TechnologyMay 01, 2026
Gemist, Saban Onyx Partner on Retailer-Focused Customization OfferingTheir partnership combines Gemist’s customization technology with Saban Onyx’s U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities.
Events & AwardsJan 07, 2015
What jewelers can learn from other business owners
JJ Ramberg, host of MSNBC’s Your Business and the JA New York Winter keynote speaker, shares stories of the small companies she’s covered, including a low-fat bagel baker and a laundromat.
"Your Business" host JJ Ramberg: “When you just dig into your business a little bit (you’ll discover) there are a lot of inefficiencies that can be fixed. It is not hard to fix them. It just takes some time and the will to do it.”
New York--As the keynote speaker at the upcoming JA New York Winter show, JJ Ramberg will be giving tips for small business owners, advice gleaned from years of experience covering companies as the host of MSNBC’s Your Business.
Recently, the journalist and author, who is an entrepreneur herself (she founded GoodSearch, now GoodShop, with her brother), sat down to talk to National Jeweler about some of the most outstanding companies she’s covered on her show.
Ramberg is scheduled to deliver her address on the show’s opening day, Jan. 18, at 9:30 a.m.
Her show, Your Business, airs at 7:30 a.m. on Sundays and also can be viewed online.
National Jeweler: What are some of the lessons small business owners have learned on your show?
JJ Ramberg: We did (a story) last year, one of my favorite stories, where we made over a jewelry store in Monterey (Calif.). It was a family-owned business, husband-and-wife team, and they owned a jewelry store on the wharf. They had one and they expanded to three other stores.
And they were doing fine. They were making enough money but they were older and they had no nest egg so they couldn’t retire.
I think the way they ran their business is typical of a lot of mom-and-pop places. They didn’t have a POS (point-of-sale) system, everything was on instinct.
NJ: So what you are saying is that they had no way of knowing what their best-sellers were?
Ramberg: It was exactly that.
They had these four different stores and they all sold different things, and they had many more employees than they needed. If they had just gotten under one roof they could have consolidated their employees.
We went in there and did a (Your Business) Makeover for them. They were already in the process of putting everything under one roof but we got Gensler in there, a design firm, and we got this woman who worked in luxury for a long time to come in and talk to them about their POS system and figure out their inventory.
I find them same thing (with many small business owners). We went to a bed-and-breakfast where I asked the woman, “What’s your revenue?”, and she looked at me like I was crazy. When you just dig into your business a little bit (you’ll discover) there are a lot of inefficiencies that
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
can be fixed. It’s not hard to fix them. It just takes some time and it takes the will to do it.
WATCH: Ramberg’s follow-up on the jewelry store makeover
NJ: What are some of the top inefficiencies you see?
Ramberg: Not knowing where all your cash is going, not paying enough attention to your bills to see if you are getting the best price on things.
Not having a good handle on your inventory, so you don’t know if you have all this cash tied up in inventory that’s just sitting there.
Not having a good understanding of customer flow, so you are wasting money on employees when you might not need them.
We did a story on a laundromat and it turned out that they had, I think, three people working there at all times. Turns out, no one ever came on Tuesdays in the morning, ever.
All you need to do is look at your receipts to find out (when people are coming in.) Paying employees when you are a small business, that’s a big cost for you. If you can figure out how to optimize your staffing, that’s an efficiency as well.
NJ: You’ve featured thousands of small businesses on your show. Besides the jewelry store, is there one that really stands out?
Ramberg: Lots of them.
My mom was an entrepreneur and she used to read us The Little Engine That Could, this “I think I can” (mentality.) You have to go after something, believe that “I can do this” combined with this idea of “I think I can’t.”
There is a whole list of things that I don’t know how to do, so I can’t delude myself into thinking that I can do everything. But I can figure out who to go to do get those answers.
I think the smartest business owners believe in themselves, not only to do it and be successful but (also) that they can figure out how to find the answers.
This woman who started a bagel company in Connecticut, she had never worked, she was a part-time waitress. Her husband was the bread-winner in the family. He lost his job because of an illness, he couldn’t go back to work and it was the recession.
She had this idea for a low-fat bagel company. She had done Weight Watchers and had lost (a considerable amount of weight) and so saw a hole in the market: there was no low-fat bagel.
She took most of their money, I think they had $18,000 left, a mortgage, four kids, no job and she took the bulk of that and put it into this company and just started knocking on doors and did it. She just wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She knew with her heart that there was a market. But then she went out and got advice from people on how to start this thing. So it took a little bit of a combination of, “I can do this” with “I know I need to ask the right questions to get to the next step.”
You don’t need to recreate the wheel. People have done almost everything before; just ask.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
SurveysMay 01, 2026
Consumer Confidence Inches Up in April Despite Rising Gas PricesRespondents were concerned about the Middle East conflict and how it will impact their finances.
CollectionsMay 01, 2026
A ‘Hidden Garden’ Emerges in Tiffany & Co.’s 2026 Blue BookOur Piece of the Week, the “Butterfly” necklace, showcases a 7.02-carat oval diamond set between diamond, platinum, and 18-karat gold wings.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
ColumnistsApr 30, 2026
Peter Smith: A Sleazy Salesman and the Case for Regret Avoidance Smith uses a comment he overheard in the grocery store to remind retailers that their job is to inspire buying behavior, not just sell.
Weekly QuizApr 30, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 30, 2026
Claire’s New Summer Campaign Is a Sensory Wonderland for Gen Alpha“A Girl SMR at Claire’s” celebrates girlhood through the five senses with stacked jewelry, slime toys, scented accessories, and ASMR.
AuctionsApr 30, 2026
Vintage Cartier Watch Crashes Through Records, Selling for $2MBelieved to be one of three made in 1987, the Cartier London Crash was hot at the “Shapes of Cartier” sale at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
CrimeApr 30, 2026
Masked Group Uses Hammers, Pepper Spray in Texas Jewelry Store RobberyOfficials are looking for a group that robbed Marc Robinson Jewelers at an outlet mall in Round Rock, Texas, in broad daylight on April 21.
Supplier BulletinApr 30, 2026
OROAREZZO 2026: The B2B Event for Italian Excellence in Goldsmith, Jewelry and Silver ManufacturingSponsored by OROAREZZO International Jewelry Exhibition
TechnologyApr 29, 2026
The Thought Process Behind the Mother's Day Email Opt-OutSome retailers are taking a nuanced approach to marketing what can be a difficult holiday for many.
IndependentsApr 29, 2026
Dick Abbott to Retire From The EdgeThe Edge has announced its new CEO, as well as a new partnership with an investment firm focused on founder-led software businesses.
SourcingApr 29, 2026
De Beers’ Production Rises, Market Remains ‘Challenged’De Beers’ diamond production was up 17 percent in Q1, boosted by increased output at its mines in South Africa and Canada.
AuctionsApr 29, 2026
This'll Be the Day You Own John Wayne's RingA signet ring belonging to the Western film star of Hollywood’s Golden Age will be up for auction at Elmwood’s next month.
Policies & IssuesApr 28, 2026
Tariff Refunds: How to File, What to Expect Importers can submit claims now to receive money back for the IEEPA tariffs they’ve paid, with refunds expected to take up to 90 days.
IndependentsApr 28, 2026
This North Carolina Jeweler Is Passing the TorchThe owners of Gregory Jewelers in Morganton, North Carolina, are heading into retirement.
SourcingApr 28, 2026
Doug Hucker Retires From ICAThe colored gemstone industry leader is heading into retirement after four years as the association’s CEO.
SourcingApr 28, 2026
NDC Hires Tapestry Exec to Head Global Marketing Susie Dewey joins the Natural Diamond Council as its new chief marketing officer.
AuctionsApr 27, 2026
12 Years Later, the ‘Ocean Dream’ Diamond Resurfaces at Christie’sThe largest known fancy vivid blue-green diamond could fetch more than $12 million at its second auction appearance.
ColumnistsApr 27, 2026
Stop Treating Mother’s Day Like an AfterthoughtEmmanuel Raheb says jewelers need to start marketing early and make it easy for customers to pick a gift for mom.
IndependentsApr 27, 2026
Longnecker Jewelry Celebrates 30 YearsIn honor of the milestone, the Nebraska jeweler has debuted Leslie & Co., its new in-house jewelry brand.
MajorsApr 27, 2026
JBT Re-Elects Jeff Corey as Board ChairThe trade organization, which held its annual elections earlier this year, also added five new board members.
SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
