Starting Island Service Business
 

Hi, so my son and I are thinking of starting a small business on the lake, our services would include trash removal, grocery delivery, landscaping, maid service, firewood delivery, painting and opening and closing of camps. i would just appreciate to hear some feedback on our plan.

Thanks,
Tommy

I think any of the services you noted would be welcome by many, not all but many...

What part of the lake would you be servicing??

Good Luck!

Dan

Best of Luck!
 

We've often thought that a grocery (or pizza!) delivery service out to the island would be nice. Hate to leave the island once we're there. Hope your boat is big enough to handle decent chop on the Broads.

Also, a water taxi would be very handy, too. What if I want an evening cruise on the Mount? Getting to/from the Weirs from Rattlesnake can be a drag. Taking a taxi back to the island after a few beers in Wolfeboro would be mighty nice, too!

Best of luck with your endeavor!

A water taxi did exist for a few years beginning in 2002. I don't think it could sustain itself on a few months of taxi rides.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...m/4taxi002.jpg

Starting Island Services
 

Tom: Our webmaster was right on the money! The taxi that you saw lasted perhaps 2 years, But years ago Shep Brown had a taxi service that was nothing short of a "classic" in short. many island people depended on Shep. Well, times have changed, Those people with island Camps have learned that they need to become independent and have reliable transport from the island to shore and visa versa. The removal of trash is a potential you need to consider simply because it is a very difficult issue for most. Grocery delivery was also tried in years past but not in the past 15 yrs.
If you want to service island people you need to read a book called "Bear Island Reflections" Only then will you understand what island life is like. Good luck

How about ice cream, soda, and food? Pull right up to the sand bars and docks upon request. Do not recall seeing it onb winni, but I have on Sebago and Winnisquam.

There is at least two ice cream boats that make the rounds during the summer.

Most islanders are pretty self sufficient and handy thus the only services that are really helpful are those that require big barges, heavy equipment or professional/licensed know how. There are a number of well established businesses on the lake that have the ability to do that kind of work.

There are already some handy guys with small pontoon boats that will do light hauling and sell themselves as a handy man as well. Is there room for one more, only way to find out is to try. However you'll be competing to get customers from somebody else.

Is there a need for the services you are offering, sure, but there need is somewhat limited and there are more already doing this than you may realize.

Perhaps I am not getting it. I'm going to guess that people that have island properties are not poor. People that are not poor don't "Quibble" about prices for services. They pay for the service as long as the service they receive is acceptable to them. :look: NB

I can see why that service didn't last long. That boat with it's battering ram on the bow would likely be a VERY WET ride out on the Broads. BTW: that weight on the bow would add a great deal to the "Pitching" moment of the boat ..making people seasick. :) NB

Years ago someone had the idea of offering trash pickup on Bear Island. They'd pull into the dock, get the trash out of the shed and take off for the next pick up. We only used them one summer. I think thats only as long as they were in business. We figured they didn't have permits to haul trash on the water.

Obviously you never have tried to sell to the wealthy. They will not work at their professions for less than top dollar but expect everyone else to cut their prices to the bone. After all it is a "privilege" to do work for the rich and famous.

Actually, islanders as a whole (not Governor's Islanders or others connected by bridge to mainland) I would say are not as wealthy as waterfront mainlanders. The only waterfront property my family could afford was island property and our neighbors are all middle class folks who are very self-sufficient and...perhaps a even a bit thrifty. So yes, they aren't poor, but no, they are not, as a whole, the wealthiest on the water at the Big Lake.

WOW...this is totally off topic but nice "wealth profiling"! I lead a "sales" team in a business where almost 100% of our customers are the rich, famous and powerful. I find your comment offensive as these folks are my livelihood.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion but mine is very different.

To the wealthy out there, buy a bigger boat, build a bigger house and you need a faster plane!

TommyT

I think your business idea has merit but why limit yourself to the islands. There are plenty of waterfront owners that need service like yours. I have often thought of a similar business but it would be incredibly labor/time intensive. I'm not sure the pricing would work. Good luck if you do pursue it.

I would say the key to operating this business, or really any business, is a fair service at a fair price. Do quality work, on time, and at the price you have quoted. Getting people who have used your services to think of you for their next project and recommend you to their friends will help you to grow.

I have had a lot of trouble finding craftsmen in this area, in many of the building trades, that show up when they said they would and do a satisfactory job. After much trial and error (and expense) I finally have a list of "go to" people for most all types of building repairs. I also have a really long list of people I would never call again!

Sounding like you better think or something else! :eek:

The Winni taxi has been repowered, repainted and will be in service in Boston Harbor this summer

agreed
 

In my experience, this is a pretty accurate generalization. There are, of course exceptions, but generally true.

Yes self-sufficient, resourceful and a bit thrifty. So a water taxi and grocery delivery service may get a bit of business in July/August, not enough to base a business on.

Islanders do look for help on the larger jobs such as: opening/closing, transport of appliances & furniture, remolding and painting projects. It takes a few boats, all weather operation and resourceful staff. IMHO it would be hard to get started given that existing companies have loyal client bases.

I think that island housekeeping would get some attention. There are a few that do it now, one that I know of is expensive and the other did a crap job for me. I ended up coming up myself and boated a cleaner from the mainland out when I needed it between rentals. She was great, but it took a lot of my time to do it.

There are a fair amount of island rentals out there, offering a service to manage the check in/out and clean/restock may be a good option. A lot of people are going to VRBO these days instead of the rental agencies so it could be a beneficial service to offer.

There is always a need for someone to do the small stuff. Some of the bigger companies don't have time or cant be bothered. It gets expensive though when you have to charge for transit time to and from home port.

So true, In another life, when I owned a landscaping co. I was never so glad to loose business. they would go with a new co that undercuts every year without exception. quality of service was not top priority. and many did Imply it was a privilege to work for them. It is a privilege to gain the trust of customers who also appreciate your value to them. I don't like generalizing as a rule, so I should say I had some great wealthy customers who treated me and my employee's very well.

Small Barge
 

Russell Scott used to have a small 'barge' that he would use to transport larger items out to and off of the islands for a fee. We used his services to bring out sheets of plywood when we were doing our floors in the cabin.

His untimely passing means that there is an opening in this service sector.

As someone who has owns/owned a number of businesses, I have met many people in all walks of life. Rich to poor. My personal experience tells that that everyone is going to get the best bang for the buck. Wealthy or even upper middle class, are not going to throw money around for services that no one see's. The assumption that wealthy do not care about what they spend their money on is insane. They absolutely do, no different than you and I. Just because they can buy expensive things does not mean they did not shop around for the best deal. On the flip side when they do this they often get called stingy. It can be a no win for them.

Sure, there are those few that like to show off. Expensive boats, cars, etc. But when it comes to island services, no one cares what they spend. The person that wants to show off is going to talk about their car, how much it was, and what they did last night. Not that they drop a ton of cash every week for trash removal. Anyone that does will be a very limited market talking to very limited people that likely wont care.

Offer the right product and service that fill a need for the masses at a fair price.

Someone should let the new operators know that the service won't last long because with that battering ram on the bow it will likely be a VERY WET ride out on Boston Harbor, and the weight on the bow will add a great deal to the "Pitching" moment of the boat ..making people seasick. :)

I like the idea and admire your willingness to try it out!
 

With such a wide variety of services you would be offering, that alone could be what differentiates you from your competition. It could also be good project for you and your son to work on together as a team. It won't be easy though. As with any small business, it's going to take time, hard work and preparedness. When we were looking for a property on the lake, we considered island properties but what turned us off was all the things your company could provide (Groceries, taxi service for visitors, trash pickup etc.) I say go for it - good luck to you!

Boston Harbor Cruises is the new owner of this vessel. Considering that they have been around for almost 100 years, and that they operate dozens of vessels in Boston Harbor and other areas, I suspect that will have no issues with making people seasick in this boat. They probably have forgotten more about vessel operation than anyone on this forum will ever know in a lifetime. Just another tidbit of info: one of the owners of BHC also has a house on Winni.

http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/about/

This is as offensive as it is wrong. I've been self-employed my entire adult life and understand that everybody needs to make a profit. Your generalization is sick and underscores what is wrong in this country.

Thanks. My post was a tongue-in-cheek reference to post #9 in this thread. I guess it was a little too subtle.

"Internet subtlety" is an oxymoron.

I think when it comes down to it, a % of all people are asses, no matter the income, that's why you're always wrong when you generalize. I think you're being a bit harsh here, If that's his opinion from dealing with people, Then that's what he got out of it.

Seems like a lot of islanders are do-it-yourselfers who do their own plumbing, electrical, painting, yard work, well repair, masonry, dock install/removal, boat repair, carpentry, wall papering and everything else ...... and may get some help from a brother-in-law or some weekend visitor in exchange for dinner and a beer?

Who you calling a moron?!

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

Water Taxi
 

The Winni Water Taxi was built by Eastern (their 31' hull) specifically for the purpose. The "ram" didn't weigh much, but it allowed them to power up to a dock and hold steady while people on/off loaded, keeping the prop in deeper water.
We used them to shuttle a large group from Meredith to our island camp, which faces the broads. Their capacity was about 30, including crew. The ride was not wet and nobody got sick. Great service, but not sustainable. They also did Saturday night bar hop cruises, but that's only one night per week.

Like most summer businesses on the lake, it is very difficult to support yourself when the business is focused on weekends.

Where are you?
 

A personal frustration on this site is that people post "on Winni" as if that is a small geographic area.

Where on Winni do you want to do this business? Different islands (island groups) have different needs. If you're in the Varney's you can go to Wolfeboro and walk to the grocery store. If you're in the Forties, you boat to Glendale and then get in your car to go to a grocery. More or less need for that service.

Not clear if you and your son are the only employees. Is this just a summer job while the son is in school and you'll be gone when he graduates?

It appears that Island Services (Meredith) and Island Support Services (Gilford) are both successful. I don't know who handles Wolfeboro, Moultonborough islands. I'd call them and ask what services they get requests for that they don't offer in their business model, or geographically where they don't operate. They may be a source of referrals, or other business ideas for whatever gaps there may be.

I loved it when some island kids used to deliver Sunday papers and bring fresh Dunkin Donuts. Premium price + tip. A 60 minute trip for me (boat and car for Dunkin' Donuts), especially nice on rainy days. Then the kids grew up. Not a way to make a living, but an example of somebody looking at the local needs and filling a gap.

Trash: some decades back, we had trash pick up. Before there were adequate dumpsters at marinas and Glendale. Too many times, the raccoons
distributed the trash before the collection service could get to it. Now, a little bit goes whenever we go. Gilford offers one "dump day" per year for large items, late July. If I buy a new stove in May, the old one sits around for many weeks waiting for "dump day". I'd love to get rid of that stuff early in the season, but it certainly isn't every year.

Summary, Where? When? Timelined? You need sales in May/June, September/October and mid week, perhaps when the owner isn't there. And you need repeat activities that will take time to build.

Does such a permit actually exist?

As an owner of an island camp (ie unfinished seasonal cottage) who bought on an island because the waterfront was so much less expensive than on the mainland, I think we would have uses for almost all of those services, but of course it would depend on what it costs. We use WIS to open/close the camp, and do what we can ourselves. When we do need to have work done, it is pricey to get someone out there.

I don't know how much volume you would need, and assume islands close together would work better than scattered all over the lake.

My kids loved it when the ice cream boat used to come, so we would buy ice cream mostly because he boated past and it was fun for them, but I doubt that was a solid revenue source!

As an aside - we love living on the island, and are glad that the finances pushed us in that direction!