Deficit mentality is holding our customers back!
March 9th, 2010
Boat sales appear to have gotten a boost from the winter boat shows. Good news, for sure. But, you gotta be in a coma not see why our unit sales still aren’t even close to what they should be. (Read More…)
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IMTA just won’t quit on legislative goal
March 4th, 2010
Persistence! It doesn’t matter what state you’re in, beneficial legislation for the boating business can be accomplished if you won’t quit on it. (Read More…)
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A lesson from Walmart and the blueberry affair
March 2nd, 2010
Walmart had a special going on fresh blueberries — just $2.50 a pint. So, Frank Mauer headed for his nearby Port Richey (Fla.) Supercenter. But, when he got there all the blueberries were gone. So, Mauer figured he’d just get the blueberries another time and asked for a rain check. That’s when things went south! (Read More…)
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NMMA gets involved in coastal policy development
February 25th, 2010
This is the third and final blog, for now, concerning the new Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force created by the White House (see Dealer Outlook from Feb. 18 and Feb. 23). (Read More…)
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The complexity of ocean management
February 23rd, 2010
In last Thursday’s blog, I began examining the new Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force created by the White House and charged with developing a new national policy that “ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes.” (Read More…)
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High stakes in new ocean and coastal policy development
February 18th, 2010
Part 1: Remember the days when we guys would push the gas pedal to the floor and “burn rubber” when the light turned green? It would draw lots of attention, but we were often trying to get somewhere too fast. (Read More…)
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Good show results from the Northwest and Southeast
February 16th, 2010
Encouraging results continue to come in from major winter boat shows. The latest from opposite corners of the country — Miami and Seattle. (Read More…)
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Credit unions vs. banks: Another David & Goliath challenge?
February 11th, 2010
For some time we’ve believed our nation’s credit unions could be an untapped source of funds for small businesses like boat dealerships. Apparently they do, too. Although it hasn’t made headlines, credit unions are currently conducting a campaign to lift a cap that restricts their ability to lend to small businesses. (Read More…)
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Will consumers be big spenders again?
February 9th, 2010
Bookstores are loaded with titles these days declaring the country and economy will never be the same. This great recession has changed us forever, authors proclaim — our “new normal” will be as frugal shoppers and savers. (Read More…)
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Where did all the boat show leads go?
February 4th, 2010
We’ve had enough reports from our January boat shows to know they’ve been better than expected. Great news! Even better, reports from virtually all shows indicate a definite improvement in prospect quality over last year when show visitors wouldn’t even talk to us! (Read More…)
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