Charlotte Alden was working as an art specialist at an auction house when COVID-19 reached the US and shuttered roughly 200,000 businesses. She lost her job and struggled to find another, so she bought a bead kit on Amazon and launched her own jewelry company in October.
"It's never been more feasible to start an e-commerce company," said Alden, founder of fine jewelry startup lottie, which already counts model Nina Agdal and "The Bachelor's" Hannah Goodwin as fans. Alden crafts all the jewelry, including $150 body chains and $70 bracelets.
Alden is one of 4 million people who started businesses in 2020, a 24% increase from the year prior. What's more, she entered a thriving market: The global jewelry market is growing and expected to reach a value of $292 billion by 2025. Despite just getting started, lottie is on track to book nearly six figures in revenue within the next year and Alden said average monthly revenue has risen 50% year-to-date, according to documents viewed by Insider.
Alden said practicing discipline was vital when turning her hobby into a thriving business. This includes running every morning and going to bed at the same time every night. For Insider, Alden breaks down how she structures her day so she can execute on her ideas and find balance in her life.