Your ideas are all wet

Several years ago, I met “The Famous River Hot Dog Man” Gregory Crance via Facebook.

Living in Northern New Jersey (not far from the Delaware Water Gap) we would often see “tubers” floating down the river in the summer. “Hey, look at the tubers! Look, rafters! Wow, that looks like fun. We should do that one day…..”

And that is where it ended, the Capone Family “we should do that one day” list.

As time went by, the thought of sitting in a tube, drifting down the river with minimal caloric effort became more and more attractive.

Is there anything more “low tech” than sitting in a tube, and letting Mother Nature do all the work? Last year was our first year floating down the river. Today shall be our first trip of many “floating family meetings” for the season.

One day while on Gregory’s “Jet Boat” on the river, I told my new waterlogged entrepreneurial  friend about some ideas that I had for his river business.

• You can update your website so that people can “book their events” online, similar to an Eventbrite experience.
• You can make “an app” so that people can buy their tickets online, organize their own groups, and check weather/river conditions.
• You can create “alerts” for last minute specials, “friends and family” on the river alerts. Something like MeetUps on the river. “Hey, the Smith Family is going to be on the river today, let’s join them!”
• You can use Uber “pool” service to have small groups of people dropped off / picked up at the river launch points. Maximum savings and convenience.
• Lashing the tubes together makes for a perfect “floating meeting” for corporate teams.
• Birthday parties, team building, family outings, the list is endless.
• Leave your wallets in the car - your Smartphone app lets you buy anything you need - including food at the halfway point on the river.
• Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app. Join other drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute. So now our app does that... for the river.
• Of course, we shall supply waterproof cases for Smartphones, water shoes, sunscreen, and other river gear at the launch point.
• And let’s not forget the “tube for the cooler” - bring your own goodies or fill your floating cooler from our marketplace.

Know what my friend said? “If you think these are such good ideas, why don’t you do them with me?” You know what happened next, right?

How many people living in North New Jersey know about this amazing hidden gem of a summertime day trip? There is an old saying in marketing: “Don’t keep your light under a barrel” which means don’t keep your strengths a secret.

Other old sayings: “Your ideas are all wet…….or…..You are still wet behind the ears......or....Don't be a wet blanket.”

See you on the river……...and don’t forget your sunscreen.