do you ever notice negativity between dive shops?

[knowone]

A well maintained secret box of lifelasting chocolates to fix a drysuit.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

A well maintained secret box of lifelasting chocolates to fix a drysuit.

You ain't kidding ... when Wally first started working on drysuits he said he hated it, but that he'd be willing to do it for a few friends. Then someone on a local forum asked where they could get their drysuit fixed, and someone else (probably me, come to think of it) told them to take it to him. Within a couple months, he had enough drysuit business to make it a full-time job.

I sincerely hope he doesn't hate it anymore ... but it's sure brought a lot of people into his shop ... most of 'em end up regular customers ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hank49]

In today's economy, I think some are going to fail simply because there isn't enough demand. The better ones who provide ultimate customer service etc, will survive but we're talking on a scale where even 8's on a scale of 10 will now fail.
Belize dive shops are going through really hard times.
The "fundamental mistake' of most dive shops is that they went into it to help "live the dream" and were not great business people to begin with. And when times get hard, they're the first to go under.
Badmouthing? That happens in all businesses.

 

[knowone]

Everyone starts with the same box it just happened to be beer for the hydro people this year.

 

[peterbj7]

What you're missing is that in the quantities they are able to buy, allowing for both their available capital and their likely sales, most shops cannot get the huge discounts given by manufacturers to large-scale purchasers. A quid-pro-quo is often that the purchasing wholesaler takes on board any quality control and the manufacturer washes his hands of the equipment as soon as it has shipped. He never wants to see it again, for any reason. The really big boys can play that game, the small dealers can't.

As to only stocking what the customer will buy, most dealers of any size would give their eye teeth to have such a wonderful crystal ball. And of course it also means that low sales items which we only want occasionally, even though then we might need them really badly, they will disappear from shops.

Your argument seems also only to be directed to the areas you're familiar with. Fair enough, but trading conditions do vary enormously. I operate in a resort environment outside the USA, and the prices you can buy goods for in the US aren't even available to me wholesale. I cannot price my goods to be competitive with the internet. So I resort to selling only what MY customers will buy, which is precious little. Means that visitors (tourists) hoping to pick something up because they forgot theirs or it broke are unlikely to find it. And also means that the margin between covering my rent and other costs and not doing so is tight. I can't build up any reserves, so if visitor numbers drop because of, I don't know, bad weather or an airstrike, I am quickly tipped over the edge and close down. There used to be four scuba gear shops on this island of Ambergris Caye. Now there is just one left and that is struggling. Next year there probably won't be any - nowhere to buy a computer battery, or a hose, a mask or fin strap, or any of the other things you might find you need during a week or two's diving.

Is that what you want to happen?

 

[peterbj7]

Belize dive shops are going through really hard times.
The "fundamental mistake' of most dive shops is that they went into it to help "live the dream" and were not great business people to begin with. And when times get hard, they're the first to go under

A problem special to Belize is the unbelievable level of corruption here. I know of several well run businesses that have been forced to their knees by it, dive shops included. Hell, mine included. I had a good business model and a thriving business, destroyed by someone politically powerful who wanted to take it from me. He didn't get it, but nor do I have it any more.

 

[scubafanatic]

What you're missing is that in the quantities they are able to buy, allowing for both their available capital and their likely sales, most shops cannot get the huge discounts given by manufacturers to large-scale purchasers. A quid-pro-quo is often that the purchasing wholesaler takes on board any quality control and the manufacturer washes his hands of the equipment as soon as it has shipped. He never wants to see it again, for any reason. The really big boys can play that game, the small dealers can't.

As to only stocking what the customer will buy, most dealers of any size would give their eye teeth to have such a wonderful crystal ball. And of course it also means that low sales items which we only want occasionally, even though then we might need them really badly, they will disappear from shops.

Your argument seems also only to be directed to the areas you're familiar with. Fair enough, but trading conditions do vary enormously. I operate in a resort environment outside the USA, and the prices you can buy goods for in the US aren't even available to me wholesale. I cannot price my goods to be competitive with the internet. So I resort to selling only what MY customers will buy, which is precious little. Means that visitors (tourists) hoping to pick something up because they forgot theirs or it broke are unlikely to find it. And also means that the margin between covering my rent and other costs and not doing so is tight. I can't build up any reserves, so if visitor numbers drop because of, I don't know, bad weather or an airstrike, I am quickly tipped over the edge and close down. There used to be four scuba gear shops on this island of Ambergris Caye. Now there is just one left and that is struggling. Next year there probably won't be any - nowhere to buy a computer battery, or a hose, a mask or fin strap, or any of the other things you might find you need during a week or two's diving.

Is that what you want to happen?

...that's one reason, despite the airlines getting ever worse on weight limits/fees, I bring a pretty good supply of redundant gear/spare parts/tools....within reason, of course.....it's always a balance between bulk/weight...the 'criticallity' of the item to me, and the probability of a trip-impacting failure.....I'm sure I've spent as much time studying my save-a-dive 'kit' situation as any other of my gear categories, trying to plan wisely without excessive overkill.

 

[redacted]

There used to be four scuba gear shops on this island of Ambergris Caye. Now there is just one left and that is struggling. Next year there probably won't be any - nowhere to buy a computer battery, or a hose, a mask or fin strap, or any of the other things you might find you need during a week or two's diving.

Is that what you want to happen?

Sounds to me like a good operator in your neighborhood should have basic spares on hand so if a client (or employee) has a problem, the dive operator can satisfy his needs rather than some ridiculously priced scuba retailer. If not, well.... There are many other locations to go diving with operators that can take care of such problems and keep their customers satisfied.

 

[BoltSnap]

Everyone seems to be an expert on how a dive shops should run their business. LDS should just give their products and services for free. I'll bet that most of you will be doing the same, if not more, if you had your own money in an LDS. It is always easy to spend other people's money.

 

[knowone]

Or if one had some nouse they could utilise


the :sblogo:


crystal ball of what's hot and what's not.