One week in the (Business) Life
STEPHENIE BJORKMAN
SAMI FINE JEWELRY FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ
IF STEPHENIE BJORKMAN feels like she lives at the store, it’s probably because she grew up in it, helping out her mother, Sami Jack, who started Sami Fine Jewelry in 1986. The store has been voted one of the top 10 in Arizona for four years running in Arizona Woman magazine. Sami Fine Jewelry is 3,400 square feet and has 15 employees. Read on to find out what a week in the life of Stephenie, who’s now vice president, is like.
I am always running around busy. My lunch break is often in front of the computer or on the phone. Usually I am very busy with my own job, which includes all of the marketing for the store, buying, vendor relations, managing employees, selling jewelry, handling the website, answering customer e-mails, after-hours events and more! What was really funny about this week was that I was doing the shop manager’s job plus my own. I was surprised that I could fit it into my schedule, because usually I am so busy. I guess next week when my shop manager is back I will feel the pressure of catching up on my normal duties.
MONDAY, JUNE 25
9 to 10 A.M. ? Opened store. Handled staff issues in a small group meeting. Checked weekend messages/e-mails.
10 to 11 A.M. ? Checked on jewelers’ finished repair work. Took care of advertising call from 944 Magazine. (They were trying to sell me ad space.) Went over jewelry-repair estimates that were taken in incorrectly with staff members. Priced out repair estimates for jobs taken in over the weekend. Called customers with the estimates. Spoke with one of our favorite vendors, Uneek Jewelry, about an estimate for a custom pair of earrings with yellow diamonds.
12 to 1 P.M. ? Considered taking a break to eat lunch …. Looked at new images from Diamond Graphics. Handled staff issue. Checked e-mails.
1 to 2 P.M. ? Organized jewelers’ repair jobs by due date. Drank a Jamba Juice. Ate lunch. Left an exciting message for customer that the 2-carat Hearts on Fire custom diamond ring we made will be done on Wednes-day! Came up with category names for new website that we are creating.
3 to 4 P.M. ? Assisted a sales associate with closing a sale on KC Designs ear charms. Checked all of the jeweler’s work for the day. E-mailed back a proof for a ?Sami? brochure. E-mailed Diamond Graphics more changes/pictures on websites.
5 to 6 P.M. ? Assisted staff with closing up the store. Cleaned up and organized work area.
6 to 8 P.M. ? Went to a charity to hand out a donation we made.
TUESDAY, JUNE 26
7 A.M. ? Let in the cleaning people.
9 A.M. ? Day off: I am going to ride my horsey!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
9 to 10 A.M. ? Met with Sami for a quick meeting to discuss a few staff issues. Listened to messages from day before. Checked e-mails.
10 to 11 A.M. ? Returned clients’ phone calls regarding jewelry repairs. Checked over jewelers’ finished jobs. Gave staff finished jobs to call customers.
12 to 1 P.M. ? Went to lunch with Brad from a payroll company. Discussed payroll options and employee insurance.
1 to 2 P.M. ? Checked e-mails. Helped staff prepare for a summer beading class for our clients.
3 to 4 P.M. ? Prepared custom jobs to take to be cast.
5 to 6 P.M. ? Organized work for tomorrow.
THURSDAY, JUNE 28
9 to 10 A.M. ? Drive out to meet with one of our wholesale jewelry shops.
10 to 11 A.M. ? Met with jewelers to drop off approved waxes and pick up finished jobs. Then drove back to the store ? picked up some fast food on the way back.
12 to 1 P.M. ? Listened to messages. Checked in FedEx/UPS packages. Oh baby ? my 2-carat Hearts on Fire diamond ring is finished! I checked it over to give to the appraiser. I also had to order some diamonds for a custom job.
1 to 2 P.M. ? Called customer to get payment for 2-carat HOF sale. I then prepared the finished ring to give to the appraiser. I finished checking in all the other finished jobs. I also called Uneek to tell them that they did an amazing job making this HOF ring for me!
3 to 4 P.M. ? Sent HOF a quick e-mail to let them know that the Sami staff made their 90-day Hearts on Fire challenge goal! Worked on employee end-of-the-year party details.
5 to 6 P.M. ? Checked over ad for this week’s newspaper. Closed up and went home.
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
9 to 10 A.M. ? Opened the store. Store manager’s meeting: Found out how the staff was selling this week. Prepared for mini staff reviews.
10 to 11 A.M. ? Continued working on mini reviews. Put together a design for an Arizona peridot postcard to send out for August.
12 to 1 P.M. ? Took a break and went to lunch.
1 to 2 P.M. ? Went over all of my e-mails. I had to finalize some changes for our new website.
3 to 4 P.M. ? Checked in jewelers’ finished jobs for the day. Worked on a few details for the employee party.
5 to 6 P.M. ? E-mails and server will be down for two days because we are changing servers. I had to prepare the change over the phone with our computer technician.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
9 to 10 A.M. ? Opened the store. Checked phone messages.
10 to 11 A.M. ? Cleaned and organized shop work area. Checked in all new jobs from the day before.
12 to 1 P.M. ? Hung out on the sales floor to see what was cooking.
1 to 2 P.M. ? Ate lunch and helped prepare for beading class. I assisted with teaching the beading class, but then I got taken away to assist customers.
3 to 4 P.M. ? I continued helping customers that came in. It seems like everyone in the world needs a jewelry repair!
5 to 6 P.M. ? Beading class finished. Closed the store. Went home for a day off!