Start Your Watercraft Service Repair
Business Today!

A watercraft service repair business is a great way to use your skills and keep your clients in FUN throughout the season!   

You can definitely specialize in specific types of water craft – yachts, party barges, sail boats, speed boats, wave runners/jet skis, and other sea worthy vehicles. Or even niche to specific types of engines or brands.

Focus your watercraft service repair business on fixing crafts used for short fun outings or long distance multi-day trips including sailing, cruising, sport, or racing.

You can choose to make this a home-based business where your customers bring their toys to you or you can be a mobile business and travel to the spot where your customers are - houses at lakes, rivers, or ocean marinas.

Set-up your workshop area or mobile vehicle to store extra parts and tools required for your watercraft service business .

Use word-of- mouth advertising with friends/family, at local marinas, RV/Boat/sporting goods stores, or local races. Provide a Preventative Maintenance program (can you include a 10-point safety inspection?) for your customers to encourage repeat business and keep your customer’s watercraft in great shape.

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Niche Notes!!

As you plan your watercraft service business, you can specialize in some of the areas listed here to offer your customers a variety of interesting services:

1) Provide body work and/or specialized painting for watercraft,

2) Service motorcycles, ATVs, and/or golf carts for hunters, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts,

3) Buy watercraft or motorcycles in poor condition -- clean and repair them to sell the used toys in good condition,

4) Specialize in small engine repair,

5) Provide seminars to your customers on “watercraft safety ” and “tune-ups”.

6) Enhance the customer's experience by selling tools, small parts, gear, and accessories,

7) Don’t have workshop space? Become a mobile service and travel to your customer’s home/work/race to fix their watercraft.

8) Specialize in teaching folks how to ride these fun water toys to get the most out of their experience. 

Watercraft Service Repair Business - What's It Take?

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Interests/Skills:

• Skill in repairing and maintaining small motors and watercraft
• Specialized knowledge of different types of boats, wave runners, etc.
• Mechanical Skills
• Organization Skills

Resources: For working from home consider a large workshop area for securing watercraft, parts, and your tools. Adopt a scheduling system for tracking customers, wave runners/boats, and providing services within the time specified. Consider seasonal demand for these types of services to be able to handle increased demand during peak use times. Knowledge of costs associated with repairing watercraft, wholesale parts sources for items you do not keep in stock, and ability to provide accurate estimates to your customer.

Time Required: 5-15 hrs/week; can work full-time 30-40+ hrs/week

Training: Obtain training in the maintenance and repair of different types of watercraft from other individuals, repair manuals, local watercraft stores, and technical colleges. Consider attending a class on scheduling and inventory control at the local community college.

Market: Watercraft Enthusiasts

Home Based: Yes

Internet: No

Location: Local

Start-Up Costs: $500 - $10,000

Minimizing Start-Up Costs: Use a workshop set-up in your garage or out building for securely storing small watercraft, parts, and your special watercraft tools. Minimize cash outlay by purchasing specialized parts only when your customer needs these parts and consider requesting payment upfront to minimize your cash expenditures. Use word-of-mouth advertising to let your customers know you’re in business including promoting your services at local events and marinas. Look for “freeware” or “shareware” to meet your scheduling needs and to receive credit cards for payment.

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