This year, our events will focus on pop-ups and art exhibitions around London and the Kent area. We will continue selling online through our website and channels like Amazon and Etsy. The idea of exploring other markets, such as the US is something that we will dig into this year.
In terms of materials, we will increase the offer of 18ct Gold pieces and will continue working with our Colombian suppliers to bring the most beautiful, certified emeralds. In terms of design, we will continue with our technology implementation plan, and incorporate 3D design to create the most original and unique jewellery for you, our lovely customers.
We appreciate all the support and hope you enjoy being part of Delmora’s community.
Below is the list of pop-ups and events that have been confirmed this year. We hope to see you attend as many as you can:
Feb:-Feb 22-28: 4 Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9AB. We’re exhibiting with LDC.
April:
-April 6- May 12: Bluewater Shopping Centre, Dartford, DA9 9ST. We’re exhibiting with UTR.
May:
-May 3- May 5: Rochester Corn Exchange, Rochester, ME1 1LS. We’re exhibiting with Rochester Art Fair.
]]>
Creating Delmora® has been, by far, one of my most significant achievements. Being a small business owner is a daily struggle, but it also brings a lot of satisfaction.
Looking for new pop-up locations and new and innovative ways to reach customers is challenging, especially with tight budgets. But there are other activities also involved when having a business, and one of them is public relations. Today, I'm delighted to share that The British Library- Business and IP Centre (BIPC) and start-Up Bromley (SUB) have created a poster highlighting Delmora® and have located them around some Southeast London bus stops.
I jumped when I was notified of this terrific news, and my heart was thrilled. This news came at a perfect moment as I was going through difficult times.
Although I was shy in my younger years, when I created my small business, I knew I needed to change that part of me. Now, I take every possible opportunity to speak about Delmora® even if I am trembling with nerves.
When Start-Up Bromley asked who wanted to apply to be a Bromley Business Ambassador, I didn’t doubt putting my business through. I had been a member since the early days and had previous collaborations with the British Library.
After waiting a few months for their results, I was notified as an ambassador for Bromley. I attended a photo session at the British Library. Then, I had an event in February where I could sell my products. Recently, I was notified of this poster, and who knows what is coming next?
My experience as a Start-up Bromley member has been excellent; I attended multiple trainings and was able to network with many (now) customers and other small business owners. I thank Start Up Bromley and The British Library-BIPC for all the support I have received. I remember my first pair of Colombian emeralds were sold at one of the British Library events at St Pancras in London.
I invite all small businesses to look for any support given at your local libraries and to join the Kickstart Your Business program. For me, it has brought a lot of satisfactory events, PR, customers, and friends.
]]>
We also love face-to-face events as they facilitate our contact with customers and allow us to receive precious feedback and suggestions for our products. We love discussing our story and values as an ethical and independent brand.
This year, the inclusion of materials such as 18ct gold and semiprecious stones has solidified our position in the minds of many of you, our beloved customers. We appreciate all the support and hope to continue innovating our designs and service to you. Our 2023 strategy is slightly different from last year’s but still focused on having direct contact with our customers this year through pop-ups. We believe Pop-Ups help us be more consistently close to our clientele as we are in the same location for several days or weeks.
Below is the list of pop-ups and events confirmed for this year. We hope to see you at any one of them:
1. Feb:5. July - Aug:
6. Oct:
7. Nov:
]]>
When my baby is recognised, I feel immensely proud and energetic to continue innovating and working for its growth. 2023 has been a terrific year for receiving recognition. Here is a list of what has been achieved:
All this great news is possible thanks to you, our customers. Thank you for your support, feedback, preference, and reviews. Many things are in the pipeline to improve your experience with us this year. Stay tuned and follow our platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok).
A huge thanks to all!
]]>
Starting a small business is scary but it's less scary if you are surrounded by love and a lot of help. Many people have contributed to Delmora’s success. My husband, my family, my friends, my customers, my suppliers. Certainly, all of them have had an influence on what Delmora® has turned out to be. A multi award winning small company with strong values and many projects to develop. Today, I am excited to share to Delmora’s community that delmora.co.uk has won an award as the Online Jewellery Store of the year 2023. This award is the second in a row after winning the award in the same category last year.
To celebrate this important occasion, the London & Southeast England Prestige Awards 2023 invited us to a photo session in a beautiful venue located in Hampshire. Delmora® was also interviewed and afterwards, we celebrated this terrific achievement with a glass of wine.
It is great to be recognised for the second year, as it is hard work to maintain a website. Creating innovative content has paid off. This award means so much for Delmora® because we are a small business thriving in a very challenging environment.
A panel of judges evaluated our website on its content, relevant links, distribution of information and our customer’s reviews. Our complete online presence was also checked as part of the evaluation, our Etsy store, Amazon store and our Google profile. The reviews of our customers on those platforms were critical in the process.
We want to thank the Prestige Awards for this recognition and applaud its commitment to support small independent businesses. The whole process was highly professional and organised.
Thank you for the support and for continuing to show us your love.
]]>I am ecstatic to share that Delmora’s application for Self-Employed Person of the year 2023 to the Federation of Small Businesses has been short listed for the second year. 😱
I hope we can bring that trophy home this time!
It feels in some way a form of recognition for our hard work, although we would love to win, being shortlisted means a lot. These have been challenging times for all small businesses and every small win is a reason to feel motivated.
Thank you to all our customers, online community and the whole ecosystem that keeps Delmora® afloat.
]]>
After our massive success in the Christmas market located in John Lewis, Delmora® comes back to Bluewater Shopping Centre. This time we are exhibiting with 50 other talented local artists in the spring exhibition by Under The Rainbow events.
The spring exhibition started on February 14th 2023 and runs until Monday, March 20th 2023. It is one of the most impressive art exhibitions where every artist shows their unique talents to the world. There is paperwork art, paintings of various sizes and techniques, goldsmith, ceramic works, and jewellery.
It is an honour for Delmora® to exhibit at this event and be surrounded by many talented artists. Exclusively for this event, we produced a unique group of items belonging to our latest Yanna collection.
These pieces can be found at the exhibition but will not be available online. We focused on recycled silver and semiprecious natural stones such as Aquamarine, Amethyst, Topaz, Garnet, Turquoise, and Agate for this event. There are also new items with certified Colombian Emeralds and our usual material Stainless Steel.
We decided to enrich our portfolio for this event with handmade Wauyú bags and handbags made using Macramé techniques.
Delmora’s founder will be at the exhibition on Sunday, March 5th and Friday, March 17th, all day; she will be ready to answer your questions and show you the new items. Additionally, she is going for a few hours during the week to re-stock and speak with customers. Please feel free to send a request at any time during the week, and she will be there for you.
We will be uploading several photos of this event on our online platforms. Follow us to stay updated on any news.
]]>
We are so pleased to announce that Delmora® offers a new service of jewellery engraving. It includes pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings.
Our new engraving and cutting machine uses Computerized Numeric Control - CNC technology to carve and cut into any metals. We will be using it on Stainless Steel, Silver, and Gold. There are a few specifications to be met regarding the size and flatness of the items to be engraved. Not all jewellery will be available for this service to ensure the highest quality. Extra small charms or open bangles are some items that can’t be engraved. See Delmora® engravable items here.
When deciding on your message to be engraved, please consider the following:
One of our favourites is Bell MT, which is clear and looks fantastic. Other recommended fonts are Optima, Helvetica, Times New Roman.
We also love the fonts Lucida Calligraphy and Rollerscript, which are elegant and stylised. However, we recommend using these fonts on more oversized items to ensure your message is clear.
Delmora® offers pendants that spell out your name. The recommended size is 5cm wide x 1.8cm high. However, you can decide on the best size based on your preferences. Initially, the cutting service will only be offered for stainless steel and 100% recycled sterling silver jewellery. This service will expand to other materials such as gold, Argentium silver, and plated stainless steel.
Before cutting, choosing a suitable font type is important, as it must go well when sticking the letters together. There can’t be any spaces to ensure the name is cut correctly. We recommend the font Adorn Garland or similar.
After cutting, every item will undergo an ultrasonic cleaning process to remove any oils or liquids added to ensure a perfect finish.
We have plenty of fonts available. All are included in Word and Adobe Illustrator, so if you have special requirements or any questions, please send us a message. Click here to send a message.
Delmora® will offer a very affordable price to engrave eligible Delmora® jewellery and will continue giving special prices to all its Club members. Click here to subscribe to the club.
You can also bring us your jewellery to be engraved by us. Please be aware of the size and shape restrictions. It is preferable to have rounded, plane shapes with a minimum diameter of 2cm. Jewellery with gemstones will not be accepted for engraving due to the possibility of damaging the gem. For this service, Delmora® will charge:
Our machine can engrave with tiny fonts, starting from size 4. However, these small sizes are not recommended as they will not be easy to read. We recommend beginning from font size 5.5.
The size of your message vs the size of the item is equally important to get excellent results. You can add symbols to your messages, such as hearts or arrows.
Message ideas:
I wasn’t convinced about initiating the registration because I wasn’t confident in the success of a company I created with £1,000 in my bank account. Time proved brand registration is not a luxury; it is a necessity. All the efforts that small businesses make to create a brand must be protected in every possible way. Trademark registration is one of those ways. It is not enough by itself, but it serves to ensure that all the hard work is formally protected.
I am ecstatic to share that after a few months since we started the registration process, DELMORA® is now registered as a brand. It is another successful chapter in DELMORA’s story.
I have written a blog about the importance of brand registry. Please click here to read the full article.
]]>We were invited to a photo session in a beautiful venue located in Woking. After the photo and video session, we celebrated this terrific achievement with a glass of wine. Delmora’s name is also written in the Awards Book 2022 winners of the London and South East England area.
It is great when others recognise the hard work and dedication required when creating a website. Selecting the right pictures, writing all the content, and organising the information in an understandable way is undoubtedly hard work and most small businesses don’t have the big teams to do it. That is why this award means so much for Delmora, because it is a small business with a tight budget.
A panel of judges evaluated our website on its content, relevant links, distribution of the information and our customer’s reviews. All our online presence was also checked as part of the evaluation, our Etsy store, Amazon store and our Google profile. The reviews of our customers on those platforms were critical in the process.
We want to thank the Prestige Awards for this recognition. It was a great experience as all its team was highly professional and organised in every step of the process. Thank you for supporting small and independent businesses, especially during these challenging times.
We also want to thank all our customers, suppliers, and people directly or indirectly related to Delmora™. We want to invite all our customers to share their positive experiences with our brand as every positive comment is happily received, and it counts when we apply for next year’s award. 😊
]]>It was an incredible experience being able to share our thoughts on how to increase the participation of women in the business environment. We also talked about how technology affects the status quo and how to improve access to funding. Dell invited everyone to participate in the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) competition that will launch soon (Delmora is a DWEN member).
It was inspiring to share our experiences and challenges on our business path with talented female entrepreneurs from Beevive and InitiallyLondon.
In preparation for the interview, we wrote a blog summarising our points of view on the subject. Click here to read the article.
]]>
Participating in craft markets and pop-up shops is one of Delmora's objectives in 2022. This post aims to describe our pop-up shop and craft market experience showing other small businesses some learning tips and suggestions. Although every company is different, there could be some tips that could improve their experiences. This post also intends to portray Delmora's journey to our customers.
Every craft market is an opportunity to be closer to our customers. Receiving feedback, talking about their jewellery preferences, telling them about our relationship with charities and our recyclable packaging and, more importantly, listening to their stories. Those should inspire you when developing new products and deciding how to implement marketing strategies to achieve your business goals. But being ready to give an excellent experience is a tiring process as the preparation includes:
Sometimes sales don't cover your expenses, and you must be prepared for that. On the bright side, these events have numerous learning points (described earlier). For example, customer feedback will help you frame your pricing policy and adapt your product to your customers' needs.
In my opinion, I don't think a business can grow just by attending craft markets. It is required to combine them with other options to get more sales. Craft markets' sales could vary between £0 - £250 (these figures are based on Delmora's data and other small businesses attending craft markets). I have spoken to other small businesses, and the average sales figure is approximately £100 per event.
Let's do some quick maths. If you sell £100, you must cover:
The figures don't up, right? It is difficult for small businesses to survive due to high costs (as we usually don't have access to scales of economy). It will also take some time before our brands can be recognised/preferred by our customers, affecting our sales for a while.
The British economic situation also affects small business results. Brexit, inflation, political issues, and other external risks can make it difficult to find new competitive suppliers. Entrepreneurs' creativity is often challenged as new ways to get customers must be implemented. Different channels must be used until the right one(s) is found and perfected.
Delmora has 3 e-stores, but it wasn't enough because sales were growing very slowly. Craft markets helped, and the direct contact with our customers helped our brand recognition. After several craft markets attendance, we decided our next step would be to have a short-term pop-up shop.
It took us almost 4 months since we decided to have a pop-up until we could get one. Location was the critical point in selecting the right pop-up for us. But if you want something, you must pay for it and getting a good location is very expensive in the world of retail.
"Before this experience, I thought I could complete the task alone. It looked like a small area I needed to keep attractive to anyone passing by. But it is much more difficult than that" Delmora's founder.
One of the most challenging requirements is the time schedule. We were open from 8am to 7pm. A well-located pop-up shop is a terrific opportunity for any business. Our objective was to avoid leaving our stand unattended. We wanted to show full availability but also to deter shoplifters who are increasingly common in England these days. Jewellery can be attractive for shoplifters as it is easy to steal.
When a small business starts, its founder wears all the hats that make saving money possible while sales can support the extra costs of having an employee. Delmora is not the exception; during the pop-up shop, I was the salesperson, and it wasn't possible to hire any help. As a result, I couldn't take any breaks during the day apart from at midday when my husband helped me and for an hour while I had my lunch.
Some hidden costs are sometimes underestimated, such as lunch, parking, and your time. I advise you to consider all of those when estimating your real profits.
"First day I had a £3,75 lunch, but after 1 hour I was hungry again, so I decided to have healthier and nicer lunch breaks. My lunch was between £9-£16." Delmora's founder.
It was challenging, and you really need to enjoy what you do. We had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve so; we could measure our success. Here is what we learnt:
For Delmora, this experience really showed its vast potential. Although this deal wasn't great financially, it reflected what could be achieved when the right opportunity comes up.
It is possible that after paying rent, commission, and other fees, what remains is so tiny that it is almost demotivating. But if you think of this experience as an opportunity, you will see the benefits. It is an opportunity to know your business's potential, speak to more customers, and receive feedback about your product. If you want to achieve that, success is guaranteed.
]]>
We are thankful to all people supporting us and have exciting plans for the near future. As our 2022, our strategy is focused on having more direct contact with our customers through craft markets and events, we have planned the entire year to exhibit in beautiful places where you can visit us and ask questions about our processes and products.
We bring you the list of events and places that are confirmed so far, so you can plan to visit our stands on the days we are exhibiting:
1. March:
2. April:
3. May:
4. June:
5. July:
6. Aug:
7. Sept:
8. Dec:
We hope you can come and support hundreds of other small businesses like Delmora® that are striving to thrive during these challenging times.
See you there!
Judy
]]>
I want to thank to all my customers and friends for all the encouraging messages.
Join me on this special occasion and celebrate this small win with me.Cheers! 🍾
]]>
It feels that the word "restriction" is part of our daily life. It has had a profound impact on many people's lives and businesses (mainly small) that are thriving to survive.
In my case, I haven't been able to travel and I haven't been able to see my mom in 5 years!. Delmora has been also seriously affected by restrictions on gatherings as not having direct contact with our customers makes it more difficult to share our story and advertise our products.
However, let's focus on the good bits to say good bye to 2021 and receive the new year with positive energy and positive vibes. Please watch the following video that summarises Delmora 2021 Good Byes. Cheers! 🥂
]]>
This article contains an extensive interview featuring Delmora's story, challenges and future projects.
When they told us that Delmora® was selected for the article, we were ecstatic as we see this as a recognition for our hard work and perseverance. The article was written by Enterprise Nation in collaboration with the program Amazon Small Business Accelerator.
It was also featured on twitter. We praise Enterprise Nation for the continued support to small businesses and we invite you to read the article and leave us your comments.
In this scenario, every bit of help is important to keep us "alive". That is why we feel blessed and grateful when institutions such as the British Library decide to include Delmora™ in their blogs.
Through the Business and IP Centre they offer support to small business such as Delmora™ with online training and online publications.
This month, Delmora™ is in two of their posts:
Additionally, Delmora™ is also part of their posts in online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter.
We take these as a recognition to our hard work and perseverance. Thank you for all the love!
]]>Last Thursday, DELMORA™ was in the Winter Showcase organised by StartUp Bromley. It took place at the Bromley Library.
]]>It was exciting to speak with many people that popped by our stand, questioning about our processes and materials used in the production of every piece. People from the Bromley Council, Barclays, NatWest and other offices around the library were there to encourage and support many small businesses. Also our lovely customers and people who are part of our online communities were there to support us and show us their love for our products
I want to say thanks to all that made this event possible and to all fellow entrepreneurs showing their love for what they do which made the environment kind and welcoming to everyone who attended.
Delmora™ attended its first craft market. It took place at Contingent Works in Bromley.
Two days full of incredible people, including those who visited the market and fellow entrepreneurs showing off their crafted products.
Although Saturday November 27th was a rainy day, people still showed up to support small businesses and do their Christmas shopping. We welcomed locals and tourists who were visiting England for a few days.
Sunday was a cold day but a happy one. We served many customers that had previously bought online and wanted to see our new products.
It was such an incredible experience for us! We praise Contingent Works and their lovely premises as it was super comfy for us and our valued clientele.
]]>
Article: Meet Judy Chicangana-Matthews, founder of Delmora
Link: https://blogs.bl.uk/business/2021/07/delmora.html
Article: The Pandemic Business Boom
Link: https://blogs.bl.uk/business/2021/09/pandemic-business-boom.html
Find below the complete interview.
Delmora™ is a brand that helps women turn a 'good look' into a 'great look'. How do we do that? We sell the best jewellery and accessories for women's outfits.
I always say "we" because I foresee Delmora expanding into a company that offers many jobs and does great things for its community. At the moment, it's just me doing the production, packaging, quality control, marketing and so on. But behind Delmora's progress, it's not just me. There are a lot of people and small businesses behind the curtains. For example, my husband that motivates me during those difficult moments as an entrepreneur, all the Delmora suppliers (at the moment, 85% of our suppliers are British) and finally our partners, we donate a part of our net profits to the Charity LAWA based in London.
What was the inspiration for Delmora? My father and aunt are entrepreneurs, and I always had the idea that I would follow in their footsteps so, I studied business. I remember once I suggested to my father that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and he told me that he wanted a better future for me. He wanted to see me working in a big office for a big company. So, I shut down my dreams believing that being an entrepreneur wasn't good enough. Now, looking back I am grateful for the advice, but I suggest to any parents listening, please support your children and help them try to achieve their dreams.
I choose jewellery because:
Independence and support. I am looking for financial freedom and being able to manage my life in a way that I can care about myself. While working in offices, I was tired of doing nothing but working for someone else. I used to dream about having a hobby such as painting or crafting. I love working with my hands and creating new things. That is how I found out that jewellery would be perfect for me.
My second motivation is supporting others. When I was living in Colombia, I was a lecturer in a university that aimed to help people that couldn’t afford private, professional education. It was great! I worked there for 6 years, and I felt fulfilled because I was doing something good for others. One day I realised that I was not achieving my dreams. The working conditions made it almost impossible to dream about having a house or having enough money to travel for holidays. I had the same car that my father gave me before graduating from University. So, I realised that I needed to help myself first to be able to help others. I decided to launch Delmora and look for that financial independence to help myself at the same time as I help others. Currently, Delmora is supporting the charity LAWA based in London. My dream is that in the future, I will be able to help many girls that are living through domestic violence or any other type of abuse.
SiLL is a terrific project because it's available to anyone. Even if you don't have your own business and you have an idea. That is how I started the program; Delmora was just an idea when I decided to attend the masterclasses. Although I have a business background, I didn't know where to find information or how to address the British market. That was the most significant help. Learning about Cobra and how the library supports businesses with industry guides and multiple resources such as Mintel and Euromonitor reports, helped me to create my marketing strategy to start Delmora.
In the marketing masterclasses, I learnt how to approach the different e-platforms with good content and how to reach my final customer. As Delmora has a presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and Pinterest, that was super important. There is still so much to do, but this was an excellent starting point.
Learning about all the free tools that the library offers to entrepreneurs. After I enrolled in the project, I started to be more interested about the activities, webinars and seminars that the library provides and I have attended the ones on Intellectual property, marketing and how to take photos with an iPhone.
I am an avid consumer of the market reports to educate myself about the behaviour and product preferences of my customers. When I go to the library, I spend hours taking notes and reading all this info.
The masterclasses are also very helpful as they teach new trends that help entrepreneurs to improve their processes.
I love when I’m around other entrepreneurs as you can learn from other business’ experiences. Also, being able to share your experiences is therapeutic and make you realise that you are not alone. SiLL facilitates those conversations and networking. I always look for other small business that could potentially be my suppliers.
The impact was huge. I launched my first product at the end of February and then in March, Covid hit. In the beginning, people were buying the essentials such as food and toilet paper, so jewellery was considered a luxury. Nowadays, many people are concerned about their jobs and how that is going to impact their finances.
Covid also affects my KPI’s in terms of delivery. I use the service Royal Mail 24, and I have had severe delays on the delivery of the parcels. To compensate my customers, sometimes I offer discounts as a part of the customer service. This practice has seriously affected my margins, so surviving has been very difficult.
My response has been offering discounts to my customers and creating programs to increase the brand’s recognition. For example, I offer the Delmora Club discount to all my customers in which the members have exclusive access to special discounts and pre-launch of our collections. We also recently created the program named “Delmora Brand Champion” that aims to get more positive reviews around our online presence.
Do it. I was petrified before I started Delmora as I had a good job with a steady income, and I felt my professional future was promising. I had job interviews in big companies, and I was starting to love the London nightlife with cocktails/wine on weekends and shopping during my free time. So, starting a business required for me to save money and Goodness knows when I will take a steady pay cheque again however, I really enjoy being my own boss and working for myself instead of using my talents to line the pockets of other business owners.
When I started, fear was always a factor but I'm glad I went through that phase and decided to create Delmora. It gives me a purpose and the learning has been immense. After a year, I have spent all my savings and I am not at the point of taking a salary yet. But the reward has been incredible experiences, and I have known incredible people that are going through the same.
Also, it is good to remember that the options are endless. If an idea doesn't work, there is always another idea that could be the one, but you will never know if you don't try.
Before I started my business, I took the Clifton Strengths Test, which reveals your main strengths. One of those for me is that I am a Learner. That was a big revelation because I wasn't aware of that, but I have since realised it is true. This has been crucial for me as an entrepreneur.
When I started, I thought that a bachelor's degree, a postgraduate diploma, an MBA and a qualification in Project Management would be enough. But I had to learn Photography, Photoshop and I am in the process of learning Illustrator and how to shoot videos.
I also thought the most difficult would be negotiating with suppliers, but that was the easiest part. Establishing processes and organising all the info to give the customer the best possible experience is very difficult. For example, every time I sell something, I need to go through a long quality control procedure involving a 30-point check list to ensure the customer journey and service levels are excellent and consistent. It is easy to get lost in the countless files and e-files that I manage.
Another example is when I receive raw material, I need to assign a code to every unit, and I need to fill in a file that records all the updated stock, which is crucial when I am planning a new collection. Also, I need to put that info on my cash flow to monitor where the money is going.
Key points, I would say, organisation and the willingness to learn have been skills of paramount importance that I have developed during this process.
Is not going to be easy, but I guarantee it is rewarding.
It is a great help. All the masterclasses and tips will help you at some point. I would advise you to organise the information by subjects, and then you can come back as and when you require. I was always taking notes and filing the info I got from the program. For example, I haven’t done my Canvas business plan but thanks to the program, I know I have the template and all my notes ready to start it.
I think it is vital to say thank you to all the people that have helped entrepreneurs throughout their formation and to the British Library for offering these programs and making them available to anyone. Thanks to Bexleyheath library for the time and effort invested as well as to the instructors for sharing all the tips and information. Finally, thanks to you Ionanna, because you have been an approachable person from the beginning of the program showing a sincere interest in helping us.
]]>