Cart - $0.00

Global Logistics: Making It Work For Your Company

long-haul trucking companies efficiently transport goods

As a business owner, it’s important to consider how to give your products, such as lovely jewelry, a global reach. When you begin researching the process, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. You must maintain an awareness of things like tax law differences, currency fluctuations and allowable cargo weights. Fortunately, by thinking about these things in a methodical way and taking advantage of technological advancements, you can start to make sense of goals and feel like you’ve got everything under control.

Understanding Weighing Systems

Companies commonly work with long-haul trucking companies to efficiently transport goods across geographical lines. This method is generally reliable, but it’s essential to understand weight limits before you send drivers on their way. Large trucks must periodically stop at weigh stations to ensure they’re not carrying more than the stated limit. Anyone found to be in violation would be subject to a fine.

Fortunately, onboard weighing systems with load cell technology make things easier for everyone involved. Some include handheld display systems equipped with wireless technology, so your driver can easily gauge the vehicle’s current weight before approaching a scale. Some systems also transmit data to an integrated system, so you can keep an eye on things from afar.

Clearly the goal for any economically minded businessperson is to transport as much cargo as possible without going over the legal limit. This objective is now easy to accomplish, thanks to new weighing systems built with the latest technology.

Database-Driven Solutions

Information is a crucial part of any global supply chain. Luckily, it’s not necessary to possess encyclopedic knowledge for your business to succeed on a worldwide level. Many IT-based software packages automatically calculate things such as tax rates in different countries and help users streamline multiple processes. These tools make it possible to get more things done in a shorter amount of time, without taxing your brain.

Checks and Balances

The chance to introduce products to a global marketplace is certainly enticing. For best results in this venture, it’s necessary to compare the costs of inventory against what’s involved in shipping it to destinations.

In the early stages, you’ll almost certainly run into a few obstacles that can initially be more costly than you’d planned. Monitor all aspects closely to make sure problems get remedied quickly. If you notice repetitive issues, that’s a good indication that it might be best to back off and perform further research before attempting to re-enter a particular segment of the marketplace.

The rise of the Internet has helped more business owners see the promise of ramping up their offerings and appealing to a global audience. If you’re among them, take care to build a strong foundation first and understand what you’re getting into. Then you can proceed with confidence and fully embrace any global logistics possibilities.

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Shannon / Posted in Blog | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Selling Jewelry Online: Our Three Most Important Lessons

Jewelry box with old jewelry

If you want to buy some of our lovely new pieces, you might consider selling your old jewelry to free up some funds. Old jewelry can be an excellent source of income as long as you know the best ways to advertise and sell it. Online auctions, specialist jewelry sites and sites that buy gold by weight are all potential avenues should you decide to part with unwanted jewels, pendants and earrings, but which will bring you the most cash for your goods?

The following three tips will help you to navigate this growing market and get the best possible price for your treasures.

1. Photos and descriptions

When selling anything online, whether it’s clothes or books or ceramic pots and pans, a good photo is always key. Photos should provide as much information as possible. Photograph your pieces being worn so that buyers can get a sense of their size, as well as close-up shots to show fittings, clasps and so on. Investing in a cheap dummy head and neck plastic model can be useful.

When writing the description to go along with these photos, always be honest and accurate. Never describe a stone using a word like “diamond” or “ruby” without being sure that it is genuine and not a similar-colored reproduction. You’ll get complains, bad ratings and returns.

2. Pick your site

Choosing between the various online options for places to sell your jewelry is a key step in getting a good price. Firstly it is important to know what the pieces are made of — if you have precious metals and stones, a specialist jewelry dealership should be your first choice. These dealers will not be interested in non-precious or lower-value items, so for these an online auction may be more suitable.

3. There’s money in junk

Out-of-date, unfashionable, or even broken jewelry can still have value and can be sold to precious metal buyers. A large number of websites will pay for gold or silver by weight, and as they sell it on to be melted and reused, the condition of the jewelry will not matter as much as if you were selling it to be worn. Do your research on the market value of gold or silver before using these sites, and bargain with several to get the fairest price possible.

Our pretty pieces will hopefully never be sold on, but if you have out-of-fashion jewelry that doesn’t suit your style, then you can use online jewelry sales to turn these unwanted pieces into liquid cash, meaning you can get a whole bunch of our lovely creations. We hope these tips help you out!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Shannon / Posted in Blog | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Best Options for Online Payments

credit card payment

When you don’t have enough regular online payments to have your accountant and web designer set up a credit card system, it can be tricky to pick the right online payment option. Paypal is standard, but those pesky fees can really add up and make it more convenient to write a paper check. The purpose of online payments is to make life easier and even save some money on manpower and stamps. Fortunately, there are plenty of completely free options out there.

The biggest step is actually switching your payment processing. Maybe you have to send sporadic payments to a freelance web writer or commissioned a graphic artist for an annual event. It doesn’t matter if you’re helping people buy motorized shades or managing a blooming non-profit. Sometimes you have to send payments, but there’s no reason to pay to do so.

Think Outside the Box

You’ve probably heard of ING, the online banking institute. ING is much more than a truly free checking and/or savings account that boasts the best interest rates around. Electric Orange checking regularly runs a promotion that offers $50 just for joining and using one of the easiest to use payment systems around. The unique Person-to-Person payment option (P2P) lets you send money completely free.

You need to know the recipient’s name and the last four digits of his or her checking account number. Money arrives instantly so there’s no waiting around like you do with Paypal. It also doesn’t require ING registration for the recipient.

Some Other Alternatives

Zashpay is transitioning to Popmoney, but the perks are the same. This mobile payment option is similar to Paypal but without the fees. You can send money absolutely for free, but it does require a registration from the recipient and a waiting period of about three days for money to appear in accounts. However, the great thing about this product is that you don’t need to “accept” money every time it’s sent.

Once registered, the program saves the recipient’s bank information and funds are automatically transferred. It’s simple to go online and change the default banking settings if necessary. It’s a little more upfront work than ING for the recipients, but it’s a relatively quick and painless process. There’s also a fantastic app to keep everything accessible.

The Old School Route

Many traditional banks also offer free money transfers, but they require the recipient to have the same bank as you. This simply isn’t realistic. If you want to go the banking avenue, see what ING offers. If you and your recipient already have the same bank, this can be a very simple tool for a one-time deal, but it’s smart to set up a better plan today and be prepared.

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Shannon / Posted in Blog | Tagged , | Leave a comment