Marina Dock Age, January/February 2007

When should marinas seek out an outside opinion?
by Dennis P. Kissman

Are you taking a truly objective approach to your marina business? Before you automatically answer “yes” and possibly dismiss my question as a foolish one, consider this second question as well: Have you ever made a mistake in operating your business? The point here is that anyone who has ever had a stake in any business cannot be totally objective. Everyone has opinions, prejudices, or allows himself or herself to be influenced in some manner that could pose a potential hindrance to the growth of one’s business. That is never more evident than when one is entrenched in the day-to-day decisions of operating a business.

There is nothing wrong with having opinions or prejudices about how things should be run at a marina as long as they do not become a barrier to keeping an open mind when someone else suggests that there may be a better solution or approach to achieve a desired result. This is not to suggest that the marina owner or operator doesn’t know the operation better than anyone else — in fact, he or she often does. But usually, the owners/operators are so focused in one direction that they can miss opportunities that someone with another, legitimate perspective of the business might be able to point out.

This same rationale also applies to the marina developer even more so than it applies to the marina operator. Typically the marina developer has very limited knowledge of the inner-workings of a marina and so his/her perspective is influenced either directly or indirectly from a user’s point of view.

In the early stages of the planning process — whether it is a change in your current business strategy or a new project — one of the best things marina owners, operators, and developers can do is engage a knowledgeable consultant. Get an expert opinion from someone that does not have a financial stake in the results beyond the consulting fee you pay. Now the question becomes, “What should one look for in that person or firm?”   Continue »

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