Questions and Answers

• How long has Boatshed.com been in business?
  Boatshed has been in business since 1999 and Licensing/Franchising since 2001
  
  
• Who does Boatshed.com bank with?
  HSBC We have the facility for sterling, dollar and Euro
  
  
• How long is the term of the legal contract – can you renew it?
  The term is 5 years, plus 5 years. After 10 years the contract can be renewed by mutual agreement.
  
  
• If the License territory is a new market, what pilot scheme will Boatshed.com offer?
  Boatshed.com is keen to open in new markets and therefore will look at each new market on its own merits. If you are interested in opening in a new market, lets talk about it to see how we can launch the new business. Successful Pilots have already been run in UK, Europe and USA.
  
  
• What initial and ongoing training is offered?
  Boatshed provides initial training courses in-house including the Boatshed Brokerage Course plus ongoing online courses. New bespoke courses are offered throughout the year for all offices to take advantage of. More online courses continue to be available.
  
  
• Is there a long term market for your goods or services, or is the License operating in a market subject to changes in fashion?
  Absolutely there is a long term market for this business, with the continuation of new boat sales, and repeat business with second hand sales the second hand market continues to grow.
  
  
• Is the business seasonal?
  Yacht Brokerage used to be before the Internet, now the business functions all year round and since Boatshed.com has offices all over the world its always selling boats, plus sales have become less seasonal as costs customers profile boats more carefully and essentially pre-qualify themselves.
  
  
• What will I get for more initial investment?
  Click here to look what the advantages are with joining the Boatshed Group.   As well as these you will be invited to the Boatshed Annual European Conference where we get as many as our brokers together as possible and include workshops, forums, share best practice, have invited speakers and special guests and mix in a bit of fun.  The initial set up also includes:

  - The use of the Boatshed brand name and proven business system.
  - Boatshed website set up (we have a translation program which will enable you to easily translate the site to another correct language).  
  - Your website will be customisable to a certain extent to reflect the area in which you operate.
  - A 3 day intensive training course.
  - Full software back up and disaster recovery from our website hosting company (Midland Computers Ltd).
  - Access to our unique Boatshed brokerage system (this is a complete turnkey package with all the documentation required to run your business including Listing Agreements, sales agreements, Bill of Sale etc).  The system is set up so that all boats are listed in the same way to the Boatshed standard.  It will also help you profile customers, our system will know what boats your customers are looking at, how many time they have looked and when, what other boats they are looking at the price range they are interested in.
  - As soon as your Boatshed is launched your customers will be able to view the worldwide stock of boats and will be ready for you to add your own local boats.  Access to our registered user database which at last count was around 450,000.
  - Technical Support
  - Access to the Boatshed Forum of Yacht Brokers
  - Regular reviews to keep you on track, monthly for the first few months.
  - We will keep you up to date with Boatshed news and Marine Industry news via our monthly newsletter and via the forum.
  - You will have access to the Boatshed Online Manual which is online and contains over 3,000 pages of help, tips and advice.
  - You will have access to the Boatshed Promo site, where you can order branded clothing, vehicle graphics, shop graphics, leaflets, posters, for sale signs, banners, business cards, giveaways for shows etc
  - You will be part of a worldwide brand stretching from the US through to Asia.
  - You will have an agreed area of exclusive business territory
  - Boatshed runs quarterly BBC (Boatshed Business Committee) to meet, brainstorm and discuss new ideas and technical developments, it runs with an annual term on the committee and then 2 invited broker guests so that the committee continually has fresh new ideas.
  - You will be invited to attend the Boatshed Annual Conference, all our brokers as attend to share best practice, participate in workshops, listen to expert speakers, network and socialize with your fellow Boatshed Yacht Brokers and we mix in a bit of fun too.  We also have an Annual conference in Europe and the United States of America.

• What additional expenses do I need to consider?
  You will need to make sure your business is insured including PI Insurance (Professional Indemnity Insurance).  We already have policies set up that most of the Boatshed brokers use, but you are free to find a company offering comparable cover. 
  
  Marketing is a huge part of any new business and it is expected that our brokers have a budget of around £300 - £500 (or equivalent) per month to allocate to local marketing.  
  
  You need to consider whether the location you have chosen for your Boatshed Yacht Brokerage would need a physical office.  If so all the related expenses would need to be considered.  As well as the office expenses, you would need to consider that an office is only really useful if it is manned at all times during busy periods.  You would obviously need to insure the premises, heat it, light it and furnish it to a good standard and keep it clean and tidy.  You can keep expenses down by running your business from home. 
  
  You may need to hire an Accountant.
  
  Each Boatshed broker needs to have a branded vehicle and branded clothing, this is  the best way for people to know you are visiting a Marina, Boat yard etc.   A  branded car is also an excellent marketing tool and will be seen wherever you are.
  
  You will need a good camera with interchangeable lenses, a laptop, and a mobile phone.
  
  As part of a Boatshed contract you will be required to commit to pay a minimum amount of commission to Boatshed HQ.  The minimum annual commission is split between 12 months and is billed monthly (only if you fail to meet the minimum amount of commission in sales for that month, this payment is invoiced monthly and will keep you on track to pay the minimum commission by year end to avoid a large bill at the end of the year.
  
  A hosting fee is paid to our website hosting company (Midland Computers).  Midland Computers are responsible for the smooth and efficient running of your site and provide disaster recovery back up.
  
  Our brokers are encouraged to join the British Marine Federation or an equivalent local organization.

• How does currency conversion work for different countries?
  As with translation, all Boatshed brokers are encouraged to ‘keep it local’ so as with translating a site, we can also convert currencies to be displayed on your website in your local currency, we can also add an equivalent in either Sterling (£), Euro or USD ($) for your overseas customers.  Payment of commission to HQ needs to be made in either Sterling, USD or Euro.
  

• What sales area is being offered? Is there a set territory?
  Territories are based upon approx 2000 berths. The option is also available to buy larger areas.
  
  
• Can you sell the business in due course?
  Of course you have the option to resell your business at any time, after all this is an investment for your future. You need to be aware that Boatshed HQ need to approve the new Owner before you complete the sale, and a new contract is issued.
  
  
• How many existing Offices are there?
  For the full list click here
  
  
• Boatshed Operation Manuals: Are they well written and useful?
  Boatshed has developed a new Twiki based Boatshed Operations Manual which incorporates podcasts, vodpods and an easy search facility to help when you have a query.
  
  
• Does Boatshed.com arrange conferences for the Business Owners ?
  Its very important for the whole group to meet annually and share news, methods, best practices, ideas and developments. Boatshed has two conferences per year, one in Europe and one in America. All offices attend at least one. Plus online Forums mean a culture of communication and creativity are one of our main strengths.
  
  
• Is there a regular newsletter?
  A monthly newsletter gives monthly updates to all offices on Boatshed HQ movements, software updates, new offices coming onboard and any other interesting Boatshed news, league tables, ideas and competitions.
  
  
• Any other form of communication within the Boatshed Group?
  There are internal Forums where the brokers can share experiences and communicate so the whole group can learn. Boatshed is integrated with Skype and technical, brokerage, PR, design, legal questions are all centrally managed.
  
  
• How successful have people been?
  This really depends upon how much time and effort you put into developing your business in your local area. Offices have made up to 100K in the first year. A business takes at least 3 years to build, so in the first year you must not expect to make big profits. There are plenty of buyers using the Boatshed website, its your local listings you need to find.
  
  
• How long before I start?
  We have training sessions every month, so as long as all contracts and monies are sorted, you can start training on the next available training course.
  
  
• Why don't I just set up my own Yacht Brokerage business?
  Being part of Boatshed.com you benefit from: Group International boat shows, the Brand, International PR, boat datafeeds to major MLS website's, meeting other like minded business owners, Annual conferences, Online Operation manuals, the worlds most advanced Brokerage software and customer management system, ongoing training, group support.
  
  
• What do I get for my investment?
  Each business partner receives a bespoke package in return for the licence/License fee, which include:
  Internationally recognised brand and proven business system
  An agreed Area of exclusive business territory
  The Worlds most advanced custom built brokerage software
  Your own Branded Boatshed Website.
  Access to the worlds largest independent database of pre-registered potential buyers plus client & boat history
  Over 2700 existing boats that you can earn a commission share on
  Online system and operation manuals
  Central telephone and web client introduction service
  Membership and secure relationship with existing Boatshed Offices.
  3 days training Boatshed Yacht Brokerage Theory at the Boatshed Training Center in Gosport, UK for 2 people. (other location by arrangement)
  Full access to interactive online training manuals.
  All with ongoing online and telephone support plus network of contacts for help and advice.