You’ve always loved jewelry. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings … You have it all! You even make it in your spare time. What if this passion became your future professional activity? Indeed, you might consider opening an online jewelry store. Here are some elements to know to carry out your professional project.
Online jeweler: craftsman or trader?
First of all, know that becoming an online jeweler covers two distinct realities:
You resell jewelry that you buy from suppliers. You are an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. You have the status of trader. You report to the Business Formalities Center (CFE) of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and will be registered in the Trade and Companies Register (RCS).
You make jewelry that you sell on your website and have no more than 10 employees. You have the status of craftsman. Your CFE is the Chamber of Trades and Crafts (CMA) and you are registered with the RCS and the Directory of Trades (RM). As a craftsman, and subject to respecting the conditions of diploma or professional experience, you will be able to obtain the title of Craftsman of Art, professional recognition which permits you to separate yourself from your rivals.
What are the prerequisites for launching your online jewelry store?
No professional diploma is required to become a jeweler. However, certain qualities and skills are necessary to complete your project, such as:
- Take an interest in jewelry, jewelry, and gemology;
- Know the different materials used (precious metals, synthetic, precious, or semi-precious stones) and their characteristics. For this, it may be necessary to follow a course in jewelry-making (for example, CAP Art and Techniques of jewelry-jewelry or Brevet des Métiers d’Art du bijou);
- Follow market fashions and trends;
- Be creative and find your style to stand out;
- Have computer skills to be able to create and develop your website on your own, or at least be able to update it to regularly integrate your new products and promotional offers;
- Know how to manage your business, especially everything related to invoicing, accounting, taxation, negotiation of rates, customer loyalty techniques, advertising, etc. As a business owner, you need to be multitasking.
- Good to know: To learn the basics of business management, it may be interesting to follow the training courses offered by the CCIs and CMAs or the Installation Preparation Course (SPI).
How to properly prepare your online jewelry project?
Choose jewelry to sell
The field of jewelry and jewelry is extremely vast. Depending on the type of jewelry you offer, your jewelry store, your prices and your clientele will be different. You can thus create:
- a luxury jewelry store selling jewelry made of precious stones (diamond, emerald, sapphire, ruby, etc.);
- a costume jewelry store offering trendy bracelets made from cords or colored fabrics;
- a general jewelry store selling rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, watches, etc;
- a jewelry store specializing in certain categories of jewelry such as wedding rings or birth jewelry.
Do a market study
Conducting market research helps you to determine the type of jewelry that he should sell based include:
- the latest jewelry trends;
- direct (on the Internet) and indirect (stores, supermarkets, etc.) competitors already present on the market;
- products already offered on the market;
- generally charged tariffs;
- the target clientele and their characteristics (age, purchasing power, purchasing habits, average income, etc.).
Establish a business plan
The business plan is an essential document because it allows your future investors to check the solidity and viability of your business project. It conditions the financing of your activity. Although there is no typical template, your business plan should generally include the following:
- your team: it must be demonstrated that it is qualified and experienced and that the profiles are complementary;
- the jewelry you offer: you must specify how they are innovative compared to products already on the market;
- the market: the target clientele and geographic area must be identified;
- the economic model on which your online jewelry project is based: the aim is to show that your business will generate significant turnover and be profitable;
- competition: it is necessary to identify the players already established in the market, whether online jewelry stores or physical stores;
- your company and its associates.
Focus on choosing the legal form of your business
Once your project is well advanced, it is important to take the time to consider the most suitable legal form for your e-jewelry. The choice of this one will depend in particular on the envisaged activity (manufacture and/or sale), the necessary investments, and your situation (if you wish to start alone or with associates).
At this stage, do not hesitate to seek professional assistance. Indeed, the choice of the legal form of your company will have important consequences on your tax system (corporate or income tax), your social status ( equivalent manager or self-employed worker ), the amount of your share capital ( minimum share capital or not), protection of your assets, etc.
You have to make a distinction depending on whether you are embarking on this entrepreneurial adventure alone or with others.
If you go it alone
If you decide to be the only master on board, you can choose from several social forms.
The micro-enterprise
Quick and easy to create, the micro-enterprise system allows you to benefit from a simplified macro-fiscal and micro-social system.
Concretely, you pay your social security contributions according to the turnover you achieve and after the application of a flat-rate tax deduction. You only need to keep a ledger of your expenses and receipts.
The status of micro-entrepreneurs is however only possible if your annual turnover is lower than certain ceilings (176,200 € for the sale of jewelry).
