How to Manage a Dive Shop

For divers who can't find or don't want to become instructors or rescue divers, the next best career is to work in a dive shop. You can still spend your days with your favorite passion and meet others divers in the process. Many of the skills required of retail managers are important, of course, but follow these tips to successfully manage a dive shop.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get as many diver certifications that you can. As a certified diver yourself, customers will be more prone to accepting your advice about what kinds of equipment they will need for their diving. Your expertise makes you a much more valuable employee and gives you the ability to demand a higher salary.

2. Hone your management skills with other retail experience while you obtain your diving certifications. Get a business degree heavy in retail management courses, such as marketing, human resources and customer service.

3. Purchase special dive shop software to help you manage your inventory and marketing efforts (see Resources). Financial aspects also can be managed with software that is focused on your particular industry.

4. Hire other people who are experienced in diving for retail sales in your dive shop. They will enjoy their work more than a non-diver and they too can offer better recommendations to customers.

5. Join the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) either as an individual or as a professional member through the store. You will be exposed to all the information and contacts that divers worldwide are concerned about (see Resources).

Resources

• Professional Association of Dive Instructors
• Increase sales with dive shop software.

Who Can Help Sponsored

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