Maybe you’re a new resident of a lake home and would like to find a way to contribute to your new community in a positive and lucrative way. As a lake resident, a lot of business opportunities present themselves that are tied into lake living. Chances are if your familiar with the lake living lifestyle and own a boat, you are familiar with cleaning the boat and the tediousness of the whole task. As a former lake resident myself, I’ve been hired to clean and detail a number of boats owned by my surrounding neighbors on Little Muskego Lake. Those opportunities turned out to be regular seasonal work for not only myself but a few of my older children. The best part is that it costs little to nothing to begin the business, other than some sweat off your brow.
When I was approached to take on a boat detailing task for the first time, I wasn’t quite sure where to start. I was a new Little Muskego Lake resident and had not been too familiar with the inner structure of many watercrafts. However, the Little Muskego Lake resident and boat owner that hired me was kind enough to familiarize me with the inside of his boat, telling me exactly what he expected once I completed the task.
Well, eureka! This fellow was quite pleased with the job once it came to fruition, which pleased me to no end, knowing that it was the first time ever tackling such a endeavor. Here are some of the guidelines I followed to achieve boat detailing success to have return customers every time the new summer season rolled around.
Procedure
First, create a schedule that works for you as the owner. You’ll need to have concise times for your work to get accomplished, keeping in mind that most all boat owners will want to use their boats on weekends and after work during the week. I found I needed to be very flexible when I started due to this, but as a stay at home mom, that was manageable, making this the perfect income earner for me.
Be open to taking out an ad in your local community paper letting the lake community know what you’re up to. You can also post flyers throughout town where the boaters frequently go
It doesn’t hurt to look into getting some business cards drawn up as well. Business cards are so handy and you can pass numerous cards to each customer so they may pass on the info. Don’t forget about free advertising that you can soak up on Craigslist.
Special offers are a great way to drum up business. Let your customers know that you’ll do a free gig for each friend referred to you by them. You can also talk to a few boat dealers by offering to clean a few boats at a boat show in an exchange for referrals. Offering first time discounts in a draw too.
If you want return customers, be sure your work is impeccable. Provide them with great service each time they hire you. Be fair with pricing, show up on time, and you’ll find business growing as a result.