National Pawnbroker Magazine Fall 2014

Raise the Bar

Looking For a Few Good Men & Women p.16

The Nose KNOWS p.23

Earn Your Mark of EXCELLENCE p.32

How to Save Over $3000 p.30

Official Publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association FALL 2014

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The pawn industry had an unprecedented year in 2011!

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fall 2014 | NatioNal PawNbrokers associatioN | 1

It has been an IncredIble year for the national Pawnbrokers as-sociation and we have seen many posi-tive changes to the organization. at the top of the list is the new nPa strategic Plan that was unveiled at the annual membership meeting in las Vegas this past July.

I would like to highlight some of the exciting new benefits and resources that are happening as part of the plan.

advocacy nPa is hard at work representing your interests throughout the year. below are a few of the key initia-tives we’re focusing on right now to ensure that it is understood why the pawn industry is vitally important to our nation’s economic and social needs. • Agency meetings in Washington, DC, about bank discontinuance • Preparing for the 114th Congress • Legislative alerts to keep you informed of issues impacting your industry

MeMber services New for 2015 • Anti-Money Laundering manual and Red Flags policy - over $500 value • Human resource consultants - $2500 value • Numismatic crime alerts

and don’t forget all of the other great member services that will continue in 2015: • Free federal and state labor law posters with updates - $60 value • Access to the NPA Member Forum • Free store listing on PawnFyndr.com • Discount on your Pawn Expo registration • And more!

educatioN The development of the Certified Pawn Professional designation program is well underway. The first courses will be offered at Pawn Expo 2015. Stay tuned for information on how you can earn the CPP designation and, in the meantime, read more on page 32.

With all of these new developments, be sure to renew your 2015 NPA membership. You don’t want to miss out on any of the legislative alerts, new member benefits, or peer-to-peer communications keeping you on top of your game.

the nPa is not possible without its hard-working board of directors, mem-bers, and staff. The landscape of the pawn industry is changing and, to be successful, it takes all of us working to-gether. I extend a tremendous, heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for another successful year and wish you a very happy holiday season.

ben levinsonNPa President

The best is yet to comeNPA ChANgiNg to Fit Your Needs

Message froM the PresideNt

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

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2 | NatioNal PawNbrokers associatioN | fall 2014

table of contents fall 2014

highlights

MJSA: Building a Deeper Page 16Bench

Get A Whiff of This Page 23

New Certified Pawn Page 32Professional Program

National Pawnbroker is the official publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA), and is published quarterly. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Dana Meinecke, NPA Executive Director. Sale or distribution of any or all of the contents of this magazine is prohibited. All rights reserved. For more information on advertising or to obtain additional copies of National Pawnbroker, call (817) 337-8830 or send an email to [email protected]. For membership information, email [email protected]. eDitor’s Note: This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered. It is provided and disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. © 2007-14 National Pawnbrokers Association: PO Box 508, Keller, TX 76244 • (817) 337-8830 • NationalPawnbrokers.orgeDitor: Margie Swoyer, Director of Communications & Marketing, [email protected]: Carla L. Butz

Message from the President 1Message from the executive Director 4Government relations Update 6compliance NICS: Black Friday Hours 40community involvement Gift Day 43 FBL 2015 Scholarships 53Member spotlight Purple Heart Pawn & Gun 13Vendor spotlight FFLGuard 18Membership SESCO’s Human Resources 29 Consulting Program New Member Benefits for 2015 30Member News Top Dollar Pawn Helping Children Learn 10 USA Pawn Mega Store Grand Opening 12 Board of Directors Orientation 14 State News 48 New Members 51

business sense Making It Count: Top 5 Inventory Mistakes 20 Understanding the New Facebook 24 Surveillance Equipment 27 SCRA Regulations 35 Who Is Insured 36 Erasing i-Devices 39special events 2015 Legislative Conference 9 Pawn Expo 2015 44calendar of events 57index of advertisers 60

in this issue

16

Cover Story

New Member Benefits for 2015Page 30

2316

32

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Raise the Bar

Looking For a Few Good Men & Women p.16

The Nose KNOWS p.23

Earn Your Mark of EXCELLENCE p.32

How to Save Over $3000 p.30

Official Publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association FALL 2014

Cover.indd 2 10/22/14 1:43:51 PM

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message from the executive director

we couldn’t do it without YouWorking TogeTher To CreaTe a BeTTer nPa

membershiPThe 2015 membership drive is in full swing. Dues invoices have been mailed to those whose memberships are expiring soon. Remember your membership includes legislative updates, member discounts, educational sessions, community involvement, and much more. Send in your renewal invoice (or renew online) and support the only national trade association representing the independent pawn-broker. See page 30 for two brand new benefits for 2015.

goverNmeNt relatioNsPut April 29, 2015, on your calendar as the date to attend the annual NPA Legis-lative Conference and meet with your Members of Congress. Share your stories with them in person, and educate them on what you do. For more information, contact Matthew Church, Government Relations Administrator, at [email protected] or call (817) 337-8830.

lookiNg forward to 2015As you can see, we have a lot of exciting things on the horizon for 2015. The NPA staff and I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of the association. We look forward to continuing to provide you with the information you need to make your business a success.

dana meinecke NPa Executive Director

AS We SPeeD ToWARD The hoLIDAyS, I’D LIke To SLoW DoWN for just a moment to give thanks to a special group of people who have contributed their time and energy toward creating the NPA’s newest educational program – the Certified Pawn Professional (CPP) designation. This team has spent countless hours developing this new curriculum designed to educate pawnbrokers on a number of topics. Look for more information about this exciting new program over the next few months. The Content Development Team members are:Scott Amberg, eZ Cash of Panama City, Panama City, FLKathleen Barbee, Lombard Financial Services, Inc, Fort Worth, TXRic Blum, ohio Loan Co, Inc, Dayton, ohDave Crume, heartland Pawn and Jewelry, olathe, kSSeth Gold, American Jewelry and Loan, Detroit, MIScot Keller, keller’s Pawn, Inc, Lake Cormorant, MSBob McEowen, Capital Pawn, Jefferson City, MoBrian Moulton, National Jewelry & Pawn, Inc, Durham, NC

Randi Nell, Big Dog Pawn, West Jordan, UTTonia Sheppard, Alan’s Jewelry & Pawn, Inc, Asheville, NCSam Shocket, king’s Jewelry and Loan, Los Angeles, CABob Simpson, el Bufalo Pawn, Laredo, TXRick Sussman, Northwestern Loan Co, Baltimore, MDJordan Tabach-Bank, Beverly Loan Co, Inc, Beverly hills, CAJohnny Whiteside, kendale Pawn Shop, Sanford, NC

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government relations

FDiC and oCC meetingGRC FiGhts Bank DisContinuanCe in WashinGton

tim CollierNPA GRC Chair

By now, the mid-term elec-tions are history, and we know which party controls the majority in the Sen-ate. once everything settles down, we mAy have an indication regarding a strategy for the nPA as we move for-ward with our long term plans. those plans include continuing to combat the issues of bank discontinuance, and the ongoing task of educating local, state and federal officials as to why pawn is a viable option for unbanked and under-banked consumers needing short term, small dollar loans.

during the past several months, some nPA members have received letters from their financial institutions terminating banking relationships and services. they were told by their lo-cal bank officers and branch managers that bank examiners have strongly sug-gested their risk management policies would be strengthened by terminating certain merchant business relationships that could be considered “high-risk”. in many cases, no explanations were given. As the bank discontinuance reports to the NPA office multiplied, the Govern-

ment relations committee took immedi-ate action on your behalf to get to the bottom of the issue.

on July 17, 2014, nPA letters were sent to the chairman of the Federal de-posit insurance corporation (Fdic), the Office of the Comptroller of the currency (occ), and the chair of the Federal reserve Board regarding the termination of banking privileges for state licensed, non-depository provid-ers of consumer financial products and services (pawnbrokers). the letters requested clarification that they had not instructed banks to discontinue business relationships with the pawn industry. copies of the same letter were hand-delivered to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate committee on Banking, housing, and Urban Affairs, and the house committee on Financial Services.

the nPA initiated a rally congress call-to-action on July 21 entitled “Stop Bank regulators from telling Banks to terminate relationships with Pawn-brokers.” over 500 letters were sent to your respective members of congress

6 | national Pawnbrokers assoCiation | fAll 2014

“Many D.C. insiders are already concentrating on 2016 where more Senate seats are up and a significant Presidential election is at stake. Regardless of the election outcome, policy gridlock will probably remain. Certainly, both parties will make efforts to move legislation to build support for their party platforms in 2016. If Republicans gain majority in the Senate, they will be able to control the legislative agenda. This will give them a stronger opportunity to highlight their public policy goals, but their majority will be small, presenting parliamentary challenges to passing legislation including Democratic filibusters, and the President still has veto power.

NPA will continue to operate in a bipartisan manner and address all relevant policy issues despite the political landscape. In particular, NPA will remain focused on bank discontinuance, federal charter legislation, privacy, and regulatory actions on the small dollar loan market.”

– Cliff Andrews, NPA lobbyist, Washington, DC

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goverNmeNt relatioNs

and followed up with numerous visits to House and Senate offices by NPA Lobbyist, Cliff Andrews.

On July 28, 2014, the FDIC issued a ‘Financial Institution Letter’ entitled “FDIC Clarifying Super-visory Approach to Institutions Establishing Account Relationships with Third-Party Payment Processors,” which included removal of a previously issued list of “higher-risk” merchant categories from its official guidelines. It is important to note that pawnbrokers were NOT on this list or any other that we’ve located.

NPA meeting requests were sent to a number of federal agencies in July and August including the OCC and FDIC. The appointments were made and a delegation from the NPA traveled to Washington, DC, September 18-19, for meetings with the FDIC and OCC. The NPA and the pawn industry were well represented by Ed Bean and Kathy Pierce, NPA Board of Directors; Fran Bishop, Government Rela-tions Liaison; NPA Lobbyist, Cliff Andrews, and Regulatory Counsel, Professor Sarah Jane Hughes. The group provided the regulatory agencies with information about the pawn industry in order to not only inform and educate, but to put a face on the cur-rent string of bank discontinuances experienced by a great number of our members nationwide.

An open dialogue has now been established with these two agencies as a result of our face-to-face meet-ings. We received assurances from both agencies that there was no intent on their part to damage or curtail the financial services relationships between the pawn industry and their banks. They will be communicat-ing our concerns to their field operations and staff and again clarifying the roles and duties expected of them.

In the meantime, we will be preparing some infor-

mation and suggestions for NPA members to consider as you look to establish new and additional banking relationships. Many have told us of finding the wel-come mat out at community banks serving main street businesses with the banking services we all need to operate. In fact, during our recent meetings in Wash-ington, both the FDIC and OCC were quick to rec-ommend the community banking system.

There will be a lame-duck session of Congress be-tween the mid-term November elections and when the newly elected members take office in January. Traditionally, during the holidays, there will be several recesses, and you should seize any opportunity to make some very important grass-roots contacts with your U.S. Representative and Senators.

We urge you to continue to report receipt of a “bank discontinuance” letter or similar communication to Matthew Church at the NPA Office, (817) 337-8830, or by email to [email protected].

Ed Bean, Fran Bishop, Kathy Pierce, and Cliff Andrews review their talking points.

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Make plans to attend the annual NPA Legislative Conference next April in our nation’s capital. Participate in the opportunity to visit the offices of your

elected officials and tell your story. Appointments, talking points, and support materials will be provided. More information to follow.

2015 NPA Legislative Conference

April 29, 2015 | Washington, DCSave the date

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Prince GeorGe’s county chamber of commerce bestowed the community service award to top Dollar Pawn & Jewelry in oxon hill, mD, for their community service and con-tributions to the education of children. the award was presented to michael cohen, President of top Dollar Pawn & Jewelry, at the excellence in business awards Gala on september 19, 2014. the elegant black-tie affair celebrates the accomplish-ments of Prince George’s county business leaders who support the community.

michael and his company have been active in the county in a number of ways. they have contributed monetarily to several public school groups, such as oxon hill techies, making the notes come alive, and reading resources for struggling readers. in addition, michael donates his time mentoring students in the young entrepreneurs academy, a program that teaches students how to start and run a business. top Dollar Pawn & Jewelry also donated 20 laptops to the group.

one of their proudest accomplishments is the cre-ation of a children’s book corner in each of their stores. A bookshelf filled with children’s books and a small table and chairs offer a place for children to read by themselves or with each other. “they can even take the books home with them for free,” ac-cording to michael. “We are constantly restocking the books and go through about a thousand a year.”

community involvement

Helping children learnTop Dollar pawn & Jewelry wins CommuniTy serviCe awarD

Michael Cohen accepts the Community Service Award from Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce.

Top Dollar Pawn & Jewelry promotes reading with a Children’s Book Corner in each store.

10 | national Pawnbrokers association | Fall 2014

“When families come in, the kids immediately go over and grab a book.”

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On August 13, 2014, After mOnths Of meetings and hard work, usA Pawn held a grand opening in their new 27,000 square-foot store in Jackson, ms.

the road to the new store opening was not a direct one. A previously-planned expansion in another city was denied after a year-long process. However, introductions to some key state officials made during the process aided in getting the new store opened in Jackson.

Although usA Pawn has been in business since 1991 and already had six stores, a major expan-sion like the one they planned was intimidating, according to nick fulton, managing partner. they visited other large pawn store operations, includ-ing national Jewelry & Pawn in north Carolina, American Jewelry and Loan in michigan, and Pawn America in minnesota.

a New looknick and his team wanted to create a new retail look with a “wow” effect. they purchased mint-condition fixtures and shelving from a recently-closed store, designed counter tops with stainless steel, encased signs in Plexiglas™, and equipped jewelry and wall cases with LeD lighting.

utilizing new surveillance technology, they de-signed a room with four stations behind bullet-resistant glass where loan payments and jewelry loans are processed. four 55” LeD monitors were installed overhead displaying company photos, store specials, and basic pawn information.

A silver wood and metal slat wall was installed in the musical section. In the center of the guitar wall, an autographed BB King Lucille guitar, one of six, is dis-played in a case. several framed autographed jerseys from some of Mississippi’s great sports figures, includ-ing one signed by Walter Payton, hang on a wall.

customer serviceA security guard greets all customers at the door directing them to their destination. Once the loan is

written on the floor, customers are sent to the bank-teller-style windows to collect their ticket and cash.

A dedicated counter has been set up for custom-ers to collect their item once it has been paid out. With the new layout, warehouse staff can pick up the pawn merchandise, allowing the counter help to keep the customer lines moving.

A dedicated sales staff roams the floor to help customers. “A person in line will wait a lot longer to receive money, but someone with cash in hand can grow impatient,” nick said.

commuNity suPPortfamily, friends, and local dignitaries came to the grand opening, which was dedicated to ron smith, the founder of usA Pawn. Attending the event were Jackson’s newly-elected mayor, tony Yarber; hinds County sheriff, tyrone Lewis; local councilman, tyrone hendrix; mississippi state Agriculture Com-missioner, Cindy hyde-smith; and mississippi state treasurer, Lynn fitch.

Good advicenick’s recommendations for anyone planning to ex-pand their store operation, “Budget for more than just the building, plan on multiple meetings, have dedi-cated team members, and do it right the first time.”

member News

bigger is better USA PAwn OPenS MegA StOre in JAckSOn, MS

012_Pawn Mega.indd 12 10/20/14 8:14 AM


NatioNal PawNbroker magaziNe met with mike meyer, owner of Purple Heart Pawn & gun, to discuss his journey from war-torn iraq to Fort worth, tX.

NatioNal PawNbroker (NP): Tell us about your background and how you got started in the pawn business.Mike Meyer (MM): in 2007, i stumbled upon an ad for a management position at College Station Pawn. i fell in love with the business and scrapped my plans of becoming a teacher/coach to be a pawnbroker.

after graduation, i worked for ez Pawn in Dallas, tX. a year later, my father and i opened Purple Heart Pawn & gun in Fort worth. i took the small, personal feel of College Station Pawn and the structure of ez Pawn to form a successful pawnshop.

NP: How did you come up with your store name, Purple Heart Pawn?MM: i joined the marines after high school and served with the 1st marine Division in iraq as an Infantryman (0311). While sweeping a field for our supply convoy, i was shot eight times by a single Fe-dayeen soldier in a small village southeast of bagh-dad called al azziziah iraq. later, i was awarded the Purple Heart medal and decided it would be an interesting story for our customers. we get a lot of veterans who come in just for the name.

NP: How do you keep on top of all the business decisions you have to make every day?MM: with as much regulation, compliance, and logistics that go on in the pawn and firearm industries, you really have to pay attention to the details. my best advice is: •Delegation - while in the marines, i learned to delegate tasks to others. •Checklists- i’m sure most of your readers have at least one or two in their office to help them remember the many things they need to do.

NP: What is your vision for your company?MM: we’re actually under contract to buy our second pawnshop in the Dallas/Fort worth area, so we’re ob-viously pretty excited for the opportunity to grow and expand our company.

NP: How do you get customers into your store?MM: we advertise through Yellow Pages, Yellow book, Facebook, twitter, etc., and we’re not ashamed to ask our customers to give us reviews. our online presence has been very successful.

NP: How do you give back to your community?MM: we donate money and merchandise to several area schools and also donate to several law enforce-ment organizations. we think it’s vital to have a good relationship with your local law enforcement, and who doesn’t like helping kids?

NP: Why are you a member of NPA?MM: we joined the NPa when we opened because the (member) Forum that the NPa provides is a great place to share and to learn from other pawnbrokers. most importantly, we needed a combined voice that our one store couldn’t provide. the ability to join forces with other pawnbrokers to help protect our business is extremely vital.

MeMber sPotlight

Purple heart Pawn & gunWounded Warrior Becomes PaWn store oWner

Mike Meyer (center) poses with his employees: Justin Pugh, consuelo Nava, Patsy Martinez, & c.J. Phillips

013_MemberSpotlight Purple.indd 13 10/17/14 3:38 PM

14 | NatioNal PawNbrokers associatioN | Fall 2014

member News

back to schoolNew Board MeMBers atteNd orieNtatioN

NPA’s Newest BoArd memBers attended an orientation program at the association headquarters in Keller, tX, september 10-11, 2014. the two-day educational training session, led by executive director, dana meinecke, enables new members to quickly assume an active role in associa-tion leadership by learning more about the organiza-tion and their responsibilities as a board member.

Attending members for this year’s program were: Kathleen Barbee Lombard Financial Services, Inc, Fort Worth, TX

Lauren Kaminsky E Z Pawn Corp, Long Island City, NY

Brian Moulton National Jewelry & Pawn, Durham, NC

Sam Shocket King’s Jewelry and Loan, Los Angeles, CA

Kathleen Barbee of Lombard Financial services in Fort worth, tX, said “Board orientation was a great opportunity to learn more about how the NPA Board of directors and staff serve the mem-bership. the dedication of each staff member is un-yielding and their passion for our industry is very encouraging. I look forward to continued work with the NPA staff, directors and membership.”

the orientation program included topics on board governance, finance, media, marketing, public rela-tions, and the NPA strategic plan for 2015. several staff members also gave presentations, including Lindsay wilson (Pawn expo), Helen moore (mem-bership), matthew Church (government relations), and margie swoyer (communications & marketing).

“I found the NPa Board of Director training to be very beneficial. Spending time with the NPa staff and getting to know specifically what projects each person is working on was an insider’s experience that I feel lucky to have partaken in. This also made me excited to represent the members of the association and learn what my duties will be as an official NPa Board of Director.“ – lauren Kaminsky, E Z Pawn Corp

sam shocket, kathleen barbee, lauren kaminsky, and brian moulton take a break after their orientation session.

New board members listen to lindsay wilson’s plans for Pawn expo 2015.

014_BoardMembers.indd 14 10/20/14 8:18 AM

Rapaport 1.indd 15 10/17/14 3:18 PM


The jewelry indusTry needs to rebuild its farm system for jewelry makers and bench jewelers—just like baseball uses its farm system to main-tain a deep bench of talented players. The jewelry Maker Career initiative (jMCi) plans to do the same for young men and women who may have the gift of good “hands” for jewelry making.

We’re going to find and inspire them to consider our field, test their aptitude and desire via a hands-on summer pro-gram, and then connect them to schools, apprenticeships, and mentors. They can get the help they need to succeed and hit home runs for tomorrow’s jewelry stores, manufacturers, and designers.

why is this Jewelry Maker career iNitiative (JMci) Needed right Now? • The national community of jewelry makers/bench jewelers is aging. Across America, retailers, designers, and suppliers are clamoring for well- trained, ready-to-perform jewelers. why? Thousands of jewelers who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s are beginning to retire.

• The ranks of younger jewelers dwin- dled over the past 30 years. Manufac- turing moved overseas; many retailers dropped their jewelry making and repair operations. Demand lessened, salaries did not stay competitive, and the number of jewelry makers declined.

• The trend to push all students towards college hurt professions like jewelry making. high schools cut shop classes and vocational training—or switched

to computer training. Trade schools closed. students with good hands went to college or technology insti- tutes instead.

• Custom-designed jewelry is exploding in popularity among consumers. Though many custom pieces are created/cast using CAD/CAM, there is still an ongoing need for jewelry makers to perform fabrication, stone setting, engraving, finishing, sizing, and repairs. The demand for these jobs is skyrocketing while the supply of jewelry makers is shrinking.

• The consumer desire for handmade, hand finished, and artisanal jewelry is growing, too, as affluent customers look for unique designs that are hand- crafted and made-in-usA products.

• The high cost of a college education makes it now out-of-reach for many students. some young people are instead learning to use their hands to develop craft and maker skills, and choosing careers that don’t require an expensive degree and the debt that goes with it.

the JMci Pilot PlaN for 2015•Findtherightcandidatesbydevel- opingapilotJMCINetworkof60+ jewelryfirmswithbenchoperations.

Using a JMCI-provided message, these jewelers will tout the benefits of a career as a jewelry maker to their local high school guidance counselors, vocational/trade schools, and consum-ers. jewelers will also administer to interested candidates a simple jMCi-

busiNess seNse

building a deeper benchThe Jewelry Maker Career InITIaTIve (JMCI)

Peggy donahueDirector, MJSa Education foundation

(Continues on page 17)

016-17_MJSA.indd 16 10/20/14 8:21 AM

Fall 2014 | NatioNal PawNbrokers associatioN | 17

busiNess seNse

provided dexterity test, proven by large jewelry firms to identify women and men with the potential to suc-ceed as jewelry makers.

• Inspire prospective jewelry makers by creating short JMCI-provided videos.

JMCI jewelers will use the videos to demonstrate how jewelry making takes place, and what it’s like to work in various industry environments, such as retail stores, manufacturing, and trade shops. It will show the cool machines, computers, and simple hand tools that connect them with thousands of years of jewelry-making history.

• Test their aptitude and desire by creating a 4-day, JMCI program entitled So You Think You Want to Be a Jewelry Maker?

The program, based at New Approach School for Jewelers, will allow students to try out/learn about: Sawing and Filing, Torch Use, Stone Setting, CAD/CAM, Casting, Industry History, and Design. A Ca-reer Day will be included detailing the job outlook; the paths their careers could take; and the further schooling, mentorships, and apprenticeships avail-able to them.

• Train, Apprentice, and Mentor by:Providing a list of industry schools where young

men and women can obtain the kinds of practical jewelry making skills that make them employable in a commercial environment.

Sustaining a JMCI-sponsored network of expe-rienced jewelers (both retired and still working) who are willing to take on apprentices or mentor young jewelers who have received initial training. These op-portunities could be in the form of the young jewelers’ first jobs or on a trial intern basis for a shorter period.

Future PlaNs: what comes aFter the Pilot Program?The Jewelry Maker Career Initiative will review its Pilot Program for fine tuning in late 2015 with the plan to continue the program. Funds for developing and maintaining the JMCI will be undertaken by the MJSA Education Foundation Fundraising Drive starting autumn 2014.

Generous support from New Approach School for Jewelers is also responsible for making the Jewelry Maker Career Initiative possible.

For more information, contact Peggy Jo Do-nahue, MJSA Education Foundation Director, at [email protected].

Strategic PlanLearn about NPA’s vision for the future

016-17_MJSA.indd 17 10/20/14 9:03 AM


The FFLGuard orGanizaTion is comprised of firearms-savvy lawyers, subject matter experts, and other firearms compliance professionals, all dedicated to keeping FFLs in business. We sat down with Christopher Chiafullo, National Coordinating Counsel for the FFLGuard program, to talk about FFLGuard and what pawnbrokers should know about firearms compliance.

NatioNal PawNbroker (NP): What are some of the problems facing FFL holders, in general, and more specifi-cally, pawnbrokers with FFLs?cHris cHiaFUllo (cc): The gun in-dustry is one of the most tightly regu-lated industries in the United States. FFLs are held to a very high standard, and the ATF can revoke your license because of a few clerical errors.

Pawnbrokers have to deal with a mass of state and federal laws regulat-ing all aspects of their business. Adding an FFL to the mix creates a complicat-ed record-keeping environment. Those who are seeking compliance assistance may not know where to turn.

NP: How can FFLGuard help?cc: The FFLGuard program protects its clients’ FFLs by delivering proac-tive compliance services utilizing our unique Advocacy and Risk Manage-ment (ARM) business model. The ARM business model provides the greatest possible protection for an FFL in a world where retaining your license should be the top priority.

NP: How is FFLGuard different from other compliance services?cc: With FFLGuard, our clients have legal counsel at all times. We use FFL-Guard-approved subject-matter experts and former ATF inspectors to work at counsel’s direction.

NP: Give an example of what a client might expect when they contact you.cc: We need to get to know you before you sign on with the program. We ask you about your operation and the compliance measures that you currently have in place.

If you are coming in cold, you will be accepted without delay. If you are coming in hot (you are involved in some kind of ATF action), then we need to ap-prove you as a “provisional client” after a review of your case, operation, ability to pay for our services, and potential to meet Program requirements if we “save” your FFL.

NP: What is the best advice you would give a pawnbroker who deals in firearms?cc: One of the things we tell our clients is, “You can be a record-keeper and not sell guns, but you cannot sell guns with-out being a record-keeper.” As a licensed gun dealer, compliance should always be your top priority. Good compliance starts with good record-keeping.

NP: What is the best way for NPA members to contact you?cc: They can visit our website at FFLGuard.com, or give us a call at (888) 335-4731.

veNdor sPotligHt

Peace of Mind to ProsperFFLGuard HeLps Licensed Gun deaLers stay in compLiance

chris chiafulloNational Coordinating Counsel, fflGuard Program

“You can be a record-keeper and not sell guns, but you cannot sell guns without being a record-keeper.”

018_Vendor Rolland.indd 18 10/20/14 8:23 AM

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business sense

As A pAwn store owner, you should be conducting at least one complete physical inventory each year. A merchandise or physical inven-tory is designed to obtain accurate information about the merchandise in your store. this will help you make informed business decisions and also help identify potential internal or ex-ternal theft problems.

we see many mistakes made while conducting merchandise inventory audits and have put together a list of the top five. By eliminating (or mini-mizing) these basic mistakes, your inventory audit will be much more organized and accurate.

Mistake #1: Failure to PlanAn inventory process needs to be planned before being conducted. plan-ning means making sure everything that is needed to complete the inven-tory is ready.

organize the merchandise in your store in a manner that can easily be counted. As an owner or store man-ager, you know your inventory better than anyone else, but will the person who counts the merchandise be able to find everything? Ask yourself: • Are all products available to be counted? • Is the merchandise priced properly? • Is any merchandise hidden from view?

Mistake #2: Inexperienced StaffingIf you contract an outside inventory

company, you expect them to conduct the inventory with as little help as possible. But how long do you want them in your store? Improper store staffing levels dur-ing an inventory can make a process that should normally take a day or two last as long as four or five days.

the secret to a successful inventory is to make sure your manager or expe-rienced employee is there for the en-tire inventory process. they can help the inventory team find merchandise on the floor or in the back room. The goal of the inventory audit should be to complete the inventory process as quickly and as accurately as possible so business will not be interrupted.

Mistake #3: Unverified MerchandiseIf you are conducting an inventory in your store and the merchandise can-not be verified, then the merchandise is missing. Comments such as, “that merchandise is out for repair,” or “It is being appraised,” may be true, but if you don’t go through the extra step of calling the vendor involved in the re-pair or appraisal, then you are leaving yourself open for future losses.

This goes for internet sales as well. If an item has been sold on the internet, you should have paperwork that proves it. In the past few years, the internet (“e-sales”) has opened up an entirely new avenue for employees to steal.

Mistake #4: Missing MerchandiseAccounting for missing merchandise can be one of the most aggravating mistakes when conducting an inventory. prior

Tony GalloSenior Director,Sapphire Protection

Alan DerrettDirector of Inventory and Business Process Improvement, Sapphire Protection.

Making it CountThe Top 5 InvenTory AudIT MIsTAkes

Tony Gallo has over 30 years of experience in the pawn and retail loss prevention, audit, safety, and risk/emer-gency management fields. Alan derrett is the director of Inven-tory and Business process Improvement for sapphire protec-tion with over 20 years of experience in pawn audit and inventory control, retail, firearm, and state/federal regulatory compliance fields. Contact them at sapphireprotection.com or follow them on Twitter @sapphireprotect


Fall 2014 | nATionAl PAwnbrokers AssoCiATion | 20

020,22_TonyGallo.indd 20 10/17/14 3:41 PM

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business sense

to the inventory audit, the store should correct its inventory system and write off any missing mer-chandise not in the store.

Mistake #5: Unmarked InventoryIf possible, unmarked inventory should be resolved prior to the inventory taking place. During the inventory, set up a “trouble area” for merchandise that is missing tags or stock numbers. After the inventory is completed, this merchandise should be compared to the missing merchandise list. Then a decision should be made by management to enter it back into the system as a new item or to dispose of it.

Worst MistakeThe most egregious mistake we have seen by man-agers and owners is not conducting an inventory audit at all.

Some of the reasons given for not conducting an inventory audit are, “I don’t want to know what is missing,” or “I don’t want to know that someone is stealing from my business.” We know audits are an expense in time, resources, and money, but the expense of an audit is minimal compared to not knowing if someone is stealing from your business.

Not only does not knowing what is in your inventory have profitability implications, but you expose yourself to ethical and integrity issues from both employees and customers. If you do not conduct an inventory audit, you are send-ing a message to your employees that you don’t care what happens to the merchandise. If your employees don’t see you placing value on the inventory in your store, they will place little value protecting it from theft.

We hope these tips will help you in your inven-tory management process. Remember to prepare, staff properly, verify, write-off and, most of all, conduct an inventory at least once a year.

Be safe and be profitable.

Fall 2014 | national Pawnbrokers association | 22

(From page 20)

Making it count

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The PawnSystem is a criminal’s worst enemy. The Time Lock automatically shuts down your PawnSystem at programmable times outside hours of operation. The Time Delay and Rapid Use Penalty features use time to thwart an armed robbery attempt.

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Nobody ever asked you to stop aNd hear the roses. there is a reason for that. our sense of smell is the most powerful of our five senses when it comes to emotion and memory. different smells tell us more clearly and directly when it’s time to slow down, enjoy, and feel good about an experience.

scentair helps businesses engage their con-sumers’ strongest sense to create tangible, positive results. As an Industry Partner member of Npa, scentair is working with pawnbroker locations across the country in an effort to create more pawn loan transactions per store as well as to improve their retail operations by fundamen-tally changing and improving the overall store experience.

How Scent Impacts Your Store Experience: • Connectswithbothcustomersegments– pawn loan and retail customers • Differentiatesitfromothershops • Promoteshighervalueperceptionofpawnloan experienceandretailgoods • Improvesoverallperceptionofstoreexperience • Increaseswordofmouth • Increasesdwelltime

but how and why does scent play such a pow-erful role in a consumer experience? our sense of smell is deeply connected to the emotional and memory centers in the brain. • Up to 75% of our daily emotions can be gener- ated by our sense of smell. • We remember what we see for around 30 days with about 40% accuracy, whereas we remember what we smell with 60% accuracy for more than a year.

When we think about a consumer expe-rience, retailers often overlook the sense that is most likely to improve a con-sumers’ mood and to more vividly recall

their experience. as a top priority, our customers in the pawn industry are generally looking to execute more pawn loans. to do so, there are certain critical elements of the experience, including scent, that are more likely to help make a first time customer feel good about the experience and then to positively remember the experience which leads to repeat visits and word of mouth.

a growing pawn loan brand in Georgia looks to scentair to enhance two key pieces of their business: • Differentiate them from their local competitors. • Establish a strong bond with potential loan customers.

they are also hoping to increase word of mouth advertising and create a higher value perception of the retail business by scenting their shop. the feedback from customers has been consistently positive and the operators are now looking at creating a signature scent for their locations to create a more consistent and positive brand experience.

scentair also helps companies that sell lightly-worn goods who seek to improve their consumers’ impression of their goods. For example, plato’s Closet, a Winmark Brand, uses ScentAir to improve their overall store experience. The fragrance in the

busiNess seNse

Get a whiff of This SCentAIrADDSMoretothePAwnStoreexPerIenCe

by edward burke, director of Marketing, scentair


023_Scent Air.indd 23 10/20/14 8:37 AM


busiNess seNse

Pawnbrokers are using Facebook more than ever, and they are citing an increase in sales and brand awareness as the primary reasons. but the way Facebook works is changing at a rapid pace. Many pawn store owners are surprised to learn their Facebook posts are not seen by all of their follow-ers. below are some valuable tips and information to make sure your posts break through to your customers by converting “likes” into sales.

comPaNy Posts seeN by Fewer FaNsin the early days of Facebook, busi-nesses used Facebook as a free market-ing tool. However, pressure to produce revenue changed the way the company operated. Facebook began to limit the number of posts that were “organically” seen in order to encourage companies to post more engaging content, photos and videos, as well as participate in paid advertising.

in 2012, Facebook stated that with-out paid promotion, “Company pages organically reach about 16 percent of their fans on average.” a recent study by ogilvy & Mather, an international advertising, marketing, and public relations agency, stated that companies’ posts dropped from 12 percent of their

followers in october 2013 to just six percent by February 2014. Tech blog, Valleywag, reported that Facebook is planning to eventually reduce this to just one to two percent of followers. This change will be a blow to pawn stores who have counted on it as a free market-ing platform.

PersoNal Page vs. comPaNy Page Many pawnbrokers started out by set-ting up a personal Facebook page on which they posted news and information about their businesses. There is now a “company” page where all business or marketing posts should be made.

You can manage your store’s Face-book presence without compromising your personal Facebook identity (or those of your friends) by using your personal account to manage the com-pany page. additionally, anyone who has liked your company page can be assigned an administrator role on the account. This feature will allow you and other staff members to manage the page.

the myth oF FacebookFacebook may not be the persuasive marketing tool that pawn stores once thought it could be. a recent gallup

emmett murphy3CliCk Media

Posting for ProfitUnderstanding the new Facebook


Top 5 Tips for Holiday facebook MarkeTing1 show how your pawn store can be a “curator” of great gift ideas to holiday shoppers who are overwhelmed with choices.2 be creative by using visual content—photos, memes and videos—to catch your customers’ attention.

3 Use bite-sized content and lists that offer value.4 Think about all of the holiday moments that will inevitably happen and plan your content in advance.5 Post useful solutions to your customers’ problems to reduce their holiday stress.

024_Facebook.indd 24 10/20/14 9:21 AM

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member news

During the past several months, the numismatic Crime information Center has as-sisted in the investigation of several coin and pawn store burglaries across the country. in each case, the quality of the recorded video was inadequate for law enforcement investigators and prosecutors to use for evidentiary or identification purposes.

store owners utilizing video surveillance as a crime prevention strategy should periodically evaluate their system to determine its effectiveness in identifying criminals during the commission of an armed robbery, burglary, fraud, or theft. sur-veillance video footage from a properly designed and maintained system should provide clear identi-fiable information to investigators during a criminal

investigation. surveillance cameras need to cover a wide area so they can provide valuable evidence including the criminal act itself, direction of travel, objects touched (for fingerprint retrieval), accom-plices, and potential witnesses.

the following information should be considered when maintaining a video surveillance system: • Identify current and future needs based upon operational requirements. • Maintain files on all video surveillance equipment and keep them for no less than four to six months.• Sketch out a floor plan to determine strategic camera locations. • Install/evaluate cameras at entrances and exits in order to provide clear views of anyone entering or leaving the business. • Provide video coverage to monitor areas where transactions and interactions occur between employees and customers. • Provide video coverage in safe and vault areas. • Consider ceiling-mounted dome cameras for overall views of shop. • Evaluate/test recording medium to insure adequate quality to identify offenders. • Make sure images produced are in a format that your local law enforcement agency can use. • Check system on a daily basis for clarity and proper operation. • Develop a retention schedule for stored data. • Train employees on system operations. • Develop a maintenance schedule conducted by a qualified technician.

smile for the CameraSurveillance equipment iS Key element in robbery, theft, and burglary inveStigationS

by Doug Davis, Founder/President NCIC, and Bryan Davis, Forensic Computer Investigator

27 | national Pawnbrokers assoCiation | Fall 2014


027,59_NCIC.indd 27 10/20/14 9:23 AM

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membershiP

New member benefit for 2015!SESCO ManagEMEnt COnSultantS tO PrOvidE FrEE HuMan rESOurCE SErviCES tO nPa MEMbErS

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•HandbooksforEmployees •HandbooksforSupervisors •JobDescriptions/JobEvaluation •LaborNegotiations •LeadershipDevelopment •ApplicantAssessments/Testing •ManagementAssessmentandAppraisal Programs(MAAP) •ManagementDevelopmentSeminarsand Workshops •CertifiedManagementTraining •NLRBInvestigations •OrganizationalDevelopment/TeamBuilding •OutplacementCounseling •PerformanceAppraisalSystems •PersonnelFormsDevelopment •PersonnelPolicy/ProceduresManual •Pre-EmploymentScreening,Background Checks,RecommendationsandInstruments •SexualHarassmentAwarenessTraining/ Investigations •EmployeeRetentionSystems •UnionVulnerabilityAudits •Wage-BenefitSurveys

•Unlimitedtelephone,research,fax,andemailconsultingonadailyorasneededbasis.This“hotline” isprovidedtomemberstosolveproblemsincludingdiscipline,termination,workers’comp,unemploy- ment,andotheremployeeproblemsonadailybasis.TheSESCOstaffalsoprovidesprofessionaladvice onallfederalorstatelawstoincludeequalemployment,wageandhouraccounting,FamilyandMedi- calLeave,AmericanswithDisabilities,harassment,andallotherlaborandemploymentlaws. •Freeanalysisofyourpersonnelpolicies,workrules,andemployeehandbooksonanannualbasis.The reviewisdesignedtodeterminecompliancewithfederalandstateemployment regulationsaswellastoproviderecommendationssoyourorganizationisprotectedandcandefend anyallegedwrongdoing. •Monthlyelectronicversionofournewsletter,TheSESCOReport •HumanResourcewebinars •EmploymentPosterCompliance

NPAHASNEGOTIATEDAFREEHUMANRESOURCEANDEMPLOyEERELATIONSconsultingprogramavailableforallmembers.SESCOManagementConsultants,theoldesthumanre-sourceandemployeerelationsconsultingfirminthecountry,willprovidethefollowingprofessionalser-vicesatnochargetomembers:

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membershiP

cash in on These savingsNPA ANNouNces New MeMber beNefits for 2015

Included in this comprehensive package: q Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Program for Pawnbrokers (for those who do not meet the Dealer in Precious Metals requirements) - $149 per member company/ $25 per additional location q AML Compliance Program for Dealers in Pre- cious Metals (combined with Pawn) - $229 per member company/$25 per additional location q 8300 trade and business policies and procedures

q Identity Theft Red Flags policy and procedure manual - $39.95 per member company/$10 per location q Complete Appendix including training logs, internal monitoring logs, and compliance of- ficercertifications q One hour of review and implementation q Discount on required annual independent review (Dealers in Precious Metals) - $400 per annum

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humaN resources services by sesco maNagemeNt coNsultaNts This human resource and employee relations program is available to all members and is free with your membership. Consulting services on a vast array of employee issues and an analysis of your personnel policies, work rules, and employee handbook are all provided at absolutely no charge to you. This service, valued at $2500, will save you hours of time by providing you with the information you need to stay in compliance. Plus, you will have peace of mind knowing your human resource practices are in place and up-to-date. Additional services are also available at a discounted rate.

title 31 us Patriot act comPliaNce Program by rmF coNsultiNg grouP RMF Consulting Group is proud to announce an exclusive arrangement forNPAmembersonly.RMFisofferingsignificantlyreducedpricesforacomplete Title 31 US Patriot Act Compliance Program which also includes Title 26 8300 rule requirements as well as Red Flags requirements.

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Member Forum: An online information exchange for pawnbrokers

Pawn Expo: “Learning never stops for today’s pawnbroker. From networking with pawnbrokers literally from around the world, timely educational seminars, and an

exceptional trade show with our industry specific vendors, Pawn Expo provides that unique opportunity to gain nuggets of information that will improve your operation, add to your bottom line and expand your knowledge base.” – Scott Amberg, EZ Pawn of Panama City, Panama City, FL

Verified Member Seal: Letting your customers know you are a “Professional”

Advocacy: Industry lobbyist and Regulatory Counsel in Washington, DC, alerts and notifications on developing issues

Federal & State Labor Law Posters: Assure you are in compliance with notification requirements

NPA PAC: Have a role in impacting legislative contests to protect the pawn industry

Mentor Program: “We’ve been NPA members for years but were having trouble managing the growth of our store. Our NPA mentor helped us avoid costly mistakes during this phase and our new systems will guide our growth in the future. I could not have asked for better support.” – Martin Strasser, Premier Jewellery and Loans Inc., Kelowna, B.C., Canada

Gift Day: Participate in NPA Gift Day by donating to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation

FBL: Sponsor college students through the Future Business Leaders scholarship fund

Pawn PR101: Prepare to interact effectively with the media with the Pawn PR101 handbook

“Our numbers have doubled since joining the NPA and I believe a lot of it has to do with the information and advice shared by the more experienced pawnbrokers. If I never attend another NPA

convention again, the Member Forum pays for my membership over and over again.”

- Scott Paulsen, Peninsula Pawn

New benefits for 2015• Education Certification Program - 40% Discount

• Anti-Money Laundering Manual and Red Flags Policy - $500

• Human Resources Consulting (unlimited telephone consultations) - $2500

• Young Professionals Group

Don’t let your NPA membership lapse. Renew today!

Remember to use these other NPA member benefits:

Send in your renewal form now or renew online at NationalPawnbrokers.org/Renew

Membership Ad.indd 31 10/20/14 9:45 AM

Member Forum: An online information exchange for pawnbrokers

Pawn Expo: “Learning never stops for today’s pawnbroker. From networking with pawnbrokers literally from around the world, timely educational seminars, and an

exceptional trade show with our industry specific vendors, Pawn Expo provides that unique opportunity to gain nuggets of information that will improve your operation, add to your bottom line and expand your knowledge base.” – Scott Amberg, EZ Pawn of Panama City, Panama City, FL

Verified Member Seal: Letting your customers know you are a “Professional”

Advocacy: Industry lobbyist and Regulatory Counsel in Washington, DC, alerts and notifications on developing issues

Federal & State Labor Law Posters: Assure you are in compliance with notification requirements

NPA PAC: Have a role in impacting legislative contests to protect the pawn industry

Mentor Program: “We’ve been NPA members for years but were having trouble managing the growth of our store. Our NPA mentor helped us avoid costly mistakes during this phase and our new systems will guide our growth in the future. I could not have asked for better support.” – Martin Strasser, Premier Jewellery and Loans Inc., Kelowna, B.C., Canada

Gift Day: Participate in NPA Gift Day by donating to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation

FBL: Sponsor college students through the Future Business Leaders scholarship fund

Pawn PR101: Prepare to interact effectively with the media with the Pawn PR101 handbook

“Our numbers have doubled since joining the NPA and I believe a lot of it has to do with the information and advice shared by the more experienced pawnbrokers. If I never attend another NPA

convention again, the Member Forum pays for my membership over and over again.”


New benefits for 2015• Education Certification Program - 40% Discount

• Anti-Money Laundering Manual and Red Flags Policy - $500

• Human Resources Consulting (unlimited telephone consultations) - $2500


Don’t let your NPA membership lapse. Renew today!

Remember to use these other NPA member benefits:

Send in your renewal form now or renew online at NationalPawnbrokers.org/Renew

Membership Ad.indd 31 10/20/14 9:45 AM

“Our numbers have doubled since joining the NPA and I believe a lot of it has to do withthe information and advice shared by the more experienced pawnbrokers.

The Member Forum pays for my membership over and over again.”


• Education Certification Program - 40% Discount

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membership news

Differentiating your business from other pawn stores must be your highest priority. it is how you will successfully meet the challenge of more competition. your objective is to position your store as the customer’s first and only choice.

There are four ways to differentiate your business: • Price – Customers view your prices as especially competitive. • Value – this represents the something extra that you offer, like special coupons, two-for-one offers, a “no questions” satisfaction guarantee, and other incentives. • Convenience – It must be very easy to do business with your store. • Trust – Customers view you and your staff as uniquely knowledgeable, dependable, and honest.

Establishing a bond of trust with your customers is, by far, the most powerful and long-lasting way to set your business apart and, therefore, demands most of your attention.

Think about other industries and professions. Let’s say you require surgery. several surgeons are available, but only one has earned the FACS (Fel-low of the American College of Surgeons) designa-tion. Who do you choose? If you need a retirement or estate plan, would just any financial planner do? Or might you select the one who is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)? Likewise, if you need a precious stone appraised, wouldn’t you prefer to engage a GIA Graduate Gemologist? The same will soon be true of pawnbrokers.

Consumers know that professional designations are important. earning one sets you apart. you have passed a rigorous examination, agreed to con-form to a code of conduct, and committed yourself to periodic continuing education to ensure that you always remain knowledgeable.

NPA is excited to share the design of the new CPP designation. In the future, it will become the recognized mark of distinction among those in our business. Because not all will pursue the designa-tion, those who do earn it will have differentiated themselves from their colleagues.

In the months ahead, we will share more exciting details of the CPP designation program. You will learn how the program is being created, how you can become involved, what topics will be included, and how you can take advantage of this new competitive resource. Look for more details in our next issue.

npA’s new Certified pawn professional DesignationSet YourSelf ApArt With NeW MArk of DiStiNctioN

32 | nAtionAl pAwnbrokers AssoCiAtion | fall 2014

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legal news

The DeparTmenT of Defense is currently proposing a rule to amend the regulations of the military Lending act (mLa). The mLa originally provided a benefit to servicemembers that limited the amount of interest that a creditor can charge on “consumer credit” to a maximum annual percentage rate of 36%. The proposed amendment to the mLa would extend these protections to apply to other types of creditors and borrowers. however, as of now, this extension will not apply to pawnbrokers. nevertheless, pawnbrokers should be aware of the ben-efits currently in effect under the Service-members Civil relief act, which provide certain protections for servicemembers who are called to active duty.

In 2003, Congress enacted the ser-vicemembers Civil relief act (sCra) to mitigate the hardships servicemem-bers face when called to active duty. Where applicable, the sCra sets an interest rate cap at 6% and places mul-tiple limitations on the enforcement of liens and other contractual agreements. These benefits apply to those service members who are called to active duty after pawning an item. In this case, the servicemember is entitled to the interest rate and forfeiture protections of the sCra. The sCra’s protections apply when the pawn customer is called to active duty and continue until 90 days after the customer’s active duty ends.

Imagine a scenario where a customer walks into your pawn store and pawns his watch. after pawning the watch, the customer is then called to active duty and is sent overseas for a year. During this year, the item is neither redeemed nor is interest paid. If you

sold the watch without first obtaining court approval you could be held liable for wrongfully violating the rights of a soldier called to active duty.

Courts typically view the protections provided by the sCra in a light most fa-vorable to servicemembers. for instance, in United states v B.C. enterprises, Inc., in a situation very similar to the one de-scribed above, the United states District Court for the eastern District of Virginia found that a towing company was strictly liable for seizing and selling at auction the vehicles of active duty servicemembers. as a strictly liable defendant, the tow-ing company was still responsible for its actions regardless of whether it exercised the utmost care in investigating the vic-tim’s military status.

finally, it is important to understand that the benefits of the SCRA only apply in situations where the servicemember is called into active duty after a loan is made. In order for the servicemember to receive the interest rate cap benefit, he must provide written notice to the pawnbroker requesting a reduction of the interest rate in writing along with a copy of the servicemember’s active duty orders. however, as it pertains to the benefit of limitations on the enforcement of liens, the servicemember has no duty to notify the pawnbroker.

a more detailed analysis of the sCra, along with many other topics pertain-ing to pawnbrokers, can be found in the new critically acclaimed book, federal Laws affecting pawnbrokers, co-au-thored by Dr. Wayne m. Babovich and Kurt a. offner. The book is available at lawofpawn.com.

Kurt a. OffnerAttorney at LawOffner, Scott & Inzina, APLC(504) [email protected]

Johnny Comes Marching Home…To the Pawn storeInformatIon on the SCra regulatIonS

fALL 2014 | naTiOnal PawnbrOKers assOCiaTiOn | 35

035_Legal News.indd 35 10/20/14 9:33 AM


busiNess seNse

One Of the mOst cOmmOn mistakes people make when applying for insurance is leaving off one of their busi-ness entities or providing an inaccurate/incomplete entity name.

At the top of every insurance policy is the named Insured. All your legal entities should be listed. It may be the name of a sole proprietor or a sepa-rate operating company. Or maybe it’s an LLc that owns your real estate or a separated company that employs your workers. In any event, all your business entities, including those you operate as a “DBA,” should be named on all your insurance policies.

When applying for insurance, ac-curately list all your businesses (and

locations) on a sheet of paper and hand the list to your insurance agent. have them confirm they are listed on all of your policies. sometimes, because of ownership differences or tax planning, it may not be possible to have all the business entities insured together on the same policies. If that is the case, just make sure your businesses are listed on the correct policy.

not all Insureds are the same. It can make a difference from policy to policy. Under a commercial General Liability (cGL) policy, automatic coverage is provided to the following if you are designated in the Declarations page of the Policy as:

scott sweeneyCommercial lines Coverage Specialist,Marshall & Sterling

so…who is insured?How to Make Sure Your BuSineSS iS Covered

Scott Sweeney is a Commercial Lines Cov-erage Specialist (CLCS) with Marshall & Ster-ling, one of the nation’s largest independent insurance agencies. Scott specializes in insurance for pawn-brokers, check cash-ers, and other unique businesses. Contact Scott at [email protected].

A. an individual - You and your spouse are insureds, but only with respect to the conduct of a business of which you are the sole owner.B. a partnership or joint venture - You are an insured. Your members, your partners, and their spouses are also insureds, but only with respect to the conduct of your business. remember to confer with your attorney as to whether it is in your best interest to have a business in your personal name or a partnership. You may be opening up all of your personal assets to attack as there is no legal curtain to stand behind as an individual, sole proprietor or a partnership.C. a limited liability company - You are an insured. Your members are also insureds, but only with respect to the conduct of your business. Your managers are insureds, but only with respect to their duties as your managers.D. an organization other than a partneship, joint venture or limited liability company - You are an insured. Your “executive officers” and directors are insureds, but only with respect to their duties as your officers or directors. Your stockholders are also insureds, but only with respect to their liability as stockholders.E. a trust - You are an insured. Your trustees are also insureds, but only with respect to their duties as trustees.

Lastly, there are two key points you need to pay special attention to:

You will only fit the definition of one of the above insureds if you or your business(es) are nAmeD on the declarations page of the policy or by endorsment to the

policy, commonly referred to as a named Insured(s).You are only an insured under the policy as respects your duties in the conduct of business for that named Insured.

1 2

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busiNess seNse

iPhones, iPads, and iPods can be very profitable for pawn shop owners, but they can also present a risk. Because of their value, they are often targeted by criminals. Apple’s recent “kill switch” feature has succeeded in reduc-ing iPhone robberies over 20131 in New York City, San Francisco, and London, but it has also made it more difficult to process i-devices, in general, due to pass-word and account verifications.

To help ensure you can properly pro-cess i-devices and to verify they aren’t stolen, the right procedures can make all the difference. We’ve talked with a large number of our SystemSaver Pawn customers and created a set of best prac-tices when dealing with these devices. Determine if the “Activation Lock” is on. If it is, it will prevent you from erasing and reactivating the device, so this is a critical step. a. Find the Electronic Serial Num- ber (also called an ESN) or IMEI. For iPads and iPods, you can locate the ESN or IMEI on the back of the device. For iPhones, go to “Settings,” “Gen- eral,” and then “About.” b. Enter the ESN or IMEI at www.icloud.com/activationlock/. Be sure the device has “Find my iPhone” turned off. a. Open “Settings” on the device. b. Choose iCloud. c. Set “Find my iPhone” to OFF. Remove the device from the iCloud account belonging to the pawn customer. Use any personal computer to accomplish this. a. Power the device off. b. Login at www.icloud.com using the customer’s iCloud credentials.

c. Choose “Devices.” d. Click the “Delete” icon for that device. Make sure the device is unlocked so that no four-digit PIN is required when turning on the device. To unlock the device, go to “Settings,” “General,” and toggle “Lock/Unlock.” Many pawnbrokers factory-reset devices before offering a collateral loan to limit liability during storage. Make sure it is VERY CLEAR to the loan customer that you will be reset- ting their device, so they don’t lose any important data. Use cleaning software, such as Wipe- Drive Mobile, to protect the customer’s information from being retrieved or recovered.

The loan customer can back up the device to iCloud BEFORE removing the device from their account to prevent loss of important information.

When a store follows the steps above, nearly all stolen devices will become ap-parent before a loan is given. If the pawn customer cannot gain access to the device due to a four-digit PIN, this is an indica-tor the device may be stolen. Likewise, if a client is unable to remove the device from their iCloud account, this is a huge red flag indicating the device is likely stolen. In many cases, offering access to wireless Internet at the store (for the pur-pose of removing devices from iCloud) eases the process for loan customers.

Most pawn customers need help to remove their device from their iCloud account, so be ready to offer them assis-tance. Exemplary customer service will help earn you a lifetime-customer.

For more information about White Can-yon’s products, visit whitecanyon.com.

todd kleinertacting Product Manager for SystemSaver Pawn, [email protected]

erase This MessageBest Practices for i-Device intake anD resale

1. http://online.wsj.com/articles/decline-in-theft-of-apple-iphones-points-to-kill-switch-1403217173

1

2

5

6

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039_White Canyon.indd 39 10/20/14 9:34 AM

With peak season upon us, the FBi Criminal Justice information service Division’s national instant Criminal Background Check system (niCs) section is announcing extend-ed hours of service on november 28, 2014, (“Black Friday”) for e-check us-ers and state point-of-Contact (poC) programs. to better accommodate the long standing history of record-breaking volume on this day, the FBi will bring the niCs in-service starting at 4:30 a.m. est for niCs e-check users and for state poC programs. the niCs Contracted Call Centers will open, as normal, at 8 a.m. est.

the niCs e-Check provides an improved user-friendly experience in navigating firearm checks and is a valuable tool for the FFL throughout the year, especially during the peak gun purchasing season. the niCs e-Check allows you to access the system from any computer or any browser. the FFL and/or manager receive administrative controls, which includes the ability to create and modify employee e-Check accounts. the niCs e-Check does not require a digital certificate to be down-loaded to your computer. this makes it easier to use the niCs e-Check from any browser using a computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc. You simply log in to the niCs e-Check using a user name and password.

the niCs e-Check still offers the same traditional benefits of utilizing the online method, many of which are listed below: • Ability to retrieve background checks 24/7 regardless of whether initiated on niCs e-Check or at the niCs Contracted Call Center • Ability to print completed NICS background check search requests

• The availability of messages regarding niCs operational status • Added customer protection against identity theft • Added safeguard against theft of license number and codewordto register to use the niCs e-Check, follow these instructions: • Visit the FBI NICS E-Check Web site at www.nicsezcheckfbi.gov. • Click on the link that states “Register to use the FBi niCs e-Check.” • Agree to the Terms and Conditions. • Complete the Account Request form. • Click on the “Registration” block at the bottom of the page. • An Account Request Confirmation page appears. • Click “Show populated enrollment form” block at bottom of page. • Print and sign the completed enrollment form. • Fax form to 1-888-550-6427 or e-mail it to [email protected]. • A user name will be e-mailed to the e-mail address you provided during registration. • Additional instructions will be provided in the e-mail on how to obtain your password.

***submit only one registration and enrollment form. this employee will be the administrative user and will create ac-counts for other employees. You may des-ignate other employees as primary users (administrative users) and they will also be able to create and modify accounts.

You may access the complete niCs E-Check User Guide at www.nicsez-checkfbi.gov. Click on the “access the FBi niCs e-Check help pages” link and then “user’s Guide (pDF).”

Kim BrownNICS SectionFFL Liaison [email protected]

compliance

nicS newsExtEndEd Hours for Black friday


FaLL 2014 | national pawnBroKerS aSSociation | 40

040,56_NICS Black Friday.indd 40 10/17/14 3:54 PM

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December is nearing, anD you know what that means: it’s time to get ready for the national Pawnbrokers association musical instru-ment gift Day!

on December 6, 2014, nPa is celebrating its sixth annual musical instrument gift Day when pawnbrokers from around the country make gener-ous donations of musical instruments to organiza-tions in need. Last year, gift Day worked with The mr. Holland’s opus Foundation to donate funds and new and gently used musical instruments to Lee High school in Huntsville, aL.

This year, the nPa is encouraging members to host their own local gift Day event. This grassroots approach will allow each pawnbroker to donate to an organization of their own choosing.

You caN’t afford to Not ParticiPatea gift Day event in your community will generate press coverage on a local and national level that will broadcast a positive image of your business and the pawn industry. •Researchshowsthatchildrenwhostudymusic excel in mathematics, language and reading development, and critical thinking skills. •Veteranshospitals,musicalgroups,Boysand girls clubs, or other organizations in need can greatlybenefitfromyoursupport. •Theaddedadvantageofataxwrite-offmakes yourdonationbeneficialtoeveryone.

sigN uPregister to host a gift Day event in your com-munity at giftDay.org. once you have registered, youwillreceiveaconfirmationemailfromanNPArepresentative and a copy of the “gift Day guide” to assist in planning, publicizing, and hosting your gift Day event. The guide includes gift Day logos, ideas for getting news coverage, tips for how to plan the “big day”, and much more.

This year, there are many ways to get involved: 1. Host a gift Day donation event in your community. 2. Form a coalition with neighboring pawn stores to pool donations. 3. make cash donations or ship high-quality, pre- owned (or new) musical instruments directly to theNPA’sofficialmusicalinstrumentcharity, The mr. Holland’s opus Foundation.

commuNitY relatioNs

spread the Joy of music ParticiPate in nPa Musical instruMent Gift Day on DeceMber 6

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Since 2009, hundreds of musical instruments have been donated to deserving schools, veterans organizations, and other groups in need.

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alabaMaManera saloom-branstetter, PresidentAlabama Pawnbrokers [email protected]

On OctOber 5-6, 2014, many alabama Pawnbrokers association (aPa) members met in birmingham, al, for the annual meeting. this meeting was to introduce new members to the as-sociation, renew membership collaboration, listen to informative speakers, and to continue sharing ideas among members.

Speakers included experts on recognizing inter-nal theft, social media advantages, and the value of collectible silver. the State of alabama banking De-partment gave a report on their annual audits to the membership. additionally, the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, and Firearms also generously gave us some time to ask questions to help maintain compliance.

Fran bishop and mike Weeks, the lobbyist for the aPa, led a very informative session about legislation on the horizon for pawnbrokers both locally and nationally. One hot topic discussed was the bank discontinuance that many members have already experienced nationally.

as always, we hope that everyone supports their local and national pawnbrokers’ associations and is involved in both the grassroots campaigns and the national campaigns that will continue to shape our industry. It is our continued collaborative efforts that will help ensure that the industry remains an intact and lucrative venture for future pawnbrokers.

illiNoiskelly J swisher, PresidentIllinois Pawnbrokers [email protected]

On September 14, 2014, the Illinois Pawnbrokers association (IPa) held its semi-annual fall meet-ing in champaign, Il. We had two great speak-ers: Jack brown, mid-States recycling, and bob Frimet, rmF consulting.

Jack gave an informative presentation on spotting fakes and frauds in the bullion/metals market. bob gave us an in-depth look at our anti-money laun-dering (aml) requirements and how we should be complying with them. We also discussed red Flag programs that affect every pawnbroker.

I think most pawnbrokers are under the assump-tion that if they don’t do large dollar loans (over $10,000), they don’t need to worry about an aml program. However, if you are a dealer in precious metals, you must have an aml program in your store even if you never write a loan for $10,000.

the IPa sent an invitation to every pawnbroker in the state (just over 265) with the exception of the publicly-traded companies. as usual, the IPa meet-ings were open to members as well as non-members, and we had nearly 40 pawnbrokers in attendance. this leads to a few questions that I would like to pose to pawnbrokers in Illinois. 1. Why wouldn’t you come to a free meeting that would teach you something about your industry that you may or may not know? 2. Why wouldn’t you want to have in-person access to your state regulators to ask them any questions you may have about how your operation is run? 3. Why wouldn’t you want to hear what is hap- peninginSpringfield?Wehavesomeserious issues on the horizon - things that are not going to be discussed in a magazine article until after they have been resolved.

the IPa has two meetings a year. It is not that much of a time commitment. Please consider coming to a meeting the next time you receive an invitation.

MissoUrirob lauerMissouri Pawnbrokers [email protected]

earlier this year I met with a delegation from the St. louis county Police Department. they asked if missouri pawnbrokers would consider a change to our statute that would allow customer

state association UpdatesWhAt’s goIng on Across the country

state News

048-49_StateUpdates.indd 48 10/20/14 1:15 PM


state News


information be given directly to law enforcement. They stated LeadsOnline is raising the fees to law enforcement by a very substantial amount and felt they could no longer afford the expense.

Currently, the law directs that customer informa-tion be given to a third party. However, our statute does not allow pawnbrokers or pawn customers to pay any fee to a third party. I voiced my concerns about privacy and said I could not recommend their proposal to the membership. I expect there will be an attempt at changing the statute in the upcoming legislative session and I have alerted our lobbyists and the new Speaker of the House.

FergusonThe rioting and looting that took place in Ferguson and surrounding neighborhoods did result in two pawnshops being looted. One store was damaged ex-tensively and hard goods were stolen. The other had building damage only. Even though we were directly in the middle of the protests, our store was extremely fortunate and suffered no damage due to the strong police presence on our parking lot. Thanks to the many pawnbrokers who contacted us to make sure we were all okay.

New Yorkeric Modell, President Collateral Loanbrokers Association of New [email protected]

Local Law 149 of 2013 was due to be enacted on September 16, 2014. This law would require, among other things, the uploading of transactional data to LeadsOnline. The Collateral Loanbrokers Associa-tion of New York (CLANY) filed a lawsuit challeng-ing the constitutionality of the law shortly after it was published.

The first step in our action was to obtain a tem-porary restraining order to stop the law from going into effect. In the weeks prior to the enactment date, CLANY reached a deal with the city to main-tain the “status quo” until the matter can be heard before a judge. That means pawnbrokers do not need to change their business practices at this time. Specifically, electronic records are not required, photographs are not required, and most important-ly, daily data transmissions of transactional records are not required.

Every pawn store in New York City should have a copy of the agreement. If you do not have one, please contact CLANY, and one will be provided for you. We remain confident that we will be successful in our litigation.

Pawn store operators in New York City are re-porting that NYPD and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) inspectors are still coming to their stores informing them of the need to participate with LeadsOnline. In several cases, NYPD and DCA have issued summonses and/or violations to these businesses. These will be dismissed. CLANY is ask-ing all pawn stores, regardless of membership status, to inform us if, and when, law enforcement pushes operators to participate with LeadsOnline or, more importantly, if they issue a violation or summons. Any violation or summons issued is a breach of the agreement, and it is essential that CLANY be in-formed as to these events so that they can be included as part of our complaint.

oHiolou tansky, PresidentOhio Pawnbrokers [email protected]

We have just ended our national, state and local mid-term elections. The lame duck session we currently find ourselves in is a time we need to be particularly attentive and observant about what is going on in the Ohio State House.

Those who would seek to harm our members, inde-pendent pawn licensees in Ohio, might find this a good time to try to get harmful amendments introduced into pending legislation. We must remain vigilant.

How do I do this, you ask? We continue practic-ing the grass roots politics we have done for many years. We have been successful in curtailing the efforts of large, publicly owned, out-of-state payday and pawn operators who have tried to put us out of business.

Continue to make those calls to your current or recently elected legislators. Invite them to your place of business. Remind them that you supported them and ask that they support you. Ask them to commit to protecting you from the numerous attempts from other companies to radically change our Ohio Pawn-brokers Act. Remind them about: • limiting new licenses to three cities in the state (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati)

048-49_StateUpdates.indd 49 10/20/14 11:47 AM

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ESTATE & SIGNED JEWELRY LARGE PRECIOUS GEMS BROKEN DIAMONDS

FANCY COLOR DIAMONDS LARGE OFF COLOR DIAMONDS

Steven Galapo Diamonds LLC

Ph: (212) 221-3000 Fax: (212) 858-5758

576 5th Avenue, Suite 405 New York, NY 10036

[email protected] www.galapodiamonds.com

FREE INSURED SHIPPING IMMEDIATE PAYMENT

Call us for a free consultation, weʼre always available to answer any diamond questions.

Steven Galapo ad.indd 52 10/17/14 3:32 PM


commuNity relatioNs

Attending college cAn be A finAnciAl drain on families. if you know a family or student who could use some extra help with their college expenses, consider sponsoring them for one of the $1,000 future business leaders (fbl) scholarships.

each year, nPA selects scholarship winners based on academic performance, community leadership, and a written essay. Since 2003, fbl has awarded $125,000 in scholarships to deserving students. As a member of the nPA, this is an excellent opportunity for you to give back to your community.

You can find the guidelines and application form at nationalPawnbrokers.org under the community Relations tab. the deadline to receive applications is April 25, 2015.

if you do not know anyone to sponsor, but would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, send your check to nPA, Po box 508, Keller, tX, 76244.

For credit card donations, call the NPA office at (817) 337-8830. More details and information on past scholarship winners can be found on the nPA website.

Help a student in NeedNow AcceptiNg FBL SchoLArShip AppLicAtioNS For 2015

FBL scholarship recipient Daniel Rovak (second from left) poses with Gary Rovak, Carmencita Schoeneman, and David

Schoeneman, from Shane’s-The Pawn Shop, Chicago Heights, IL.

053_FBL.indd 53 10/17/14 4:00 PM

Midwest Pawnbroker’s Conference & Convention

May 16-18, 2014 Booth - 30

JCK Exhibition 2014June 1-4, 2014 Booth - B4446

JIS Miami Beach ShowOctober 11-14, 2014 Booth - 1317

California Pawnbrokers Association (CAPA)October 24-26, 2014

Padmavati FP.indd 54 10/17/14 3:33 PM


state News

•proximitylimitations •drasticallyincreasedmonetaryrequirements •increasedinterestcharges •reportingandholdingtimechanges •state-sponsoredgovernmentbailoutofthis companythatinventswaystoharmtheinde- pendentpawnlicenseeRememberyourlegislatorsactuallydowantto

hearfromyou.Yourjobistohelpsaveyourbusinessandthatbeginswithgettinginvolved.

oreGoNJosh ollerOregon Pawnbrokers [email protected]

AllofusattheOregonPawnbrokersAssocia-tion(OPA)wouldliketogiveahugeroundofapplausetoEarlOller.Earlhadavision30yearsagoofanassociationthatwouldhelpregulate/guidepawnshopsinOregon.Hetookituponhimselftocreateandactivelyserveaspresidentoftheassociation.Earlwasinstrumentalinhelpingcreatepositive

legislationforthepawnindustry,andoncount-lessoccasions,lobbiedtodefendagainstnegativechanges.Withhishardworkandpersistence,hehaschangedthewayourindustryworksandisviewedbytheOregonLegislatureandcommunityatlarge.Wecan’tthankhimenoughforallhishardworkandinsight.TheOregonPawnbrokersAssociationisproudto

welcomeournewpresident,SteveSousa,ownerofAllThatGlitters,andlongtimeOPAmember.Wewishyouluck,Steve,andknowyou’lldoEarlandtheassociationveryproud.

soUtH caroliNaJanis Feazelle, PresidentSouth Carolina Pawnbrokers [email protected]

PawnbrokersfromSouthCarolina,NorthCaro-lina,andGeorgiaturnedoutinGreenville,SC,forthe2014SoutheastRegionalTradeShow&Con-

vention.Thisexcitingthree-dayconventionwasfullofeducationalseminars,exhibitors,food,andtheall-entertainingauctionfundraiseranddinner.Thankyoutoallourexhibitorswhosupportedusinthisimportantannualeventandtotheattend-eeswhogavetheirtime.What’sthisabout,“Youwillneverknowuntilyougo?”Ourstatemeetingwaswellrepresented.Aswas

reported,ourstateisfacingsomemajorlegislativechallengesforthe2015legislativesession.IfyouhavenotjoinedtheSouthCarolinaPawnbrokersAssociation,nowisthetime.BeinformedandbeapartofthechangethatWILLaffectallpawnbro-kersinSouthCarolina.ContactJanisFeazelleat(866)438-7296forcompletedetails.

(From page 49)

state association Updates

048-49_StateUpdates.indd 55 10/20/14 1:18 PM


comPliaNce

If you have questions regarding the NICS E-Check, please contact the NICS E-Check Customer Service at 1-877-FBI-NICS (324-6427), option 2, and then option 5.

All other questions may be directed to Kim Brown, Liaison Specialist, at (304) 625-7387, or via e-mail [email protected] or Jill Montgom-ery, Supervisory Liaison Specialist at (304) 625-8252 or via e-mail [email protected].

(From page 40)

Nics News

Pawn and Precious Metals Compliance

IRS Compliance Audit Guidance

Check Cashing and Payday Loan Turnkeys

w w w . c h e c k c o n s u l t a n t s . c o m

Full ServiceYour

CompanyConsulting

1-866-204-7209Serving the pawn

community since 2005

040,56_NICS Black Friday.indd 56 10/20/14 12:47 PM


caleNdar of eveNts

membershiP

dana meineckeExecutive [email protected]

helen mooreDirector of [email protected]

lindsay wilsonDirector of Meetings and [email protected]

margie swoyerDirector of Communications and [email protected]

matthew churchGovernment Relations [email protected]

terri congletonAdministrative [email protected]

mailing addressPO Box 508 Keller, TX 76244

Physical address891 Keller PkwySuite 220Keller, TX 76248

Phone: (817) 337-8830Fax: (817) 337-8875NationalPawnbrokers.org

1/2015SHOT SHOwJanuary 20–23Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NVshotshow.org

4/20152015 Dixie COnFerenCe& TraDe SHOwapril 18-19The Peabody Memphis, Memphis, TNContact: Kevin [email protected]

nPa legiSlaTive COnFerenCeapril 29Washington, DCContact: Matthew ChurchMatthew@National Pawnbrokers.org

5/20152015 MiDweST PawnbrOkerS COnvenTiOnMay 15-17Chicago Hilton/Indian Lakes Resort, Bloomington, ILContact: Ron Stempkowski [email protected]

7/2015Pawn exPO 2015July 7-9The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NVContact: Lindsay Wilson [email protected]

NPa staff

Take advantage of this free program with one of the na-tion’s leading experts. Have peace of mind knowing that your human resource systems and practices are not only compli-ant, but effective.

For more information, contact SESCO Management Consultants, (423) 764-4127, or Jamie Hasty, Vice Presi-dent, at [email protected].

(From page 29)

New member benefit for 2015!

057_CalendarStaff.indd 57 10/20/14 10:27 AM

Tulsa Gold CS3.indd 58 10/22/14 1:04:56 PM


member News

The benefits of maintaining a quality surveil-lance system with well-placed video security cameras are the first line of defense for business owners. Just the mere fact of owning a system minimizes the risk of illegal activities, enhances a safe working environment, and provides law en-forcement with a recording medium good enough for identification and prosecution.

The Numismatic Crime Information Center is a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to serve as a national and international resource for collectors, dealers, and law enforcement in the education, prevention, and investigation of crimes involving coins, paper money, tokens, medals, and related numismatic items. www.numismatic-crimes.org P.O. Box 14080 Arlington, Texas 76094.

(From page 27)(From page 23)

smile for the cameraGet a whiff of This

Poll, State of the American Consumer, discovered that 62 percent of U.S. adults who use social me-dia claim that sites like Facebook have absolutely no influence on their purchasing decisions. 30 percent of adults say that social media has some influence while only five percent say they have a great influence.

So is social media a poor advertising solution, or have businesses simply been using it poorly? While Gallup suggests that customers don’t flock to social media to engage with businesses, consumers are more likely to be engaged when brand related posts are authentic, responsive, and compelling.

Paid advertisiNG & eNGaGiNG coNteNtThe best way for pawn stores to have a deep reach into their followers’ base is through paid advertis-ing on Facebook. Facebook provides an ad service that allows businesses to create a daily budget to promote or “boost” a post. For as little as a few

dollars per day, you can dramatically increase the visibility of a post.

Be selective about which posts you choose to boost. A surefire way to alienate your followers is by trying to fill their news feeds with advertising. Paid advertis-ing cannot make up for good content, so using high quality images, compelling content, and a conversa-tional tone will increase the amount of people that engage with your post.

Stick to the “3-2-1” formula. Out of every five posts: • Three can be shared news or articles from existing online sources. • Two should be original, non-promotional content that you create. • One can be an advertising or promotional pitch.

This formula ensures that your followers won’t be overwhelmed or annoyed by promotions and will have the opportunity to engage with your business on a more personal and social level.

(From page 24)

Posting for Profit

busiNess seNse

busiNess seNse

store also assists in removing the perception often associated with resale stores and creates an envi-ronment that is fashion driven.

ScentAir specializes in delivering the right scent, the right way, in the right place, and at the right time. Scent is the most powerful of our five senses and it has the potential to help you tell an even more compelling story to your customers and potential customers. Please reach out to us at [email protected], or at scentair.com to find out more.

uBlack Tea Fig uGolden Bamboo uVanilla Woods

uWhite Tea FiguA Walk in the Woods

Popular Scents for the Pawn Industry:

027,59_NCIC.indd 59 10/20/14 10:36 AM


index of advertisersaDVertiser Page

aaria 3(248) 961-0506AriaDiamonds.com

abc Diamond buyer 5(586) 354-7274ABCDiamondBuyer.com

bluestone trading 37, Back Cover(888) 800-BLUE (2583)Bluestone-Trading.com

The buyers 56(562) 945-7276TheBuyers.com

compuPawn 11(866) 545-9868CompuPawn.com

Dillon Gage 38(888) 436-3489DillonGage.com

Garfield refining 51(800) 523-0968GarfieldRefining.com

Garrett Metal Detectors 21(800) 527-4011Garrett.com

Gemological institute of america 53(800) 421-7250GiA.edu

Hi-tech Precious Metals 26& refinery(866) 950-7528HiTechPMR.com

Hover & strong 42(800) 759-9997HooverandStrong.com

international inside Front CoverGemological instituteiGionline.com

aDVertiser Page

National shooting sports 47Foundation (855) 355-7468 ShotShow.org

North american Metals 55(800) 773-1626NorthAmericanMetals.com

Padmavati exports 54(212) 869-0544PadmavatiExportsinc.com

Palak Diam 34(213) 228-0077PalakDiamond.com

Pawnshop academy 51(210) 787-2536 PawnShopAcademy.com

Pawnshop consulting Group 19(954) 540-3697PawnshopConsultingGroup.com

rapaport auctions 15(212) 354-9800RapaportAuctions.com

rapaport Jewelry sales 46(212) 354-9800RapaportAuctions.com

rMF consulting Group 56(866) 204-7209CheckConsultants.com

rolland safe 22(800) 225-2984RSlc.net

sanghavi Diamonds 50(800) [email protected]

stallcup Group 8(817) 479-3880StallcupGroup.com

aDVertiser Page

steven Galapo Diamonds 52(212) 221-3000GalapoDiamonds.com

stuller 25(800) 877-7777Stuller.com

The trendz 33(866) 337-7464TheTrendz.biz

tJs 32(877) 40 SHRiNKTJS.com

tulsa Gold & Gems 56, 58(800) 222-0573TulsaGold.com

United exports 41(305) 707-7937UnitedExportsNA.com

United Precious Metal refining 45(800) 999-3463UnitedPMR.com

wexler insurance inside Back Coveragency(800) 432-1853Wexlerinsurance.com

white Pine 28(646) 666-7588WhitePineDiamonds.com

worldwide Diamond 9(213) 622-2191WWDiamond.com

The NPA does not specifically endorse any entity including but not limited to exhibitors and advertisers; makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees; and assumes no responsibility for the products or services provided by these entities. The NPA expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising from the use or the performance of the products or services provided by these entities.

060_Index.indd 60 10/20/14 2:17 PM

We pay based on your choice of the following:v Actual cost of the loan plus legally accrued interest

v Replacement Cost

v 2 or 3 times pawn value

No Coinsurance for:v Pawned & Owned Guns & Jewelry

or Other Stock

v Business Personal Property

Available Coverages:v Pawned & Owned Jewelry

& Guns

v Pawned & Owned OtherStock

v Memo

v Products Liability for Guns & Ammunition

v And many more see back page

Wexler InsuranceAgency, Inc.1120 Ponce de Leon Blvd.Coral Gables, FL 33134Tel: 305-445-5050Fax: 305-448-8189

Nationwide: 1-888-4-WEXLER 1-800-432-1853

E-mail:[email protected]

New York Office580 Fifth AvenueSuite 715ANew York, NY 10036Tel: 212-391-5211Fax: 212-391-5212

California Office2711 East Coast Hwy.Suite 106Corona del Mar, CA 92625Tel: 949-723-3835Fax: 949-723-3839

Ohio Office7363 E. Kemper Rd.Suite C & DCincinnati, OH 45249Tel: 513-891-2131Fax: 513-891-2132

INSURING PAWNBROKERS SINCE 1968INSURING PAWNBROKERS SINCE 1968

The Best Coverage at Competitive Prices

WEXLER INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.

CALL 1-800-432-1853 FOR AN IMMEDIATE QUOTE OR VISIT US AT WWW.WEXLERINSURANCE.COM

Ask aboutour exclusive

Workers Comp program for

Pawnshops which is available in all

50 states.

Wexler FP.indd 37 10/17/14 3:35 PM

We rock, because here in Cleveland we take buying modern and vintage jewelry and diamonds seriously. Very seriously.

You roll, because no matter where you’re located you’re treated to great prices, free shipping and same day wire payments.

Start Rock & Rolling today by visiting us online or calling us at 888 800-BLUE (2583).

888 800-BLUE (2583) • www.bluestone-trading.com • [email protected]

Bluestone ad.indd 62 10/17/14 3:25 PM

National Pawnbroker Magazine Fall 2014

Documents

Transcript of National Pawnbroker Magazine Fall 2014