ScubaGadget - The Deep Background on Scuba

What do our stories teach us?

Whenever I talk with a dive shop or dive charter owner about their business it is rare not to hear the following two sad clichés. Both allude to why they are not getting rich in the SCUBA biz. One is the simple phrase, “It is a labor of love;” which could be translated as, “I am not making money doing this.” The second is the rhetorical joke, “How do you make a million dollars in the SCUBA business? You start with four million.” There is a rope of negativity that is pervasive throughout the scuba industry that ties together pessimistic business owners and gives them communion with their floundering colleagues. It is like they are sporting a badge of honor to show that they are all still in the poor dive shop owners club for which their only comfort is realizing that everyone else is also struggling. It calls to mind the phrase from the old Pogo comics, “We have met the enemy and it is us!”

“The SCUBA business if tough,” is another mantra muttered from the collective unconscious of dive shop owners.  But pay attention. What business is easy? If you can think of one business that is easy to own and manage, then you have never talked with anyone in that business.

Sure, even during the boom economy, there were a lot of proprietors struggling and some that never should have gotten into the SCUBA business.  But now it is again as Thomas Pain said of previous times, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” And, SCUBA shop men (and women) are all undergoing a forced stress test. During a recent phone campaign to invite SCUBA retailers to a DEMA (Diving Equipment & Marketing Association ) meeting to help them learn how succeed in the SCUBA business, callers found that many numbers were already disconnected.  Paradoxically however, they did reach many dive business and very few attended this valuable seminar.

But bad news in not the only news.

For a variety of reasons other shops are succeeding during the slump and will weather the economic storm surge. Divers are not diving less. They are diving more. Sure, they are not buying as much and may be choosing economy trips; but with a bit of understanding, skills, creativity, and  a good attitude you can join them.
Some of the most profitable ideas that can help you grow your business are simple and easy to find. There are also a surprising number of free or cheap resources that most dive business owners never make use of. One of the major reasons most dive business owners never find the forest of helpful business resources all around them is because they think SCUBA first and business second. Many owners live in a world of business myths (like the popular “our competitors are our enemies”) because they never take time to explore the realities. If you do not challenge these myths you may become what we affectionately call “the ‘bizzaro’ dive shop owner” (as in Bizzaro Superman). What ever one should do to succeed in the SCUBA business, bizzaro dive shop owner does the opposite. We will explore these myths that lead to failure and the steps to success in future installments. We will be interviewing dive business owners from around the world and bringing you their collective knowledge, tips and pitfalls.

Attitude

But first allow me to relate my all time favorite business parable…  One to the early globalized companies, the Bata shoe company, wanted to expand to newly explored areas of Africa. They sent two salesmen to Africa to test the waters for expansion. After only a few days one salesman cabled back to headquarters, “COMING HOME – SEND NO SHOES  – NO ONE HERE WEARS SHOES.” Later that same day, the company received a telegram from the other salesman that read, “READY TO SELL – SEND MANY BOXES OF SHOES – NO ONE HERE WEARS SHOES.” 
 
If you think and act like the latter salesman and are in the SCUBA business or thinking about jumping in then you are going to do just fine. If not, follow this series as we find and share the tools you need for making business choices and implementing strategies that will  have you saying “it’s a labor of love and I love the money too.”

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You can help? If you have stories of success or failure to share, you can help us, help others. Please contact me at 360-881-0274 or john@jmckenzie.com.

Coming installments will include:
○ Size Does Not Matter, But Looks Do.
○ The Myth of Competition (Internet and Local)
○ Turning Casual Customers Into a Loyal Tribe
○ Web (and Twitter) Success For Smart Dummies
○ The Bizzaro Dive Business
○ Hidden Resources – The Success Team That Is Waiting to Serve You (DEMA and others)
○ Is There a Scuba Cartel? Who Has the Power in the Scuba Industry
○ Attitude, Attitude and Attitude