On April 26th, the American Gem Society presented me with the 2013 Robert M. Shipley Award at their annual Conclave. I was deeply moved and very grateful for the recognition. To read more in JCK News Daily, please click:

“Bill Boyajian Wins AGS Shipley Award”

Be Focused and Think Local

The challenge of running a jewelry store – or any business, for that matter – is the temptation to be all things to all people. Unfortunately, that strategy is fraught with danger and is doomed to fail. Instead, you need to decide who you want as your customer and formulate a plan of how you’re going to reach them.

Fifteen percent of the people in your area control the majority of total discretionary income. Unless you are exclusively bridal-oriented, that should cause you to think long and hard about who you need to cater to. Fine jewelers must focus on people with wealth in the community, market effectively to those people, and carry the type of merchandise they want to buy. Salespeople, in turn, need to know how to sell quality items to affluent customers.

None of this can be accomplished overnight, but you need a plan, a roadmap, to get you there. If you can develop that plan, do it. If you can’t, get the help you need to develop it. Without a plan, any road will lead you to where you think you need to go. You must be focused and think local to become the best jeweler in your community.

Peter Drucker’s Five Key Questions

The late Peter Drucker’s five key questions for non-profit organizations apply equally well to most any business…. [click to read more]

Here are a few Business and Life tips to think about:

Business Tips

• Trust is built over time, based on a leader’s consistent and appropriate actions and reactions. This fosters confidence in those being led.

• Innovators don’t conform to standard norms. That’s what makes them unique, though often polarizing. Create more, conform less.

• If you want to stand out from the crowd, do extraordinary things that make you stand out. Don’t follow the crowd. Lead it.

Life Tips

• Take control of your actions. Make sure to get things done with excellence. And have a timeline that is realistic and achievable.

• People want to be heard; as long as you are open to hearing them, they can be a great source of information, advice, and strategy.

• When confronted with a big challenge, take the high road. This shows strength and self-assurance in the midst of difficulty.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Ethics, Knowledge, Leadership Skills, Life Tips, Management, Mission, Project Leaders, The Mind of a Leader, Vision