David Squires

Work Strong

Going the extra mile now will make your store even better when the recovery comes.

Published

15 years ago

May 2, 2009

David Squires Instore May 2009 Issue

SINCE THE ECONOMY went south, instore has continually given the same instructions: Don’t worry about the economy. Keep moving forward. Keep getting better.

Now that things are maybe, possibly, finally beginning to improve, we want to reiterate the same advice one more time. Don’t forget to keep doing the extra work that will make your store stronger.

This month, our extra-credit assignment is for you to take advantage of new technology. There are so many technologies out there that are now easier to use than ever, and that with a reasonably small investment of time can significantly help your store. Pick one of the below and make it your special personal project for the next month, something you work in between other projects or when you have a day off.

Learn to edit video and create a fun store tour or instant video promotions.
Learn to record and manipulate audio to create a store podcast or radio commercial.
Practice social networking with Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace.
Learn to operate your website’s back-end so you can upload a new picture to the front page of your website.
Learn light HTML editing — just enough so you could make an immediate correction on your website if you had to.
Learn how to create a wiki, then build an internal one for your store so you can accumulate information on operations, policies and "secret" sales techniques.
Learn to shop diamond suppliers online.

My guess is that you’ll really enjoy the challenge.

Wishing you the very best business …
David Squires
dsquires@instoremag.com

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”