So I was in Monterey Bay in California this last fall, and as I was walking along the pier, came across the following sign painted on the path in front of me. I had to stop and take a second look, as I wasn’t really sure I understood what the sign was for. And yes, lo and behold, it actually was a message painted on the road that indicated that the path in front of me was a crossing for people with kayaks!
Now I’ve seen numerous types of crossings in my travels – pedestrians, children specific, university students, bicycle crossings, crossings for people with special needs, even deer crossings, but I had never seen one for kayaks!
So who cares? Why does this matter to you or your business? Because it reminds us again to look at whether the service or product we are selling is right for the geographic location in which we are trying to sell.
In this example, there is obviously an abundance of people with kayaks that they have needed to designate certain areas for these individuals to cross the paths. So in this area perhaps industries or products related to kayaks would be a good idea – life jackets, kayak supplies (I don’t even know what these might be ☺), waterproof wear, kayak oars, and even kayaks themselves. But if I tried to open a kayak oar specialty store down the street from me in Burlington, Ontario, it is highly unlikely that I would be extremely successful. I imagine that although I’m located next to Lake Ontario, the very short season and the lack of a huge demand throughout the year for kayaking supplies, would make it tough for me to succeed by specializing in this particular niche.
So perhaps if your product or service isn’t selling for you, it may be time to take a step back and see if you are selling sailboats when the crossing down the street is for kayaks ☺