Stopped this morning at a chain coffee shop for a cup to keep me company on the drive home from the grocery store. The line for the drive through was out into the road. No worries, I figure I’ll just walk inside and get my coffee. Backed up there too. Fortunately, I am not in a huge hurry and taking the chance to watch what is going on. Clearly not enough people behind the counter to help everyone who has shown up this drizzly morning. Not unlike almost every service business in the country. Even so there is a lack of physical space for many more employees but clearly there is an upper limit.
In a few minutes it becomes clear that the staff is not only overwhelmed with those showing up in person and in their cars but an avalanche of online ordering from folks on their way to the shop this morning. Clearly more is not better in this instance! Someone needed to set a limit of some sort to maintain any sort of efficiency and customer satisfaction.
It got me to thinking about Maine Outdoors and my gradual transition to working a more reasonable schedule. Long ago I was willing to run three trips a day seven days a week if the opportunity was there. These days I only offer two trips a day five days a week and can easily see a future with perhaps only one trip each day. Headed in the opposite direction of the coffee shop for sure.
Instead of more volume being the answer for Maine Outdoors the real purpose here is providing a great outdoor opportunity with my full attention to my clients. Trips that are private, exclusive and easily customized to each client. A vastly different business model for sure.
Like every small business I am planning for the coming year and what needs to happen to deliver what we promise. Know for sure though that more volume is not in the plan. Rather I am striving to provide the most authentic, highest quality, safest and most successful trip I can offer each and every client. Not perfect here but that is the goal. Maine Outdoors is not and will never be the high-volume high turnover operation that others are and that is intentional.
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