Starting Island Service Business

[ChasesIslandOkie]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

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. NB

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.

[pjard]

Originally Posted by ChasesIslandOkie

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.

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.

[TiltonBB]

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!

[dpg]

Sounding like you better think or something else!

[Orion]

Originally Posted by ChasesIslandOkie

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.

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

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by ChasesIslandOkie

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.

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.

[codeman671]

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.