So...what's your plan?

[The Chairman]

To me it's obvious: How many times are you willing to or capable of re-inventing yourself? Consider Fisher Body. In the late 1800s they built carriages as Standard Wagon Works. Any who worked on cars will remember their logos on almost every GM car built until the mid 80s:

Here is a short chronology:

1908 - Fisher Body Works is created
1929 - 60% is purchased by General Motors
1930 - Slanted windshields for reduced glare
1933 - "No-Draft" ventilation
1934 - One-piece steel "turret top" roofs[3]
1935 - Former Durant Motors plant in Lansing, Michigan, opens
1936 - Dual windshield wipers
1944 - Fisher Brothers resign from GM
1944 - Started to build tanks for the War Effort
1945 - Developed an Aircraft Division for WW1
1947 - Starts Fisher Dynamics
1973 - Created General Safety
1969 - Fisher's "Side Guard Beam" is introduced
1974 - Invented the ignition interlock system
1974 - Produced GM's first airbag
1975 - Fisher develops GM's first all-metric vehicle, the Chevrolet Chevette
1979 - Fisher Northern Ireland established, opens plant in Dundonald, Northern Ireland
1995 - Sold General Safety and renamed to Fisher Corporation
2008 - Fisher Coachworks, LLC officially launches and begins development of the GTB-40 transit bus

Its truly amazing how this family and their businesses have evolved over the years. From carriages to aircraft. It would have been complete if they had made seats for the Shuttle. Have you ever wondered why B&O Railroad never became B&O Bus Lines? Or B&O Airlines? They didn't evolve. They got mired in their niche and now are largely irrelevant. The Fishers were different... they didn't shun technology nor did they complain that it was changing the marketplace. In fact, they embraced new technologies and made them their own. They were on the forefront of producing interchangeable parts for carriages which brought them right into the automotive world. They didn't stop there and were early adopters on many fronts... they still are!

So look at where you are, and what's happening around you. What's different now than when you started? What are the new technologies? How are you keeping up? How are you getting ahead of the curve? If you don't adjust and evolve, you'll be just as relevant as the B&O. Me? I would rather be like the Fishers.

 

[PlantationBeachResort]

Plan: Serve small groups with whatever they want, whenever they want. As long as we can make it happen, we do our best to be flexible and give the customers and their family, friends, or travel buddies whatever they desire. As a resort with 6-8 rooms, we try accommodating everyone on a personal level, and becoming friends with anyone who comes to our shore. Become interested in their needs, and focus on that. Show people the beauty of our island, topside and below. That's what drove me here in the first place, and sharing that with like-minded travelers is the only thing that will keep us successful.

Future: Grow our organic farm production, improve the quality of our remote island living, and make more people enjoy the natural simplicity of a Caribbean island vacation off the grid, away from cars, sirens, souvenir shops, and hordes of sunburnt cruise-ship types. Solar energy, biodegradable products, and more fruit!

 

[mjrob]

Our plan is for growth. And like cerich, we believe it's available and attainable. Where do I get such wild ideas? From surveys by certifying agencies, for one. They pay good money for such things and make them available to the industry. Ask yours about them and, if they respond with a dumb look, maybe you need a new certifying partner...maybe? The gist of one of the most interesting surveys I've seen (and the figures are stunningly similar from the two largest certifying agencies in the world) shows that, of those surveyed, approximately 30% respond that they'd like to try scuba diving. Less than 1% of those surveyed ever do. I'm not real good at math, but if you cipher that out, it looks like 29 points of opportunity to me.

Why is that, you ask? My best guess is that they haven't been presented with the opportunity they so desire. And whose fault is that? Got a mirror? As Pogo so eloquently pronounced, "We have met the enemy and he is us." It's up to us to face us down...or bring us up.

Anyway, I can go into detail as to how we plan to accomplish this through marketing, advertising and rewarding hard work if anyone really wants to read it. Seriously. Some of it costs money but some of it only involves time and enthusiasm. We also welcome calls and visitors. PM me if you'd like to drop in and see what we're up to. We'd be glad to show you around and share ideas with you. We like ideas and really like people...especially swimmers and divers. Or that 29% who'd like to try it.

It's out there, folks.

Mark