boat business?

[revil]

I'm planning to sell my flat and buy a boat as a liveaboard and am facing the same anxiety about what to do for a living as many others. I'll have some capital left over after my purchase. Is there any money to be made in buying boats in one part of the country and selling them on for more elsewhere? (This was mentioned on Canal Junction). Or perhaps I could do up a run-down boat to sell on, as I did with my last flat? I don't feel very confident yet with the latter idea since I'm on a steep enough learning curve as it is.

 

Constructive answers would be REALLY appreciated, since re-joining the rat race would defeat the whole object of my moving aboard. Thanks ever so much.

[Lady Muck]

Because of the internet, boats have evened out in price accross the country. I don't think you can get bargains by moving boats like you used to. My friend who delivers boats for Whilton told me this, but I guess I noticed so myself. If you were going to renovate boats as a business, then it might help if you have a professional skill in order to do it. My neighbour renovates and sell boats for a living, for instance buying dutch barge hulls cheap in Holland, shipping then over and refitting /rebuilding, but he is a welder and has a team of mates who are skilled in the rest of the fitting out.

You've really got to know boats and how to do things, you've got to understand RCD's, BSS and all the other paperwork in order to do this as it can be difficult /illegal to sell a boat otherwise. It's not the best time ever to go into the boat trade, for a kazillion reasons - read these forums, you'll soon see why!

Edited March 24, 2008 by Lady Muck

[blackrose]

If I were Duncan Bannatyne on Dragon's Den and you pitched me that idea I'm afraid I'd have to say "It's not a business so I'm out."

[stort_mark]

I remember a boss once saying to me that if you think about the thing you love doing most of all......somewhere, someone is getting very rich making money out of doing it. He didn't intend it as a motivational speech, but it kind of worked out that way.

 

So...whatever it is you are planning to do......if you plan on doing it better than anyone else can possibly do it (or alternatively cheaper than anyone else), then it is likely to succeed.

 

Good luck!

[bag 'o' bones]

As newbie to boating I don't know a great deal about buying/selling or doing up boats to sell on. However I do know about business in gereneral in that I used to run a public house and now run an outside bar business.

 

Basically to be sucessful at business you need to find a niche in the market, whatever that may be. Preferably one that is either unique or one that has room for a newcomer.

 

Once you have identified a 'gap in the market' you need to do your homework: Ask yourself why is there a gap? (perhaps there no money to be made!) Hopefully it may be because know one else has thought of it (the holy grail?).

 

Being practical most ideas have already been though of. So how can you make your business stand out? Easy. Supurb customer service. Just bacause a market appears to be saturated does not mean that there is not room for improvement. A fact of life is that larger firms, once they make a name for themselves can become complacent.

 

Here is where your competing business will win every time, succeed at great customer service, keep the standards high and your made - look after your customers and they will look after you. Its easy to take on the bigger boys when it comes to customer service (Richard Bransons words not mine).

 

Hmmm probally rambling now, i'll leave it there.

 

[bargeeboy]

If it was easy everybody would be doing it !!

[Chris Pink]

If it was easy everybody would be doing it !!

 

'round here it seems like they are.

[revil]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, particularly Lady Muck. I've already made money leaving journalism and doing property development by doing just that - hiring builders and doing a bit myself. I don't think you have to find something no one else is doing to set up a business, otherwise there would only be one of each type of business in the world.

Anyway, I wasn't really asking for general business tips, just about whether or not these two options were feesible. Looks like maybe not. Thanks anyway.

As for Dragon's Den, I hate that bloody programme.

[Lady Muck]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, particularly Lady Muck. I've already made money leaving journalism and doing property development by doing just that - hiring builders and doing a bit myself. I don't think you have to find something no one else is doing to set up a business, otherwise there would only be one of each type of business in the world.

Anyway, I wasn't really asking for general business tips, just about whether or not these two options were feesible. Looks like maybe not. Thanks anyway.

As for Dragon's Den, I hate that bloody programme.

 

If I was in your shoes I'd continue with the property development. I can understand your need to leave the rat race (have done this myself), there are probably other jobs you can do as a boat dweller, but as to whether they'll bring enough money in to live on, I dunno. You can still do freelance journalism can't you? How about approaching the canal mags for freelance work? I work freelance, so my job is really in the real world and not to do with boats, but it's one way of doing things.

Edited March 25, 2008 by Lady Muck

[almostafloat]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, particularly Lady Muck. I've already made money leaving journalism and doing property development by doing just that - hiring builders and doing a bit myself. I don't think you have to find something no one else is doing to set up a business, otherwise there would only be one of each type of business in the world.

Anyway, I wasn't really asking for general business tips, just about whether or not these two options were feesible. Looks like maybe not. Thanks anyway.

As for Dragon's Den, I hate that bloody programme.

one things for sure someones always going to make money out of boats cos we love them so why cant that be you the magic formula is to remember that we all have to pay for other peoples skills that we lack thats where you will make money when you use or develop skills connected to boating and someone wants them go for it