We ran a short  Q&A about Brea Bead Works — our third "Favorite Bead Store" winner — in the November issue of BeadStyle. Here is the Brea Bead Works profile with the info we had to trim for space. Congratulations again, Brea Bead Works!

From the first time I walked
into Brea Bead Works and introduced myself, they remembered my name and have always been generous with their knowledge and kindness. I can’t say enough nice things about BBW!”
– Iris Stuart, Anaheim, Calif.

Almost 100 other customers agreed with Iris. In BeadStyle’s “Favorite Bead Store” competition, Brea received 96 votes. Below is part of our conversation with owners Scott and Wendy Remmers.

When did you open Brea Bead Works?
We opened in October of 2002 with 750 square feet. Today we have 5,700 square feet including about 3,000 feet for four workshop areas. The largest workshop is
used for metal workshops, glass fusing, and five stations for flameworking.

Why did you decide to open the store?

Both of us were going through career and job changes around 2000-2001. Wendy was a freelance graphic designer for various movie studios, catalog companies and design studios, and Scott was a marketing director in the movie industry. Jewelry making was always a passion of Wendy’s and after planning a business around that idea it was determine to open a store. The goal from the beginning was to pass that love of beads along to others and educate them on the endless possibilities it brings. The backgrounds of graphic design and business that we both had from our background made the store operate in a very well rounded manner.

 Wendy operated the store with a staff for the first two years and Scott left the corporate marketing world and came on board in the third year since the business was in a very fast growth period. It was always intended that both of us would work the store to be it just took place sooner than later.

What kinds of classes do you offer?
We offer about 120 workshops a quarter that range from basic techniques, called the “Foundation Series” workshops, to weaving, stitching, wire wrapping, chainmaille, soldering, fine silver fusing, flamework, glass fusing, Art Clay Silver, polymer clay, and metals.

We feel very fortunate that our workshop program is in high demand with the customers. Our workshop program will usually have about 120 workshops per quarter. Most of them are held in the evening during the week but recently we started holding more workshops during the morning and afternoon hours and are seeing success with those.

 We rent studio time for flameworking, glass fusing, and kiln firing. Our studio rental time is pretty much open during the day and in the evening depending on other workshops taking place at the time. We keep Tuesdays wide open for what we call “Late Night Tuesdays” when we stay open until 9 pm for the flameworkers to get at least one evening session of torching in.

 When a new quarter of workshops is announced the customers will line up some seven to eight hours in advance to register. We think it is just plain crazy but the customers love tailgating, hanging out together and talking each other into taking certain workshops. By the time we open our doors that morning we will usually have some 80-90 people in line.

 Usually there are around 1,000 seats available between the 120 workshops and 60% of the workshop seats are sold out on the first day of registration and more than 80% of the workshops will sell out in the quarter. We will also hold about 20 additional workshops to accommodate the sold-out classes.

Besides the 15 or so local instructors on our schedule, we have brought in many national instructors in all areas of beading. Some of the national instructors are:

• Jack Berry
• Ken Bova
• Sheilah Cleary
• Melanie Doerman
• Christi Friesen
• Sharilyn Miller
• Ann & Karen Mitchell
• Cindy Pankopf
• Janet Pitcher
• Margaret Zinser

 

We are lucky!! We know that there is not one particular thing that made this workshop program successful, if there is… it was our planning and understanding what makes for a good workshop, but really…there are so many pieces of the puzzle that just came together to create this program. We feel that our program is very good because we have cultivated it over seven years of being in the business and by talking to our customers, talking to many bead store owners and instructors on a regular basis. We don’t take business for granted!!

 We belong to the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers), Craft and Hobby Association, the national Art Clay Society and also are founders the local Art Clay Society of Orange County. So may being involved, attending shows and seminars it keeps us out the edge of the industry and that information can be given to our customers.

What kinds of beading/jewelry-making do you do personally?
Wendy has been beading for over 20 years. She is interested in all areas of beading. Metals have been an area of concentration for the last three or four years whether it is chainmaille, soldering, fine silver fusing or whatever. Her book “Make it in Minutes – Jewelry” came out about two years ago and shows off some 40 projects that can be completed in about one hour. This book as sold world wide and has brought attention to her and the store.

 Scott enjoys flameworking and glass fusing. While these glass workshops are very popular there is an opportunity to help people start their own jewelry design businesses with the business workshops. We teach customers how to properly set-up a business and how to market themselves.

What are you most proud of? 

That is a tough question to answer. We are proud of our staff! Their day to day commitment to serving the customer whether it is a new beader coming in trying to figure out what a crimp is or whether it is signing someone up for a workshop, they are there for the customer.

We are proud of our customers! Since day one they have been coming back and back. Hard times or not. Without them there would be no Brea Bead Works. They believe in us and the plan that we have set forth to do. We are open and honest with them about our plan of bringing in a good selection of product at a fair price, giving them the top-notch service they need, make them feel appreciated, and many times like family, give them education and allow them a place to escape and do what they enjoy. 

 We are proud of the fact we have networked with many bead store owners a crossed the United States and have shared information on about our businesses. Things like better customer service, marketing and promotional ideas, merchandising ideas, and just time to talk to someone who goes through want we do on a daily basis.

What is your customer service philosophy?  

We strive everyday  and we train our staff to be the better than anyone else. We spend at least three days of training with a new hire and explain our history, our philosophy and how to have an employee-customer relationship first and foremost. The main thing is we have never forgotten our mission. That is to serve the customer to the highest degree. When you walk in the door you are greeted usually by name, if you’re a regular, or with a pleasant “Hello” if your new to the store and always helped with enthusiasm. We don’t care how much money you spent that day, it is all about the relationship we have with our customers.

Our store is set up to have the sales staff out on the floor and out from behind any counter. We are never behind a counter waiting for someone to come to us. Customers are coming in to explore and see what is new! What better way to have a staff member showing you what is new since the last time you came in or helping you with color combinations.

With their purchase customers also get a genuine “Thank you”.

Do you guys sell at all online? Do you plan to in the future?
We do not sell online because our focus is the communities we serve in Southern California. There are so many resources out there for people to buy from and we would never be able to compete or give our best service to the e-commerce side of the business. Our total attention is spent to those walking in the door each day to help them with whatever needs they have that day.

How are you handling challenging economic times?  
We are taking it one day at a time. As we all know retail has not been the same over the last year. What these hard times have done is made us analyze our daily operations to the bone and it has widened our eyes on something’s we should stop doing or things that needed to adjust. This has lead to cost savings for the store which enables us to pass those savings along to the customers.

One thing we’ve done is started a tote bag program, which helps us and our customers. We have given out tote bags made from recycled fibers at special events (or they can be purchased at the store). When the customer brings in the tote and spends $25 or more, they receive $1 off. It cuts down on the number of paper bags used and saves the customers money. Also, the bag entitles them to other special savings each month.

We are doing more trunk shows this year so that the product selection to the customer is broader and perhaps something the store would not sell on a regular basis. A “trends” presentation is given each season. This presentation of jewelry is made by the staff and shows off the hottest trends for that upcoming season. This display is the first stop in the store!

We have held two major bead retreats in the last year and half. In 2008 we had Bead Away – Hawaii in which 30 workshops took place over a weekend in Waikiki overlooking Diamond Head. Then in 2009 it was Bead Away – Las Vegas! Within those days of workshops is also a Bead Store Tour to pre-arranged bead stores in that area. The attendees just love to see the variation of product in each store plus it supports the local bead stores.

What is the most frequently asked question from new beaders who come into your store?
“You mean I can make that?”  “I did not realize that I could make something without a lot of effort.” 

Brea Bead Works  
1027 East Imperial Highway
Suite D5
Brea, CA 92821
714.671.9976
info@breabeadworks.com
breabeadworks.com