello. You may ask them how they are or what they think about the wholesale jewelry collection so far, but starting with “How may I help you?” is impersonal, whereas saying hello can be warm and inviting. Creating personal warmth and interest is one way to make your clients feel comfortable shopping in your store.
6. Finally, calling a client by their first name is a great way to make your customers feel more comfortable and welcome in you store, which can encourage conversations regarding wholesale jewelry. Calling them by their first name establishes a casual and friendly mood, making your clients feeling free to talk about wholesale jewelry styles and trends. Don’t forget to tell them your first name too if you want to avoid a one-way conversation.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Building Rapport with Wholesale Jewelry Customers (Part I)

Jewelry retailers are the main source of a wholesale jewelry supplier’s income. Making them happy assures wholesalers of repeat business and thus increases sales on wholesale rings, wholesale bracelets, wholesale necklaces, wholesale pendants, and other wholesale jewelry. With a simple hello matched with a friendly smile, wholesalers can make their customers feel welcome and appreciated. Here are more tips to build rapport with your wholesale jewelry customers:
1. Know what your customers’ interests are. With a simple index card or through a computer, keeping track of your customers’ preferences will prove to be beneficial in the long run. Make notes if your retailers prefer wholesale gemstones or wholesale sterling silver jewelry. Knowing certain kinds of information such as favorite colors or the people your clients usually buy gifts for is also important because you can help them decide on the type of wholesale jewelry they can purchase. This takes us to #2…
2. Inform retailers of wholesale jewelry designs that might get interest them. Once you know the preferred wholesale jewelry of your clients, inform them via a phone call or email when these designs arrive in your store. Don’t miss out on pertinent information such as a product description, the materials used, and most importantly, the price of the item. This shows the client that you are interested in them and it will make them feel more appreciated.


3. Don’t just communicate with clients when wholesale jewelry designs they prefer arrive only. It is also important to have constant communication with your clients. Mail quarterly updates to your clientele via a mailing list. Why quarterly? Each quarter has lots of occasions to celebrate, giving wholesale jewelry customers more reason to purchase fashionable wholesale jewelry. Additionally, people are always looking for a reason to celebrate, and by updating them with wholesale jewelry that keeps up with the holidays, you’re giving your clients the perfect reason to buy.
4. Sending thank-you notes is a simple but sweet gesture. Thank-you notes should be given to all clients, whether they purchased wholesale cocktail rings or wholesale dangle earrings in high-end or small orders. While hand-written notes are the best, printing custom cards or nice stationery thank you cards are also acceptable.

Certainly there are more ways to establish a good bond with your retailers. Watch for more tips on how to build long-lasting relationships with your wholesale jewelry clients.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

What Wholesale Jewelry Suppliers Need From Retailers

Starting up a jewelry business is never easy. First there’s that little thing of looking for the right wholesale jewelry supplier. Retailers then need to research what are the top wholesale jewelry styles that women all over the globe will purchase. Marketing wholesale jewelry is a top priority retailers should focus on. Also, retailers need to make sure that clients are happy to do repeat business with them. Aside from all of these start-up requirements, there are other things retailers need after they find the right wholesale jewelry supplier. Here is a list of some of those things:
1. Resale Permits – Providing tax resale information is one sure way to establish a good relationship with a wholesale jewelry supplier. Jewelry retailers can greatly benefit from being qualified as wholesale buyers by jewelry wholesalers because this allows retailers to buy wholesale jewelry at wholesale prices. Wholesale jewelry companies that do not require resale documents might just be looking for a quick sale and not long-term business.


2. Business License – Business licenses basically validate the business you own. Not to be mistaken with a resale license, a business license is a permit that allows owners to do business. Business licenses are issued by the local city or county government office where business is to be conducted. Browse through phone books under city or county offices and search for agencies that issue business licenses. Selling wholesale earrings, wholesale bracelets, or other wholesale jewelry without the proper business license might be illegal and can ruin your business in the long run.
3. Proof of Business/Industry Affiliation/Ownership/Personal Identification – Attending trade shows conducted by wholesale jewelry suppliers will require retailers to submit some required documentation. Upon pre-registering, trade shows usually require some credentials to be submitted, although requirements may vary from show to show. By preparing documents of proof of business, industry affiliation, ownership, and personal identification, retailers can save time and are assured that they can sell wholesale rings, wholesale necklaces, and wholesale pendants during the event.


4. Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) Membership – Though membership is not a requirement when buying wholesale, being a part of the JBT is recognized as a valid credential by most jewelry trade shows and wholesale jewelry suppliers. This is because the Jewelers Board of Trade is specifically geared towards the jewelry industry, providing marketing, credit, and collection services to members. For retailers, being a member of the JBT may prove beneficial to you.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

How to Find Good Wholesale Jewelry

So you’re ready to start your own wholesale jewelry business? Good for you! Wholesale jewelry is a fashion staple – trends may come and go but wholesale jewelry is here to stay. With the proliferation of online wholesale jewelry providers, it is has become increasingly easier for budding entrepreneurs like yourself to penetrate the fashion business through wholesale jewelry.

A word of caution: It is not just important to find a wholesale jewelry supplier. It is more important to make sure that your supplier is someone you can trust to provide you high-quality and reasonably priced products. Where do you find such a wholesale jewelry supplier? Here are some helpful tips:

1. Ask around. Benefit from the wisdom and experience of wholesale jewelry entrepreneurs before you. If they have a flourishing business, then it must mean they have a reliable wholesale jewelry supplier who keeps their business afloat.

2. Go around. Visit bazaars, home based jewelry parties, flea markets, garage sales – wherever wholesale jewelry is possibly sold, go and raid them. Always apply tip number one – ask around. Talk to the entrepreneurs, ask the customers. What do they look for? What is their usual budget? Which items sell fast? These questions will help you get a feel of your eventual market.

3. Look for individual suppliers. A middle man may save you all the trouble of doing research on a potential wholesale jewelry supplier. The downside is that a middle man charges an extra fee for doing the “dirty work” for you. Look at the bright side, though. It may be easier to haggle with an individual supplier than, say, a company. It’s all up to you to negotiate if you decide to solicit the help of a middle man. Just make sure that it is a trustworthy person with credible wholesale jewelry background.

4. Go online. As mentioned earlier, the Internet is not lacking in wholesale jewelry suppliers. Dive in and do your own search. Ask friends for referrals. Compare notes. Who offers the best price? What deals and discounts do they offer? What designs do they carry? Don’t forget to develop a relationship with your vendors. Consider cultural differences. This may seen tedious at first but if you are serious about your wholesale jewelry business, this is an important first step to build a good foundation for your business.

Here’s another tip: Try visiting Cerijewelry.com and see how this online wholesale jewelry manufacturer can help you get started on your wholesale jewelry empire.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A Step-by-Step Guide on Making Your Own Wholesale Jewelry Catalog

Catalogs are portfolios every business should have to expand their consumer base. Whether it is retailers or individuals who peruse your wholesale jewelry catalog, it’s important that only the best products and materials are used to make your own wholesale jewelry catalog. It has been mentioned in this blog how you can produce your own catalog for a cheaper cost but this article will provide you with details on creating a professional looking wholesale jewelry catalog.


1. When creating a wholesale jewelry catalog from your own home, there is some basic equipment that you should have: a digital camera, a printer, and software both for the catalog layout and photo editing. With the advent of technologically advanced digital cameras in the recent years, it has now been possible to take close-ups of wholesale jewelry without causing too much blur. The “Macro” option is a big help because it allows ultra close-ups without making the object blurred.
2. In taking a photo, place individual pieces of wholesale cocktail rings on something white because a white background brightens the picture while enhancing the wholesale jewelry piece at the same time. Additionally, you can use your creative side and use various props where you can place your wholesale jewelry.
3. Download photos to your laptop or personal computer. Use photo editing software to crop each image for a closer view. Renaming them also helps you recognize them just by the filename. For example, you can name them by themes or by styles, such as wholesale gemstone jewelry, wholesale pearl jewelry, or wholesale men’s jewelry.


4. Layout the photos on a program such as Microsoft Publisher. Insert photos of your wholesale earrings one by one. Catalogs are primarily made up of photos but you can also provide some information as to the style, setting, price, and stone.
5. Using product numbers for your wholesale jewelry pieces is an essential task in creating your catalog. Not only does this allow for easy recognition, it also lessens the burden of inventory. For example, you can use your business’ initials and a random number so that a customer can simply provide you with this information and you’ll know exactly what she wants.
6. Printing your wholesale jewelry catalog is a breeze. Simply set it to “booklet” form so the page numbers come out right. Color printing is necessary to make your wholesale jewelry stand out but this makes the cost of printing higher. No worries, the amount you spend on ink cartridges will easily be replaced by the number of wholesale jewelry items you’ll be able to sell with your brand new wholesale jewelry catalog.
Wholesale jewelry catalogs are essential for the wholesale jewelry business because it gives consumers a visual idea of what kind of wholesale jewelry pieces they like. Retailers can carry them around for easy distribution while those having home parties can show them to potential clients. If you must, ask for these catalogs back to save on printing costs and to avoid unauthorized reproduction.