Jewelers Board of Trade credit ratings allow the entire industry to see monthly who is paying on time and who is not.

Guess what? Even if you don’t give out your credit information, the rep on the road already knows how regularly you pay your bills. This is because of the Jewelers Board of Trade. 

The JBT is the credit rating system for the jewelry industry. It allows the entire industry to see monthly who is paying on time and who is not. 

Credit applications used to be the standard method from which a rep worked. But because our industry is now global, no one can rely solely on them. Instead, we reps base most of our necessary business financial decisions on a store’s JBT rating. 

If you don’t have a JBT rating, register and get a number. (If you are rated, monitor your status for accuracy.) This number will begin your legitimate sojourn through the credit process.  

Eventually you will get rated from 1 to 4. (“1” is prompt, “2” is good, “3” is fair, “4” is slow.) Depending on your credit worthiness, this JBT number can work to your advantage. This fact reverberates throughout the industry and mandates how we will work with you. 

Once you go through the process and are well rated (1 or 2), you can expect to hear frequently from reps, better manufacturers, designers and stone dealers. If you are an industry newcomer or are looking for new designers, you should create strong business relationships. These phone calls, though seemingly tiresome, will do just that. Even if you are busy, I recommend that you take the calls and then politely decline doing business at that time. You never know when that caller will be your bridge to your next jewelry venture. 

In today’s tenuous marketplace, it is best to work closely with your creditors. If you are rated 3 or 4, don’t lose heart. Remember to make payments regularly or at least communicate with your creditors. Credit information is gathered on a monthly basis. Therefore, your rating can go up or down just as often. 

When you recognize the JBT as friend rather than foe it will work to your advantage. Remember to keep communications open with your manufacturers and especially with me, your rep. I am the one who can champion your cause to that manufacturer in your time of need. 

For more information about the JBT, contact Dionne Kenyon, president, at www.jewelersboard.com. 

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