COVID-19 Resources
Everything you need to know about
getting financial stimulus money.
Your business needs to be on social media, now more than ever.
Here are some tips and tricks to revamp your small business website.
Please view Emerald’s Preparedness, Prevention and Response plan HERE.
Industry News
How Independent Jewelers Are Coping During COVID-19
As of this writing, 38 states have ordered the closure of all or most nonessential businesses, and governors in all but 13 states have issued some type of stay-at-home order, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
How the Big Jewelers Are Weathering the Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic is hitting retailers hard as the call for social distancing and mandatory store closures nationwide keep customers at home and focused on purchasing essentials.
Introducing Connect. Engage. Learn: a Virtual AGS Conclave Experience
The American Gem Society (AGS) is excited to present Engage. Connect. Learn: a Virtual Conclave Experience, April 27-28, 2020. The AGS Conclave is the premier educational and networking event in the jewelry industry, and this year we’re bringing it to the virtual world. Experience Conclave from the convenience of your computer!
MJSA COVID-19 Webinar Series
During the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, MJSA is dedicated to helping its members, and the industry as a whole, navigate this uncertain time. MJSA will be offering FREE webinars regarding resources, legislation, and reliable information related to the coronavirus.
JA Moves Its National Convention Online
Jewelers of America has moved its second annual national convention online.
Fall Edition of Atlanta Jewelry Show Pushed Back to October
The Atlanta Jewelry Show’s fall edition has been moved back from August to October.
Tools & Resources to Support Your Business
5 Tips on Public Relations During a Crisis From an Expert
Cindy Krupp may have more than 20 years of public relations experience, but she’s the first to admit that the coronavirus poses challenges unlike any she’s experienced.
COVID-19 Cyber Attacks on The Rise: Protect Yourself and Your Business
With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic has come a rise in cyber-attacks and scams by criminals looking to profit from the turmoil. From phishing email and text scams to fraudulent banking and shipping scams (which you can read about on the Federal Trade Commission’s website here), criminals are going through great feats with the hope of profiting off of your company’s vulnerabilities. So, to mitigate your susceptibility to some of these scams, we suggest the following practical tips…
Surviving an Economic Downturn: Positioning your company to survive a recession and achieve ultimate success
How exactly do you plan for a recession? It’s not easy, especially in a discretionary industry such as jewelry, say experts. If people are more budget conscious, they will pull back from discretionary purchases—but it may be hard to determine how much. There will still be weddings, birthdays, and a viable market. You just need to strategize how to ride the economic wave.
Statement from The Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) Regarding Impact of Coronavirus on JBT Credit Ratings
JBT’s mission for over 135 years has been to provide accurate financial reporting information to the jewelry industry. By providing credit ratings of jewelry firms to our members, we help the economic supply chain of the jewelry industry function efficiently. By providing aggregated business data, we help our members understand broader economic trends specific to the jewelry industry.
Tips for Your Business
Jewelers of America has pulled together some tips and preparations you can implement in your business immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic.
SPECIAL SECURITY ALERT REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
JSA is concerned about your health and safety, and wishes to highlight some important security recommendations specifically related to the Covid-19 Pandemis. Most of JSA’s regular security recommendations remain the same during this time, however, there are some special risks that need to be emphasized, and important protections needed for this critical time.
COVID-19: Managing through the Crisis — What’s Your Long-Term Plan?
WEBINAR: What you need to know to balance cash flow and expenses through the pandemic.
Manufacturers & Suppliers — Management and Communication During the Crisis
WEBINAR: Managing the supply chain, communicating with employees and retailers, and more advice for handling the pandemic.
Stress Management: Managing your business in times of crisis
There’s a reason everyone remembers where they were or what they were doing when
big national or international crises occurred. Fear and anxiety imprint on our brains more forcefully than any other emotion. And once they set in, they crowd out other more measured thoughts and emotions. This is why the stock market behaves like a roller coaster during turbulent times, and when the stock market starts flailing around, even people and businesses not invested in the market start panicking too. Emotions can be very viral.
5 Consumer Trends to Look Out for Post-COVID-19
While few sectors have been spared by the COVID-19 pandemic, the luxury sector has been hit especially hard.
I Watched A Lot of Webinars. Here’s Some Great Advice
One of the things that is gratifying to see is, during a crisis, the jewelry industry bands together to help each other.
If Your Store Is Reopening, Follow These Security Tips
Many jewelry stores will be reopening in the next few weeks, but the new normal of COVID-19 could present certain security challenges for jewelers.
Jewelry Designers Are Creating Ways to Sell Directly to Consumers During COVID-19
When times are good (and not terrifying), independent fine jewelry brands are often the ones that more easily secure splashy editorial coverage, celebrity placements, and other PR-centric wins. The successes of buzzy indie brands including Foundrae and Retrouvaí were, in part, built on such mini milestones.
Jewelers Mutual Group provides free store signage to retail jewelers
As states slowly begin to allow businesses to open amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Jewelers Mutual Group is continuing its efforts to provide jewelry businesses with resources to stay safe and secure.
Looking for signage as your store reopens?
Navigating Government Resources
5 Things Retailers Should Know About the Stimulus Bill
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump, providing $2 trillion in aid.
Small Business Administration Loans: What You Need to Know
To help businesses affected by COVID-19, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is making two types of loans available to eligible small businesses. The first type of loan was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was recently signed into law and is known as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The second type of loan is a special “Disaster Loan” that has been authorized by the federal government for small businesses in states declared disaster areas. This article will discuss important information small businesses need to know in order to determine which type of loan will best suit their needs.
Coronavirus Aid, Relieve, and Economic Security (CARES) Act key components of the bill applying to businesses
Signed into law on March 27, the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes, in addition to extended unemployment benefits and stimulus payments, several components designed specifically to help businesses through this crisis. Key regulations and initiatives are outlined below.
Call to Action: Tariff Relief
The JVC has joined the Americans for Free Trade Coalition to ask Congress for tariff relief during this time. Americans for Free Trade is sharing the Feinstein/Toomey letter to Secretary Mnuchin. The final letter was sent this afternoon. A copy of the press release is here. The letter is below and was signed by Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
Other Resources
Retailers Find Creative Ways to Inspire Others
Jewelry retailers, faced with their own business crisis, health concerns, and loan applications, still are taking time to think about how they can bring hope and inspiration to others affected by the coronavirus, especially those on the front lines of COVID-19 response. Here are a few examples of their efforts.
Jeweler Support Network Launches COVID-19 Survey
The new Jeweler Support Network has launched a survey to get a pulse on current business operations in the industry and how it can help.
De Beers, Tiffany Among Those Donating Millions to COVID-19 Relief
Relief during the COVID-19 crisis is coming in all forms. In the jewelry industry, in addition to transitioning to the manufacture of masks, gloves and hand santizer, several of the big jewelry, gem and mining companies are donating large sums of money.
Squirrel Spotting: What Will Retail Look Like After COVID-19?
“Nothing will ever be the same again.”
“Everything will change after this.”
“It’ll be a new normal.”
Tips for Emerging from Lockdown With Your Sanity Intact
I’m into week seven/day 40-something of being confined to my apartment in Brooklyn, and it’s getting harder.