Got a question for me? Shoot! Or suggestions?

[LuauLounge]

What ever happened to the guy with the Lamborghini that was headed East?

 

[RiverDave]

How is your relationship with Grads outside of RDP?

Good actually

 

[RiverDave]

Any updates / pics on that 16 foot / outboard You're restoring?

Down at Pedro’s getting the floors done and knees for the transom. Got the jackplate and hydraulic steering and a lot of other parts the other day

 

[RiverDave]

Do I dare ask….. how much money does this website bring in to you/company ?

You first lol

 

[RiverDave]

What ever happened to the guy with the Lamborghini that was headed East?

Nashville bound?

 

[Wheeler]

Timing is everything

Will all the moderators be MIA this weekend? With Desert Storm and all the free beer and drinks I figure they'll be too hung over to show up for work or too drunk to give a crap about what's about to get posted!

 

[redone76]

We never got the complete story on that 3 wolves dude. How batshit was he? Can you talk about it now?

 

[Boatymcboatface]

You first lol

My
Website brings in $0.0 your turn.

 

[hallett21]

We never got the complete story on that 3 wolves dude. How batshit was he? Can you talk about it now?

I miss the crazies lol. Always starts off slow but by the end…..

 

[redone76]

I miss the crazies lol. Always starts off slow but by the end…..

Right!!! Entertaining for sure! That guy smelled fishy right off the bat

 

[Wheeler]

I miss the crazies lol. Always starts off slow but by the end…..

Roy was straight up from the beginning. How anyone missed it is on them. I figured the guy could use a meal so I took him to lunch @ Q-Tortas. Everyone deserves a meal even if it's their last.

 

[Havasu Surfer]

What do like best about living in Havasu?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Is there a list of the Current West Coast Performance Boat builders on RDP?

 

[RiverDave]

My
Website brings in $0.0 your turn.

 

[RiverDave]

Is there a list of the Current West Coast Performance Boat builders on RDP?

@twocents would probably be better at that me but I’ll see what I can do this week.

RD

 

[Sportin' Wood]

@twocents would probably be better at that me but I’ll see what I can do this week.

RD

No rush on my account. It was just something I thought might be useful and a good addition to the site.

 

[RiverDave]

No rush on my account. It was just something I thought might be useful and a good addition to the site.

What do you do with companies that are boat companies but don’t really produce any boats?

RD

 

[Sportin' Wood]

What do you do with companies that are boat companies but don’t really produce any boats?

RD

Other services? Laundry, Party Supplies, Networking?

 

[RiverDave]

Other services? Laundry, Party Supplies, Networking?

I was referring to like SOSA.. they have bad ass concepts and they are always tooling.. but ya never see any for sale or new builds?

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Honestly forgot about this post. I actually had a site kinda like a rental company but it was to plate dualsport bikes in AZ to ride in California. Did it for a couple friends but then after a few years of paying $25 for the domain name it went to some stupid amount but by then KTM and a couple other motorcycle companies started making decent options it wasn’t necessary.
But your video nails it.

 

[RiverDave]

Honestly forgot about this post. I actually had a site kinda like a rental company but it was to plate dualsport bikes in AZ to ride in California. Did it for a couple friends but then after a few years of paying $25 for the domain name it went to some stupid amount but by then KTM and a couple other motorcycle companies started making decent options it wasn’t necessary.
But your video nails it.

I was being sarcastic because I’m not really sure I should be putting out what I do or don’t make off rdp.

What I can tell you is the website does pretty well, the clothing does pretty well.. but the true monetization of rdp was by integrating the RE model into it.

My goal for 2024 is to better monetize rdp by raising the advertising rates to actual appropriate amounts, work into affiliate marketing with service based companies like detail shops, flooring shops and even the swim platform place.. then convert TTS into an income generating platform. Other projects include hiring more content developers bringing back a relevant newsletter as an expanded platform to sell advertising on and possibly bringing back some sort of podcast or video show like I used to do years ago.

RD

 

[Warlock1]

A lot of people would say cheetah, and they would be wrong..

That is the fastest land animal. There are hawks that have dive speeds in excess of 120mph. Not sure which is the fastest

Close, the Paragrin Falcon has a diving speed that exceeds 200mph...

 

[Romans9]

I was being sarcastic because I’m not really sure I should be putting out what I do or don’t make off rdp.

What I can tell you is the website does pretty well, the clothing does pretty well.. but the true monetization of rdp was by integrating the RE model into it.

My goal for 2024 is to better monetize rdp by raising the advertising rates to actual appropriate amounts, work into affiliate marketing with service based companies like detail shops, flooring shops and even the swim platform place.. then convert TTS into an income generating platform. Other projects include hiring more content developers bringing back a relevant newsletter as an expanded platform to sell advertising on and possibly bringing back some sort of podcast or video show like I used to do years ago.

RD

@RiverDave
I hope you make metric ton of cash off RDP at some point.

This is a great site that is very fairly moderated with access to an unbelievable amount of knowledge about anything you can imagine.
I have read many threads that I was going to reply to and after a few posts someone has already answered with a great explanation or the exact information needed,

I would love to see RDP have an active off-road section. The amount of crossover between the boating content and the off-road flows naturally and most that are into one are into the other. Tech sections, trails, group rides, etc.

I don’t always agree with your take on things but I always appreciate your honesty and forthrightness.

There is great potential for RDP to expand.

 

[Activated]

I was being sarcastic because I’m not really sure I should be putting out what I do or don’t make off rdp.

What I can tell you is the website does pretty well, the clothing does pretty well.. but the true monetization of rdp was by integrating the RE model into it.

My goal for 2024 is to better monetize rdp by raising the advertising rates to actual appropriate amounts, work into affiliate marketing with service based companies like detail shops, flooring shops and even the swim platform place.. then convert TTS into an income generating platform. Other projects include hiring more content developers bringing back a relevant newsletter as an expanded platform to sell advertising on and possibly bringing back some sort of podcast or video show like I used to do years ago.

RD

Do you have income statements for each company? Do you review them monthly to measure your costs and profitability?

Coming from a corporate type environment where we measured everything to less than a penny, I am curious how growing businesses mature.

 

[c_land]

Can we have a reaction button?

 

[RiverDave]

Do you have income statements for each company? Do you review them monthly to measure your costs and profitability?

Coming from a corporate type environment where we measured everything to less than a penny, I am curious how growing businesses mature.

Yes but probably not exactly what you’re thinking. Right now we are looking for a new bookkeeper because our last one retired. So there is P&L each month etc.. to be honest though we are far from corporate (something that needs to be tightened up on the internals for sure) but running a small business especially multiple small businesses I don’t really measure growth like you would traditionally in big biz.

Let me give you a hypothetical example of that. Let’s say we are going to an event, and I get a new shirt design done. I drop say 10-12k on clothing because I think it’s gonna be a big event. Now for whatever reason we don’t sell very much clothing.. could be a monsoon comes through on the main day.. could be maybe the design doesn’t go over well.. could be any number of things. Realistically I’m into that event about 20k by the time you factor staff, cost of the assets involved (vending trailer etc), space rent etc.. and we’ll call it we sold 5k worth of clothing. Well we didn’t spend 15, because you also have the cost of the swag. But wait there’s more! lol. You also gotta tag in the “freebies” which is the way ya give to the advertisers, people that help your cause etc.. realistically it’s pretty easy in that scenario to have spent call it somewhere around 18k to the negative..

However in bullshitting with the vendors because the event was slow, now ya made relationships with call it five guys that at some point are going to advertise for say 500.00 a month.. and those are going to last for basically perpetuity? What’s that worth..

Or an even easier metric since team rdp generally piggy backs off rdp at the events. Let’s say the weather turns nice on Sunday and they get 8-10
Solid leads. Ranging anywhere from 500k to 2 million.. if 50% of those materialize, now did ya really lose money on that show? The clothing is going to sell over time anyways or if there’s several events like there is in April you are stocked for the next one.

So it’s kinda hard to look at it individually and monthly because you have to look at it more globally and over longer periods of time.

Some behind the scenes things most would never know. I spend at least an hour of my day helping people on the phone with random boat questions. I do it because I like to do it. I field a ton of questions about where to get parts for xyz jet boat and I’ll take them as far as I can and send them up to Tom at jbp, or bob over at marine industries west.. etc.. but I spend the time and will help them look up parts etc.

True story - I’m driving back on the 40 from some vacation Stacy and I took, and I get a call.. too make a long story short it’s a guy I helped years back with some jet boat questions and helped him locate some parts and he now wants to buy a house in havasu. No problem right? What’s the budget.. “we don’t have one”. Turns out a farmer was messing around with some jet boat, sold his farm for a bazillion.. purchased some island where the re agent didn’t know it had infrastructure, sold it for a profit larger than any house in havasu is gonna cost etc etc.

I guess the point of that is to say time spent not necessarily making money isn’t necessarily time wasted. I’m a big believer in the karma train, and networking.

If I worked in corporate America and just told the guy “we don’t work on boats” then I wouldn’t be telling you that story. There is a ton of them just like that, albeit usually not to that extreme.



RD

 

[RiverDave]

Can we have a reaction button?

Looks like ya pretty much have one

 

[toto]

Down at Pedro’s getting the floors done and knees for the transom. Got the jackplate and hydraulic steering and a lot of other parts the other day

Hey Dave - How is this project coming or is on the back burner ?

 

[DB / HAV]

Yes but probably not exactly what you’re thinking. Right now we are looking for a new bookkeeper because our last one retired. So there is P&L each month etc.. to be honest though we are far from corporate (something that needs to be tightened up on the internals for sure) but running a small business especially multiple small businesses I don’t really measure growth like you would traditionally in big biz.

Let me give you a hypothetical example of that. Let’s say we are going to an event, and I get a new shirt design done. I drop say 10-12k on clothing because I think it’s gonna be a big event. Now for whatever reason we don’t sell very much clothing.. could be a monsoon comes through on the main day.. could be maybe the design doesn’t go over well.. could be any number of things. Realistically I’m into that event about 20k by the time you factor staff, cost of the assets involved (vending trailer etc), space rent etc.. and we’ll call it we sold 5k worth of clothing. Well we didn’t spend 15, because you also have the cost of the swag. But wait there’s more! lol. You also gotta tag in the “freebies” which is the way ya give to the advertisers, people that help your cause etc.. realistically it’s pretty easy in that scenario to have spent call it somewhere around 18k to the negative..

However in bullshitting with the vendors because the event was slow, now ya made relationships with call it five guys that at some point are going to advertise for say 500.00 a month.. and those are going to last for basically perpetuity? What’s that worth..

Or an even easier metric since team rdp generally piggy backs off rdp at the events. Let’s say the weather turns nice on Sunday and they get 8-10
Solid leads. Ranging anywhere from 500k to 2 million.. if 50% of those materialize, now did ya really lose money on that show? The clothing is going to sell over time anyways or if there’s several events like there is in April you are stocked for the next one.

So it’s kinda hard to look at it individually and monthly because you have to look at it more globally and over longer periods of time.

Some behind the scenes things most would never know. I spend at least an hour of my day helping people on the phone with random boat questions. I do it because I like to do it. I field a ton of questions about where to get parts for xyz jet boat and I’ll take them as far as I can and send them up to Tom at jbp, or bob over at marine industries west.. etc.. but I spend the time and will help them look up parts etc.

True story - I’m driving back on the 40 from some vacation Stacy and I took, and I get a call.. too make a long story short it’s a guy I helped years back with some jet boat questions and helped him locate some parts and he now wants to buy a house in havasu. No problem right? What’s the budget.. “we don’t have one”. Turns out a farmer was messing around with some jet boat, sold his farm for a bazillion.. purchased some island where the re agent didn’t know it had infrastructure, sold it for a profit larger than any house in havasu is gonna cost etc etc.

I guess the point of that is to say time spent not necessarily making money isn’t necessarily time wasted. I’m a big believer in the karma train, and networking.

If I worked in corporate America and just told the guy “we don’t work on boats” then I wouldn’t be telling you that story. There is a ton of them just like that, albeit usually not to that extreme.



RD

This, in a nut shell is how it‘s done!!! Explained perfectly

 

[Dalton]

Any updates on your brother? I remember a thread about him a while back

 

[Slick]

Yes but probably not exactly what you’re thinking. Right now we are looking for a new bookkeeper because our last one retired. So there is P&L each month etc.. to be honest though we are far from corporate (something that needs to be tightened up on the internals for sure) but running a small business especially multiple small businesses I don’t really measure growth like you would traditionally in big biz.

Let me give you a hypothetical example of that. Let’s say we are going to an event, and I get a new shirt design done. I drop say 10-12k on clothing because I think it’s gonna be a big event. Now for whatever reason we don’t sell very much clothing.. could be a monsoon comes through on the main day.. could be maybe the design doesn’t go over well.. could be any number of things. Realistically I’m into that event about 20k by the time you factor staff, cost of the assets involved (vending trailer etc), space rent etc.. and we’ll call it we sold 5k worth of clothing. Well we didn’t spend 15, because you also have the cost of the swag. But wait there’s more! lol. You also gotta tag in the “freebies” which is the way ya give to the advertisers, people that help your cause etc.. realistically it’s pretty easy in that scenario to have spent call it somewhere around 18k to the negative..

However in bullshitting with the vendors because the event was slow, now ya made relationships with call it five guys that at some point are going to advertise for say 500.00 a month.. and those are going to last for basically perpetuity? What’s that worth..

Or an even easier metric since team rdp generally piggy backs off rdp at the events. Let’s say the weather turns nice on Sunday and they get 8-10
Solid leads. Ranging anywhere from 500k to 2 million.. if 50% of those materialize, now did ya really lose money on that show? The clothing is going to sell over time anyways or if there’s several events like there is in April you are stocked for the next one.

So it’s kinda hard to look at it individually and monthly because you have to look at it more globally and over longer periods of time.

Some behind the scenes things most would never know. I spend at least an hour of my day helping people on the phone with random boat questions. I do it because I like to do it. I field a ton of questions about where to get parts for xyz jet boat and I’ll take them as far as I can and send them up to Tom at jbp, or bob over at marine industries west.. etc.. but I spend the time and will help them look up parts etc.

True story - I’m driving back on the 40 from some vacation Stacy and I took, and I get a call.. too make a long story short it’s a guy I helped years back with some jet boat questions and helped him locate some parts and he now wants to buy a house in havasu. No problem right? What’s the budget.. “we don’t have one”. Turns out a farmer was messing around with some jet boat, sold his farm for a bazillion.. purchased some island where the re agent didn’t know it had infrastructure, sold it for a profit larger than any house in havasu is gonna cost etc etc.

I guess the point of that is to say time spent not necessarily making money isn’t necessarily time wasted. I’m a big believer in the karma train, and networking.

If I worked in corporate America and just told the guy “we don’t work on boats” then I wouldn’t be telling you that story. There is a ton of them just like that, albeit usually not to that extreme.



RD

And to think your hustling status was in question. BTW I have a golf cart in my garage if you are interested

 

[ChumpChange]

Close, the Paragrin Falcon has a diving speed that exceeds 200mph...

Yep. Fastest as well as slowest. They don’t fly well, just dive.

 

[RiverDave]

Hey Dave - How is this project coming or is on the back burner ?

Gel and floors are done. The boat is in my shop with a bunch of parts, but everything is at a stand still until the sign truck is done.

 

[RiverDave]

And to think your hustling status was in question. BTW I have a golf cart in my garage if you are interested

When I get five minutes this week I gotta come get that. Lol

 

[RaceTec]

I guess the point of that is to say time spent not necessarily making money isn’t necessarily time wasted. I’m a big believer in the karma train, and networking.

If I worked in corporate America and just told the guy “we don’t work on boats” then I wouldn’t be telling you that story. There is a ton of them just like that, albeit usually not to that extreme.

God I miss those days!!!

 

[Bails]

Hey Dave, who do you think would win in a fight, 10 chimps or a Grizzly bear?

 

[cxr]

Can I borrow your trailer real quick

 

[C_J_J_C]

My Suggestion:

Bring back regular boat reviews.

Maybe try to dedicate one day a month to do a bunch of boat photos / Owner interviews but only release one review every week, say Fridays.

Don't just review the latest and greatest but more the boats on Havasu. I enjoy reading about a single family owned 70s 21 foot boat as much as I do a brand new MTI.

I'm sure if you asked for volunteers and had them meet you on the water in the channel you would need to say no more often than yes. Heck, call the reviews boats The Havasu Channel Review.

I miss seeing boats, especially November - April.

 

[Orange Juice]

What do you do with companies that are boat companies but don’t really produce any boats?

RD

List # of boats built in previous year.