From WorchesterMag.com: When it comes to business, Asmar Akman says honesty is the best policy. “Stay honest, be straightforward, and don’t ever exaggerate what you can promise,” says Akman, the 42-year-old jeweler and the owner of Pleasant Pawn Shop. “If you say you’re going to do something, you have to do it. Credibility is everything.”
That’s important when you’re in the pawn business, especially under current economic conditions. The pandemic and the large-scale job losses that have come with have been a source stress for many Worcester residents.
That stress has brought many to the pawn shop, but not for the reasons Akman thought they would. When the pandemic hit, Akman predicted there would be a jump in people seeking loans, not gold or diamonds, but surprisingly that was not the case.
After the first round of stimulus had been sent out, customers came in looking to invest in items of long-term value over pawning for immediate cash. “When the stimulus checks were distributed, we saw very few loans given out, and contrary, there was a big spike in gold and jewelry sales,” Akman said.
Read the full story at WorchesterMag.com: https://www.worcestermag.com/story/lifestyle/2021/01/13/pleasant-pawn-shop-owner-asmar-akman-sees-investment-gold-top-loans/4077483001/
