The launch of our new website has me all inspired and motivated! I've been giving a lot of thought to the direction of Vannucci (esp with those lockdown breaks!), what the company stands for, and what goals it should strive for. Running a business has put me in a unique position where I have more visibility and options in the way I interact with the world and my community. I was finally able to come up with a succinct list of those motivations or goals, and I'm excited to present them to you today! They include being Eco-Aware, Community Oriented, Transparent, offer Education, and have Really Awesome Customer Service.
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1) Eco-Aware
I've made small changes throughout the years in an effort to make Vannucci ltd sustainable. It's something I value in my personal life as well, and I often do small things to offset my footprint, but I aim to make more specific and impactful goals in regards to the business. Currently, we use a lot of partially recycled products, like our mailers. In the past, I've done things like purchase mailers that aren't as sustainable, but they were oh so cute and purple! Thinking like this doesn't necessarily align with the overall Vannucci goals. One of the changes I'll be making is to implement as close to 100% sustainable packaging as possible. This means our mailers, baggies, boxes and other packaging will be made from all recycled product, or perhaps they'll be compostable. Some plastic for protection will still be used, but you can always request your pieces without it in the notes section upon checkout!
I purchase chains and metals from a net-zero energy company that also cares about sustainability. Their metal products are all from recycled products that have been melted down and recast. All jewelry is made in studio and locally, with rarely a prefabricated element, which means no impact from factory manufacturing! It also lets the company hire local labor, or at the very least, other US based small businesses to be part of the team that brings this jewelry to fruition. Which leads me to number 2...
2) Community Oriented
It's also important to me to be a part of building up my creative community locally in [previously Philadelphia] Las Vegas, and similar small communities across the US. And although we practice non-discriminatory hiring practices, I recognize as a woman owned business that women and non-binary individuals are often underrepresented and underpaid in the workforce. I seek to be a woman that uses her business to offer opportunities to those qualified individuals that may have missed opportunities due to gender and/or race.
Along with this sentiment, it's important to prop up these individuals, as well, by donating money and time to institutions that further their opportunities. We will periodically be donating a percentage of proceeds to specific causes we find important, and we hope you will, too!
I am also about to donate time to the Girl Scouts of America, to help a troop with their jewelry and business badges. Although no concrete plans are made, I would like to further explore similar opportunities to do on a regular basis.
3) Education
This is a favorite topic for me, and a part of the business I enjoy so much. I want Vannucci to be constantly educating its customers and potential customers. I want to share with you all the different ways we make things, where elements come from, what different gemstones mean, and the behinds the scenes workings. I believe this gives value to our product, as you can really appreciate the full story behind each purposefully crafted piece of jewelry. It also ties in with the other values, especially the fourth one...
4) Transparency
During my journey of focus and discovery I did a lot of research on other companies and how they ran their businesses, whether it was talking to another business owner or stalking a favorite company's website. I realized that the businesses I most trusted my money with were also those that felt down to earth, reachable, relatable, and shared a lot about their business and the way they run it with their audience. Just writing this for you is a step in that directly for me. I want our company goals to be clear, and I want to be held accountable. Hand in hand with that, then, is....
5) Really Awesome Customer Service
Now, this doesn't mean I can always answer your direct message at midnight, but it means I want to ALWAYS put YOU first. I want to answer your questions quickly. I want to constantly create systems that help your experience be better. I want to offer OPTIONS. Introducing Klarna last week was one way of implementing this goal. It gives you the option of purchasing the jewelry now, but paying for it over the course of several weeks, with no interest. I have implemented free shipping on all orders for almost a year now, and I've just begun offering local drop-off/pick up as well as some faster shipping options. I encourage emails and messages! I will respond to each query, and work with you to create jewelry that makes you "squeeee!" with delight.
These five tenets of the Vannucci business are written down and published now, and I will constantly hold us accountable to these guidelines. They will always be a work in progress, and I look forward to the ways in which these stories will play out in the future. Please feel free to share feedback about these goals, especially when it comes to customer service! I truly do love hearing from you!
