Category Archives: Business

Understanding the Different Cuts for Engagement Ring Stones

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times in any person’s life. It is even more exciting when you are trying to pick out the engagement ring itself. There are, of course, a lot of moving pieces to sift through when you are trying to choose the ultimate engagement ring for your partner, and it can be overwhelming to see the choices laid out in front of you. It certainly is useful to have some assistance to know where to begin and what to expect.

Whether you are looking at choosing between a traditional round solitaire or a radiant cut engagement ring, or have no idea where to even start looking for your engagement ring inspiration, it pays to understand the different cuts for engagement ring stones. There are five mainstream cuts of engagement ring stones, and each of them is special and unique in their own distinct way. So, what are these five main types of engagement rings, and what is so special about each of them? Why are they so beloved around the globe?

Cushion cut

The cushion-cut shape is one that sits on the hand exceptionally well. Crafted into a romantic, gentle shape that is essentially a square cut that has been gently rounded out along its corners, a cushion cut engagement ring is one of the most popular choices among couples around the globe. As one of the most classic engagement ring stone cuts, the cushion is perfect for the elegant bride (or groom).

Emerald cut

A rectangular shape with slightly rounded out corners, the emerald cut is a “renowned Art Deco-inspired choice” for an engagement ring stone. The perfect choice for the timeless contemporary bride (again, or groom), the emerald cut engagement ring is becoming more and more popular all the time.

Oval cut

One of the most classic and stunning engagement ring cuts, the oval cut is one that is both highly coveted and rare. Highly coveted, because of the obvious beauty of the cut, and rare because oval stones are not as easily found as other shapes, making them rarer to behold and even rarer again to obtain.

Pear cut

The pear cut is an exceptional shape that is not just an engagement ring centrepiece, but a statement piece for the ages. Becoming more and more popular around the globe, the pear cut engagement ring is one that exudes unique beauty and pristine elegance. This makes it the ultimate engagement ring style for many couples – and no doubt many more to come.

Round cut

The traditional round solitaire is the world’s most popular engagement ring and the round cut of the stone has always been one of the most popular types of diamond shapes. There is a classic timeless elegance that comes hand in hand with the brilliant round cut engagement ring stone, and it is something truly wondrous to behold, a classic if there ever was one.

Taking Risks With Your Marketing Plan

Successful marketing is about taking risks. Whether you are launching a startup or expanding your business, every marketing opportunity presents the risk of failure. Rather than leveraging every idea, develop a principle of making smart moves in terms of approaching risk.

Evaluate the Risk

The first test should be to assess the risk. Get your compass by determining the results of a possible risk. What amount of money should you risk to test your marketing strategy? Understand, you are not experimenting for the sake of it. Ensure that your risk is well calculated. For instance, if you are running an email campaign, track the un-opens and unsubscribes. These metrics should tell you whether your tactic is working or not.

Invest in your Bottom Line with Innovation

You do not want your company to stay stuck in the status quo. Be careful to balance competing priorities including your drive for innovation and revenue model. Begin by finding out how your business niche is evolving and grab opportunities that might work for you.

If you do not leverage these opportunities, your competitors will fly with them and get a better competitive advantage over you. You need to break out of old marketing ideas if you are to reach your target market strategically.

Just because the industry standard is giving you some good results does not mean you cannot try out other strategies to push you further into the market. This could mean experimenting with new marketing channels such as TV, radio, and newspaper, among others.

Evaluate Every Opportunity

Do not grab every opportunity that presents itself. Start by examining each critically and gather as much valuable information about it as you can. Determine the course of action and weigh options to ensure you are not being led by fear or your emotional drive.

Remember to focus on your value proposition and find out if the new marketing opportunities address your core agenda of capturing an audience. Does the opportunity present you as valuable to your target market in your competitive space?

Addressing your audience strategically means taking their unique needs and preferences into account.  If the opportunities do not address the needs of your consumers, they may drift away from your company.

Balance Logic with Emotion

Entrepreneurs who are mentally stable hardly fear to take calculated risk in marketing. They understand that taking calculated risks could stand between an ordinary and an extraordinary life. However, risk cannot be calculated based on the level of fear.

Examine facts instead by drafting a list of pros and cons for your advertising campaign. You need to cut through the competitive noise of ads by being logical in decision-making and how you view risk. If you are excited about exploring a new opportunity, you may overlook the risk.

Be Ready to Adopt Changes

For every successful business, risk is an ongoing process. It can introduce new markets and possibilities. Once you have implemented ideas, you may at some point need to alter them.

Developing a new product or service can be risky, and these risks do not just disappear soon after your business has left the ground. Your company will need to explore other markets. Even if you create a great product, notice that failing to have follow-on will not keep you ahead of the competition.

You need to invest in a family of products. Take a calculated risk by setting a plan that will help you to expand your product line.

Why Your Business Should Take Risk

Many entrepreneurs have ventured into the market to get their companies to where they stand now. However, this does not mean taking risks blindly and expecting excellent results. It is about careful planning. So, why should you calculate risk?

1. Your Business Cannot Stagnate

We are in an era of agile, where things move too fast. Tactics change and are quickly rebuilt to be more productive and profitable. If today your business is missing out on top-class ad trends and tools, you are slowly losing your competitive advantage. There is a good reason top companies keep changing their ads. They understand that the market is growing and new ways have to be explored to maintain good client traffic.

2. Every Business Takes Risk

Quitting from a well-paid position to start a business is a risk. First, if you have not been on the market before, your reputation is put at risk. You also spend a certain amount to get the business up and running through adverts. There are many other risks involved such as the hiring of employees and investing in customer service.

3. To Eliminate “What If” in the Future

Starting a business and determining risk does not guarantee the risks will pay off. Calculating the risks heightens the chances of success. Although not every risk will pay-off, risk-takers take failure as a learning opportunity. The willingness to implement new ideas is an opportunity to grow business.

Now that you understand why taking calculated risk is critical begin auditing your campaign strategy. Different strategies and outlets can be approached to help you capture the needs of your target market.