Off-season: the predictable recession

A wintry January day in the beach resort of Scheveningen provided wonderful photographic material. But when looking back over the images an analogy between the off-season and recession started to form. In many ways seasonal businesses cannot survive without looking for opportunities to build or sustain the business in the off-season. They cannot afford to be idle, lay off employees and just ride out the inclement weather. They get creative, they build stronger customer relationships and brand loyalty. They prepare for the better weather that will assuredly come and invest in their assets and infrastructure, rebuilding or improving those critical business drivers that keeps the business thriving and the customers returning. They prepare for the on-season in the off-season, just as those in the throes of a recession need to prepare for the recovery. Businesses should take a leaf from the seasonal business entrepreneur's handbook and invest for their future in these difficult times.

Things of great beauty

Pictures taken during a classic motorboat event in Mystic. A number were Chris-Craft, pristine examples of classic run-about motorboat design.

There is a completeness about the design of these craft. It is the same with similar makes, such as Riva. There is a balance of elements between the mahogany hull and the water, between the solid and the fluid, between something shaped by man and something shaped by nature. In retrospect, these craft are marvelous examples of aesthetic design, where (according to Wikipedia) qualities include:

"smoothness, shininess/reflectivity, texture, pattern, curviness, color, simplicity, usability, velocity, symmetry, naturalness, and modernism."

A couple of great sites for wooden motorboat window shopping here and here. And for aficionados, there is the Chris-Craft club.

The owners of Chris-Craft also revived the Indian Motorcycle - see this.