Hobby Grew into Online Jewelry Design Business for Macungie Woman

Lisa Boland Designs
4775 Somerset Lane, Macungie, PA  18062
Tel: (610) 295-4072
Email: lisa@lisabolandjewelry.com
Website: www.lisabolanddesigns.com
Social media: www.facebook.com/
lisabolandjewelrydesigns
Owner: Lisa Boland
Hours: Online shop - 24 hours,
special events, private showings
by appointment

What you sell?  
Original, handcrafted designer sterling silver jewelry accented with gemstones, Swarovski crystals, and artisan created beads.

How long have you been in business?  
Lisa Boland Designs officially opened in the spring of 2011 but I have been designing and selling my jewelry since 1998.

What inspired you to start your business?  
Creating jewelry began as a hobby and quickly grew into a passion for designing beautiful and wearable accessories featuring colorful gemstones and beads.

What makes your business different from the competition? 
I design and create every piece of jewelry I sell. Each piece is made using precious metals and only the finest beads, crystals, and gemstones. I also do all my own photography, photo editing, marketing, social media, materials sourcing, and accounting.

What is the most rewarding part of your business?  
Creating custom, one-of-a-kind pieces that become special gifts for my clients and their loved ones. Each piece is created with the recipient in mind to be the perfect accessory that she will treasure for a lifetime.

What’s the hardest/most challenging part of your business?  
Definitely striking a balance between the desire to create vs. taking care of all of the necessary business details like accounting, marketing and social media. It seems like there are never really enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I'd like to accomplish.

Where do you hope to see your business in the future?  
I would love to begin the process of selling my designs through boutiques and perhaps even catalogs so I can reach a much wider client base. Along with that, I feel very strongly about keeping my business local so if and when I do grow to the point of hiring employees, I will be able to support our local economy by hiring local talent.

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?  
To develop a unique and consistent brand identity that is cohesive to my product line. I'm in the process of finalizing all the little details of my new logo and I'm excited to have a beautiful graphic image that was created exclusively for my brand. 

What business advice would you give to someone else looking to do what you do?  
Start small and take manageable steps to build your design focus and product line. Then work on growing a client base that is in line with your creative goals.

Do you have a role model for what you do? 
No, not any one specific artist but I greatly admire artists who have developed their own unique style and that have stayed true to their artistic vision.

What do you do when you aren't working?  
I'm a mom to a fantastic 10-year-old boy named Benjamin and he is my first priority. So, besides being a mom, I try to stay fit. Walking and yoga are my favorite forms of exercise and stress relief. I also love to cook.