Coronavirus

London and Essex set to move into Tier 2 restrictions

London and Essex will face tougher Tier 2 Covid-19 restrictions from Saturday (17 October), including a ban on the mixing of households, local MPs have been told. According to the BBC, health secretary Matt Hancock is set to update MPs on the latest measures in the Commons later today. Under…

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Covid-19 relief package saves family jewellers

Sinclairs, the family-run jewellers in Inverurie, has secured £125,000 from the Coronavirus Business Loan Scheme (CBLS) to support the firm as it navigates the financial impact of the pandemic. The business is headed by Ian and Debbie Sinclair, whose family has managed the jewellers for over 40 years. The financial…

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HMRC and Covid-19: One hand giveth, the other taketh away

One hand giveth HMRC was responsible for overseeing and implementing the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) and other furlough schemes. Its ensuring that monies were paid under the Government’s various furlough support schemes has been impressive. Although the guidance on who was entitled to monies under the CJRS was…

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The importance of bringing the luxury in-store experience online

The jewellery sector as we know and love it has changed beyond recognition. Part of the beauty of shopping for jewellery is being able to touch and try on items before you purchase. The COVID-19 pandemic however has meant this is no longer a possibility, forcing the jewellery sectors hand…

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Should I stay closed or re-open?

Since the start of lockdown, most owner managers have become used to real-time contingency planning and agile decision making. However, with non-essential shops now allowed to reopen, they have been faced with another high-risk financial decision – should they stay closed or reopen?  Knowing the key areas to consider and…

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11 ways to encourage the high street to remain Covid-secure 

This week marks a big shift for the retail sector as many non-essential stores in England reopen their doors to the public. Boris Johnson has announced that as of the 15th June, non-essential stores can reopen in England, providing stringent health and safety guidelines are set in place to protect…

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The new ‘business as un-usual’ for the jewellery trade

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the jewellery industry has been rocked (like every industry) by this pandemic. It has caused businesses to collapse, unemployment to rise and left us all thinking about what sort of new normal we will return to. With the Government easing lockdown…

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From dark store to hybrid store – adapting to a new world order

It’s safe to say the embattled UK high street had a rocky start to the year, with a reported 18,248 retail jobs lost and 1,211 shops closed in the first two months of the year alone. In fact, in February, the high street saw a 7.8% drop in footfall, as…

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How to keep track of your cash flow

More than ever, cash flow is a key issue for small businesses, and understanding it is crucial to making informed decisions at the right time. The government will be asking businesses to demonstrate that they have an understanding of the state of their cash flow as it stands, and in…

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Joshua James: Morale boosting and giving back during coronavirus

Here at Joshua James, we recently celebrated our 10th birthday, which for us means 10 years of success that couldn’t have happened without the support of our loyal customers.  With this in mind, we decided that we wanted to give back and do something to help them during these difficult…

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