Has anyone done any consulting work for new yacht owners? Something I have considered off and on for awhile. Did you charge by the hour? Is it even worth it?
What kind of consulting? Technical? Acquisition? Training? Rates vary enormously.
It’s mostly good work if you can get it, but breaking in can be hard. You’ll want to start out with a big client who can occupy all your time, or do it as a sideline until the referrals hit critical mass.
I was thinking small. There seems to be a substantial number of new vessel owners who know nothing about owning, operating, maintaining or even purchasing a vessel. So the focus would be in that area. Training an owner how to safely operate their vessel would be the primary focus.
If you are thinking about large yachts, the broker will fill that role in most cases followed by the surveyors.
Again, the buyers of large yachts (50m and above) will have access to professionals with a great deal of large yacht experience.
If you don’t have that a substantial background in the industry it will take at least 10 years to gain enough credibility to try and sell your services - whatever you had in mind - which you did not describe.
The buyers of little toy boats don’t know enough to know they don’t know and are way too cheap to pay for knowledge when toyboat websites and pseudo surveyors infest that side of the business.
Bottom line, if you had to ask you are probably not ready to offer your services.
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I have over 35 years in the industry. I was thinking about small yachts 50’ range as a retirement gig. I’m over the management of large fleets having worked for some major companies over the years.
I appreciate your input.
Like I wrote earlier:
“The buyers of little toy boats don’t know enough to know they don’t know and are way too cheap to pay for knowledge when toyboat websites and pseudo surveyors infest that side of the business.”
Depending on your area of expertise you will be competing with internet “gurus” whose skills are almost exclusively a mile wide and an inch deep.
If you haven’t already, spend some time perusing the recreational boater forums on the web … they are rarely informative but always perversely amusing.
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