AboutMike Giles Expertise I am a Master Scuba Instructor with over 6000 dives. I can answer questions on general diving techniques, diving education and diver training. I can offer suggestions on the use and selection of proper dive equipment, general maintenance of dive equipment as well as diving equipment repair. I can also offer suggestions on air conservation techniques and buoyancy control. As a dive shop owner for 17 years, I can offer suggestions on starting/running a dive business.
Experience I have been diving for 52 years, teaching diving for 47 years and owned a diving business for 17 years. I am a certified regulator repair technician for several different brands and a certified scuba cylinder inspector.
Organizations I am currently a member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Divers Alert Network (DAN), International Resort and Retailer Association and the Better Business Bureau
Publications Undercurrent magazine and Divers Chapbook
Education/Credentials I am a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with 15 distinct specialty instructor ratings, Rescue Diver Instructor, Medic-First Aid Instructor and I have degrees in Chemical Engineering, Biology and Radiologic Technology.
I'm a student studying Bcom Accounting and in Business Management we doing an assignment where you have to start your own business. My group and I have decided to go with a Scuba Diving School. So i was hoping you'd outline the Task Environment of a Scuba Diving Business for me in regards with customers, suppliers, competitors, distributors and barriers to entry because I have searched almost everywhere with no luck. Please Mike, your help will be much appreciated.
Regards
Sam
Answer Hi Sam,
I've covered lots of the details of opening a dive shop, including scuba instruction, in many of my previous posts to this site. I think you'll find most of what you're looking for in those posts.
I'll give you a brief synopsis of what you'll find.
Customers: Evaluate your market before starting. Talk to divers and non-divers to see if they'd be interested in learning to dive or pursuing advanced scuba ratings. Is there a popular diving site located nearby which would attract divers?
Suppliers: A scuba school will be much more successful if it is associated with a dive shop. Students will need to purchase equipment and most suppliers will only associate with a legitimate dive shop. A school, by definition, is not a retail outlet.
Competitors: This can be your best asset. Find out what divers dislike about your competition and be prepared to correct that problem. Most dissatisfaction stems from two major problems: (1) unwillingness of the competition to work with students varied work/school schedules and (2) inflated or hidden charges for the scuba school instruction.
Distributors: See "suppliers" above.
Barriers to Entry: The only barriers I can forsee would occur if there is no physical dive site for scuba instruction. If the market exists (see "customers" above)and a dive site exists, then the opportunity for business also exists.
Once again, Sam, this is only a brief outline commenting on your specific points. There are pages of detailed information contained in my previous posts on the AllExperts site. Please look them over and contact me again if I've failed to address a specific item.
