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| Anchorage capitalizes on winter with the Fur Rendezvous and Iditarod Sled Dog Race. |
Use Your Time To Be Creative
1. Make Lemonade
Turn "Tough Times" Into A Chance To Shine
It’s hard to stand out in “good times” because the playing field is crowded with other businesses. But leaner times offer the chance to stand out -- and make a name for yourself.
We know this first hand. Our travel publication company got its start in a dramatic downturn -- 1987 -- during a stock market crash. We got a small foothold, but the company didn’t really take off until the public relations disaster known as the Valdez Oil Spill two years later. After the spill, two other newspaper-based visitor guides dropped out because they were worried there would be no tourist season that year. But we assured Valdez residents that we would continue to stand by them -- no matter what. Valdez businesses signed on. As it turned out, the 1989 season was quite lively, as people from all over flocked to Valdez. Our Valdez section is still one of our biggest.
2. Don’t let the “Big Boys’” Cutbacks Scare You
Build Yourself Up By Taking Clients They Don't Want - And Giving Personal Alaskan Service
There’s nothing more alarming sounding than listening to the Big Guys talk about how they’ll have to cut back due to the economy. Use this time to step in. Because you have lower overhead and can rely on independents, you can pick up their customers – giving yourself that extra boost and improving your name recognition statewide. Get the clients they throw away and offer those folks a little personal service -- a touch of “real” Alaska.
Outside firms make a good living out of Alaska -- providing huge numbers of visitors with a relatively inexpensive Alaskan experience. They’re hard to beat -- in good times -- when their volume keeps their costs per person low. But in tough times, the Big Boys tend to start cutting back -- and they’re often very vocal about it. If you’re a smaller business, don’t let this frighten you off. Their choices, and their spin on the economic situation, are dictated by financial circumstances that are so outside the realm of day-to-day small Alaskan business that we can’t even guess what their actual business dynamics might be.
3. Don’t Forget The Locals & Late Arrivals
Extend Your Season Into The Fall And Winter
Don’t let the Big Guys encourage you to shut down early, just because they do. If you possibly can, ignore your exhaustion at the end of the season, and stay open longer. There are hundreds of thousands of Alaskans in Anchorage alone to draw from. Also, your friends and neighbors need service. And, many of the visitors who come late in the season tend to be wealthy -- they’re looking for genuine experiences, local insight, and other intangibles that are overlooked by package tours.
We’re excited in the springtime when tourists start trickling in. Yet the visitors at the end of the season don’t seem to amount to much (by comparison to the vast floods of people during midsummer). But, if other nearby businesses close early, you can benefit. For example, one town along the road system had only a single restaurant open during the fall, when visitors were still arriving. Being the only show in town makes a real difference to your bottom line.
And, although Alaska’s tourist economy is a natural for winter tourism, only a few towns -- Fairbanks, Girdwood, Anchorage, Talkeetna and Valdez among them -- take advantage of winter events.
We know this first hand. Our travel publication company got its start in a dramatic downturn -- 1987 -- during a stock market crash. We got a small foothold, but the company didn’t really take off until the public relations disaster known as the Valdez Oil Spill two years later. After the spill, two other newspaper-based visitor guides dropped out because they were worried there would be no tourist season that year. But we assured Valdez residents that we would continue to stand by them -- no matter what. Valdez businesses signed on. As it turned out, the 1989 season was quite lively, as people from all over flocked to Valdez. Our Valdez section is still one of our biggest.
2. Don’t let the “Big Boys’” Cutbacks Scare You
Build Yourself Up By Taking Clients They Don't Want - And Giving Personal Alaskan Service
There’s nothing more alarming sounding than listening to the Big Guys talk about how they’ll have to cut back due to the economy. Use this time to step in. Because you have lower overhead and can rely on independents, you can pick up their customers – giving yourself that extra boost and improving your name recognition statewide. Get the clients they throw away and offer those folks a little personal service -- a touch of “real” Alaska.
Outside firms make a good living out of Alaska -- providing huge numbers of visitors with a relatively inexpensive Alaskan experience. They’re hard to beat -- in good times -- when their volume keeps their costs per person low. But in tough times, the Big Boys tend to start cutting back -- and they’re often very vocal about it. If you’re a smaller business, don’t let this frighten you off. Their choices, and their spin on the economic situation, are dictated by financial circumstances that are so outside the realm of day-to-day small Alaskan business that we can’t even guess what their actual business dynamics might be.
What we can control is our own emotional responses and what WE can provide in the way of service. Take advantage of your genuine Alaskan-ness. Brainstorm so you can come up with something that doesn’t cost a lot but lets you stand out. Good personal service and friendliness is inexpensive and is the #1 thing to build a business around.
Here’s an example. We were looking at hotel listings on the internet this week. People visiting various Alaskan hotels comment on what they think. Some of the comments are alarmingly frank -- and negative. We found one city Alaskan hotel that offers small but clean rooms that haven’t yet been upgraded, and worried that this hotel was sure to receive a low rating. But it didn’t. All 14 comments were positive. Why? Because of the personal service offered by the owners, who serve coffee, muffins, and conversation to travelers. None of which costs that much, but all of which makes a stay at their place a real Alaskan experience.
3. Don’t Forget The Locals & Late Arrivals
Extend Your Season Into The Fall And Winter
Don’t let the Big Guys encourage you to shut down early, just because they do. If you possibly can, ignore your exhaustion at the end of the season, and stay open longer. There are hundreds of thousands of Alaskans in Anchorage alone to draw from. Also, your friends and neighbors need service. And, many of the visitors who come late in the season tend to be wealthy -- they’re looking for genuine experiences, local insight, and other intangibles that are overlooked by package tours.
We’re excited in the springtime when tourists start trickling in. Yet the visitors at the end of the season don’t seem to amount to much (by comparison to the vast floods of people during midsummer). But, if other nearby businesses close early, you can benefit. For example, one town along the road system had only a single restaurant open during the fall, when visitors were still arriving. Being the only show in town makes a real difference to your bottom line.
And, although Alaska’s tourist economy is a natural for winter tourism, only a few towns -- Fairbanks, Girdwood, Anchorage, Talkeetna and Valdez among them -- take advantage of winter events.