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Salt water, private/commercial (although most of the commercial boats around here do their own work, probably te same up there). Diesel. systems. electical, electronics....
I currently am located in Maryland....just curious.
Probably not. Two limiting factors come to mind: first of all, it is extremely difficult to "crack" the local marine repair business. If you are "from away" you will be very suspect until long after you have run out of money trying to come in to town to do some business. Unless you have a specific skill that simply does not exist, you won't be able to get work. An example of the "specific" skill or product business is the truck that I see from time to time travelling up the coast from the large propeller company. Propeller manufacturers are not located in every town or state for that matter, so for a company that makes or retails and repairs propellers, there is an opening.
The second limitation is the distance that would need to be covered in order to provide "mobile" mechanical service. Diesel fuel is around $3.75 per gallon and regular gasoline is $3.25 per gallon right now. Maine's coast line is very long and the marine market is relatively small for that much travel.
I just bought 18 acres of land from a guy who is a skilled boat carpenter. He has lived in the town for some time, and worked for the boat builders who are there....the town is one of Maine's leading boat building locations. He can't get work in the town, and is commuting around 40 miles each way to the Hinckley Jet Boat shop in Trenton for work. Times are tough!
A lot of Maine has access to water, lots of folks have boats. So there should be lots of work for you.
I have recently been discussing buying a motor rewind business that currently focuses on automotive starters, alternators and generators. He was trying to convince me to take the business and shift more toward marine parts, saying that there is a large demand for marine grade starters, alternators and generators.
It is possible that the marine industry is totally different from everything else, but from what I have seen and in talking with other businessmen who have moved to Maine and started up businesses here. No body cares if you are from 'away' or not. Not so much as if you are up to the job.
A person with a broken 'X', will go to the guy down the street around the corner and behind the dumpster, because they have known each other for the past thirty years. Purely out of habit. That guy has no advertising, no sign, and can not be seen form the road.
Any new business that: advertises, is in a visible location, charges lower prices, and has quality, will simply gain the customer base given time.
Mainers do a few things differently though.
I sell produce at a Farmer's Market. Most of the vendors there will accept a personal check and give you cash, so you can go buy produce from the other vendors. I was shocked at this behavior. But they do it. So now I do it.
Also local store-front businesses have made the offer to me, that I could make purchases on an IOU. I have never done any such thing, nor do I plan on writing anyone an IOU, but such is often included in business models here.
I work at a boatyard. We build large yachts and service all types. There are alot of public docks and wharfs around and if you are any good at all you will be able to find work.
Hourly rates depend on the area you are in and what kind of work that you do. Mechanics and skilled electricians will make more. Carpenters, glassers, and painters will make less.
i believe fresh water repair is wide open, i live on the water have a pleasure boat, and i launched the boat with my atv,,,i had a truck, didnt use it much,,got rid of it,,so say i need repair on my outboard, yes, id certainly hire you,,to come take a look and fix my outboard, especially convenient, while im at work,
i think this would be a great service!!
two yrs ago,,my 50 horse outboard died, while boating,, the smaller kicker motor got us back to the dock,,but then i had to take it out of the water, schedule an apptment, bring it there, and hope for the best, and not know when they will "get to it" or complete fixing it (always backed up),,then go pick it up and launch it again,,
contrast this to ,,calling you,,,
tell you the boat is in front of my house on the dock,,come take a look at it,,
fix it, and there its done!!
I've seen mobile marine repair guys advertise all the time on the boat for sale section of craigslist. Ma and ME. Not sure how well they do, take a peek, email them and ask.
Yes. There will always be a need for quality mechanics who treat their customers right and are willing to perform service work in a period of time faster than local dealerships. Save Your Money...
We started a mobile marine service in Raleigh N.C. in 2004. We had been talking about it since 2001 after working for a dealership- now defunct, that offered the service for its' premium high-income customers as a Statewide, johnny-on-the-spot and on call 24/7 service for $145.00 an hour straight rate. Naturally, in order for you to get that kind of money you must offer something that does not exist or is not currently offered and at that time this dealership was the only one in N.C. You will probably not make that rate, but you can get at least what you made working for a dealership if not more. Most people imagine their highest pay in the industry and then set their rate at that number. It is a mistake to do this. Set your rate at the local market price per hour dealerships charge.
The drawbacks, wholesale parts not available to you without dealer status and you are forced to rely on other dealerships for certain parts which will affect your offering. In addition to this issue, you will only be able to get aftermarket parts from companies willing to issue you credit accounts based on your personal credit history. FYI: we went $40,000.00 into personal debt to get our company off the ground and it took four years to reach a point where we had year round work and were making net zero but not going into debt every year (6 years to achieve a profit). A few other companies locally, started as employees at a dealership and grew their business up until quitting to go full time. Our owner felt this was deceptive and refused to do this, so we started with no customers and no advertising- all word of mouth. That took two years before the owner could quit working part time jobs (in other fields) as well as being an (when their own people could not do a job they called us) on-call mechanic for three area dealerships. Luckily the owners of those companies were very happy with that attitude and all of them continue to help us out- especially with certain parts. I would recommend you stay on really good terms with a dealership.
Secondly, people have the wrong idea of what "mobile repair" means. Half our customers think that calling a local mechanic or mobile business means they get the job done in a shorter time frame than dealerships- wrong (or conversely, you are some kind of discount service). There is no way to offer faster service and no way to offer it cheaper. The manufacturers of parts do whatever they want, you cannot get parts faster. In fact, unless your are connected to dealers you will not get parts for certain engines and boats at all. Moreover, some people want to hang onto a boat made in 1981 by an obscure or defunct company with no aftermarket parts available and you have to know how to swap out different parts sometimes altering the entire electrical system to make it work. We had a 1951 Dodge where the owner/mechanic had to do this, another solid reason for setting your shop rate high and working down from there. Lets' get to the nuts and bolts now...
We charge $85.00 an hour plus a $50.00 one-time trip fee for all mobile calls. Of that number the owner/primary mechanic takes home $18.00 an hour. Minimal advertising costs us $10.00 per customer. Overhead runs at $25.00 per call without advertising. We employee two mechanics, other than the owner, and each get a percentage of the per hour rate. All costs included we make nothing on 1 hour jobs, a small profit on 2 hour jobs (without a parts mark up- we are talking about less than ten dollars to forty) and can show a profit of between 20-60% (of the bill total) after that. To get that kind of profit our owner/master-tech has 24 years experience/ 42 certifications (we spend $3,000.00 a year to stay current) working on boats in four States and at seven local dealerships for pay that started at $8.00 an hour and maxed out at $14.25 as a shop foreman. On any subcontract labor call we usually make nothing in profit. If you go back to the customers' location more than three times the costs eat up all the revenue (figures based on 2004-2008 gas prices $4.00 a gallon in N.C.).
My advice, pick a State with a lot of lakes and a town/city with few dealerships (1/2) and move there. When we started there were 4 area dealerships and three mom-pop operators (companies our size or mid-size) and now there are 27 in six years! Pick an arbitrary (based on your cash position and knowledge) number of specific servcies you offer (say- tune ups and oil changes) all at standard shop rates but mobile and done the same day as the service call is scheduled, in/out finished so you are faster than a dealership. In a hot market with no competition you will make $100,000.00 a year+. In a market like ours is today- $60,000-$80,000.00 a year. Remember in your own business you will work twice as much, the buck stops with you and you only.
DO NOT ADVERTISE ON CRAIGS. Use Google Ads and the Yellow Pages. Or, if you have the connections or money, direct-to-home postcard mailers. We were lucky enough that a manufacture sales rep, whom had started a mobile business years ago in our area gave us a CD with 21,000 registered boat owners names and addresses on it. Out of 3,500 postcards we got approximately 300 customers. That guy got bought out back in the nineties by being offered a $150,000.00 a year job to cease operations by a manufacturer looking to boost sales. Take any opportunity you can!
By being honest and fair we landed every local State agency and law enforcement agency as customers, fortunately that work allows us to stay busy in the off-season. FYI: The owner passed up an opportunity to run a mobile company in Lake Conroe, Texas in 2002 because he didn't want to move. There was, at that time, another guy doing it there and he was the only one- making $140.00 an hour shop rate! At that rate you will have a successful business you can retire from. It is ironic that average Americans refuse to pay even highly-skilled workers when they so often complain about the money corporate America makes (which pays their salaries) and how corporations are somehow "raking it in".
We will turn $180,000.00 this year and for the first time in six years show an on-the-books profit but it will take another year to pay down the debt we incurred doing this. Plan ahead and make the move early, it will take some time for your efforts to pay off.
Yes. There will always be a need for quality mechanics who treat their customers right and are willing to perform service work in a period of time faster than local dealerships. Save Your Money...
We started a mobile marine service in Raleigh N.C. in 2004. We had been talking about it since 2001 after working for a dealership- now defunct, that offered the service for its' premium high-income customers as a Statewide, johnny-on-the-spot and on call 24/7 service for $145.00 an hour straight rate. Naturally, in order for you to get that kind of money you must offer something that does not exist or is not currently offered and at that time this dealership was the only one in N.C. You will probably not make that rate, but you can get at least what you made working for a dealership if not more. Most people imagine their highest pay in the industry and then set their rate at that number. It is a mistake to do this. Set your rate at the local market price per hour dealerships charge.
The drawbacks, wholesale parts not available to you without dealer status and you are forced to rely on other dealerships for certain parts which will affect your offering. In addition to this issue, you will only be able to get aftermarket parts from companies willing to issue you credit accounts based on your personal credit history. FYI: we went $40,000.00 into personal debt to get our company off the ground and it took four years to reach a point where we had year round work and were making net zero but not going into debt every year (6 years to achieve a profit). A few other companies locally, started as employees at a dealership and grew their business up until quitting to go full time. Our owner felt this was deceptive and refused to do this, so we started with no customers and no advertising- all word of mouth. That took two years before the owner could quit working part time jobs (in other fields) as well as being an (when their own people could not do a job they called us) on-call mechanic for three area dealerships. Luckily the owners of those companies were very happy with that attitude and all of them continue to help us out- especially with certain parts. I would recommend you stay on really good terms with a dealership.
Secondly, people have the wrong idea of what "mobile repair" means. Half our customers think that calling a local mechanic or mobile business means they get the job done in a shorter time frame than dealerships- wrong (or conversely, you are some kind of discount service). There is no way to offer faster service and no way to offer it cheaper. The manufacturers of parts do whatever they want, you cannot get parts faster. In fact, unless your are connected to dealers you will not get parts for certain engines and boats at all. Moreover, some people want to hang onto a boat made in 1981 by an obscure or defunct company with no aftermarket parts available and you have to know how to swap out different parts sometimes altering the entire electrical system to make it work. We had a 1951 Dodge where the owner/mechanic had to do this, another solid reason for setting your shop rate high and working down from there. Lets' get to the nuts and bolts now...
We charge $85.00 an hour plus a $50.00 one-time trip fee for all mobile calls. Of that number the owner/primary mechanic takes home $18.00 an hour. Minimal advertising costs us $10.00 per customer. Overhead runs at $25.00 per call without advertising. We employee two mechanics, other than the owner, and each get a percentage of the per hour rate. All costs included we make nothing on 1 hour jobs, a small profit on 2 hour jobs (without a parts mark up- we are talking about less than ten dollars to forty) and can show a profit of between 20-60% (of the bill total) after that. To get that kind of profit our owner/master-tech has 24 years experience/ 42 certifications (we spend $3,000.00 a year to stay current) working on boats in four States and at seven local dealerships for pay that started at $8.00 an hour and maxed out at $14.25 as a shop foreman. On any subcontract labor call we usually make nothing in profit. If you go back to the customers' location more than three times the costs eat up all the revenue (figures based on 2004-2008 gas prices $4.00 a gallon in N.C.).
My advice, pick a State with a lot of lakes and a town/city with few dealerships (1/2) and move there. When we started there were 4 area dealerships and three mom-pop operators (companies our size or mid-size) and now there are 27 in six years! Pick an arbitrary (based on your cash position and knowledge) number of specific servcies you offer (say- tune ups and oil changes) all at standard shop rates but mobile and done the same day as the service call is scheduled, in/out finished so you are faster than a dealership. In a hot market with no competition you will make $100,000.00 a year+. In a market like ours is today- $60,000-$80,000.00 a year. Remember in your own business you will work twice as much, the buck stops with you and you only.
DO NOT ADVERTISE ON CRAIGS. Use Google Ads and the Yellow Pages. Or, if you have the connections or money, direct-to-home postcard mailers. We were lucky enough that a manufacture sales rep, whom had started a mobile business years ago in our area gave us a CD with 21,000 registered boat owners names and addresses on it. Out of 3,500 postcards we got approximately 300 customers. That guy got bought out back in the nineties by being offered a $150,000.00 a year job to cease operations by a manufacturer looking to boost sales. Take any opportunity you can!
By being honest and fair we landed every local State agency and law enforcement agency as customers, fortunately that work allows us to stay busy in the off-season. FYI: The owner passed up an opportunity to run a mobile company in Lake Conroe, Texas in 2002 because he didn't want to move. There was, at that time, another guy doing it there and he was the only one- making $140.00 an hour shop rate! At that rate you will have a successful business you can retire from. It is ironic that average Americans refuse to pay even highly-skilled workers when they so often complain about the money corporate America makes (which pays their salaries) and how corporations are somehow "raking it in".
We will turn $180,000.00 this year and for the first time in six years show an on-the-books profit but it will take another year to pay down the debt we incurred doing this. Plan ahead and make the move early, it will take some time for your efforts to pay off.
Good Luck,
DMMS
Thank you for taking the time to write this
Perserverance, commitment, and hard work can pay off.
Sounds like you are a very knowledgeable and professional team
If i knew of mobile repair service in my area, from someone i'd trust, id hire them today for an outboard repair.
I also think a moblie "small engine repair" mechanic could do well in central maine-
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Mobile Marine Business Owner-replying
