At the Helm: Fueling Growth

When I first became a journalist, what inspired me most about my new line of work was that every time I researched an idea, conducted an interview or wrote an article, I learned something new. While my passion for this job has evolved in the past 12 years, I still get a thrill from that learning process.

In this issue’s cover feature, for example, is a lesson about what you can accomplish when you plan for growth, even in tough times. Especially in tough times.

The Movers & Shakers profiled in this article weren’t content to let the market determine their companies’ fate. Instead, they plugged their leaks, then set to work building a tighter ship to sail today’s rougher seas. Even amidst one of the most challenging times in the industry’s history, these companies have plotted a course to success and are following it, while many of their peers wait at the dock for calmer seas.

We can all learn something from their stories. In fact, you might say the Boating Industry team already has. As you may have noticed, we’re following a new course, too. As evidence, this month’s magazine has a new logo, a new size and shape, and a newly designed interior. But perhaps the most significant change is our new brand promise —  Intelligence You Can Profit From — and how we deliver on that promise within the magazine and throughout all the various extensions of our brand.

In today’s market, there is little room for error. With the future of your business on the line each and every day, you need to navigate with precision. That entails collecting and interpreting information about the factors that will influence your journey, then using that intelligence to drive your profitability.

Whether your end goal is to delight your customers, offer your employees a better future, grow your business or simply survive, you need to make money to fuel those endeavors. And the intelligence we offer you in the magazine, e-newsletter, website and blog, as well as through the Top 100 Dealers Program and the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, is designed to help you maximize those opportunities for success.

Our newly redesigned magazine is one piece of this strategy. Open it up, and find data, trend analysis, best practices and more, all crafted to serve as your tools for a better future.

But this is only the beginning of our plan to serve as your source of business intelligence. If we haven’t announced the launch of our new website yet, it will be debuting any day now at www.BoatingIndustry.com. Also coming soon is a revamped e-newsletter, a cutting-edge research project and a new guidebook. Together, these initiatives serve as the foundation of our plan for growth.
The way I see it, our success ultimately depends on your success. And while the market struggles to achieve the recovery we’d all like, you are succeeding, one innovation, one strategic decision, one sale at a time.

Boating Industry is your partner in that success. Our team’s central mission is to provide you with the intelligence to drive real results in your business. Fueling the growth of your business — and our industry — that’s what ignites my passion for our brand today.