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Hi all,
I am considering relocating to St Thomas with my family. I have a wife and two great kids. We live for our yearly visits to the Caribbean and have talked about making the move for a while.
I am interested in opening a tour operation. I would like to do something that provides a unique experience. I’m sure locations like Christmas Cove or Honeymoon Beach would provide a great snorkeling experience but I’m wondering what’s out there that someone isn’t doing.
I have read all the of disclaimers in other posts;
Island life isn’t for everyone.
Live here before doing business here.
Buyer Beware.
See before you buy.
Careful or you’ll poke your eye out with that thing.
So please consider my questions a sincere effort to gain some very useful local knowledge before we make a serious pre-move visit. I’m open to the possibility of a dive/snorkel operation, both are really a passion of mine. I have seen dive business come up for sale in the USVI but I am fairly cautious of an existing business being sold.
So if you have an idea, something that would make a great tour, somewhere that tourists would love to go and have them leaving St Thomas with it being the best day of their vacation I would love to hear any ideas.
Posted : March 27, 2006 5:57 pm
"Island life isn’t for everyone.
Live here before doing business here.
Buyer Beware.
See before you buy."
Dear karied,
All the advice on this post has been given for good reason and the only way you will be able to determine if any kind of a tour business is for you is to be here. I'm not sure why you would be cautious about an existing business being sold - people sell businesses all the time for a variety of reasons and not necessarily because of negatives with the business itself.
Maybe it would be a good idea to look into the operations you've seen for sale and then center a PMV around them as well as looking into the possibilities of eventually opening up something new. You really do have to be here, though. Good luck - you may well find the perfect niche!
Posted : March 27, 2006 10:36 pm
Topic starter
My hesitancy toward an existing business is that you don’t see profitable, healthy business going up for sale that often. I do believe that healthy business do come up for sale, they just seem more difficult to locate.
I really do like the idea of buying an existing business and building off of it.
I appreciate the reply.
Karie
Posted : March 27, 2006 11:08 pm
some businesses aren't healthy due to incompetent or inexperienced owners, but are sound business models that would do much better with the right person in charge.
Posted : March 29, 2006 12:33 am
I think there is a lack of high end dive shops that do nice small groups with lunch and stuff. Chris Sawyer is a cattle boat with 20+ people Coki and Aqua Action you have to wade out to the boat and you are lucky if they have water.
Blue Island is the best for good staff, small groups 6 people or less, but you can't do custom tours etc, and no food. Some cruise ship people want to dive all day and having lunch on the boat would help. So you don't have to come back to shore and you can do farther away dives. Also, Rhone dive in the BVI Chrisy Sawyer is the ONLY place that does trips there and they are packed. Do a smaller group for more money, you'd have tons of people wanting to go.
Posted : March 29, 2006 5:52 am
