Specialising in highly detailed precious metal pieces and inspired by storytelling, Metallium Jewellery was established in 2013 by Scottish jewellery designer, Karen Smith.
With over 17 years of experience in the industry, Karen felt it was time to challenge herself to innovate and grow her business. She joined Elevator’s Famous Grouse Ideas Centre Creative Accelerator in September 2020.
“I heard about the programme through other artists who had previously taken part and has said they found it extremely beneficial. I joined with the aims of becoming more focused, more confident within my business and to set some concrete goals, and was really excited to see where things led.”
Karen welcomed the opportunity the programme gave her to look at her business with fresh perspective and to challenge herself to try new approaches.
“My experience was really positive. It was lovely being part of a supportive group full of other creative businesses. Taking part certainly made me more focused, and also made me think about my business in ways I hadn’t considered before. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, which was long overdue!”
Like all businesses, the pandemic affected Karen’s offering considerably and she had to re-evaluate the best ways to deliver her services. Fortunately, she’s been able to tap into new horizons as a result.
“COVID slowed things down significantly, and lockdown forced me to reassess how I interact with my customers and deliver my classes – I now offer Zoom consultations for commissions and plan to teach my jewellery-making classes online too. These are both things I hadn’t considered before, so I see this as a positive learning that I plan to continue. It means that people who previously couldn’t attend a face-to-face class or consultation due to not being local now can. It’s opened up my business to a much wider audience.”
Karen’s advice to anyone thinking of joining an Accelerator is simple: “Just do it! There is something for every business within the programme and the opportunities you receive throughout are second to none. It’s hard work, but really worth the time and effort you’ll invest. By the end of it, you’ll have a much clearer image of the path you want your business to take, and the strategies you can use to get there.”
If you think you could benefit from one of our programmes, then apply today.
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