I think we have all heard the saying about getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. That absolutely holds true and will matter even more in the coming years. We’re going to talk about that next week but this week we are going to focus on the type of bus that we are using for our business journey.

Needless to say, a lot of buses out there might fall into the old Model T category with the same mindset of adaptability, “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black”.  Please keep in mind that in most cases, a company reflects their competition which basically means that there is a common business model that companies emulate.

It has been relatively consistent when it comes to how Kitchen and Bath Dealers approach the market. There have been some shifts along the way, like when Big Boxes came on the scene, the sharp rise in cabinet import products and more online selling models. The real disruption in the industry has yet to land.

Why is the model of the bus you drive so important? Because the conditions of the race have changed. When you look at the starting gate going into 2024, you can’t help but notice that more of the bricks and mortar models have added fuel injected online sales. I wonder what that nonsense is all about?? Sure enough, those crazy buses that ONLY work with online sales fuel are back and in greater numbers. What happened to the good ole days when most of the competition just looked like a bricks and mortar bus?  Add in the expectations of customers these days and the terrain just got rougher and with more hazards. My oh my, what’s a K & B Dealer to do?

How about we take a step back (as you know I like to do) and try to figure out what changes our bus needs to go through to compete in future races. The newer tracks we race on have a lot more unexpected turns that pop up without much notice so here are some new specs we need on our bus wish list:

1. Nimble and able to turn on a dime. Having the ability to change directions quickly is key.
2. Clear and extended visibility so you don’t end up passing a “swamp ahead” sign doing 120 MPH.
3. Better internal meters and measurements so we can see how well the bus is performing in more instant time and not every quarter of the race.
4. Processes that can smooth out the potholes on the road ahead of us.
5. Build up our fan base, because they are the ones that will keep the lights on and pay for the fuel to keep us cruising down the road.

I have promised myself to keep these blogs shorter because I know how busy folks are. (No need to bring up my batting average on this point. It’s called egg nut ) So here are the next topics we’ll talk about:

• How to better prepare your bus for the roads ahead.
• Dealer models – What do they look like now and how that will change in the future. Prepare for a big swing in the numbers!
• Special Market Watch Edition. Just my perspective but it’s looking more and more like a continued slow down through 2024. Plan for at least another 10% drop in sales.

That’s all for now. 

Become a student.

Get Curious!

Be bold and break away from the past.

 thad