production & systems manual2015... · 2. review po 3. confirm receipt of po with buyer/client...

Flourish & Thrive Academy’s

PRODUCTION & SYSTEMS MANUAL

Copyright 2015 by Flourish & Thrive Academy All Rights Reserved

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This document is owned and distributed by Flourish & Thrive Academy. It may not be sold or otherwise distributed without expressed written consent. | © 2015 | Flourish & Thrive Academy

All rights reserved. This book was self-published by the

authors Robin Kramer and Tracy Matthews for their business Flourish & Thrive Academy. No part of this

manual may be reproduced in any form by any means without the express permission of the authors. This includes reprints, excerpts, photocopying, recording,

or any future means of reproducing text.

Distributed by Flourish & Thrive Academy

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Flourish & Thrive Production & Systems Manual! This manual was written by Tracy Matthews and Robin Kramer in an effort to help you Flourish & Thrive in your jewelry business. Enclosed is specific direction how to ensure successful production of your jewelry from client orders to shipping as well as how to make sure your jewelry is produced consistently with your quality standards. In addition, we help you get your systems in place by providing your with suggested systems and checklists.

The contents are derived from real life experience (over 40+ years combined experience between Tracy & Robin) and we encourage you to modify it by making any adjustments that are right for your business.

So let’s get started!

To begin we suggest you pick up the following:

• 1 Large binder with 3 sections or 3 binders depending on your volume

• Plastic sheet protectors

• Section dividers or tabs

Start by sectioning your 1 large binder or 3 binders with the following:

1. Purchase Orders

2. Supplies & Materials & Inventory

3. Pricing and Master Sample Guide

If you prefer not to take paper orders, you can keep your orders electronically in a folder on your computer. Hard copy of an order or electronic, it is whatever works for you.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Orders From Receipt To Ship

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II. Quality Control

7

III. Shipping

9

IV. Pre/Post Show Responsibilities

a. Setting Up Your Inventory Binder b. Getting Rid of Excess Inventory c. Organizing Raw Materials

11 12 13 14

V. Pricing & Master Sample Guide 16

VI. Resources and Vendors

20

VII. Best Practices & Working with Contractors

a. Standards for Independent Production Contractors and Factories

b. Our Comprehensive List of Things You Can Outsource

c. Resources To Outsource On A Budget

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22

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VIII. F&TA Freedom Method Systems Builder & Checklists

27

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I. ORDERS FROM RECEIPT TO SHIP

How you process your orders should be the same every time. By using a systemized approach like the FREEDOM Method, you will save a lot of time and cut out errors in your production process. We will be giving you a basic guideline of how we suggest setting up your system. Please keep in mind that it’s more important to set up a system that works for YOU! We use the term purchase order, but any sort of order is considered a purchase order or PO. If you are a direct to consumer business, you might not need all of the little details that a wholesale business needs. Since a wholesale order form is the MOST complex, we are using that as the example here. Here is our suggested order of systematizing your PO Process:

1. Purchase Order is received 2. Review PO 3. Confirm receipt of PO with buyer/client

Note: Buyer signs Credit Card Release Form if the order was not signed 4. Enter the PO into your database system (if you have one) or excel

spreadsheet 5. Make a copy of the PO 6. Put 1 copy into the PURCHASE ORDER section of your binder 7. 2nd copy goes to your production team (even if it is just you) to get

produced 8. PO gets produced/made 9. PO is checked by Quality Control then packaged 10. PO is packaged for shipping (this is different then just regular packaging) 11. Buyer’s CC is charged 12. PO is shipped 13. Buyer is notified that shipment is on the way to them (ideally include

tracking #)

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F11:17%PMA%SAMPLE%PURCHASE%ORDER%FORM

This%document%is%owned%and%distributed%by%Flourish%Thrive%Academy.%It%may%not%be%sold%or%otherwise%distributed%without%expressed%written%consent.%|%©%2014|%Flourish%Thrive%Academy

Phone:

Instructions:

Terms MC Visa AMEX WT NET 30 APPLY NET 30

Name:

SUBTOTAL

SHIPPING

TOTAL

SIGNATURE

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Quantity

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Code:

EXP: CV# Card #

Unit Price Total Price

Event:

State: ZIP: City:

ZIP:State:

BILL TO: SHIP TO:Name:

Address:

Name:

Attention:

0

Address:City:

Email:

Buyer:

YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO YOUR LOGO

This order is accepted subject to approval by the manufacturer. YOUR TERMS HERE By accepting this order you are personally guaranteeing payment to the manufacturer.

Start Ship X Factory Customer POOrder Date Rep

Product #

Bill Zip:

Color Description

0

0

0

0

0

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II. QUALITY CONTROL Shipping your products with consistency is as important as the consistency of your product. In order to build trust with your clients, you must create a collection that is manufactured and produced well. Therefore you must have strict Quality Control (AKA QC) guidelines to follow. In addition to having strict guidelines, you must also have a systematized way to structure your QC process. We’ve created a series of checklists to consider when you are creating your QC system. To create your system, you must use the FREEDOM method. Jewelry Piece

! Stone quality

! Stone size

! Stone setting

! Metal Finish

! Metal Type

! Trim

! Wire-Wrap Quality

! Branded metal tag or stamp

! Length

! Clasp

! Jump-ring closures

! Details of the piece

! Shape

! Solder seams (none)

Order Verification

! Matches original

! Correct Sizing

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! Correct style number (match to PO)

! Correct Color Way

! Quantity shipping Packaging Checklist

! Product has been packaged in branded packaging

! All necessary cards have been included

! Product is tagged as necessary

! Packaged so pieces stay tangle free

! Gift Boxed (if applicable)

! Fragile items well protected

! Packaging is secure

! Confirm if sending branded packaging

! Correct name and address

! Order slip / receipt has been included Note: It is very important to always add your brand or logo to your product and/or packaging.

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III. SHIPPING Creating a simple and systematized shipping system (preferably using the FREEDOM method) is the key to consistency and ease. Your shipping system should include:

• Shipping Process • Boxing • Packaging materials used • Jewelry/Order • Double Check units, quantities, style, etc. • Packing slip and/or Invoice included • Following Shipping Guidelines or Vendor Manuals • When you ship: daily, weekly or monthly • Method for informing clients when their order has shipped • Tracking info sent to client • Process for taking materials inventory

Shipping Methods:

• UPS (F&TA preferred method of shipping for jewelry) • USPS • FedEx (shipments under $500) • DHL • Independent International Freight Carriers

Shipping platforms:

UPS Worldship

USPS

FedEx

Shipstation

Endicia

Express1

Parcel Monkey

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Resources for Shipping Materials:

• Uline.com, (800) 295-5510 • UPS.com (they send free shipping boxes with an account) • USPS.com (free priority mail boxes) • FedEx (free overnight boxes) • Brinks Online bgsonline.com

Sample Shipping System:

! Check for quality control

! Package the goods in polybags

! Double check units, quantities, style, etc. vs. PO

! Package the goods in shipping boxes

! Follow Vendor Guidelines if applicable

! Insert packing slip and/or Invoice inside or outside of the box

! Tape box

! Deliver to carrier of order a pick up

! Email client or buyer confirmation of order shipped

! Track the package

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IV. INVENTORY AND SUPPLIES

It’s essential for a profitable jewelry business to keep really tight inventory for abundant profitability and cash flow. Therefore, monthly inventory tracking at a minimum is key. In order to keep a lean business, you must create a system for tracking your inventory. There are several ways to track your inventory. Ideally, you would want to have a customized inventory tracking system that works with your accounting system (like Xero or QuickBooks). However, when you are just starting out or running tight ship, you may have to do this by hand. (We know that some pricing software also keeps inventory. Tracy found this cumbersome and it didn’t really work for her business, so instead she developed her own inventory system). You can refer to the Inventory Tracker Template Spreadsheet from MYP Module 2 Video 2. You can tweak the template however you like. If you’ve found an inventory system that works for you, feel free to use it or use our inventory spreadsheet. Your inventory includes all of the raw materials that are part of the jewelry making and all of the complete finished pieces of jewelry you have on hand. Inventory for COGs does not include tools. Tools are considered equipment. You will use your inventory spreadsheet/tracking to update your accounting system so that it reflects what you have on hand as assets in your balance sheet. Keeping track of your inventory will also make ordering materials much easier. Your Asset Inventory should include:

• Finished pieces of jewelry with their cost • Raw Materials • Findings • Stones • Beads • Components • Castings

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• Solder • Wire and Sheet • Leather • Resin • Beading string

You should also keep an inventory of supplies that you use to make your jewelry. These are things that aren’t quite considered assets but they are needed. Here is a short list supplies that might be considered:

• Flux • Lacquer • Glue • Epoxy • Electroplating fluid • Wax • Oxidizing Materials

Of course your jewelry making process might vary so adjust this list based on your business and needs.

SETTING UP YOUR INVENTORY BINDER We suggest keeping a system for your COGs and supplies organized. One way that is really effective especially for materials that need to be reordered is to create an inventory binder that is sectioned out by vendor.

1. The First Section of your binder can have completed inventory sheets.

2. The Second Section can have a list of your preferred vendors. 3. Then you can break down remaining sections based on the

type of material. Tracy’s production team would break the binder down by seasonal and seasonless. If they were using special stones for a particular limited edition collection, they would keep that in a specific section. If they

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were keeping a list of basic materials that were used for the core collection, it would go in a separate list. To make it visually easy to identify what they needed, they did the following:

• Photocopy the materials (especially stones and beads) • On the photocopy enter the following:

" Dimensions " Carat weight if loose stones " Vendor " Price Comparison between vendors " Price you paid " Price per unit " Units/pieces per X " Quality or grade " Cut " Anything else that would make the ordering process

simple. You can do the same process for any other types of materials that you would find this useful for.

GETTING RID OF EXCESS INVENTORY Having excess inventory lying around can be detrimental to the financial health of your business. It is imperative that you keep the proper balance of on hand inventory so that you can react quickly to clients ordering via your website or for wholesale reorders. However, having a bunch of bright shiny objects collecting dust will prove to be financially devastating to your business. So what’s a CVO (chief visionary officer) to do when you are weighed down with inventory? GET RID OF IT!!

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Here are some suggestions of what you can do with your excess of inventory

• Set up Sample Sales and Trunk Shows • Have a private Facebook sale • Have a private Sample Sale on your website • Create a special pre-packaged off-price assortment for your

wholesale clients (off-price means discounted or designed at a lower price point than the rest of your collection)

• Send pick boxes to clients and offer a cash and carry discount (a pick box is an assortment of items that you ship so your buyer can pull from the box. It is secured by taking their card number in advance. Once they return the box, you charge for the items they kept)

• Make a special collection to sell to an off price store like Nordstrom Rack or TJ Max

• Make a special collection for a liquidator like United Apparel Liquidators

• Sell to a Flash Sales site like GILT (www.gilt.com), Rue La La (www.ruelala.com), Hautelook (Hautelook.com), Zulily.com (www.zulily.com) or Fab (www.fab.com)

• Sell materials on eBay or Etsy • Melt down or trade in raw materials • Return unused materials for credit • Donate to a school for a write off • or just about any way you can think of to exchange materials for

cash

ORGANIZING RAW MATERIALS AND TOOLS Being organized is key to saving you time and money. How many times have you had to look for a tool or a particular strand of stones and for the life of you couldn’t remember where you put that tool or those stones? By keeping your raw materials and tools in designated places you (and your employees if you have them) will always know where to go to get whatever you need. And in addition to saving you time and money, you will save your sanity.

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Tracy likes using clear shoebox size bins and Robin is a big fan of labeling everything (bins, tools - shot she even likes putting labels on office supplies). For Raw materials, Robin likes putting the quantity on the label and adjusting the quantity every time product is removed. This may or may not work for you. However you want to organize things is up to you, but no matter what, DO IT! You will be so glad you did.

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V. PRICING & MASTER SAMPLE GUIDE By having a pricing and master sample guide, you will be able to easily price out your new samples. Again, this will save you time and money. This will also help should you need to hire contractors (or you already have contractors or employees). Some of the easiest ways to keep this organized is with a Master Sample Binder. You can organize it in several ways. Possibly keeping all sheets for the same style together or separating sheets by the type. For instance, you can have a section for all of the masters sorted by category or you can section your binder out by pricing sheets, master mock up, and the resources used for creation. We have the following resources for you to use for your master sample and pricing:

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Sample Mock Up Worksheet It is essential for you to keep track of how you make on each piece of jewelry in your line. Doing this allows you to keep track of costs and create consistency in production (by you or another person).

Your pricing worksheet for each piece of jewelry in your line should look like this:

Style Number: _______________________________________________

Description of the piece

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

List each component and the $ price

Labor

Cost: ____________________________________________________________

Time: ___________________________________________________________

Pricing

Cost: ____________________________________________________________

Wholesale: _______________________________________________________

Retail: ___________________________________________________________

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Labor Notes

Time it takes to make piece: _________________________________________

Per piece rate: ____________________________________________________

Additional needs for piece

Wire wrapper or beader: ____________________________________________

Bench Jeweler: ___________________________________________________

Wax Worker: _____________________________________________________

CAD designer: ____________________________________________________

Photo or photocopy of image

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VI. RESOURCES AND VENDORS You have worked hard to find your resources and vendors and it’s a must to keep them organized. You can organize your resource and vendors in a file or in a binder. If you decide that you want to use a binder to keep your resources organized, make sure you create an effective system. If doing this in addition to your inventory binder is too much work, you can combine the two. Here is one suggestion on how to keep things organized:

1. Page one, make a short list of your most utilized vendors and resources

2. Create a section for each resource and vendor. 3. Any time you place an order, input the order into the

appropriate section. 4. If you make any changes to an order, make sure you note the

change on the original paperwork, who you confirmed the change with, and then date it.

We know finding resources can be tough. Below you can download our preferred vendor and resource guide. You’ll have access to updates as our database grows.

Download the most current version the F&TA Preferred Vendor and Resource Guide here: http://www.flourishthriveacademy.com/course2/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FTA_Resource-Guide-20141.xlsx

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VII. BEST PRACTICES & WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS

As your business begins to grow, it’s best to set up standards and best practices to create efficiency in your business.

STANDARDS FOR INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION CONTRACTORS AND FACTORIES In order to have a successful relationship with contractor and factories, you must have standards - and you must have them written out so to ensure that your pieces are being produced the same way every time. Your standards would include:

• Protecting proprietary design processes • Quality Control • Order Timeframe • Returns for defective products • Terms for Payment • How a piece is ordered each time

Your production contractors and manufacturers will include everyone from:

• Wire wrappers and piece workers • Casters • Independent factories who do work for you • And anyone else who is helping you with your production who

is not your employee A step-by-step process for sending out pieces for simple assembly might looks something like this:

• Order supplies needed to make the order • Write out the order form • Pull the spec sheets for each piece in an order

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• With each spec sheet, include the materials and instructions for each piece

• Enter pieces going out in your order log or contractor log • Have a clearly defined price per piece listed on the order form • Have a clearly defined due date for the order

OUR COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THINGS YOU CAN OUTSOURCE Production:

• Wire wrapping • Metalsmithing • Soldering • Casting • Cleaning • Polishing • Finishing • Stone setting • Basic assembly • Advanced assembly • Quality control • Packaging • Picking up and Dropping off orders • Pulling materials for orders • Counting and recording inventory • Organizing raw materials

Product Development:

• Reproducing samples • Following design layout or a pattern • Creating spec sheets • Entering time and component pricing

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Administrative work:

• Prepping and packaging sales orders • Shipping • Managing mail services • Data entry • Bookkeeping • Accounting • Customer Service • Answering emails • Answering the phone • Cleaning your office • Ordering supplies • Running errands

Marketing/Website:

• Social Media (scheduling and live interaction) • SEO (maximizing Search Engine Optimization channels) • PR outreach: bloggers, magazines, cross promotions • Website updates • Blog posting • Editing content • Shooting and editing photos • Setting up line sheets • Email Marketing (setting up emails) • Traffic building to your site • Sending out press kits

Sales:

• Follow up with current clients • Sales calls • Cold calls and emails • Sending out catalogs and packets to clients • Hand written Thank You notes to clients and vendors • Obtaining feedback

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• Confirming orders • Call/email campaigns for upcoming shows and events • Seasonal help for Trade and Craft shows

RESOURCES TO OUTSOURCE ON A BUDGET We are sure you are wondering how you can do this on a budget. Whether you are starting out or a seasoned vet, ideally you want to get the best, most eager workers that will work within your budget. Here are some of our favorite types of people to hire when you are on a budget:

• Unpaid Interns: Often times universities have internship programs where a student must take an internship for credit. These internships can be unpaid labor because the students are evaluated and given a grade at the end of the internship. Tracy had a PR intern who worked for an entire semester for credit. She was motivated and driven and ended up getting several PR placements for TMD. Of course she received an excellent grade at the end of the term. There are certain requirements the employer must meet so check the details with the university or college

• Paid Interns: College students are often very eager to gain

work experience. So even if you have to contract with paid interns, finding the right intern can be a great way to help the student build their resume and help you at the same time. Usually you can pay interns minimum wage or close to it.

• Skilled Laborers: Often times you can find workers who can

be trained especially those who are good with their hands. It might behoove you to find someone you can train and teach how to do your production work your way.

• Art School/Jewelry School Students: Art and jewelry

school students are often trying to learn the business side of things. After you learn how to get organized and systematize, you can teach them a thing or two about how to run a business. Several of Tracy’s first contractors were hired while they were in Art school or right after they graduated.

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• College Students: College students are often looking for

part time work to do remotely. Tracy works with college students currently who assist her with marketing, website updates, writing, blog posting, email marketing, social media and much more. Many of our virtual assistants at Flourish & Thrive Academy are or have been college students.

• Special Needs Workers: If you have repetitive tasks to

complete like packaging for instance, special needs workers are a great way to contract out and give back to your community.

Here are some of our favorite places to outsource on a budget:

• Word of mouth is a fantastic way to find great help! Sending a detailed email of the job description out to friends and family can sometimes produce the best results. We have a friend who found two assistants this way. Her cousin and her sister-in-law are now important contributors to her growing biz.

• Craigslist-in gigs and jobs. Tracy posts a lot of her

internships or short-term projects in the gigs section on Craigslist. She has found writers, video editors, jewelry workers, and just about everything on her local on CL.

• Odesk.com great for graphic design, photo editing, website

updates, etc.

• OnlineJobs.ph is a good resource for SEO, research and social media. This site is best for those of you who are ready to have someone full-time. The workers are in the Philippines and you can find workers who start at $2 an hour (a very fair wage in the Philippines).

• Elance.com this is a great way to find a variety of

freelancers. You only pay for what you use.

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• YourDailyTask.com you can find all different kinds of VA’s here for everything from Social media to SEO. The more pre-paid hours you purchase, the cheaper the rate.

• TaskRabbit.com this is a good site for local task like helping

you set up and break down for a show, run simple errands or help you with things you don’t have time to do.

• Fiverr.com this website is great for random gigs like needing

a photo edited or a quick graphic made. The big bonus, everything only costs $5.

• Job Posting Sites like Indeed.com, CreativeInterns.com and

FreeFashionInternships.com

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VIII. F&TA FREEDOM METHOD SYSTEMS BUILDER & CHECKLISTS

The following systems are for you to use for your business. Make any adjustments where needed or wanted to meet your business needs.

ORDERS PROCESSING SYSTEMS CHECKLIST

! Purchase Order is received

! Review PO

! Confirm receipt of order with buyer/client

! Buyer signs off on order (Credit Card Release Form or confirmation via email – something with their signature)

! Enter PO into your database system (if you have one) or excel spreadsheet

! Make a copy of the PO

! Put 1 copy in to the PURCHASE ORDER Section or Binder

! 2nd copy goes to production team to get produced

! PO gets produced/made

! PO is checked by Quality Control

! Standards for Quality Control

! PO is packaged

! Buyer’s CC is charged

! PO is shipped

! Buyer is notified that shipment is on the way

QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS CHECKLIST Jewelry Piece

! Stone quality

! Stone size

! Stone setting

! Metal Finish

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! Metal Type

! Trim

! Wire-Wrap Quality

! Branded metal tag or stamp

! Length

! Clasp

! Jump-ring closures

! Details of the piece

! Shape

! Solder seams (none) Order Verification

! Matches original

! Correct Sizing

! Correct style number (match to PO)

! Correct Color Way

! Quantity shipping Packaging Checklist

! Packaging or Carding

! Tagging

! Boxing

! Packaged so pieces stay tangle free

! Fragile items well protected

! Packaging is secure

! Confirm if sending branded packaging

! Correct name and address SHIPPING SYSTEM CHECKLIST

! Check for Quality Control

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! Package the goods in polybags

! Double check quantities vs. PO

! Package the goods in shipping box

! Follow Vendor Guidelines if applicable

! Insert packing slip inside or outside of the box (or invoice)

! Tape the box

! Deliver to carrier or order a pick up

! Email client or buyer confirmation of order shipped

! Track the package

EXCESS INVENTORY SYSTEM CHECKLIST

! Create a monthly date to take inventory

! Keep a running tab on inventory to make it easy to count

! Keep items packages in gross containers or quantities so you don’t have to count every piece

! Count raw materials

! Count Beads and Gemstones

! Count made goods

! Determine which goods need to “go”

! Sell off extra inventory

! Enter inventory numbers into your accounting program Sample Master Sample Worksheet Checklist:

! Fill out pricing worksheets and list components (or do this in a pricing program)

! Photocopy the piece or scan

! Measure exact dimensions for elements

! Make notes about vendors used

! Make notes on labor costs

! Make notes on time investment for piecework

! Make instructional notes for pieceworkers

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PIECE WORK SYSTEM

! Order supplies needed to fulfill order or orders

! Write out the piecework labor order form

! Pull the spec sheets for each piece

! With each spec sheet, include the materials and instructions for each piece

! Enter material going out in your production order log or contractor log

! Have a clearly defined price per piece listed on the order form

! Have a clearly defined due date for the order

! Check in the pieces received against the labor order form and check the quality while the contractor is present to handle any concerns immediately.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

! Pick Launch Date

! Work backwards to map out timeline for production (give yourself more time than needed. It always took Tracy at least 2 months.)

! Creative development/ Design the collection

! Set weekly goals for sample development and completion

! Stick to final sample completion date

! Price the collection

! Create Style Numbers

! Merchandise collection

! Edit yourself and pull out pieces that don’t work or are cost prohibitive

COLLECTION LAUNCH SYSTEM

! Choose a launch date

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! Photograph samples ! Photography clean-up if needed ! Create line sheets ! Upload images to website with descriptions and prices

NEW COLLECTION ANNOUNCEMENT SYSTEM

! Draft a sample announcement for wholesale buyers (if applicable)

! Draft a Newsletter announcement for website

! Send out launch email to your email list

! Send out individual emails to wholesale buyers or prospects

! Send out announcements to Press pitching new collections

CUSTOMER SERVICE SYSTEM for WEBSITE

! Create swipe copy for the customer service cycle and keep in google docs

! Place an autoresponder thanking prospects for their email with expected response time

! Funnel inquiries into an customer service inbox or folder so they don’t get lost

! Send a reply email leading clients towards the next steps

! Develop your email funnel in advance for ease so that you have scripts written (templates) that can be tweaked for every scenario

! Follow up, follow up, follow up Scenarios to consider:

! Custom ordering

! Repairs

! Returns

! Rave reviews

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! Complaints

! FAQs

! Care details

! Reorder

! Where to buy

! And just about anything. You can create a script for every type of inquiry

SALES CYCLE SYSTEM

! Email and call campaigns

! Email and call script for outreach

! Schedule time on a weekly basis for sales

! Follow up on outreach

! Order intake and processing

! Order confirmation or next steps

! Shipping confirmation

! Follow up

! Request for testimonial if applicable

CUSTOM ORDER SYSTEM

! Custom design request

! Custom order inquiry autoresponder on inbox

! Direct to custom order intake form

! Custom order intake form reviewed

! Follow up to schedule a call

! Meet with client over the phone

! Follow up email with the next steps (this process continues and will be based on your design process)

! Payment follow up and next steps

! Along the way emails with progress

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! Final payment if a deposit was taken

! Shipping confirmation email

! Follow after receipt

! Follow up for testimonial

TRADE SHOW SYSTEM (can adapt for Trunk Shows, etc.) + Checklist of Supplies

! Plan show budget

! Hire booth help

! Put together a show binder for paperwork and pictures

! Plan booth set up

! Do a mock layout of booth with jewelry displayed

! Take notes and pictures

! Complete booth paperwork

! Calendar cut off dates for shipping materials ahead of time

! Calendar move in and move out dates and times

! Make travel plans (flight and hotel arrangements)

! Take inventory of jewelry displays and booth materials

! Order PO forms (even is you have an paperless system, bring some incase of emergency like internet is down)

! Create Line Sheets

! Create Postcards

! Send postcards out to buyers 3 weeks before show and keep some to pass out at shows

! Call campaign: call buyers 1 week after postcards are mailed

! Create best seller list

! Ship booth materials to show (confirmed received)

! Pack jewelry and take with you Once back at Studio

! Process Purchase Orders

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! Analyze show by day

! Follow up with time sensitive requests

! Input potential customers (all business cards or email sign ups)

! Confirm receipt of all trade show materials shipped from show

! Restock and store materials: displays, forms, line sheets, etc.

! Set up online wholesale accounts for all new clients who placed orders

! Follow with those customers you did not see at the show Checklist of Supplies

! Order forms

! Business Cards

! Postcards

! Booth signs

! Press packets

! Line Sheets

! Labels

! First aid kit

! Extension cords

! Electrical power strip

! Lighting (if you choose to do your own lights)

! Bulbs for lights

! Tape (packing and scotch)

! Scissors

! Calculator

! Pens

! Push pins, thumbtacks, safety pins, U pins

! Displays fixtures (busts, block, earring stands)

! Tools for jewelry repair (needle nose pliers, cutters)

! Tool kit (hammer, nails, screwdriver, etc.)

! Clamps

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! Fabric to cover the booth after hours.

! Mirror(s)

! Cleaners

! Paper towels

! Stapler

! Lint Brush

! Camera

! Food and water

! Breath mints (no explanation necessary)

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN SYSTEM CHEATSHEET As we have mentioned, there are hundreds of large systems in a business supported by smaller systems. It’s up to you to build business systems that work for you and your biz. In the process of building your systems, you might consider using the following resources or ideas to help you out. Resources and Ideas for building systems of your own: • Buy screen capture software such as Screenflow or use a service

like Jing.com to record your screen. • Use a resource like Evernote to keep your ideas organized. • Create or build systems in SweetProcess.com or Confluence

https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence • Use project management tools like Asana, Basecamp, TeamworkPM

or Wrike. • Automate email autoresponders in your email program or in

Mailchimp or Awebber. • Film how to make a piece of jewelry or other production systems

using your smartphone or a video camera. You can host videos on a service like Vimeo and keep a group of private training videos.

• As you are working, record and document what you are doing. • Use a cloud based document share program like google docs so

your team has access to working documents.

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• Keep your “paper” information organized in binders: production, master samples, purchase orders (if you are printing them), UPS manifests, inventory and supply orders, etc.

• Create a filing system that works for you or go paperless and scan your receipts or take pictures of them using an app like XpenseTrkr, Shoebox Receipts, or Piiki.

• Use Dropbox to house shared files, images and documents so they are easy to find.

One more time: Document what you are doing as you are doing it.

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We hope this production & systems

manual provides you with tools for your

existing business or helps you lay the

groundwork for your new business.

We support you and your business and

may you continue to Flourish & Thrive!

production & systems manual2015... · 2. review po 3. confirm receipt of po with buyer/client...

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