Can you replace lost opportunity?

We experienced at least one washout weather day this past Labor Day weekend in the Syracuse area. I live up the road from a very popular local public golf course. The parking lot was completely empty this particular day, and I recalled it was just as empty a couple of weeks before when I drove by on a very rainy Sunday. That's a catastrophe to a golf course, when a summer weekend day or holiday gets completely rained out. It's not like a foursome will come back on Monday or Tuesday to play when their Sunday outing goes down the (storm) drain. It's business the course likely doesn't make up, like a ski area without snow over the Christmas holiday. It's opportunity lost, and through no fault of their own.

Every business has such challenges, when the forces of nature, a slow economy or similar acts of a higher power combine to close out what normally might have been a great business day or season. How do you get that chance again? Typically, a business has to do something to lure the make-up business to the door, and that probably involves added advertising investment, reduced margins from markdowns and loss-leader pricing and other extraordinary expenses. It's certainly not as profitable as the premium price charged to willing golfers on a busy, sunny Sunday.

Well, the answer to the question is really very simple, the kind of advice your Grandpa would have given. Save for a rainy day or, in our case, plan for a rainy day. We know the bad days are going to happen, we just don't know when or how bad they're going to be. Lessen the blow by marketing your business with a specific, consistent plan that builds steady success over the long haul. Give customers reasons -- value reasons -- to do business with you on a regular basis. You can rebound from the unfortunate acts of business nature much more quickly when you have a consistent base to deal from. Even then, if you have to hold a special event or sale your bottom line will better handle the temporary dent in your margins when you have a long term plan that makes sense.

I had this chat with a colleague who said this is a little like telling someone to deal with the flat tire by avoiding the nails in the road. It's unrealistic. The point here is that in today's pressurized, competitive marketplace, it's unrealistic to think you'll be successful without a plan in place before you begin your seasonal campaigns.

We have a staff of trained marketing people who want to help you develop a long term plan. Drop us a note at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com and thanks so much for checking in.