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| In the summer, the Talkeetna Roadhouse is full of tourists. In the fall, locals "Take Back The Town" at community events like this one. |
Success In Business:
• Location doesn't matter. Success can take place anywhere
• Be your own boss
• Moor yourself to morals
• Never retire
Adapted From "The Richest Man in Town"
By W. Randall Jones (Grand Central)
Life in Alaska is all about community and family. Many of us came here, built our homes and cabins, started families -- and only then turned to developing a tourist-related Alaskan business.
Our lives bring home and work together in a way that you don't see at offices or in government jobs Outside.
The challenge is how to blend the two -- our community-based lives and our work in tourism. As we grew our homes and families, we learned to be resourceful -- often making something out of nothing. We've lived through up years and down years, daylight and darkness, warmth and bitter cold.
Nobody knows more about how to get through rough patches than people who live on the roads of Alaska. The people who run businesses in this state know more than they're ever given credit for.
This is by no means a complete list of what we've seen. But it does give some insight into the subtleties of "success in business"as intuitively practiced by the experts -- the small businesses of Alaska.
1. Pay Attention To Your Town & Neighbors
The best Alaska businesses are often the most community-oriented. They pitch in at schools and community events. They donate to help raise funds for community organizations. They don't just promote themselves -- they promote their town and their location. Often, good businesses will sponsor
a community-wide picnic or get-togethers.
2. Give People A Place To Relax
Successful businesses create a place where local people and customers alike can sit down, have a cup of coffee, read and relax without feeling a lot of pressure.
3. Celebrate Your Local History And Environment
You might think that a "good business" limits itself to just providing the service and pursuing the money. It doesn't work out that way. We see businesses all the time who are committed to their town's history, and to working hard to protect rivers, trails, wildlife and scenic areas.
4. Your Abilities Are Worth Charging For
It takes years of experience to learn to raft, or catch a salmon, or go hunting, or fly an airplane. Alaskan businesses provide travelers with shortcuts to these activities. Using their knowledge, they take visitors onto glaciers, high over mountains, down rivers, up trails, and out fishing. These are things travelers could never do without your skill and help.
In the most elemental way, running this kind of business blends your expertise with your work. Allowing customers to share your knowledge -- for a fee -- is well worth it to them. It allows them to have experiences they could never have without you. And it integrates your values with your livelihood. That's hard to beat.
5. To Dream The Impossible Dream -- And Win Customers
Here's an example from a Bearfoot business you might not have heard about.
"The Best First Class Accommodations In Deadhorse"
Bill Rodasky, the General Manager of Arctic Caribou Inn, wrote us in
August that they still offered "The Best First Class accommodations while visiting the Deadhorse area."
For those of us who haven't made it to Deadhorse yet, it's a two day trip up the
dusty Dalton Highway by way of another place with a plain-spoken name -- Coldfoot.
We prodded Bill for more information about this summer and he wrote back:
It has been quite a year for our team winning the 2008 Alaskan Property of the Year which in turn made me eligible to compete against all Hotel GM's nationwide. I still find it hard to believe that I traveled to Chicago last month representing the American Hotel and Lodging Association as the General Manager of the Year for their annual convention. This all happened as a result of comments made from Tour Groups and Individual Travelers who visit us.
That's the great thing about Alaska. You can run a first-class facility that pleases the public absolutely anywhere.
Even in Deadhorse.