I am very excited to bring you this edition. It represents, in a way, all the things we’re hoping for our business and our industry in 2012. Like all small businesses, we have been affected by the recession influencing our business and, occasionally, even our attitude…
The New Year is about new beginnings. We are hopeful and optimistic about what 2012 will bring. I am expecting positive outcomes and good fortunes this year. We are working hard to create ever-increasing value for our readership and supporters this year. It has been a lot of hard work but hard work is beginning to pay off.
This year we are doing many new things. Our online edition is growing fast. By offering ALL of our content online each month, we can offer instant access to dive information and update it almost instantly. We are also expanding our E-dition with a larger and more comprehensive software upgrade. The new magazine online will incorporate embedded video and better links to other businesses for our readers and supporters. Our physical edition will have this entire content link with QR codes and Smart Tags so those readers can get the digital content on their phones creating a true hybrid product. In all, it will be a better magazine and better reading experience: coming soon to a magazine near you…
Realizing we are not the only ones innovating, we looked around for similar minded business owners. People who are working hard and have a positive attitude; who are proactively dealing with today’s economy going out and finding business wherever and whenever opportunity presents itself. Mike Hollingshead, co-owner of Eugene Skin Divers in Eugene Oregon, has been recognized as a well-run dive shop and an example of a business which supports their customers. According to Mike, many businesses are waiting for business to get better before they get back into marketing.
“We feel we can’t afford to wait for business to come to us. We need to go out and create it,” Mike says. “We are not going to wait for it. We are looking for new ideas, fresh ideas we are seeing other companies and other industries attempt. Some are successful and some are not. All our efforts are directed at creating a community and active diving culture. If we do not have active divers we find our customers making excuses not to go diving, buy equipment or go on trips with us. The way to grow is to be progressive, proactive and innovative and to be open-minded; to realize the things we have done for many years may or may not work right now. We have to try new things and evaluate what is truly working in order to create success.”
We applaud the efforts of Mike and similar minded business owners and managers who are coming up with creative and innovative ways to stay strong and customer friendly in this economy. We know with these people in our industry we are in good company. From our dive family to yours, have a happy new year and we’ll see you out diving in 2012.
