Here are some of the thoughts that crossed my mind - good bad or indifferent. Sorry if they raise more questions than they answer.

1. How do you reach your customers? The internet is full of people making spurious claims, but it's wide reach and a lot of turnover. Personal contacts typically are a limited number, and have a slow turnover.

2. What do you offer that adds sufficient value to get people willing to pay? There's a lot of free competition (in the form of friends, forums and vendors) which is available on the net or through personal contacts. Simply offering advice is probably not going to be enough.

3. How do you find people that are willing to become repeat customers? You can't charge the Earth for finding $2-3k diamonds, and most people are not repeat buyers of jewellery.

4. How do you price your services? Fixed fee? Commission? How do you avoid people short-cutting your fees once they find what the vendor(s) have to offer? Rebate from the vendor? If so, which vendors? Does that compromise your independence and thus the ability to attract people?

By any means, go for it, but think it through and work out a realistic business plan first.

It's not a bad idea. But for it to become a good idea, there's a lot of details that needs to be worked out.

The issue is not whether this is "just one source of income" or your main one - the issue is whether the investment that you need to put into it: time, research, personal contacts, advertising, equipment, justifies the outcomes you are going to get out of it - that means money, but also the satisfaction of doing something that you are truly passionate about.

If you are thinking of this as a totally opportunistic business ("Joe asked for my help, and is willing to pay $100 to get it"), fine. But if you want this to be a reliable - if not large - stream of income, you really need to figure out how this is going to work. The main problem in my mind remains how to find customers: how are the lot of people who don't like using computers and/or doing research going to find out about you, if they can't be bothered to find out about the stuff they have set out to buy in the first place?

I agree, many good points here.

For me, a personal shopper should be someone who well KNOWS the particular business, is experienced in that business, and who has viable contacts within that same business... these are all facets that anyone just starting out, in ANY business, can not have in place at the start. Also, I would imagine that the relatively "closed" gem and jewelry business is especially difficult to break into.  As OMC said, I'm not sure how you would make enough money to make this profession count for something... let alone put bread on the table. Learning ANY business to the point where you can consult takes time and patience. Earn your reputation first, then, go it alone.

All that being said, I like the concept of shopping for guys who spend half of their time off-shore. Clever idea if you can market it.

On the other hand, why wouldn't you just point your potential clients directly to someone like David? Most of us here on CDI LOVE gems and jewelry, and I'm sure we would all LOVE to earn money at it. However, we remain seated at our computers and help others pick and choose... for NO compensation. By contrast, when you think about it SV (and it took awhile for me to see it this way), it sounds like your plan is to shop online for less-expensive-than-B&M then, turn around, resell, and keep the difference as profit. Truly, I mean no disrespect. And, I know your initial question was purely innocent. However, I encourage you to rethink the proposal from someone else's perspective (David's). As he VERY kindly alluded, you've basically come to his site and asked people how to start-up a [competing] business. I'm sure you did not see it that way, however, you must consider...

Anyway, if gems and jewelry are your passion, by all means, go to GIA. Learn all you can. Most likely, taking courses, meeting people with similar interests, and getting to understand more about the field will give you a better grasp of what you can realistically do with your knowledge and passion, both for the short- and long-term. Also, no doubt, you will gain contacts. But, as David said, remember, GIA is not the be-all, end-all. Any education is no substitute for real-time work experience.

Whether it be gems and jewelry, or something else, know not only WHAT you like to do, but, understand WHY you like to do it. Then, imagine your day. And the next day. And the next. What, exactly, do you see yourself doing, hour after hour? Day after day? Where are you? Who is with you? How do you make money at it? Do you LOVE it? What do you need to do NOW to make it happen? Who can help you?

BTW, just curious, why did you choose Psych as a major?

One final note, I used to sail. I loved it. Raced all over New England. My summers were spent teaching kids to sail. Then, one day, after years and years of doing the same thing, summer after summer, I realized that I wasn't sailing (racing) anymore. And, I hadn't for a long while. Instead, I was back at the dock, teaching kids to rig boats, fold sails, and tie knots; or, clinging on the gunwhales on a near-capsizing boat while grabbing the tiller from a paralyzed-with-fear-new-sailor mom, overseeing THEIR passion (or in the case of the terrified moms, their POTENTIAL passion) to sail. I'd let my desire to work within the parameters of my own passion take away my own time to enjoy my passion... so much so, that I rarely got to enjoy sailing for myself. – Just a story to think about as you wade through your career choices.

And, realize too, that the "advice" I just dispensed came from a woman who is wearing her sweater backwards... (Gosh, I just noticed that. Thank goodness I never left home today).  

thanks everyone, that's a lot of stuff i hadn't considered.  and i hope david didn't take offense at all, i had worried about that, and i really meant no disrespect.
i'm going to keep working on figuring out what to do with my life. 

Moving type is too small, Big Guy. I can't read it. (What do you expect.... I can't see well enough to get my sweater on right). I'm sure you've just wasted a good insult. 

 

Miracles happen...

 

SV
I'm glad you started the discussion
no offense taken by me whatsoever!
Now, all these old folks, maybe........lol

No, but I think you can read Trinkette's reaction, can't you?