Archive for the ‘Marketing My Company’ Category

Predator Hand Paddle Voted BEST by Kayak Angler Magazine!

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

KA Cover

As seen in the 2010 Kayak Angler Magazine Fall Issue,

Ultimate Kayak Fishing Gear Guide!

Kayak Angler Magazine, the #1 magazine for kayak fisherman, selected the PREDATOR Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle for its 2010 Ultimate Kayak Fishing Gear Guide!

 

 

Backwater Paddle Company is extremely pleased to have achieved this accolade!  We want to thank all the kayak fishing hand paddle owners, anglers and sports writers who dedicated their time in consideration of this achievement and made this selection possible!

 Backwater Paddle Company sincerely thanks KAYAK ANGLER Magazine for their time and consideration in recognizing the PREDATOR Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles as one of the BEST Paddles to have in their 2010 Ultimate Kayak Fishing Gear Guide! 

You can check out our PREDATOR Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles on page 44 of  the 2010 Kayak Angler Magaizne Fall Issue 

Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle

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Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles: Catch More Fish!!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Unquestionably, any and all legal advantages available to catch more fish are every kayak angler’s ambition!  Fortunately, kayak fishing is a more “visual spotting” sport.  Paddling a kayak silently through the shallows gets you in close to observe your prey.  The closer you get, the more opportunities you are provided to catch more fish.

Recently, kayak fishing has exploded into the paddle sports market.  Anglers and kayak sportsmen joined forces to combine the best of both worlds.  Today, kayak fishing is one of the  fastest growing sports. With the advent of inexpensive and lightweight fishing kayaks, a new paddle sports niche was created overnight.  Kayak sportsmen are demanding gear and accessories reflective of their specific needs.  The kayak fishing community is challenging the fishing gear and paddle sport manufacturers to step up their innovations. 

Kayak fishing hand paddles evolved onto the scene to solve a major problem for kayak fishermen.  Known as the “kayak angler’s dilemma,” how do you paddle and fish while on a kayak?  With only two hands, how do you hold your fishing rod and maneuver your kayak?   It takes two hands to use a kayak paddle, and one to hold your fishing pole.  Simple math says…something has to be set down. 

“Catch more fish” is every anglers mantra!  The kayak fisherman has the distinctive advantage of getting up close and personal with their quarry.  Having the ability to glide through just inches of water, kayak fishermen must exercise caution or risk spooking their prey while flailing seven foot kayak paddles.  Yes, the fish can see you!  Stealthy paddling is a major skill in providing tangible results in catching more fish.     

Simply break out your compact, lightweight, kayak fishing hand paddle.  Stow that unwieldy seven foot kayak paddle.  Now you can stealthily maneuver your kayak with one hand while continuing to fish with the other.  Silently sneak in and catch more fish!   

Kayak anglers rely upon first hand knowledge, years of instinct and mind boggling multitudes of fishing tackle and gear.  Luck, whether you subscribe to that notion or not, is generally the common thread that ultimately bonds the angler to the fish, and eventually to the “fish tales.”  

Every angler’s ambition is to invest in the most advantageous fishing equipment.   Kayak fishermen spend crazy money annually in that pursuit.  They continuously seek the latest and greatest gear and accessories.  While trying to minimize the luck factor, kayak anglers want high performance fishing equipment to increase their probability of catching more fish.  Who wants to hear that you were just lucky, when you skillfully landed that trophy fish!  Placing emphasis on talent, intuition and having the best available kayak fishing equipment is tantamount to future angling success.

Optimize your kayak fishing experience by taking advantage of all available opportunities.  Kayak fishing hand paddles provide a stealthy, one-handed paddling approach, allowing you to keep fishing and ultimately, to catch more fish.  

Paddle one handed, chase stealthily…keep fishing!  Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles!

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Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle Review from Wales, UK

Monday, June 7th, 2010
Terry Jackson, Welsh Kayak Angler

The below independent paddle review was done by Terry Jackson from the North Wales Kayak Fishing community in the UK.   Terry contacted me awhile back about wanting to try the Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.  He was so enthused, that he wanted to get the information out to the kayak angler community in the UK.  The link below is from Terry’s website:  http://www.northwaleskayakfishing.co.uk/id190.html

Our kayak fishing brethren across the pond have a different way to punctuate, elaborate and make their point.  I took his review and “Americanized” it for a better read from our perspective.  Nothing was changed or removed.  Below is Terry’s review of our paddles. 

This is my review of the hand paddles.

The Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles are designed by The Backwater Paddle Company. They are designed as additional paddles.  They are not designed to replace your paddle, but to compliment it.  The idea behind them is simple and very effective.  If you are fishing its much easier to maneuver and control your kayak using just the single hand paddle.  This also gives you a free hand to fish with.

This is its primary design.  So lets for instance say you are fishing the river and you see a great area to cast a lure. Then you switch to your hand paddle and control the rate of drift as well as maneuver the kayak in to position while still fishing.   This would give you a lot More time in the target area to catch that fish.
 

 
 

Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle
Terry fishing with the Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle

 

We tested both hand paddles out the Predator and Piranha we could not defiantly work out a which one was best for us.  It was split down the middle between us as to which was better for our us .

Both paddles are made from top quality birch ply and finished with a marine grad varnish.  Both have hand loops.

We tried paddling with them for a few hours, swapping over paddles.   What we found was because the paddles are light weight and very easy to handle, we made no splash at all, hardly.   So again, another bonus is you can sneak right up on the fish without them knowing.

We then tried the floating test.  What if we dropped the paddle while fishing?  Would it float?  As you can see, they both did.

Getting right in to the trees and roots where the fish are going to be was no problem while using the paddles.

When not in use, the compact size of the hand paddles made them very easy to stow.

The hook shape on both paddles is designed for grabbing on to branches.

 
 

Piranaha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle in the trees
Grabbing on with the “hooks” on Backwater Paddle Hand Paddles

All in all this is a superb innovative fishing aid.   It both helps to keep you in the target area and allows extra control while still fishing.

The bonus of both these paddles, from a safety point of view, is you have a spare paddle with you.   So if you were to lose your paddle, you could still get back home safely with it.

 

Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle
Piranha Kayak Fisihng Hand Paddle at the ready for ANY emergency!
I really like the idea of being able to control your drift one handed with it using a modified ruddering stroke.   I was able to control a 100 yard drift easily. 
 
Both paddles are really well made and sure to be a winner with us kayak fishermen.   They are available from the Backwater Paddle Company.
 
The retail of the hand paddles is about 20 dollars each which is about £13 UK.  I think that is excellent value for money.

Article by Terry Jackson (Zebra)

Again, Thanks Terry for your time and consideration in promoting our paddle products to the Welsh Kayakers!!  Paddle on my friend!!

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Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles Debut in Tallulah Falls, Georgia

Friday, May 21st, 2010
Fishing with Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle

We just put another notch in the growth timeline for Backwater Paddle Company.  First Road Trip!! 

This past weekend (May 13/14th) we went up to Tallulah Falls, Georgia to a kayak fishing tournament we had helped sponsor.  The Georgia Kayak Fishing Club put together a four leg tournament that winds through all the beautiful Georgia countryside lakes and streams.

Kurt and I wanted to get our feet wet with a kayak fishing tournament that was close to home.  Not having any idea what to expect, our trip was relaxed and fun.  We camped at Moccasin Creek on Lake Burton, about 25 miles from the event.  (Note: that is what happens when you wait until the last minute to make reservations!)  Nevertheless, we rolled with the local anglers and vendors that showed up for the event.

Hats off to Tony Narcisse of the Georgia Kayak Fishing Club!  He was the point man with this kayak fishing tournament.  There were about 3 dozen kayak anglers that vied for the main prize, a dressed out fishing kayak by Ocean Kayaks. 

The Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles made their official debut.  Those who recieved a Piranha paddle prior to the actual tournament, and used it throughout the tournamnet, were ecstatic about the paddles and their fishing performance.    

Tony put everything together for this fine event.  The only thing he forgot to address was Mother Nature.  She visited with a vengeance!!

Unfortunately a torrential rainstorm, dumping hail and providing gale force winds, put a damper on the awards ceremonies.  Thankfully, that storm waited long enough for all the local anglers to get their business done and present their measurements at the weigh in.

Once that storm rolled in, everyone scattered for higher and safer ground.  We never did see who won our Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.  At that point, quite honestly, we were more concerned about our campsite some 25 miles away.

We are waiting on the kayak fishing tournament results, information and pictures from Tony and the GKF club to post on our site.  In all my excitement, it was an afterthought in snapping photos.  Next time!  Give us a break…we were overwhelmed with what was transpiring all around us!

That storm forced Kurt and I to bail from our campsite at around 7 pm and make the 10 hour drive to Central Florida through the mountains, at night and while raining.   Thank God for the Tom-Tom or Garmin, whatever we had…with the GPS tracking!  Kurt was able to provide real time road directions as we coursed our way through the winding, rain soaked, pitch black mountain roads. 

This was our very first road trip, but more so than anything, it was also our “first rodeo!”  Boy, did we ever learn from this experience! 

We can not wait for the next kayak fishing tournament!  The “River Bassin Trail” Tournament, hosted by Kayak Fishing Pro Drew Gregory, and presented by Bass Pro Shops, is next.  June 3rd, Birmingham, Alabama…here we come!!

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My Main Man: Kurt Horn – BPC Chief Paddle Maker

Sunday, May 9th, 2010
Backwater Paddle Company Logo

Video:  Kurt Demonstrating the Predator

Starting Backwater Paddle Company has been with out a doubt, the biggest challenge in my life.  I entered the paddle sports market with nominal business skills, minimal manufacturing knowledge and zero national marketing experience…yet I never blinked, nor balked, when I started on this endeavor.  Failure was never an option.

Having spent most of my adolescent life with the US Navy and in some precarious positions, identifying problems and providing solutions has been paramount to my survival and success.  Since retiring from the Navy, applying these concepts to my daily life has put me down challenging paths.  I would have it no other way, either. 

Nevertheless, success was not measured by what I could do by myself.  Being successful was defined by how I and our team managed to achieve our goals, together.  Survival is a personal fortitude.  Personal success however is not just surviving, but setting and achieving challenging goals.  Surrounding your self with like minded individual’s hell bent on achieving their goals, despite any and all obstacles, will make you successful.  

Backwater Paddle Company, despite tough economic times, has survived.  Not only has it survived, it is growing and flourishing.  This has NOT happened at my sole expense, but through a collaboration of another like minded individual, totally devoted and hell bent on making this company work.  

Kurt Horn, CPM (Chief Paddle Maker), has been the other half of this dynamic paddle company duo.  Without Kurt, Backwater Paddle Company would still be a struggling paddle sports entity.  However, Kurt, a professional cabinet maker and wood worker, provided proof from an inspiration.  On his own initiative, he took a hand drawn concept and delivered a working model, the prototype of the Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.

This innovative hand paddle prototype is the backbone, the legend, the existence of Backwater Paddle Company and its future moving forward.  A kayak angling dilemma was presented.  A simple idea was designed and Kurt provide the ultimate working solution. The evolution of the Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle proved there was a problem in the kayak fishing community and Backwater Paddles had the answer. 

Inspired, Kurt conceptualized and designed the Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle.  He provided another viable fishing hand paddle to solve the kayak fishermen’s dilemma. 

Kurt has selflessly devoted hundreds of hours into this paddle sports project.  He has personally made EVERY kayak fishing hand paddle that has left the shop!  He is involved in all research and development, every manufacturing decision, material testing, ordering and quality assurance. 

What has Kurt earned from this?  Well the first thing Kurt will probably tell you is success is not measured in what you have today, but what you will have tomorrow.  Kurt is in this project for the long run.   Kurt understands the sacrifice, devotion, and the long hours working in the shop to achieve a common goal.  The payoff is in the future.

Has Kurt ever complained?  Has Kurt ever slacked?  NEVER!!  Kurt is at the paddle shop between 5am – 6am daily, busting out more paddles till late afternoon.  Kurt is relentless in the pursuit of perfection.  This is why every paddle leaving our shop is flawless!  He would have it no other way!!

I could not have possibly moved Backwater Paddle Company to where we are today without having Kurt at my side.  In one year, we have gone from relative obscurity to the front pages of the kayak angling community, worldwide.  

We could have never imagined the acceptance and success these kayak fishing hand paddles have created.  Not only here stateside, Backwater Paddles presence is spreading throughout Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Wales.  Who would of thought?

It is an honor and pleasure to work along side Kurt.  Kurt Horn is Backwater Paddles.  Thanks Kurt!!

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Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles Are Out There!

Friday, April 30th, 2010
Backwater Paddle Company Logo

Looks like Backwater Paddle Company is making headway into the paddle sports market.  Our Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles are capturing the interest of  kayak anglers and sportsmen nationwide.   So far we have been fortunate enough to meet and network with three awesome individuals who are making an impact on the future of Backwater Paddle Company.

Backwater Paddles is c0-sponsoring two large kayak fishing tournaments in the southeast.  We have to thank our tournament directors for allowing us this privilege to provide our kayak fishing hand paddles to the kayak anglers and sportsmen participating. 

We would like to thank Tony Narcisse of the Georgia Kayak Fishing Trail at www.kayakfishingtrail.com.  Tony provided Backwater Paddle Company the opportunity to present our Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles to the tournament participants and winners.  We are providing kayak fishing hand paddles at all four legs of the Georgia tournament trail.  We wish the best of luck to Tony and all the kayak angling participants.

We hope to meet some of the participants and other sponsors at one of the four Georgia legs.  We will get with Tony when we have solidified our upcoming road schedule.  Check with Tony or myself for more information.

Drew Gregory of  the RiverBassinTrail.com deserves a special thanks from Backwater Paddle Company.  Drew has been extremely patient and helpful by mentoring Backwater Paddles in the big leagues of paddle sports marketing.  Drew has provided personal guidance and direction to achieve the maximum results from our sponsorship campaign.  He has taken a personal interest in the future of the Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.   We look forward to working with Drew and Deep Creek Ventures as well as Bass Pro Shops in our future marketing campaigns.

Backwater Paddle Company plans to be at the Birmingham, Alabama leg of this kayak fishing tournament.   Look for Kurt and myself at the Bass Pro Shop in Birmingham and at various launch sites throughout the area.  

Another stalwart partner in Backwater Paddles fledgling marketing campaign has been Brian Van Drie from Kayak Online at www.kayakonline.com/paddles.  Brian has been coaching us, very patiently I might add, in our paddle sports online presence.   Kayak Online has been there from day 1 and continues to support and provide growth opportunities for our paddle sports company.  We look forward to a long and prosperous future with Kayak Online.

It is a pleasure and honor to mention the above three individuals with regards to the future of Backwater Paddle Company.

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Backwater Paddle Company’s Predator and Piranha Fishing Hand Paddles Solve Kayak Anglers Dilemma!

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

 

Backwater Paddle Company Logo

Backwater Paddle Company was presented a problem that was all too often encountered in the evolving kayak fishing and sportsmen communities.  How do you paddle your kayak and keep fishing?  How do you move silently while photographing from a kayak?  How do you stealthily hunt from a kayak?

Paddle or fish?  Paddle or shoot? All kayak sportsmen have experienced the difficulty of paddling your kayak while holding your fishing rod, gun or camera.  It takes two hands to wrangle a seven foot kayak paddle, no matter how you hold it.  Something has to be set down to do the other.  Throw in a fishing pole or gun and you soon realize you need three hands! 

Backwater Paddle Company is providing answers to the kayak paddle sportsmen’s dilemma.  The Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles were developed for the kayak angler and sportsmen to easily move their boat while continuing to fish, photograph or hunt. 

The demand for kayak fishing hand paddles was born from necessity.  You can see the latest innovation in kayak fishing accessories at www.backwaterpaddles.com

Ed Halm, Backwater Paddle Company owner was fortunate enough to find his company in the midst of the explosion of paddle sports.  Ed is no stranger to adversity.  As a retired US Navy survival instructor, kayak eco-tour guide and patented paddle designer, providing solutions to paddling problems is his passion. 

With his vast paddling and military survival experience, Ed is usually found on the water, working directly with sportsmen, identifying potential paddling problems and providing distinctive solutions to the paddle sports market in an immeasurable way.  

The vision of Backwater Paddles is “not to just be another paddle manufacturer, but rather a cultural phenomenon in paddle innovation.”

Kayak fishing, is one of the fastest growing water sports today.  Kayak fishermen, also known as kayak anglers, and kayak sportsmen require specialty equipment, gear and accessories to effectively pursuit their sport.   Kayakers, anglers and sportsmen merged concepts and technologies.  Kayak fishing hand paddles evolved. 

Backwater Paddle Company and other paddle sport manufacturers are rapidly developing and introducing new paddle equipment, gear and accessories to satisfy this exploding outdoor water sports market. 

The concept of fishing hand paddles originated from intrepid kayak anglers solving this problem with ping pong paddles, Kadema paddles, modified badminton racquets and the sort.  Kayak sportsmen quickly realized they could hold their fishing rod and with the other hand paddle their kayak stealthily toward their prey. 

 Stow that unwieldy kayak paddle.  Place a small and lightweight kayak fishing hand paddle between your legs or close by.  Effortlessly move your kayak with one hand while continuing to fish, photograph or hunt, without spooking the wildlife.

As you begin your foray into kayak fishing, hunting or photography, do your research.  Peruse the internet, talk to local anglers and sportsmen.  Visit local outfitters and try various kayak platforms and fishing hand paddles.  That little effort will certainly make your next kayak sporting adventure more rewarding and memorable. 

Visit www.store.backwaterpaddles.com to purchase Backwater Paddle’s Predator or Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.  

Dealerships and ground floor investment opportunities are available.  Paddle shops, outfitters and prospective investors can contact Ed Halm at Backwater Paddle Company for further information. 

Paddle With Attitude…Paddle Anywhere!!

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Is their perpetual motion in marketing?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle

Backwater Paddle Company has struggled to get where we are now.  It has been a long slog through a nasty recession.  Backwater Paddles almost faltered at the start due to the bad economic times.  On top of that, breaking into a new, yet growing market, where your product has never existed presented its own unique challenges.

After a year or so of just keeping the business together, all the little things I have done have seem to come together.  Maybe it was just throwing enough fodder out there that something would catch and hold on.  Maybe it was changing the business plan in mid stream and coming out with the kayak fishing hand paddles.  Maybe it was just the market starting to rebound.  Maybe it was because I did find the right product at the right time for the right market?

Nevertheless, Backwater Paddles has been fortunate enough to begin feeling like we are somebody.  The past two months have been a renaissance in company and product awareness.  We are being noticed.  Somebody likes our product and sees a useful benefit.   We are generating sales, albeit very nominal, but someone does want to try our Predator and Piranha kayak fishing hand paddles.

Starting a project in a niche market is hard enough.  Try designing and selling a product to a market that has never existed before!  I am not saying kayaks nor fishing have never been around, but kayaks and fishing togetherhave spring boarded into the paddle sports market…bringing us kayak fishing.  Ever being an optimist, where  there is growth, there is opportunity!

Getting noticed in your market is an overwhelming task.  Let me back that statement up.  Getting noticed in your market without dumping boat loads of green backs into your marketing campaign is an overwhelming task! 

As a start-up company owner, working from savings, and a part time job is all you have to work with monetarily.  Without big corporate sponsors, investors and funding companies at your disposal, getting your marketing campaign off the ground requires tons of patience and good luck. 

Once Backwater Paddle Companies investors bailed at the start of the recession, I knew all bets were off and this would be a struggle.  I had to knuckle down and explore EVERY opportunity, EVERY contact, EVERY lead, and EVERY scheme.   I had to be proactive.   I know deep down, there would be no one else sitting down at this computer, for hours on end, doing this for me.

With the evolution of kayak fishing came new equipment, new gear and accessories.  Being in the right spot at the right time was all we needed for a competitive edge.   The evolution of  kayak fishing hand paddles became the focus of our market campaign and Backwater Paddles rise into the paddle sports community.

But again, it all boils down to the green backs.  Fortunately, perseverance has paid off to some degree.  Backwater Paddles is breaking into the paddle sport news without having sunk beacoup green backs into marketing.  

Is this good luck?  Will the exposure keep growing on its own with little or no more input from me?  Has all the last year of relentless Internet research finally paid off?  Sure, I’d like to believe that.  Sure I’d like to believe in perpetual  motion too.  But I know at some point I am going to have to get some green backs from someone to keep this marketing machine moving forward.

By the way…do you know anyone wanting to get in the ground floor of a paddle sports company?  I am going to need some green backs soon!! 

Paddle on my friends!!

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Networking Will Be The Ultimate Success For Backwater Paddles

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Predator Kayak Fishing Hand Paddle

Blessing do come in disguises.  You just never know what or how they are disguised, until you have time to reflect.

As owner of a start-up paddle sports manufacturing company and part time tourist eco-guide, trying to keep your business running is a full time job.  However, only one of those jobs pays the bills, barely…the part time tour guide!  I am quite fortunate to have some very close friends who have accommodated my paltry lifestyle.  I have sacrificed everything I have to get this company to this point.   The recession stalled our project, but that is another story.

It was what happened during the recession that is now paying off in our survival marketing campaign.

Even though the recession forced us to temporarily shelve the Raptor Kayak Paddle project, we also re-identified ourselves and evolved along the way.  We have now refocused on our Predator and Piranha Kayak Fishing Hand Paddles.   A simple solution to a complex problem of trying to paddle your kayak and fish at the same time!

But that is still  not the story.  It was what happened in between the recession and our new direction.  

 Networking!  After the recession, I spent a huge amount of time online talking to everyone.  I talked to manufacturers, paddle companies, outfitters, store owners, guides, web designers, yak fishermen and to any one who would listen to my story!  I had to cement Backwater Paddles name into peoples minds.  Failure was not an option for Backwater Paddles!  I knew that the economy would come back one day.  When it was time for Backwater Paddles to get back into business, I wanted us to be there with our name in peoples minds.  I was basically establishing an awareness campaign with no marketing budget, while the recession was on.

When do you know the recession is over and it is time to get back to marketing again?   For us it was when anglers and sportsmen started to ask questions about our hand paddles.  These contacts were direct results from my networking campaign, even better yet, some were the indirect results.  They had heard about us from someone else.

When you have no marketing budget money, when the economy is tough, when you question your company…get ut and talk to someone.  With the internet at your finger tips, people are just a few key strokes away. 

Find out who the movers and shakers are in your line of business and start emailing them about your company.  Do not make the first contact  a sales pitch.  Probably not even the second time either.  Feed them slowly with information about your business and products..  Give them something to hope for. 

When the time is right, through all the phone calls, emials and networking you have done, they will start to come looking for you and being more receptive of your product.  It all starts with communicationg to everyone about your company. 

Basically it boils down to if you are not the one talking to everyone about your company, no one else will be either!

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Laceration puts kayak paddle company owner down!

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
                                                                                                                    

Backwater Paddle Company Logo

Who would of thought how fast your life can change?  The slip of a six inch paring knife almost ended Backwater Paddle Company and its paddle products as we know them now.  As the owner of this paddle company, and recipient of the potentially devastating injury, I have come to realize that the sole existence of Backwater Paddles is locked up within my own realm.

Think about it.  Would this paddle company cease to exist at this early stage without me?    For the past two years, I have been solely responsible for taking this unique paddle concept and company to fruition.  No one else knows where this company stands in the market as well as I do.  Even though Liz, who saved my life and is my partner, hears everyday what goes on with Backwater Paddles, she could never remotely sit here at this keyboard and figure out where the paddle company is in the scheme of things.  Know one knows how many hours have been relentlessly spent working the Internet, the manufacturers, the marketers, the consumers, all networking to put a concept into place.

Now what?  I guess keeping myself out of harms way and staying alive is paramount to Backwater Paddle Company’s future.  However, at what point do you, or can you, hand a fledgling enterprise over to someone else?  Quite unfortunately, I am the only available resource for Backwater Paddle Company at this juncture.  There is just not enough room at this computer keyboard for two of us!  I have no one looking over my shoulder, providing me direction or feedback.  Everything this company represents does not come from a “playbook” that anyone has access to.  The playbook is upstairs!  This is what it is so frightening about starting a new venture.  Success or performance generally relies on ONE person to take the steer by the horns and get the job done.  Now, I know some are wondering…if you pass on…why would you remotely care about what or where your company is. 

I suppose it boils down to a legacy.  Maybe it is the nature of entrepreneurs to have survivor-ship of their endeavors, dreams and projects.  Whether or not Liz takes over, my son Sean or my daughter Amanda take over…I first have to get this kayak paddle company up to a full blown running enterprise.  

Questioning my existence in the paddle sports world reflects upon nothing until Backwater Paddles is operational.  To ensure this happens, I’d better stay smart, stay healthy and stay away from sharp knives! 

 I survived the latest act of my own stupidity…NOW I have to get my ass back to marketing and get Backwater Paddle Company into the paddle sports market arena!!   By the way, if you ever notice a huge scar on my arm…you know the story!  See you on the water!!

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