Operations Shows

Greg & Kevin discuss the pros and cons of operating a location that is far away from the destination it serves.

Kevin and Greg give their take on how they've handled customers who exceeded the weight limit on Jet Skis.

Brian Hirschi, Owner/Operator of Bear Lake Fun (Utah), joins the show to discuss a series of boat rental fails he shared on the AWG Facebook Group last week. The guys also talk about their struggles with insurance, claims, and the difficulty of acquiring insurance.

Kevin and Greg discuss what they do when customers request to reschedule within the cancellation period. They also jump into some sub-topics such as credit card holds, and other issues with cancellation policies.

Donny Kirkpatrick, GM of Sunset Watersports joins the show to discuss watersports in Key West, and his experience as a veteran operator for 25+ years. Sunset Watersports is one of the largest watersport operators in the country with 6 locations in and around Key West, FL. Donny inspired Kevin to become a parasail captain, and considers him one of his mentors.

Kevin and Greg discuss budgeting and forecasting for watersport operators. Discover some different approaches on budgeting as Greg breaks down key fundamentals. Greg also discusses what KPI's (key performance indicators) your business should be tracking, and why operators need to start doing this now.

Back in 2019, Kevin's "Day of Play" tour was booming, but after citizen complaints, the county acted swiftly to shut it down. This episode goes into detail about his experience, how he pivoted, and discusses ways operators can work with their local government and community leaders to create a sustainable watersport business.

In this episode, Kevin and Greg have a discussion about bareboat charters and why it's confusing as hell. What is a Bareboat Charter? A Bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things.

The AWG "Mentoured" Series provides an opportunity for new operators to come on the show to share their startup story, ask questions, and get advice on all aspect of running a watersport business. This episode features Shawn Walsh from Jet Ski Texas, a new jet ski rental company out of League City, TX (jetskitx.com). Kevin and Greg share advice on getting eye balls to his website and rentals, insurance, a new location, and much more.

Kevin and Greg talk about the surge in bookings and what they recommend operators should be doing to get the most out of it. They also discuss what the think the future might bring for the industry in a post-covid era.

The guys talk about recent events in both the industry and with their businesses. Supply chain issues are hurting the ability to get more equipment and parts, and Kevin talks about what we need to do to prepare our businesses. Greg shares a new feature to more easily get customer info and re-target them, and Kevin shares his infamous story that made its rounds through social media.

Kevin and Greg share their thoughts on how they handle refunds and cancellations, and what operators can do to provide a better customer experience. Some of the things you'll hear about in this episode include... Why negotiating with customers on refunds can often save you time and money. How your cancellation policy can hurt bookings if too aggressive. What to do when bad weather cancel's a trip. What Kevin thinks of customers who disregard cancellation policies.

Kevin and Greg discuss how operators should be pricing their tours and rentals, and some deep dives into some new and old topics. In this episode, you'll hear about... The 3 principles of pricing: Margins, Market, Movement. What dynamic pricing is, and why you should care about it. How to figure out what your price should be. Experimenting with different pricing concepts. Why deep discounting is not a strategy that works for most.

In this episode, Kevin and Greg speak with Ben Calder, CEO of WhereWolf about enriching the check-in process. WhereWolf is an industry leading waiver software based out of Queenstown, New Zealand. Ben shares why getting data from customers during the check-in process is an amazing opportunity.

Kevin and Greg discuss some unique ways to increase your profit margins by using both tangible and intangible upsells. Some of the ideas you'll hear about are... Cancellation Protection Damage Protection Affiliate Programs Photos & GoPro Rentals Boat upgrades Life preserver upgrades

Paul Bulka Jr. of Aquatic Aviation and Bulka Media joins the AWG to discuss the state of watersports on the West Coast (USA). They also discuss their experience with Groupon and share their thoughts about digital marketing.

Find the right people for your seasonal staff is not an easy task, but this week's guest John Hall brings a new perspective on recruitment. On this episode you'll learn where to find new employees, how to retain them, and why having a plan can make all the difference. Before you hire your next employee, make sure to tune in! John's top websites for recruitment Facebook LinkedIn Zip Recruiter (paid) Indeed (paid) Nextdoor Upwork (contract labor) Fiverr (contract labor)

Ryan Turner from YourBikerGang.com joins us to talk about some of the cool hacks he has for growing his business.

Kevin & Greg break down the boating incident in California involving Glee Star Naya Rivera. You can read the full article here -> https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/naya-rivera-family-sues-wrongful-death-glee-star-death-224842971.html

Chris Woodruff gets Awkward as he discusses the growing pains of acquiring Vero Beach Bait & Tackle, and how he plans to integrate with his existing business, Paddles By The Sea.

On today's show, the AWG are joined by watersport entrepreneur Donnie Coker from Paradise Adventures in Panama City Beach, FL. Paradise Adventures has been in business for 8 years, and offers Catamaran tours and watersport rentals. Here is why you will want to listen to this episode. Hear how Donnie & wife Tracey brought a popular concept from South Florida to Panama CIty Beach. Learn about Donnie's experience with finding the right vessel, and how the business almost didn't happen. Ge...

Kevin's Corner is our newest segment where we share what we learned this week and share anything new going on in our industry. 1- Kevin talks about The Social Dilemma and what he's done to improve his work life balance. 2- Greg talks about what he learned about 401k plans and how inexpensive they are. 3- Arival360 is now open for registration. Register Today 4- Watch Greg and Kevin's webinar with Douglas Quinby and Amber Merrell on replay. Watch Now

Kevin & Greg talk about how they deal with stress as watersport professional and how they handle their work life balance.

In this episode we interview Ben Merrell, professional hydroflight athlete and owner/operator of power up watersports in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Ben discusses the evolution of Hydroflight (aka flyboarding) as both a sport and a business. He shares some of his advice on growing a successful watersport company. Show Announcements Catch us on the Arival Webinar on August 17th at 12pm EST. You can register for free. Kevin and myself will be joined by Douglas Quinby and Amber Merrell of Power Up Wat...