What do you mean by community?

I hope you’ve had a chance to have a look around the site a little.

When I tell people that I’m trying to put together a community in the trade, I often get a blank look back. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to go into a little more detail about that. Ultimately it will become a section in a book, but for now it will remain a humble paragraph in an email.

When I joined the trade some time ago, I found that whilst ‘members’ of this community were reasonably welcoming (I’m sure my family ties to the trade had much to do with this), I found people would play their cards very close to their chest. While I didn’t expect to get the combination to their safe, I found people’s inability to openly share information and resources quite off putting.

Fortunately I see flashes of spirited openness from time to time, but it still takes me by surprise.

What the Community element of this site sets out to do is remove or at least reduce those barriers that people put around themselves and open up resources, information exchange, ideas and business tips to anyone who visits the site.

This trade is going through the hardest time it has gone through in many people’s living memory, and we need to pull together to help each other get through it. I have set up this site and especially the community part to help. All you need to is get involved.

The information you share need not be of a sensitive nature, but something you might deem inconsequential may be right on the mark for someone else.

The kind of things I’m looking for are goods and service suppliers (stones of all types, packaging, insurance, alarms, safes, removals etc)and it doesn’t matter where you are. You can also send reviews of events you’ve been to like trade shows, or experiences you’ve had that others can learn from.

As long as you can qualify the information you provide and it’s honest, there should be nothing to worry about. So take action. Reply to this email and share what you know or go straight to the sight and leave a comment here.

FEWER BETTER THINGS

‘Our lives are full of things. Disposable distractions, stuff you buy but do not cherish, own yet never love. Thrown away in weeks rather than passed down for generations.

Perhaps things will be different now. Wiser choices made with greater care.

After all, if the fewer things you own always excite you, would you
really miss the many that never could?’

Cynicism aside De Beers have finally put out a message that resonates.  If we implement this philosophy in what we do and how we do it, the jewellery trade can rise out of the mass produced, over inflated, poorley made mindset that has got so many into trouble recently.

Have pride in your work, choose quality gemstones and craftspeople to make your jewellery and  pay attention to detail.  Sell better things and more will come.

Draw on this… for the New Year

Now Christmas has been and gone and you’ve taken stock of how the year went, it is the perfect time to look at your business from a new perspective. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the next few months (and we really don’t know how many that is) things are not going to be easy. However before we completely withdraw into the media fuelled depression everyone is expecting, it’s worth looking at how we can make little but important changes to our businesses no matter whether you’re a retailer, wholesalers, trader or designer.

Talk to your customers…

It is the most cost effective marketing tool you have. You use it countless times a day without even thinking about it, and the one time you could use it to make you money you shy away. The telephone is such an everyday part of our lives that we really do take it for granted. Yet used appropriately, with a little thought, it can turn your business around. Try calling a customer now, but know what you want from them before you do. You might just want to re-establish contact and let them know what you’re up to. You might have seen something that might be of use to them, whatever it is, find an excuse (positive) and call them.

If you’re a retailer, and you can’t just call your customers, write them a hand written letter. Buy some nice heavyweight paper, find someone in your business or family with good handwriting and send your customers a New Year card. Nothing can be more personable and let’s face it we’re all going to have a little more time on our hands to do these kinds of things.

Re-evaluate your brand…

Look at what you think your brand is saying to your customers, and then ask them what it is saying. Now ask yourself what changes you need to make to your business to in order to realign your message with your customer’s perception. Do you focus on lines that seem to sell more and streamline your inventory accordingly? Do you spend time educating your staff to better sell the products that are more profitable for you and communicate a more professional and knowledgeable attitude to your customers in the process? These are the types of questions to ask yourself.

Overhaul your website…

This can be one of the most cost effective things any business can do. In spite of common perceptions, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune (ask me how by email). It’s not just about showing your stock or portfolio online, your website can offer so much more. It says who you are, what you do (literally if you want it to), it can talk to your customers and your piers, and it can even make you money. You have to take responsibility for it, get clued up on what’s actually out there, learn a little of the ‘tech talk’ and be an informed buyer (saving you money and getting you what you want).

I would like to hear if anyone has actually tried any of these out or has any other suggestions that they think make a difference in these difficult times. Please post your feedback below.

Follow your intuition…

Creative Visionaires are more likely to make the right decisions when they act on instinct. According to a new study your unconscious brain is designed to make the best decisions possible. Overturns the theory by economic theorists that conscious reasoning makes most of the decisions otherwise shareholders and employees may get upset. Visionaires are not only free to be irrational but may move more swiftly and generate more value and brand awareness through their inventive, intuitive and imaginative instincts. Source: Daily Telegraph 26.12.08 / Neuron Journal / The Creative Economy by John Hawkins

Welcome to Colour in its Element

Colour in its element is the gateway to TheGemBank.com (where you can search my stock of Gemstones and Coloured Diamonds) and Gemrunner the Concierge service where I look for stones not found in my stock). It is somewhere to read an article about the trade, or other business matters and comment on them if you wish. You can even visit the free picture gallery and send a friend a postcard form there.

In time you’ll be able to do a lot more from this site. Please let me know how I can improve the site and your experience of it. Feel free to let me know what topics you are interested in or even write one yourself for posting. You can do all that by leaving a comment below or emailing me

Thank you and enjoy
Richard