Boating-Industry Insider » Liz Walz

Boat biz helping to ease economic pain

Liz Walz — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:12:17 +0000

As boat builders and their suppliers hire more employees in an effort to ramp up production, they are contributing to a trend that is helping to lower the nation’s economic stress.

Drop in gas prices and other good news

Liz Walz — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:17:26 +0000

For more than two weeks, the average price of regular gas in the U.S. has been dropping, according to USAToday.com. As of yesterday, the average price of a gallon of regular gas was $2.76, the newspaper reported in an article today, and some analysts are predicting it could drop further, perhaps even as low as this time last year, which was about 30 cents per gallon cheaper. Read more >>

Preparing for “Top 100 Season”

Liz Walz — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:58:09 +0000

I had a dream a few nights ago that I was working a boat show for a dealer. It’s not unusual for me to dream about work these days. When we’re on deadline, I often find myself trying to write articles or headlines in my sleep. It’s too bad the outcome is never as brilliant in the light of day. Read more >>

Making the right first impression

Liz Walz — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:23:18 +0000

Anyone can say they’re devoted to customers, employees and dealers. The real difference comes in what they do to back that up.

Time to start thinking about first-time buyers

Liz Walz — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:16:56 +0000

A week ago, I was on the phone with Fred Pace, managing director of Destin, Fla.-based dealership Legendary Marine, who said something that surprised me. He’s seeing a return of first-time buyers in his local market place. Read more >>

Answers to your toughest Internet questions

Liz Walz — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:18:21 +0000

One of the most popular topics of discussion in the industry this year seems to be Internet technology. Whether it’s SEO, mobile marketing, social networking or e-commerce, marine professionals want to know how to expand and improve their online efforts to drive efficiencies and increase sales in their businesses. Read more >>

We’re headed in the right direction, aren’t we?

Liz Walz — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:05:59 +0000

When the Boating Industry team recently got into a conversation about how the industry is performing so far this year, there were some varying opinions. It turns out that we were each looking at the data to which we have access – from Spader Business Management and Info-Link Technologies Inc. – a little differently. Here are the conclusions we reached. Read more >>

The lessons that last

Liz Walz — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:37:38 +0000

I recently bought a new book, “The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy Are Surviving and Thriving.” Because I have two other books I have to finish before I start this one, I’ve contented myself for now with only reading the introduction, which has sent me down memory lane. Read more >>

Anticipation: The key to customer service

Liz Walz — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:46:46 +0000

This past Saturday was my five-year-old’s birthday party. Nine boys and their parents had pledged to join my husband, son and I for a two-hour romp at a warehouse full of inflatable slides, rock climbing walls and even a basketball court. Read more >>

The boating industry’s green shoots

Liz Walz — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:15:12 +0000

A few weeks ago, a former boating industry executive contacted me, asking about the state of marine business in the U.S. He is a friend who left the United States a few years ago to take a position within a different division of his company based in another country. Since his e-mail, I’ve been thinking about how to answer him. Read more >>