Potomac Beads Europe: From Idea to Reality

The idea was to bring the vast range of jewelry-making supplies that Potomac Beads offer to their European customers who wouldn't have to pay customs and expensive shipping on Potomac exclusive beads, crystals and other items while receiving customer service and the rest of Potomac special features which made them so popular in the US.

You can imagine that after this meeting my life completely changed. I have been a beader for years, making and selling my own jewellery, and suddenly there was an opportunity to do what I love as a job. It was scary and exciting at the same time. I couldn't be more thrilled for the launch, but there was a long way in front of us. Setting up a company is never easy because of the amount of bureaucracy you need to overcome. It was twice as hard for me being a biology student and beader while missing the necessary knowledge of a businesswoman. It took three very challenging months before I could hold the official founding papers and keys to our warehouse in my hand. Now when I think of it, I really try to not think about those difficult times :D

A lot of great things also happened during the three months too. I got engaged which established the fact that my now-husband Pavel was willing to spend his life with me and a lot of beads at the same time. He supported and still supports me immensely. He is the one who tubes and bags most of the beads, so I can send you orders, do videos, write blogs (and come home to him at some reasonable hour :D ). Plus he is our IT guy in addition to his other two jobs. As you can see, like Potomac Beads US, Potomac Beads EU has become a family company.

Thanks to all of this, we also visited the United States last December, so I could see and train at Potomac Beads Headquarters in Haggerstown, Maryland, and deliver the best service to you here in Europe as well! Allie and Nathan took us to Washington D.C., a place I've never dreamt of seeing in my life, the same goes for the Potomac Beads store which is a place of beaders' dreams with great people working there.

When we got back, the clock started ticking since a huge container with Potomac Beads EU initial inventory and warehouse equipment was sailing to Europe, to our warehouse-to-be, from which I still hadn't got keys back then.

Nevertheless, after a number of sleepless nights for me, all ended up well: with the beads inside of our shop! Pavel, my Dad and our friends helped us to unload everything and build slatwalls where their names are forever burnt into one their columns to remember everyone who helped in this adventure.

Finally, on March 22nd 2018, we opened the online store to public and it hasn't been closed since. Since then we launched two new beads StormDuo and RounDuo Mini, another one, EVA, will launch soon. The inventory got much much bigger, new items are coming in every week. At the same we are trying to add specific items you would like to see on our site and create a lot of content, so you would get inspired or learn something new every day. Like I do myself.

In the "personal section", a lot of happened too. Pavel and I got married in June, postponing our honeymoon to "some date" since I need to take of Potomac Beads EU now. We managed to squeeze in at least a trip to Amsterdam you might have read about already.

Since I am rather a new member to Potomac Bead Family, I am trying to add my own touch to our creative content. Making original videos for you is one way to use my knowledge and experience gathered throughout my beading years. I am also trying to find new items you could enjoy and make your original jewelry from.

Looking back, it really has been a wild ride. Seeing what things are behind us, I am pretty sure great things are yet to happen for Potomac Beads Europe. I hope you will join and be there with us on our beading journey!

Bead on,
-Tereza
Potomac Beads Europe
www.potomacbeads.eu
www.potomacbeads.com