Avionics News May 2013 - 4

What’s Working For You?

uring my State of the Association address
But, as I commented in my convention address,
in late March at the 56th annual AEA “We are all still here. You are still reading this
International Convention & Trade Show in Las magazine. You are still going to work. You came
Vegas, Nev., I posed a question to the standing- in full force to the convention and increased our
room-only crowd, “What’s working for you?”
attendance by nearly 10 percent over last year.”
I asked this question to gauge how the membership
Something must be working.
is adjusting to this “new normal” work environment,
In my conversations with members in the last
and what is working in their respective
several months, I have learned some
businesses to drive growth right now.
really novel and unique ways members
So, what’s working for you?
are “working” in today’s business climate.
Whether we like it or not, the depressed
I know many of you are thinking outside
economy we’ve experienced in the last
the box to drive growth in your business
few years is creating a paradigm shift for
and applying lessons learned from past
the general aviation industry. Disposable
experiences. I know many of you are
income is sacred and people are afraid
choosing to ignore the media rants and,
Paula Derks
to spend. The U.S. Congress cannot
instead, simply roll up your sleeves and
agree on what’s for dinner, let alone
get to work, doing what it takes to keep
how to lessen our debt and get Americans working unlocking the doors to your business each morning.
again. The fear of sequestration cuts has reached
Many of you are beginning to work on noncertified
new levels of hysteria. In turn, we are seeing a aircraft and noncertified avionics. You’re preparing
decrease in flight hours, lackluster new pilot starts, your shop for the new business coming your way as
a depressed used-airplane market, and airframe the ADS-B Out mandate approaches in seven short
assembly lines have slowed to a turtle’s pace. We years. Most importantly, you’re educating yourself
all know someone who has lost their job or closed on new avionics technologies and sharing what
their doors of business.
you’ve learned with your customers.
Depending on what you read or what organization
I’ve learned from posing the “what’s working
you rely on for news, the forecast is either promising for you” question that many of you are devising
or just plain dismal. Even in our own segment of the marketing plans, something you have never had
industry, the sky is either falling or the sun is shining to do before, but is now a must to drive business.
brightly depending on which group is shouting the You’re spending money on open houses, advertising
loudest.
in trade publications and providing more training for
It’s difficult to take it all in and decide whether it’s your technicians. You’re considering new revenue
political theatrics or, if indeed, there is a real threat
Continued on page 45
to our livelihood.

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may 2013
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Avionics News May 2013

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