Business surgery: Ladytree Designs

Company name: Ladytree Designs

Sector: Jewellery

Number of staff: 2 part-time

Company owners: Ela Good and Hannah Good

Key clients:  general retail

Company overview

Ladytree Designs is a Cotham-based jewellery company set up in June 2016 by Ela Good, who was joined by her mum, Hannah Good, soon after. The mother-daughter duo sell sterling silver jewellery, handcrafted using traditional and modern techniques in a shared studio at Old Market Manor Makerspace in St Philips.

“Our brand is about creating thoughtfully designed and lovingly handmade pieces inspired by the natural world,” says Ela, who first learnt silverwork in an introductory jewellery class at the Folk House. “It’s important for us to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Organic by name. Organic by design.”

As a result, the majority of silver they use is 100 per cent recycled and traceable and all packaging is made from recycled or sustainable materials.

Ela recently started offering workshops and tuition alongside the jewellery itself and hopes to double turnover in the coming year.

To shop the collection, visit: www.ladytreedesigns.com

The challenge

What are the best ways to grow organically and without a large advertising budget in a saturated online artisan marketplace?

FEEDBACK

Ursula Hutchinson, creative director at Konichiwa PR

“I would first look at your story. Jewellery is the kind of gift people like to cherish and it feels more wholesome when someone else has made it with love and care. As you are artisans working from a home studio, you should focus on how you are small. The process behind making your products, being in your studio, as well as everyday life, will help bring this to life.

You also have some great values which may differentiate yourselves from other artisans. Try to highlight why you choose to be environmentally friendly and work with recyclable silver as part of this story. For example, where do you source it and what positive impact does this have?

I would focus your efforts on social media. Instagram is great for jewellery products as it is visual and you could also look at tapping into influencers to get in front of the right audiences. Also, why not get creative with how you display your pieces!

Make sure you are clear when making a post as you want to drive people to the website. In each product post, add a call to action and change your link in your profile to suit the current post.”

Danny Gosling, brand designer and creative consultant at Thinkography

“Start with two key questions: What will make people buy from you – and only you? And who is your ideal client, their needs, desires and aspirations?

Play to your strengths as an independent artisan; don’t concentrate on selling more pieces to more people; instead nurture deep, personal relationships with your clients, that will bring them back time after time. They’ll drive organic growth by recommending you to family and friends, and give you compelling testimonials and stories that you can share via word of mouth and social media.

So concentrate on the experience of buying from you. Offer a bespoke service: engage your clients in the design process, invite them to your studio to see you working on their piece, and present the finished jewellery in person. Allow your personality and love for your craft to shine through.

Your clients will be happy to pay a premium for something that gives them not just a beautiful piece of hand-crafted jewellery, but also the happy memories and emotions invested in it’s creation, and the feeling that it is uniquely theirs.”

Read more: Business surgery: Decorator’s Notebook