| Setting up a profitable database for your business | | | | - Product or Services purchased |
| requires a well-designed jewelry software | | | | - Purchase price and picture of an item |
| program. But how do you tell if a jewelry | | | | - Inventory |
| software program is well designed? Here are a | | | | When setting up your customer contact |
| few questions to ask before making a purchase. | | | | information, be certain to include e-mails. Even if |
| - Is the jewelry software program easy to learn | | | | you don't have a use for them right now, they |
| and use? | | | | may turn out to be gold in the future. Plus they |
| - Has the program been around long enough to be | | | | are easy to add to any jewelry software |
| fully field-tested in a number of retail jewelry | | | | customer database. |
| stores? | | | | Other information you may want to include in |
| - Is the program constantly updated to meet | | | | your jewelry software database might be: |
| new marketing challenges, changing retail | | | | - Information requested and provided to a |
| conditions and tax reporting requirements? | | | | customer |
| Once you have purchased a jewelry software | | | | - Warranties or insurance purchased (if applicable) |
| program, it's time to decide what information to | | | | - Any gem quality disclosures discussed. |
| cultivate. | | | | A good jewelry software program will also allow |
| The database is only as good as the information | | | | you to collect specialized information that might |
| you collect | | | | be applicable to just your store. If you have such |
| You probably won't want to collect all the data | | | | a need and don't know how to incorporate it into |
| your jewelry software is designed to collect. Just | | | | your jewelry software, contact the program's |
| because a program is able to accumulate a lot of | | | | customer support. |
| different information, doing so can turn an easy | | | | Once you begin collecting data in your jewelry |
| job into a difficult one. By the same token, keep | | | | software program ...use it. |
| the future in mind. Sometimes information that is | | | | Nothing is more useless than a lot of information |
| not needed today may become important later | | | | sitting idle in a jewelry software program. Use it |
| on. So look ahead when planning how to use your | | | | to plan and execute advertising programs...control |
| jewelry software, but don't fall into the trap of | | | | inventory...order new items...and help make other |
| information overload. | | | | business decisions. Get in the habit of using your |
| Start with the most essential data that should be | | | | jewelry software everyday and it will quickly |
| stored in your jewelry software. This will probably | | | | become one of your best and most profitable |
| be: | | | | business partners. |
| - Customer contact information | | | | |