How to open a jewelry store and start as a jewelry store

There are quite a few things to consider and prepare for when you start selling jewelry and watches. One of the most important aspects of starting a jewelry business is figuring out how to open a jewelry store. In this guide, we will discuss how to open a jewelry store and make sales from day 1. We divide this guide into 14 steps.

How to open a jewelry store and start doing business?

1. Determine target group

You have to ask yourself who you are going to serve, what you are going to sell and how you are going to reach them. The target group for a jeweler are of course the people who are willing to buy jewelery and watches and have them repaired. However, when you open a jewelry store, you can still distinguish yourself better. How do you offer customers an experience they can't get anywhere else? For this it is important to have a clear picture of who you want to serve with your new store. If you want to open a physical store, it is often a local target group. What kind of jeweler do you want to be?

What is the best type of jeweler for you?

There are many types of jewelers. It is important to know what your strengths and desires are so that you can start the jeweler that suits your style. Jewelers come in all shapes and sizes. It is therefore wise to choose what kind of jeweler you want to be.

Are you going for a trendy store with relatively cheaper products and a lot of cooperation with suppliers? Or would you rather open a premium business with expensive brands and fewer products? In addition, there are also jewelers who mainly want to focus on handmade jewelry or used jewelry. You can also join a chain, so you don't have to worry about purchasing and the range.



Keep in mind that opening a premium store requires a bigger investment than just selling handmade jewelry.

2. Come up with a good name

The name of the company is one of the most important decisions you make. It should be a name that reflects what the company does, or who it is for. It should also be short, recognizable and easy to spell. You can make it personal by adding your own name. Keep in mind that such a company is harder to sell because it is connected to you personally. A common name also makes it easier to roll out further. For example, if you ever want to sell other products.

It is also interesting to first Google your invented name and see what the competition is for that name. Perhaps products or companies are already coming up that you don't want to be associated with. Do you need inspiration? For example, use this Name generator.

3. Branding & Branding

Branding is a crucial aspect of retail success. Just think of beautiful concepts, such as Rituals or My Jewellery. How can we build a brand that resonates with the target audience? Branding starts with the logo, which is what people see first when they visit the online store. The logo should be simple and recognizable. It should also reflect the personality of your store and target audience.

Think about how the brand will look in print and on screen. What does it radiate when people see it? Also think about how you want people to feel when they visit the store or website. This controls everything from colors, fonts and logo to music and lighting. It is important to keep this in mind when opening a jewelry store.

Do you have a limited budget or do you prefer to do it yourself? Choose your own beautiful color scheme with this free tool from Coolors.

4. Select suppliers and brands

Brands and suppliers are essential for opening a jewelry store. They are responsible for the quality and quantity of the inventory, which in turn is a reflection of your business. There are many ways to find brands and suppliers. Well-known suppliers with good margins in the Netherlands are: Excellent, Weisz Group, PDA Group, Kasius, Seiko, Blush, Excellent Jewelry, Rebel & Rose, Aller Spanninga and, for example, Gerstner. I hope to make a complete list and post a link to it here.

As a starting jeweller, you often already know which brands you want to sell. Especially if you are already known in the market, you know the most important suppliers. Otherwise, it is wise to read the industry-specific magazine or visit a trade fair.

Today, another popular way to search for brands is through a B2B marketplace. In these marketplaces you will find all kinds of brands and suppliers from all over the world. You can browse through it at your leisure, compare different product types and prices, contact suppliers directly or place orders directly without leaving the site.

5. Choose jeweler software

Jeweler software is a must-have for any jeweler. You will use it for CRM, stock management and even for webshop. For this you would like the most important functions in one system. With PrismaNote we offer all important tools for jewelers. You can use it as an e-commerce platform, CRM and also for handling repairs. So all services and sales in one system.

A major advantage is that the POS system is linked to the webshop as standard. Also, each user works in the same product database. So you can easily add products that you have in stock and you can collaborate more easily with suppliers. In addition, you also get all the necessary hardware. Consider, for example, a cash register system, receipt printer, scanner and label printer.

6. Take Legal Action

To start as a jeweler, you need a bank account. This is important so that you can start accepting payments from customers. Registering your company is not a complicated or time-consuming process. It is often possible at the bank where you are already affiliated.

In addition, good insurance is also important if you start as a jeweler! Because of the precious metals, it is often not possible to insure yourself everywhere. Fortunately, there are special insurance companies for jewelers, such as Juwon. HDI Gerling or Bank van Breda.

In addition, you must also register the company as a legal entity. Registering the jewelry store is important for a number of reasons. It ensures that you have the legal rights to use the company's name and it also protects you from being sued by someone else using the same name. In the Netherlands, you register the company with the Chamber of Commerce.

This registration can be done in one day. You will need to provide some basic information about yourself, such as name and address, as well as information about what type of business you run, how many partners are involved, and what type of business structure you will be operating under (e.g., sole proprietorship).

7. Steps to Start a Jeweler's Website

With the help of the internet, it has become easier than ever to start a jewelry store. First, determine the domain name for the site and register it as soon as possible. Create a free account with a hosting company that offers reliable, affordable and easy-to-use hosting services. For example TransIP or Hostnet.

The next step is to choose one of the recommended website builders. A website builder is also integrated in the jeweler software mentioned in step 5. Do not forget to register a domain name with the web hosting first. The advantage of a website builder is that you can easily manage the website yourself. Ideal for a starting jeweler without a large budget.

If you are a bit technical, you can also install Wordpress through the hosting company or use a website builder such as Shopify. Please note that it is not automatically linked to the POS system to show stock online.

8. Find the best retail space

Choosing the right retail space is one of the most important decisions an entrepreneur can make. It will have a significant impact on how well the company does. Therefore, there are important factors to consider before opening a new jewelry store. These are: location, size, parking, accessibility, layout and design, traffic patterns, branding and costs.



It is important to choose a place with a large number of inhabitants and an even distribution among different age groups and income groups. The retail space can be divided into three different types: confined spaces, open spaces or mixed spaces. Enclosed spaces are ideal for businesses that have inventory they want to protect against theft or weather. Open spaces are perfect for businesses that rely on foot traffic and sell less expensive products.

A main street location is of course more expensive in terms of rent. However, if you sell accessories that are more of an impulse purchase, you want a lot of passers-by. Do you want to focus more on premium or handmade products on demand? Then the location may be less important and you can better use the budget for digital marketing.

9. Design the shop interior

When choosing the location, you can also think about designing the interior of a store, one of the most important aspects of opening a new business. It is the first impression your customers get.

The design should be based on two main factors: the product and the target audience.

The products should be displayed in an attractive way so that they are easy to find for customers. The display should also be arranged in a logical order so that customers know where to find what they are looking for.



The second factor is the customer base - who are you trying to attract? When you open a jewelry store you want to use lots of mirrors and light so people can see themselves wearing the jewelry. That increases sales.

10. Find employees and training

The most popular way to find employees is by using online job boards such as Indeed and LinkedIn. But there are other ways to find employees, such as reaching out to friends or relatives who may know someone who is looking for a new job. In addition, you can inquire at Vakschool Schoonhoven whether students are looking for an internship or job.

You can even start advertising in local newspapers. This is of course also direct advertising for your own company, but there must be a budget for this. Furthermore, staff training is an important aspect when starting a jewelry store. It helps employees perform better and also helps them develop skills to approach retail customers. There are a number of ways to train employees, but some are more effective than others.



1) Role Play: In this exercise, the trainer asks the employee to pretend they are in a certain scenario and then how they would react or what they would do in this situation. This can be done with colleagues or with the trainer who plays the other person in the scenario. The goal is for employees to learn from past mistakes and improve their empathy.

2) Team Building Exercises: These activities help individuals feel more comfortable with each other and provide a space for people to share their thoughts on various topics. They also encourage collaboration.

11. Create content

In the past, it was enough to put the products in the store. Today, competition is so fierce that you need a digital strategy to stand out. By creating content and posting it on your website and Social Media, you reach people who can come to the jeweler. You can start this before you actually sell to build momentum already.

Do you find it difficult to get started and tell your story? We have made a practical step-by-step plan to create your own content. You can already take photos and videos with a smartphone. Video in particular is very popular these days and ideal for telling your story online.



SEO and blogs for starting a jewelry business

Before opening a jewelry store, you can also write blogs and create content for your website. When you have the right tools, it becomes much easier. Blogging can help you with SEO and visibility in the long run. If you're on a tight budget and short on time, you can use this writing tool to create blogs and content quickly and easily. This is a great alternative if you don't want to hire an expensive copywriter.

12. Create social media accounts

Social media is one of the most popular ways to communicate with people around the world. You don't have to be very active right away, as long as you make sure you have already registered the names. A name can only be used once, so it's nice if you can use the same name on every channel without anyone else using it. Therefore, create your accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat and TikTok. This is the first step in getting people to the website and to the store.

13. Collect customer data

The first thing you want to do is make sure customers can sign up for the newsletter. This way you can stay in touch with them and make sure they don't forget you. We recommend this newsletter system for this. You can also use the newsletter as a way to get feedback from customers so you know what they like and don't like.

Plus, one of the best ways to get customer data is through a tablet or kiosk in the store. This allows customers to answer questions about their shopping experience, which are then analyzed and used for future marketing efforts. If you have a webshop, it is important that the same options as an in-store tablet or kiosk are offered. This way you can stay in touch with your customers 'free' outside the store.

14. Plan the grand opening

The opening is a nice challenge to start a jewelry store. To make it a success, you need to plan it in time. I hope to make a very extensive grand opening checklist for this so that nothing is forgotten. A few years ago I made mistakes with this that I now like to share with you so that you can have immediate success. Consider, for example, informing local media and sending invitations. This way you can sell on the first day. This is important because opening a jeweler requires a significant investment.