Connect with us

Editor’s Note: Baldness is Inevitable

Published

on

Editor’s Note: Baldness is Inevitable

And other lessons learned from this year’s Big Survey

BY DAVID SQUIRES

Advertisement

This article originally appeared in the October 2015 edition of INSTORE.


We’ve now done nine of these Big Survey issues, and it’s long been one of INSTORE readers’ favorite issues of the year.

One reason for the love is that, while INSTORE has always been a collaborative effort between us and you, our October edition is by far our most collaborative issue of the year, packed with your data, your insights and, maybe surprisingly, your feelings.

In these pages, you’ll find lots of useful comparative data on staff salaries, hot-selling products and successful marketing vehicles. And we hope you’ll find a way to put this information to use in a way that helps your store differentiate itself, rather than simply trying to keep up with the Joneses (or, perhaps, with this month’s Cool Store, Jones Bros. Jewelers — see page 126).

But you’ll also find loads of softer-edged inspiration — philosophical approaches to the business that can’t help but inspire.

One of my favorite questions each year is when we ask jewelers, in one form or another, to share the most important lessons that they’ve learned.

Advertisement

This year, we asked survey respondents what lesson they would have most wished to have been able to share with their younger self. A few favorites:

“Other people will try and tell you how to run your business. Follow your gut and ignore their objections.”

“Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.”

And: “Baldness is inevitable.” (I am happy to report that I have a full head of hair. But I like to read this as a motto of acceptance — “Gracefully accept who you are. And build from there.”)

Enjoy the issue!

Wishing you the very best business,

Advertisement

David Squires

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

Promoted Headlines

Most Popular

David Squires

Editor’s Note: Baldness is Inevitable

Published

on

Editor’s Note: Baldness is Inevitable

And other lessons learned from this year’s Big Survey

BY DAVID SQUIRES

Advertisement

This article originally appeared in the October 2015 edition of INSTORE.


We’ve now done nine of these Big Survey issues, and it’s long been one of INSTORE readers’ favorite issues of the year.

One reason for the love is that, while INSTORE has always been a collaborative effort between us and you, our October edition is by far our most collaborative issue of the year, packed with your data, your insights and, maybe surprisingly, your feelings.

In these pages, you’ll find lots of useful comparative data on staff salaries, hot-selling products and successful marketing vehicles. And we hope you’ll find a way to put this information to use in a way that helps your store differentiate itself, rather than simply trying to keep up with the Joneses (or, perhaps, with this month’s Cool Store, Jones Bros. Jewelers — see page 126).

But you’ll also find loads of softer-edged inspiration — philosophical approaches to the business that can’t help but inspire.

One of my favorite questions each year is when we ask jewelers, in one form or another, to share the most important lessons that they’ve learned.

Advertisement

This year, we asked survey respondents what lesson they would have most wished to have been able to share with their younger self. A few favorites:

“Other people will try and tell you how to run your business. Follow your gut and ignore their objections.”

“Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.”

And: “Baldness is inevitable.” (I am happy to report that I have a full head of hair. But I like to read this as a motto of acceptance — “Gracefully accept who you are. And build from there.”)

Enjoy the issue!

Wishing you the very best business,

Advertisement

David Squires

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

Promoted Headlines

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe


BULLETINS

INSTORE helps you become a better jeweler
with the biggest daily news headlines and useful tips.
(Mailed 5x per week.)

Latest Comments

Most Popular