Week 1 / MAY 30-JUNE 4
Networking Your goal at JCK Las
Vegas (June 3-6) this year is to meet
people. In the breakfast line, at
the welding display, at the education
sessions. Unleash the power of
serendipity.
Buying Appoint a “shopping buddy”
for Vegas. Share buying plans and
hold each other accountable. Friends
don’t let friends buy merchandise
without a plan.
Equipment If you are in Vegas, try
something different on the last day:
Spend some time with the software
manufacturers to get up to speed on
what’s new on the technology front.
Marketing Father’s Day (June 19) is
two weeks away. Begin posting your
specials on your website today, then
wait a day and send your Dad’s Day
promotional email. Your postcards
should arrive in the second week of
June, while newspaper ads should
run the second Sunday.
Week 2 / JUNE 6-11
Sales Meeting Go through your plans
for Father’s Day. Get your staff to
think beyond the traditional, especially
if it’s a younger dad — fashion
jewelry is growing with this set.
Post-Show Just because you ordered
it at the show, it doesn’t mean you’re
stuck with it. Go over your orders and
adjust them if needed.
Week 3 / JUNE 13-18
Operations Let’s get organized.
Discard one item for every year
you’ve worked at your store — pieces
of paper you know you’re never going
to read or need, items gathering dust,
old plastic goods.
Technology Draft a FAQ page for your
website. It’s an SEO workhorse.
Marketing October to December
are key marketing months whether
it’s a bridal event, trunk show, loose
diamond event, holiday sale or all
four. Start planning now.
Week 4 / JUNE 20-25
Store Dad’s Day is done. Your ads
should shift to get male customers
thinking about buying anniversary
presents.
Finances Next week will mark the
middle of the year. Review every item
in your budget to see where changes
are appropriate.
Staff Think about whether you’re going
to need temporary help this summer.
Make sure all the positions have
written job descriptions. No position,
not even a part-time one, should be
treated ad hoc. Assign specific duties.
Week 5 / JUNE 27-JULY 2
Customer Service Invite customers
to come and have any jewelry they
are planning to take with them on their summer vacation appraised.
Remind them that if they’re traveling
by plane, they should always pack
jewelry in a carry-on bag. And advise
them to leave expensive pieces at
home.
Marketing Have you thought about
the story you tell your customers and
employees about your company? A
good story goes a long way toward
making people feel they’re part of
something special. Build your own
company mythology.
Operations Need some advice on how
to stay competitive? Give your local
U.S. Small Business Administration
center (asbdc-us.org) a call. There are
approximately 1,000 service centers
across the country that provide nocost
consulting and low-cost training.
This article originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of INSTORE.