This is a really hard subject to approach,  but one that I feel I have to because if I avoid it, someone may miss out on having the most beautiful keepsake possible.

I am thankful that I have never experienced the loss of a child, I can only try to imagine how devastating it must feel. Ever since starting my keepsakes business it has played on my mind that I really wanted to be able to do something nice for parents in such a sad situation, something that would offer even the tiniest amount of comfort has got to be something worth offering.

But how does one approach the subject the subject without coming across that I want to make a profit from such a tragic situation?  I do need to be paid for my work, but I certainly do not want to exploit grieving parents, it is a very awkward situation.

An item of silver hand or footprint jewellery would make the perfect keepsake. If looked after well, it will last a lifetime and unlike most keepsakes, handprint jewellery can be carried with you always.

From a personal point of view, although I would never find it easy, I would find it greatly satisfying to know that I have been able to help keep a memory alive and offer something incredibly special that can be treasured forever.

For very small babies I do generally recommend footprint or handprint jewellery rather than fingerprint jewellery.  This is simply because tiny babies often do not have a defined fingerprint.  Also often when a baby dies or is born sleeping, the hospital will take handprints and footprints to give to the parents as a keepsake.  These can be used to create jewellery if they are available, and can be photocopies or scanned so there is no need to part with the original.

If your hospital doesn’t offer this service, I can send inkless wipes and paper so that you can take the prints yourself, or a member of staff will usually be happy to do it for you.  It is a very sad time and I expect that keepsakes are the last thing on a grieving parents mind.  If you are reading this and you know of a parent in this situation, a gentle suggestion that they may want to have prints taken may be something they will really appreciate in time to come.   My inkless wipe kits can be purchased as a stand alone product with no obligation to have a charm made, however they do come with a voucher so that the cost of the kit can be redeemed against any item of footprint or handprint jewellery (effectively making the kit free) if you should want one.  These make a comforting gift for someone who has lost a baby and a single print can be used to create as many silver jewellery items as you like. Each item is completely handmade so please feel free to contact me with special requests.

I hope I have dealt with this post sensitively, it is a difficult subject, but I hope that by posting it someone will be able to hear about the service and have a beautiful item to treasure.

I’ve been approached by several people recently asking me if I think it’s worth starting a keepsake business.

Is there any money in making keepsakes?  Aren’t there too many people doing this already? How do to deal with all the competition?

Well, the truth is I haven’t been doing it very long, but certainly I am very much enjoying running my keepsakes business and it gives me the flexibility I need and enables me to earn a small income without compromising on caring for my family.

Am I making any money with my keepsakes business?  The truthful answer is that so far I haven’t made as much as I have spent!  The kit was expensive and I only wanted to be trained by the best so I have paid quite a large amount to have access to regular training and support with my business.  I have only been in business 4 months though.

That said, I am getting orders and slowly but surely I am starting to see an increase in the income I am generating from making keepsakes.  The hardest thing about making keepsakes, especially things like fingerprint jewellery is finding customers.  Many people do not even know that fingerprint jewellery exists and so they are not searching for it online.

I have displayed my jewellery at shows and fairs and always had very positive feedback about what I do.

Is there money to be made?  Definitely, but the hard work is not in making the keepsake or fingerprint jewellery, the hard work is in getting yourself out there and getting known, but I guess that’s the same with any business.

Is the market flooded? Are there too many people offering to make fingerprint jewellery and other keepsakes?  Well, judging by the number of people I meet who have never seen it before, I think I can safely say No!  There are a lot of people selling this online, but I would advise anyone thinking about starting a fingerprint jewellery or keepsakes business to check out if anyone offers this in your local area, as that is where most of your customers will be.  Choose a mentor or trainer who isn’t going to take on anyone else close to where you want to operate.

How do I deal with competition?  Well I don’t worry about it really.  I just offer the best product and the best service that I possibly can.  I source top quality materials to make sure that the products I create are first rate, my customers also get one or two little extras (but I’m not going to share those here in case my competitors are reading!)