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These Are the Unexpected Expenses that Really Hurt Jewelers

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When you run a small business, there’s always something unexpected coming up — sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

And sometimes expensive.

For Big Survey 2016, we drilled down on the surprises that hurt jewelers the worst. Our question: “What unexpected expense has hurt you the most financially?”
Here are the top nine answers, along with the percentage of respondents who named them.

  • Building/equipment maintenance (16%)
     
  • Taxes (7%)
     
  • Theft or robbery (8%)
     
  • Insurance costs (5%)
     
  • Legal fees/lawsuits (5%)
     
  • Employee loss/theft/betrayal (5%)
     
  • Diamond loss/breakage (5%)
     
  • Remodel/renovation (4%)
     
  • Fire (1%)
     

And then there were the really unexpected expenses …

  • “A surprise in the generational transfer of assets from the last generation to our current ownership. Mom gave everything to the Salvation Army. We survived, but it was a mess for a while.”
  • “A car crashed into our shop in August 2009. We were closed six months. Damages were $800,000, but insurance only paid $700,000, so we were out of pocket $100,000. We’re still suffering.”
  • “Vendors cashing checks same day when they agreed to post-dated checks over four months. I had just mailed out checks for rent and sales taxes and to the IRS for about $10,000. I took about $10,000 in diamonds from a vendor with post-dated checks in return. He cashed them the next day. I had to sell the diamonds and scrap out what I had to cover all the checks. Lesson learned: no post-dated checks ever to anyone.”

 

 

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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.

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These Are the Unexpected Expenses that Really Hurt Jewelers

Published

on

When you run a small business, there’s always something unexpected coming up — sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

And sometimes expensive.

For Big Survey 2016, we drilled down on the surprises that hurt jewelers the worst. Our question: “What unexpected expense has hurt you the most financially?”
Here are the top nine answers, along with the percentage of respondents who named them.

  • Building/equipment maintenance (16%)
     
  • Taxes (7%)
     
  • Theft or robbery (8%)
     
  • Insurance costs (5%)
     
  • Legal fees/lawsuits (5%)
     
  • Employee loss/theft/betrayal (5%)
     
  • Diamond loss/breakage (5%)
     
  • Remodel/renovation (4%)
     
  • Fire (1%)
     

And then there were the really unexpected expenses …

  • “A surprise in the generational transfer of assets from the last generation to our current ownership. Mom gave everything to the Salvation Army. We survived, but it was a mess for a while.”
  • “A car crashed into our shop in August 2009. We were closed six months. Damages were $800,000, but insurance only paid $700,000, so we were out of pocket $100,000. We’re still suffering.”
  • “Vendors cashing checks same day when they agreed to post-dated checks over four months. I had just mailed out checks for rent and sales taxes and to the IRS for about $10,000. I took about $10,000 in diamonds from a vendor with post-dated checks in return. He cashed them the next day. I had to sell the diamonds and scrap out what I had to cover all the checks. Lesson learned: no post-dated checks ever to anyone.”

 

 

Advertisement

 

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.

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