A jeweler was dismayed when a competitor opened next door to him, displaying a large sign proclaiming, “Best Deals.”

Not long after that, he was horrified to find yet another competitor move in next door, on the other side of his store. Its large sign was even more disturbing
— “Lowest Prices.”

After his initial panic and concern that he would be driven out of business, he looked for a way to turn the situation to his marketing advantage. Finally, an idea came to him.

Next day, he proudly unveiled a new and huge sign over his front door. It read, “Main Entrance.”

[componentheading] About our Joker [/componentheading]

Mark Loren considers himself an artist first and a business owner second. A Chicago native, he is a certified watchmaker and jewelry designer with a diverse collection of hobbies, including juggling, competitive-combat handgun shooting, weightlifting, recumbent biking, mountain hiking and fossil hunting, to name a few. Mark Loren Designs just celebrated its 25th anniversary. “Having a sense of humor has helped me relax so much more and relate better with my clients and staff,” Loren says. “When it stops being fun, creative and challenging … I’ll become a fire dancer at some Sandals resort in Bali.”

[span class=note]This story is from the November 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]