| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
How the Humble Ice Cube Made Business History
Gather round while I tell you the story of Kennebec Ice. It's a story full of valuable business lessons even though it happened long ago. Once upon a time, before the invention of modern refrigeration, folks kept their food cold by using large blocks of ice. That ice was readily available to residents of my state, Maine. (For my friends in other countries, Maine is the northeastern-most state, bordered by New Hampshire, Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean. We have very cold winters and the ice freezes deep into lakes and rivers.) Now, residents of Maine didn't think too much about ice other than for their own use. Ice was just a part of life, no big deal. During the economic depression that followed the Civil War, ship's captains in Maine had a hard time finding enough cargo to fill their ships. To compensate for the lack of cargo the ship's crew substituted large blocks of Maine ice to act as ballast. The ice was covered with sawdust to help slow the melting process. This need for ballast created a new market for ice. When the ships arrived in tropics and sub-tropics, it was discovered that the ice being used as ballast was a valuable product to the residents of those regions. They were willing to pay for that ice. Cutting and shipping ice to other parts of the world became an industry for Maine. This new market saw ice being shipped to China, India, Cuba,and many other places. Now, somewhere along the way, through some clever promotion, the ice harvested from the Kennebec River in Maine became known as "the best ice". Consumers thought it was higher in purity and health benefits. There are many rivers and lakes in Maine, all of them produce ice. There really wasn't much difference at the time, all the lakes and rivers were clean enough to drink from, but the perception was that Kennebec Ice was the best. People were willing to pay more to get it. Because Kennebec Ice was the best, ice companies all over the world started referring to their ice as "Kennebec Ice" even though their ice might come from Kansas or New York. Kennebec Ice was the gold standard for ice. And then along came modern refrigeration. The ice industry died out and Maine residents, who are always resourceful, moved on to other industries to support their families. So, here are our modern day business lessons from the story of Kennebec Ice. 1. One product can have many markets and uses, even a product as simple as frozen water. 2. The things we take for granted may be valuable to others. 3. Becoming the gold standard increases business and allows you to charge a higher price. 4. It's important to protect your brand to keep it from being cheapened and compromised by others. 5. Watch for trends that tell you it's time to get out of the ice business and develop new products or services. Of course, the ice business is still alive and well in the modern world, driven by a new industry--tourism and recreation. So, next time you fill your cooler,think of the humble ice cube and the proud part it played in creating business history. Caroline Jordan, MBA delivers icy cold business advice in a frosted glass to self employed professionals in the desert-parched land of business ownership. For more tips and strategies to create a successful, thirst quenching business, attract a deep pool of customers you enjoy, increase your cash flow river, and develop additional streams of refreshing revenue visit http://www.TheJordanResult.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Most Franchises Are Small Home Businesses Many of our nations 400,000 franchisees run their businesses out of their homes and therefore their home addresses and phone numbers are listed in the Unifrom Franchsie Offering Circular's, attachments. Uniform Franchise Circulars, UFOC, are for franchise buyers and they explain the investment involved. Competition in the Market Place and Over Disclosure Regulatory Burden The Federal Trade Commission is assisting competitor to cheat and encouraging this unethical behavior thru their disclosure rule on franchisors. Competition in the market place is far more competitive and the stakes are high enough that Over Disclosure Regulatory Rules cause competition to take the advantage and cheat. Politics, Environmental Rules, and Mobile Car Washes During the California Recall Election, I was very interested. Without getting into the political scene at all; my entire company, The Car Wash Guys, and all our staff and franchisees were closely watching The California Recall and Election. How to Start a Carpet Cleaning Company Opening a carpet cleaning business is a great way to earn money as your own boss. This is a relatively simple business to start, with low overhead, and little experience required. Keeping your Business Alive As long as you eat and breathe you will stay alive. But is that really living? In a crisis that may be enough. Pressure Washing Companies; Pricing Dock and Deck Cleaning If you own a Pressure Washing Company and wish to get business at the local Marina there are a few things you should know. You need to be careful in bidding these types of jobs. Private Franchising is not Real a Real Franchise One major issue not being addressed right now in the regulatory definitions which guide consumers and lawyers in business opportunities and franchising is the new term being used; Private Franchising. The Federal Trade Commission decided it would revise its definitions of such opportunities in 1995, but failed to address this issue. How to Wash Mobile Homes as a Business Washing manufactured homes, mobile homes, can be a lucrative and steady business. Generally Mobile Home owners desire to have their mobile homes washed twice per year. More Business Card Uses Why would you use an event pass?Event passes are often used as giveaways to entice people to attend some event. You will find that most time-share companies will have passes to be used to attend their spiel, plus they also give away other goodies. Beginning an Internship Program CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the intern will be needed each week. Will specific hours be adhered to, or will the schedule be more flexible? Applicants want to know up front what they will be paid, if anything. Start a Technical Writing Service Technical writing services are employed to explain the details of a topic in a way that is easily understood by the readers. In todays information age, technical writing jobs are increasingly common. Why the Over Regulation on the Franchising Model? Franchising is the fastest way to build small businesses, provide jobs, create money flows. Currently the Federal Trade Commission wishes to increase the over regulation on the franchising sector. Don't Quit Before You Get to the City! We were more than excited. Our women's doubles tennis team had won our division, successfully competed in three rounds of the playoffs and had emerged as finalists in the city competition. Justice In Action During the 1980 presidential campaign, candidate Ronald Reagan vowed, if elected, to appoint the first woman to the United States Supreme Court. Six months after his inauguration, President Reagan kept his promise - nominating a member of the Arizona Court of Appeals. Specialty Advertising in C-Stores It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making significant headway. We have seen them in the halls of Congress sniffing for anthrax. Increase Productivity and Business Success - Take Responsibility Are you responsible for your results?What comes to mind when I say that?When you hear that you're totally responsible for the results you produce in your business and in your life---you might jump to a conclusion. You may think that I'm suggesting that you should take the blame for your results. Dig Deep for Small Business Ideas Before You Start the Wrong Business If you're serious about wanting to start a business, the first thing you want to do is take the time to understand what really makes you tick. Where do you get your drive? What gets you in a "zone?"However, there's a lot more to figuring out the BEST business idea that will make you more money and give you more freedom to enjoy more success in your life. Launching your Business with a Chamber of Commerce Why are Chambers a good launching pad?Chambers provide you with more ways to get to know the business community than most organizations. I was once elected President of a Chamber and the Board strived to get businesses involved with each other. Measuring Your Way to Success Are you a motivational speaker who consistently gets rave reviews yet your ratio of speaking to return rate is not where you would like it to be? Perhaps you are a trainer whose delivery is complimented time and again, and yet you are only being asked by 10 to 20% of the clients you see for a repeat performance?Are you starting to think that there is something wrong with your message or delivery despite the rave reviews? Maybe you were wondering if your fee is too steep. That may be a valid concern when organizations are faced with discretionary spending, but the rule of thumb is that you are only charging too much if more than 1 in 5 people complain about it. Personal Success - Take a Break from Business Have Some Time to Yourself One of the most important things you can have when running a successful business, is to have time for yourself. Every small business owner needs to make time to be quiet.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
