OCTOBER 2017 • FOGHORN 25 BUSINESSMATTERS fortable with huge datasets, running continuous A/B tests to optimize every step of the customer process, and imple- menting powerful insights and focus. If your marketing team isn’t a whiz with Excel, the market will run circles around you. Plus, they’ll have to be whizzes at system ar- chitecture and interfaces. Even churches today are using automatic people counters not only to figure out the sex, approximate ages and demographics of their attendees, but attendance records as well! Being conversant with new tech- nology is a must. Social media is a new world. Five years ago we couldn’t figure out why our website traffic stalled. It felt terrible to discover that we had missed the transition to mobile websites, but felt better when Facebook said they had as well. Facebook then figured it out, and their ad sales have since exploded. I’ve seen a customer complain on Twitter about a certain vessel’s wake, watched the Port Captain look on his mobile phone at the vessel’s camera live feed, and then respond on Twitter with a screenshot proving the vessel was at a different location. I won’t pretend I under- stand all this technology and its potential, but I do see that this is a winner-take-all game. Moving fast and decisively About the Author Bob Shaw is a veteran industry executive, having led over 100 vessels responsible for over 10 million passengers a year. He can be reached at shawrw@gmail.com. truly matters. Get young experts and pay attention to them. Get your balance sheet right. I wish I had been able to tie up waterfront real estate with my businesses, as over 30 years that would probably exceed the value of most operating businesses. Take advantage of long-term, record low interest rates. These interest rates are a pittance compared to eight percent corporate loans for most of my career, or when Karl Andren bought Circle Line when the prime rate was nearly 20 percent! We all want to be fiscally conservative for long-term durability, but need to be on the lookout for those unique opportunities. Again, these ideas are common sense but maybe uncommon practice in most organizations. Keep your eye on the horizon amidst chaos, and you’ll build an enduring organization that will shine in the future. n Fast Page Loads Streamlined Checkout Multiple Account Sign-Ons Improved Search Quick Order Easy Invoice Look-up Requisition Lists • Over 135,000 products for your business • 28 regional distribution centers • Same-day van delivery • 250+ stores • The most-knowledgeable and seasoned sales representatives in the industry Your 24/7 destination that’s packed with the features you need to get the most out of your time and money. westmarinepro.com All backed by the power of West Marine Pro. 1-800-621-6885 or visit westmarinepro.com. Increased Inventory Availability