THE ART OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS
Jim Zellmer, www.zmetro.com
Captain Dan's Eco-Tours
Kona, Hawaii
Many people dream of starting and running their own business. A much smaller number actually do it. A smaller number still make things work for a period of time. A yet smaller number make a great living with their businesses (I define a great living as having fun, leading a reasonably balanced life and earning enough money to make it work).
I've been at the small business gig for over 9 years directly and 20 indirectly. During that time, I've read a number of pundit's take on entreprenuers (My wife says it best: "the only thing more overrated than owning your own business is natural childbirth"). The most informed writers argue that you should never, ever start a business to get rich. Rather, follow your passion.
Dan McSweeney understands passion.
Captain Dan's Eco Tour gives tourists like me an opportunity to see whales and dolphins off the Big Island of Hawai'i.
Dan and his coworkers have refined their tours into a well oiled, highly enjoyable 2.5+ hour journey. Here's how:
Easy to Buy
Dan's website provides a great deal of information on his product along with the ability to reserve seats on the tour. In addition, he follows up quickly with an informative email message (sort of a Eco-tour FAQ)
Expectation Management:
My good friend Steve Rosenblum reminds me frequently of the importance and challenge in managing customer expectations. In this case, building a business around the viewing of whales can be a challenge. The "product" may or may not show up, which can lead to unhappy customers and hurt your referrals.
Dan guarantees a whale. If a whale does not make a visit, you can return as often as necessary until a viewing occurs. A guest on our eco-tour was taking him up on that promise - 6 years later! (we did see some whales).
Delight Your Customers: Deming emphasized this. Our eco-tour covered a little over 2.5 hours. During this time, Dan's crew provided:
Photos and background information on whales (including Japanese versions).
Liquid Refreshments including water or juice.
Fresh pineapple, oranges and bananas.
Carrots & Chips.
Chips and M & M's.
A cold, rolled face towel as we re-entered the harbor.
His descriptions and tales are extemporaneous, rather than running a tape (I imagine this can get rather tiring day after day....)
And finally, a great story about his visit with some killer whales at 100feet. This tale alone is with the price of the tour.
Line Extensions: Dan wisely sells a few products to keep visitors aware of his interests and business:
Purchase T-Shirts, audio cassettes and photographs for sale.
Hire people who know what they are talking about: Dan's crewmates have an awareness of marine life and can intelligently answer questions, from children or adults.
Whether biotech, agribusiness, information technology, education, manufacturing, services or the arts, entrepreneurs face a myriad of challenges in the field of their choosing. Dan McSweeney is a great example of one person who chose to chase his dreams. More power to him. We had a wonderful time on his boat. Mahalo.
December, 2004
Jim Zellmer send comments, updates or questions to zellmer at mac dot com
