Mar. 29-Apr. 4
MANAGEMENT April and May are key planning months. Review first quarter performance to adjust goals for the third and fourth quarters. Include staff to hammer out your marketing and inventory plans for the end-of-year holiday period. You’ll then be in a good position to create shopping lists and set appointments for JCK Vegas (Jun. 2-5).
MANAGEMENT Set up individual meetings with your associates to see how far they are away from achieving their sales targets. “To make this simple, break down the numbers by day so they know each day what they need to produce to stay on track,” says Megan Crabtree of Crabtree Consulting.
Apr. 5-11
BRIDAL Most bridal shoppers spend about three months doing online research and then visit about five jewelry stores before buying an engagement ring. It is important to stay in touch with them throughout this process. Print your wish lists from March to see who hasn’t purchased yet and touch base with them.
MARKETINg Mother’s Day falls on May 10 this year. Curate a Mother’s Day selection and get it up on your website now. Keep most of the offerings within a price range of $50 to $250. Offer steep discounts on a couple of items to keep people coming back to look at your offerings.
Apr. 12-18
SHOP Gold prices have surged over the last year amid global economic uncertainty. Forget them hills — there’s likely to be gold in your carpets, hand-washing sinks, buffs, polishing vacuum machines, emery paper bins, A/C filters. Gather it all up and send it off to a refiner.
OUTREACH Mother’s Day gets closer. Make a list of your top 10 clients who bought for their spouses over the holiday season (and you know have kids) and then personally reach out to them with suggestions based on what they bought back in December, recommends Kathleen Cutler of Kathleen Cutler Strategy.
Apr. 19-25
MERCHANDISING The months of April to October are prime wedding season. You’ll thus have many brides coming in for ring cleanings, wedding bands and bridesmaid gifts. Merchandise a case specifically for these women that showcases bridesmaid gifts under $500.
STAFFING Evaluate your staffing needs. First choice for temps: those who did well last holiday season. Second choice: students.
Apr. 26-May 2
SALES FLOOR The counter where you do battery changes is likely to be one of your store’s most heavily trafficked areas. Put some promotional material there (maybe a list of the bench services you offer) or some lower priced merchandise ($200-$500) to encourage impulse buying.
NETWORKING There’s simply no escaping politicians this year. They are likely to come knocking on your door, showing up at the local Chamber of Commerce and dropping by your favorite drinking spot. Pay attention to the issues and introduce yourself. If they want to get or stay elected, they’ll make time to meet you, a local, independent business owner.