Covert border crossing on the Dalmatian Coast

Aug 19, 2024 Dalmatian Coast (somewhere), Croatia??

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“Just drop us off at the Croatian border, my cousin will meet us on the other side.”

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We are now sailing (then cycling) among the islands south of Split, Croatia. It is very hot, especially mid-day inside the old town walls and squares, as the rock and stone absorb the heat and reflect it back.?

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After visiting Dubrovnik we were expecting to be disappointed, knowing that the city would be much bigger without a massive stone wall encircling it. But then, we hadn’t read up on Diocletian’s massive palace, built in the 5th century. Nor that of the demise of the last (or second to last) western, Roman Emperor Nepos.

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Of course, we should not have been surprised at all. The entire coast from the Bay of Kotor has been simply spectacular.?

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Nonetheless, I am sure it did seem strange to our hosts in Montenegro that we only needed a ride to the border of Croatia. No need even for the driver to take us across. We would be met by a cousin on the other side, we assured them.

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It almost felt like a Cold War moment.

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There are too many stories to share in the past week. From the Turkish coffee served as “Bosnian” and the best baclava I have yet tasted, to getting off on the wrong ferry stop and walking an extra 2-3 kilometers before having to take an Uber.

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Perhaps the best, from a business lesson perspective was an excursion we took a week ago now, from Kotor.

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This highlight was a small boat tour that took in multiple stops from an artificial island created centuries ago, to visiting the famous “blue caves” with a peek at an abandoned submarine base used in a James Bond film.

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From the small ‘hole-in-a-wall’ office where we purchased our tickets, we were led through the labyrinthian streets of old Kotor, to the waterfront. In doing so, we had to pass a mass of humanity, many from the 3 cruise ships docked and anchored in the bay. Then, we were shunted from one group to another, until finally we ended up with a small group with a family of 4 from Czechia.?

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Upon boarding the captain took a side trip across the bay to pick up 2 more passengers, friends of his it turned out, who were holidaying in the area. This turned out to be blessing.

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This is because our tour was in reality made up of dozens of small craft, all with big motors, racing each other to get to the next stop before the other. Our captain, however, changed things up somewhat, due to his friendship with these 2 last passengers.

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He took us to a secluded bay near the end, where we could swim in the emerald-colored waters. Then opened a cooler and offered everyone cold beer and white wine.?

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On the return trip, he proffered a menu to his friends and conversed animatedly in their Slavic language. My wife, then reviewed it and asked the captain about it. He answered that it was run by a friend of his, in a very small village, right on the sea. And that they cultivated and raised their own mussels and oysters.

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Before too long, the entire boat agreed that a side trip to the restaurant by the sea was a must, since we’d all need to eat anyway. Why not a “local” stop before being taken back to the main port.

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What had begun as an interesting, but sold to the masses, tour, ended up being a private event, with a very local flair. The trips appeared to be mass marketed by one or two companies, with many of the boats and captains being employed as independent contractors.?

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This model allows the “operator” to sell a large volume, yet not have to engage and maintain a huge fleet of boats nor have the expense and challenge of managing many employees. This is especially important for those involved in seasonal businesses. ?

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Our captain certainly earned a good tip from all passengers, likely a free meal and perhaps even a commission on the meals, in addition to the percentage he would get from the tour company for the excursion itself. Not bad for a retiree.?

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Your lesson, of course, is to always examine a few key items in how you operate.

1. Your business model. Do you need to handle all the logistics and overhead to run a successful company; or could you contract out large aspects of it? ?
2. What areas can you improve, both in customer service but also in upselling and cross-selling? i.e. How can increase your average transaction amount? ?
3. Lastly, and even this company missed it, what can you do to get both reviews (feedback) and referrals?

Until next week,

Stay healthy and focus on profit!?

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- Hugh? The “Profit Accelerator ” Expert

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P.S. Did you know that even tiny improvements of 1-3%, in just 12 fundamental areas of your business could give you 50% and more improvement to your bottom-line? Test out my brand-new?Profit Acceleration SimulatorTM ? and discover the true impact of a conservative estimate of Profit Acceleration initiatives on your business and see for yourself. (https://hughtafel.com/sim )

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