Randy Kelly, it seems, had a big jump on most small business owners. Unlike many of his colleagues, he began thinking about succession planning when he first bought the property for his dealership, Kelly’s Port. That was 1977, and because of the 30-some years he’s had to think about and plan for the succession of his business, Kelly’s Port has ...

Austin Singleton knows a good deal about succession planning. As the second-generation owner of Singleton Marine Group, he took the reins of the company in 1996 and has managed it to become one of the leading dealerships in North America. When his parents Phillip and Linda handed the baton to him, they had already created a strong operation. Today, Austin ...

It happened quickly. Bill Crowe had been working at his family’s dealership in East Point, Ga., for nearly seven years. Then, one day in 1971, his father, C.D. Crowe Jr., suddenly passed away. The tragedy of the loss, from a personal standpoint, was only compounded within the business, as Crowe Marine was faced with an unknown future. Without a succession ...

At a time of tight resources and lean staffs, you want to be able to reach and attract prospective buyers as cost-effectively as possible. Fortunately, online marketing presents a great opportunity to do just that. One of the top ways to attract customers is with a well-crafted website that utilizes search engine optimization (SEO), organic methods of improving visibility and ...

As positive economic news shows itself in occasional flashes, several major industry shows are acknowledging that there is heavy lifting yet to be done and are making changes to help exhibitors and attendees make the most of their time and money. From educational tracks focused on dealership profits to the combining of two shows into one in the heart of ...

In all but the most temperate climates in the country, there will always be an “off-season” that boat retailers will have to weather. Sometimes it’s a slowdown, and sometimes it’s more of a grind-to-a-halt, batten-down-the-hatches survival mode. But with some planning and strategic thinking, a number of businesses have actually found ways to thrive even when buyers aren’t showing up ...