I can’t be the only one it’s occurred to that skateboarding seems to have dodged its historical cycle of disappearing and being reborn every ten years. I think that’s a good thing, though shrinking to nothing and more or less starting over had the advantage of letting everything be fresh and rediscovered. True, sales fell from […]
Living in the Past- Or Not; The New Old Skateboarding Read More »
That’s actually the way he put it to me. Many years ago, the CEO of a company that had been in deep financial trouble and had clawed its way out said, apparently in frustration with my failure to understand his concept, “You don’t understand, the cash flow is a living, breathing thing.” Now I know he
A Living, Breathing Thing; Cash Flow Management Read More »
Hi, I’m back. This was just too interesting not to inflict myself on. And I imagine O’Brien couldn’t find anybody else willing to touch it. From the last issue of TransWorld Biz, you may remember that our hero, Sean Kennedy of New Zealand, had started a company called Coastline owned by, so far, 42 core surf shops
Self Help for Core Retailers; The Coastline Model Read More »
For a while now, I’ve been carrying around in my back pocket the National Sporting Goods Association’s 2004-2005 Cost of Doing Business Survey. I have no idea why they call it that since it obviously doesn’t contain any numbers from either 2004 or 2005. Well, never mind. They do it every other year and collect
“Hey Look! Real Retailer Numbers!” What’s to Learn From Them? Read More »
That unsolicited quote is from the President of a snowboard brand that you all know and that’s been around for a while. It would generally be considered successful. I consider it successful. It’s not the first time I’ve heard the comment. I’ve responded by agreeing and by explaining why it was true. Over the years I’ve had some suggestions
“Jeff, This is a Hard Business!” Why Is That and What Can You Do About It? Read More »
At the Surf Industry Conference last May, I was the last one to ask a question of a panel of very successful specialty retailers. I acknowledged that I was sure they would all continue to be successful, though I doubted they were representative of most retailers out there. And then I asked them, “So what happens in
Company Stores and Retail Consolidation; What’s a Core Store to Do? Read More »
Yes, the scuba diving industry. Maybe nine months ago Fran Richards, former VP at TransWorld and somebody whom I consider one of the best intuitive marketing guys in action sports, called me up and said, “Hey Jeff, I’ve given your name to the guys at the Dive Equipment Manufacturers Association!” “Uhhhhh, thanks Fran, that’s great, I
The Enthusiast Cycle; Lessons From the Scuba Diving Industry Read More »
Ain’t business grand? You’ve got a choice of something over 100 snowboard brands to sell in your shop. ‘Course, 20 of them will be gone by the time the snow melts and next year there’ll be 35 new ones. Delivery, not to mention service, is uncertain. Some of those new companies will be only as real as the
Buying Smart; Selecting Among Snowboard Brands Read More »
If your typical day is a series of disruptions and interruptions like that of many small business owners, then you may find yourself having difficulty controlling your business and knowing with certainty where you stand on a day to day basis. All businesses face challenges. Those challenges are most easily met if focused on early. What starts out
Purposeful. In a word, that’s how I’d describe the show. There was the quiet hum of business being done and if the aisles weren’t as full as I’ve seen them in the past, and the noise level was somewhat subdued, it was because the booths were full of people focused on doing business. Sure, I miss the good
China, Small Brands, Inventory; Visions from Vegas Read More »