If you own a small business, or work for one, you understand when I say each day is filled with the challenges of staying "fresh & new", and finding ways to better serve your customers. This challenge is 24/7, and often can lead to sleepless nights. It's amazing how a little sleep deporvation can lead to something inovative.
Of course there are companies that can't come up with an original idea if their life depended on it... These guys get a bit more sleep, but in the end the result isn't the same.
For 2009 I've decided to venture outside the box yet another time. I think the changes will not only help our company, but most importantly, our customers. Keep an eye out in the coming months for the changes, but honestly, they will slap you in the face...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Are there going to be any changes for 2009?
Every year is different. In the 10 plus years of owning this store, there have been "sleeper" years where everything pretty much stays the same, and other years where you can't keep up. What is 2009? Lets just put it this way, some companies stepped up, others, same old same old.
I call HJC "the king of average". I'm quick to point out that this isn't a bad-thing. There are a TON of companies out there that make junk. All of what HJC makes is of high quality, just typically doesn't have a ton of "bells and whistles". Granted, they've tried in the past to enter the "high end" market, but design SNAFU's have held them back. 2009 could be their year...
HJC for 2008 came out with a few cool products (FS models), but again, they were held back with minor design issues. I'm not sure what happened at the HJC head quarters, but they took everything back to the drawing board and came out with the new IS models. This includes the new FS-15 Carbon, which I will be doing a video evaluation soon. What makes the IS models different? HJC decided to "INVESTED" in the fact that their customer-base now understands that DOT only isn't a bad thing. Most of the new IS models have a inner visor (which works), and they kept the weighed down. Two HUGE features that will separate them from the masses.
Let me get one thing PERFECTLY clear. Up until 09 I "liked" HJC. I wasn't in love with any of their models. They did the job, but never thilled me. With the IS models, I'm now in a place I've never been... Watch out Scorpion. Simply, it comes down to value. If I can stand up in-front of a customer, rattle off a ton of features, and most importantly, they can see them, other products get lost in the conversation. This is HJC's strong point this year. You don't need to be NASA engineer to see the advantages.
Nolan is also jumping on the band wagon and brought in their flip-up N103 for 2009. All the issues I felt the old N102 had, they fixed. The visor is now inside the helmet, and the rear exhaust vents help move air inside. I do wish they would have released the N43 in the US (inner visor version), but they dropped the ball. Batting 500 isn't bad.
The company that I feel is really stepping up for 09 is Shark. Many have no clue who Shark is, since they only entered the US market about 2 years ago. Shark is one of Europe's largest manufacturers, and they make very solid products. They're the inventor of an inner styrene system called "Shark Fins" which is basically an inner crumple zone. They also currently have the lightest full-face out there, with the RSR2.
The one model that stands out for 09 is the Evoline. It's a flip-up front helmet, where the chin-bar actually goes up and over the helmet to rest on the rear. Very clever. Also, the helmet has an inner visor, which is becoming more and more popular.
I think 09 will have some winners, stay the sames, and losers. Only time will tell...
I call HJC "the king of average". I'm quick to point out that this isn't a bad-thing. There are a TON of companies out there that make junk. All of what HJC makes is of high quality, just typically doesn't have a ton of "bells and whistles". Granted, they've tried in the past to enter the "high end" market, but design SNAFU's have held them back. 2009 could be their year...
HJC for 2008 came out with a few cool products (FS models), but again, they were held back with minor design issues. I'm not sure what happened at the HJC head quarters, but they took everything back to the drawing board and came out with the new IS models. This includes the new FS-15 Carbon, which I will be doing a video evaluation soon. What makes the IS models different? HJC decided to "INVESTED" in the fact that their customer-base now understands that DOT only isn't a bad thing. Most of the new IS models have a inner visor (which works), and they kept the weighed down. Two HUGE features that will separate them from the masses.
Let me get one thing PERFECTLY clear. Up until 09 I "liked" HJC. I wasn't in love with any of their models. They did the job, but never thilled me. With the IS models, I'm now in a place I've never been... Watch out Scorpion. Simply, it comes down to value. If I can stand up in-front of a customer, rattle off a ton of features, and most importantly, they can see them, other products get lost in the conversation. This is HJC's strong point this year. You don't need to be NASA engineer to see the advantages.
Nolan is also jumping on the band wagon and brought in their flip-up N103 for 2009. All the issues I felt the old N102 had, they fixed. The visor is now inside the helmet, and the rear exhaust vents help move air inside. I do wish they would have released the N43 in the US (inner visor version), but they dropped the ball. Batting 500 isn't bad.
The company that I feel is really stepping up for 09 is Shark. Many have no clue who Shark is, since they only entered the US market about 2 years ago. Shark is one of Europe's largest manufacturers, and they make very solid products. They're the inventor of an inner styrene system called "Shark Fins" which is basically an inner crumple zone. They also currently have the lightest full-face out there, with the RSR2.
The one model that stands out for 09 is the Evoline. It's a flip-up front helmet, where the chin-bar actually goes up and over the helmet to rest on the rear. Very clever. Also, the helmet has an inner visor, which is becoming more and more popular.
I think 09 will have some winners, stay the sames, and losers. Only time will tell...
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