Good News Found In Center Of Economic Meltdown



The faltering economy and tough times aren'st news to most people - especially in Elkhart, IN - a town The New York Times recently called the white-hot center of the meltdown of the American economy.

What is news, however, is that there are businesses here in Elkhart that are not only surviving the downturn but are actually doing better than anyone would expect. One truly surprising example is a jeweler.

Images Jewelers (http://www.imagesjewelers.com) is Elkhart'ss premier jeweler and conventional wisdom says that they would be one of the first to suffer from a cutback in spending. Rather than cutting back, however, Images has embarked on a major upgrade of its design and production capabilities and is expanding its showrooms and design studios.

There'ss no secret to getting through tough times, according to Images founder Robert Klose - the key is to follow simple and basic good business practices. Good business practices are good business practices no matter what the climate, according to Klose. Planning ahead, offering customers what they'sre looking for at an optimum value and providing service that makes customers want to do business again - this is the formula for success no matter what'ss happening in the economy. Customers can buy from anywhere; give them a reason to buy from you.

Klose says Images has avoided the steep downturn currently buffeting many businesses because he stuck to this formula when times were good.

He sites the company'ss decision three years ago to develop a major presence on the internet as an example of planning ahead. Today, Images is ranked as one of the top websites on Google for custom jewelry (http://www.imagesjewelers.com). This new source of business has added more than 25% to the company'ss sales. This growth of the on-line custom jewelry design business gave Images the confidence to make a substantial investment to upgrade its design and customer jewelry capabilities, as well as expand it'ss website to include more retail oriented designer jewelry.

Today, we are in the best possible position to provide customers what they'sre looking for at prices that are more than competitive. Klose says. He attributes this advantage to new state-of-the art casting equipment and design software that put its capabilities well ahead of any jeweler in the region.

Despite the importance of forward thinking and head-of-the-pack capabilities, Klose ranks Images devotion to customer service as its number one weapon against a bad economy. When the economy slows, competition increases and it'ss all about customers. In a competitive environment, I am certain customer service is the greatest advantage we have.

But Klose notes that good service takes hard work and doesn'st happen overnight. More than 4 months ago, with the help of a $45,000 grant from the State of Indiana, Images embarked on training program to upgrade the technical skill of its entire staff - from jewelers to sales personnel. Understanding jewelry is complex, Klose explains. Customers want to deal with someone who is knowledgeable and well trained - someone that inspires confidence.

Ultimately, Klose says, getting through though times is about keeping perspective. The news, he points out, makes things seem so dramatic and panicked. Certainly the economy has slowed, but that means working harder for less -- it means staying focused on the things that make your business better and stronger.

Mostly, he adds, it means being ready for when things get better.

About Images Jewelers:

Images Jewelers was founded on an idea: Bring together artistry of design, skill of craftsmanship, superior knowledge of precious gems and metals and a passion for excellence, in 1976 in a small back street studio in Elkhart, IN.

For more information about Images Jewelers contact Shawn Klose at (574) 264-2040 or visit Images Jewelers (http://www.imagesjewelers.com).





Good News Found In Center Of Economic Meltdown