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Tackling The Snowboard Industry Buy/Sell Cycle Are We Trying to Fix the Wrong Problem?

Snowboarding

The buy/sell cycle seems to be on everybody’s mind these days. The brands are concerned because the decline of in season orders means they have to take more inventory risk. Retailers, on the other hand, are thrilled to be able to get quality product in season at discounts, though are perhaps concerned that it’s tougher to hold […]

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Money: That’s What I Want. Sources of Capital for a Growing Business

Finance and Funds Flow

If your only business is snowboarding, you need money for three reasons. First, your business should grow at least as fast as the industry, and that growth translates into more cash tied up in the business. Second, extreme seasonality and the extended dating customers are demanding requires more working capital. Finally, tough competitive conditions are probably reducing margins,

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Getting In Deep Trouble; Why Companies Get There, and What it Takes To Recover

Finance and Funds Flow, Financial Management

It doesn’t matter if you’re a retailer, distributor or manufacturer. It doesn’t even matter if you’re in the snowboard business. In every industry, companies get in trouble for the same basic reasons, and require the same things to recover All businesses in trouble share two characteristics: denial and perseverance in the face of inescapable change. It’s easy to

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Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde; The Dilemma of the Skateboard Factory Owner

Financial Management, Skateboarding

“Blanks are killing the industry.” “Yeah, but they give the skater a good deal.” “But pros are what builds the industry, and we can’t support pros on blank margins.” “The problem is that we have too many pros to support.” Etc., etc., etc. In this highly emotional debate, there’s some truth to everybody’s position. A lot of people seem to

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Trade Shows Again, Kind of

Trade Shows

Following Vegas, in the last issue for the season of TransWorld Snowboarding Business, I wrote about trade shows and the issues we have with them. To make a long article short, I basically said, “We’re screwed!” Lot of people agreed with that, which was hardly a surprise. But I was bothered all spring and into early summer

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China- Whether We Like It or Not. What’s to Do?

Strategy

 Okay, let’s review the rules.   1)            The consumer eventually gets what they want to the extent the market is capable of providing it. 2)            Companies do whatever they perceive will give them a competitive advantage, or at least let them survive. 3)            The less real differentiation there is among products in the same product

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Changes in the Skateboard Competitive Environment. Time to Run Your Business Differently?

General Management, Skateboarding

It’s interesting how a handful of events and business trends seem to be converging in skateboarding at this time. They have, I think, the potential to change the industry and how it does business. The consumers, as always, will get what they want. For some companies- usually those willing to take a risk and do something a little

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