How to Open a Boat Repair Shop
As with the start of any new or continuing business, you should have money in the bank and a good grasp on the immense amount of work and responsibility of owning your own business.
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Instructions
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Pick an extraordinary location. The old adage "Location, location, location" is not just for real estate. Location is key for the success of a boat repair shop and business. You should be located close to the water, if possible, and in a busy area of town. You also need to decide on the size of the boat repair operation; if you want to have multiple docks, take that into consideration.
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Get the proper boat repair certifications. Before you even start your boat repair business, you need to be experienced and certified, and possibly even licensed and bonded. check with your Secretary of State for more information. ABYC Education Program offers certification in boat repair and maintenance.
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Decide on the services you are going to offer and price competitively. You will need to do a little shopping with your competitors to make sure you are offering all the basic boat repair services, like winterization and outboard motor repair, and charging competitively.
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Offer a little something extra. It's important to draw customers to give you a chance, then wow them and keep them coming back. New businesses have a hard time, especially when there are other boat repair shops in the area. You need to offer something on discount, for free or have a great marketing plan to get the customers in the door.
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Outfit your boat repair shop with a full set of boat repair tools and equipment including alignment tool, a coolant-temperature sensor and diagnostic scanners. These can be quite pricey but are worth the investment and will likely pay for themselves in a short amount of time.
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Tips & Warnings
Check out IBIS World where you can get more information about the boat repair industry.
Invest in business insurance to protect your boat repair tools and expensive tools from theft, fire or other damage.
