| How do marine type businesses start? Have you | | | | had to figure a way to lower the weight of the |
| ever thought of turning a hobby into a business? | | | | boat so we could still carry 1800 Lbs of water |
| Let me tell you a story of how I got into the | | | | without capsizing or tipping in big waves especially |
| Boat Detailing Business when I started our in the | | | | in ocean marinas. We put all of our heads |
| car cleaning business which grew into a franchise | | | | together and our prototype now works. We |
| system. So often we read in business books to | | | | knew the business worked since we had three |
| study markets and develop business plans when | | | | independents who all made well over 150K per |
| in reality it does not exactly work that way. Let | | | | year and I have the marketing because people |
| me tell you a story of how sometimes the | | | | who get cars washed may own a boat and |
| entrepreneur just falls into opportunity.I met a | | | | everyone calls in under one 1-800 number so we |
| guy who came to our web site to buy a Car | | | | could use my existing customer base to also get |
| Wash Guys franchise who had been detailing | | | | boat customers. We decided to start by offering |
| boats for ten years in Redding CA and later in | | | | these boat franchises to existing franchisees of |
| Coeur D' Alene, ID. At the time we were getting | | | | any other system we had to grow very fast |
| about 600,000 hits on our website per month so | | | | very quick. Our goal was to set up and add 100 |
| that wasn't too surprising judging from the odds. | | | | units the next year.And here is the kicker, the |
| He didn't have the money but we talked about | | | | pontoon manufacturer has a deal with a pleasure |
| the industry a lot for our franchisee fee or the | | | | craft loan company and can finance the |
| equipment needed. . He had some fabulous Ideas | | | | equipment, 1/2 franchise fee and boat for 15 |
| about boat washing however. I then was | | | | years and the payments? $333.00 per month. Ha, |
| marketing up in WA state and ran across another | | | | that was all we needed to make it available for all |
| Boat Detailing in Everett WA, who also detailed | | | | of our team and anyone who really wants one. All |
| cars, really sharp Mormon kid previously from Salt | | | | this happened from a back burner project in less |
| Lake. Also really knew his stuff, attends boat | | | | than a year. Then I wrote a 500+ page manual |
| shows and has established himself as a marine | | | | using all of our expertise. Nathan one of our |
| cleaning products guy. We hit is off and all decided | | | | friends in WA State washed Craig Mc Caws Boat; |
| to work together. I then met a guy in Newport | | | | a 106-foot Yacht.Sounds great right? Well not |
| Beach who details the interiors of Boats and | | | | exactly, turns out insurance was tougher than we |
| designed the original equipment for Nauticare, an | | | | thought and the government regulators had |
| onsite, pontoon mounted oil change and bilge | | | | attacked our companies based on competitor |
| cleaning franchise. WOW. This would round out the | | | | complaints and the whole thing got put on hold. No |
| knowledge I needed to put together The Boat | | | | jobs were created, very few boats ever got |
| Wash Guys. sank the first pontoon prototype in | | | | cleaned and the whole project sank. This does not |
| Lake Mead; entrepreneurial disaster, total loss. o | | | | mean we could not start it up anytime we |
| add insult to injury the local lake enforcement | | | | changed our minds, it just shows you that no |
| wanted to investigate and it cost $4,000 to | | | | matter how good you plans are as an |
| recover the damn boat; back to the drawing | | | | entrepreneur you always have to watch out for |
| board with safety in mind. We could not sell a | | | | the Tsunami of brain dead regulators in |
| franchise if the boats sank and that was our | | | | Washington DC. This project today sits on the |
| intention to set up franchises for boat cleaning. A | | | | back burner once again, with all the pieces ready |
| sure way to sink any franchise. So we | | | | to go. Entrepreneurs should be well advised to |
| remembered that one of our franchisees in | | | | watch all the details before sinking $100,000 |
| Lewiston ID has a brother who build boats and | | | | dollars into an idea without looking at all the details. |
| also jet boats and customized landing craft to haul | | | | Think about it. |
| cattle. The puzzle was coming together, but we | | | | |