Marketing Plan: Boating Services
Doctor Shirley McLaughlin
MKT 500 Strayer University
5/12/14

Executive Summary To provide boat owners and their families with the best mobile boat repair experience by maintaining a passion for delivering quality services, satisfy customers' needs by providing timely, reliable and courteous service.
This business entity will be formed in May 2014 with me, as the founder. I’m currently responsible for all business planning and decisions. There will be one a personal assistant who supports all administrative functions to include ordering supplies, interfacing with customers and providing customer support. The business will be located at Lake Jordan.
Boating Services will provide emergency (on the water) repairs, tows and transport for boat launching. Additionally preventative maintenance and winterization service will be provided. One on one sessions for Lowrance electronic products are available for a fee upon request.
The current banking institution is USAA. I am currently seeking investors. In the next 12 months, I’d like to add one contract worker on a fulltime basis through November and a part time from December through February. Form relationships in the local community and build an online presence that encourages the use of our services.
PESTLE Test
Competitive – Once it is launched, Boating Services will be the only entity offering mobile boat services; there appear to be no competitive concerns. Currently there is a storage service which offers wet slips for rental year around to include charging stations. An additional service offered for a fee allows clients to have their boat moved from dry storage to the water for immediate launch. An entity offering boat maintenance is located within ¼ mile of the lake, although it is neither mobile nor provides emergency services. It does provide maintenance and winterization.
Sociocultural – Boating is seen as a recreational activity and possibly as one by the wealthy. It is actually an activity that can be enjoyed by those using personal water crafts to boat owners that have the ability to stay on the water for days at a time. It is to many a getaway, vacation or as with a houseboat, a daily way of life.
Technological –Technology has had an incredible impact on boating. Many boats are now equipped with fish finders and navigational systems. For those that do not come with them, they can be installed. This technology allows for those with a defined purpose for their boating experience, to make sure that it’s achieved. The U.S. Coastguard released a statement on April 13, 2014 in which it stated that nautical map updates, while still being made, would not be available in print. They can be purchased and also printed on demand for the technologically savvy boater. For those who enjoy adventure, they may choose to use the technology that they have purchased with their boat instead of relying on paper charts.
This will both increase the demand for tutoring services to learn to use the technology and as it becomes more heavily relied upon, increase the demand for these tools and programs. boating Services will provide tutoring mainly for Lowrance products (fish finders and chartplotters).
Markets
• Primary market includes boaters who need immediate assistance (emergency repairs) while out on one of the covered bodies of water. This includes towing and repairs that would allow them to return to shore safely or continue with their planned activities for the day.
• Secondary market includes service for boats to include general, preventative maintenance and winterization. Hourly based tutoring services on boat electronics.
Branding
• Brand Name: Boating Services
• Logo: Gladiator at the helm with sword raised
• Slogan: We’ll power to your rescue!
• Brand extension: Performance basics clothing donning the extension G8 logo: pants, shirts hats, windbreakers, shoes, sunglasses. These items will represent the company, but serve a greater purpose by providing for last minute clothing needs or the back up for the occasional unexpected wet launch.
As Marketing is a new business, the following performance analysis concerns will be addressed based on what could be future development concerns:
Referrals – A large portion of the towing, maintenance and winterization revenues will be based on referrals. Emergency repairs and tows to shore will be offered, but the driver for referrals and repeat business will be mobile maintenance and towing or transport launches.
Social Media Engagement – I’d like to have a web page or a way to use some sort of social media to engage current and future customers. I believe it will be critical to have a way that allows new customers to know the services I provide along with updates of how the business will change over the course of the year. A site allows out of town visitors to plan for maintenance, emergency services or towing needs. It will also contain links to other local attractions and activities. Using the site a s a reliable portal for information keeps customers coming back for information, and hopefully to my business for their boating needs.
Customer Retention Rates - Over the course of the first six months, I’d like to track the customer retention rates or rather the number of customers that have done repeat business with Boating Services believe a longer period of time may be needed to record retention as some customers may only ever be served once.
Employee Retention Rates – The employee retention rate will be critical I will be a working owner and there will be only one other regular employee. The assistant will work as a contract employee on an as needed basis. In order for the company to grow, it will be critical to keep the ERR at 100% for the customer continuity and the high cost of turnover/retraining a new employee.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
• One of the most prominent strengths of this business is that there is currently not a mobile emergency boat service.
• It will be available 24 hours for emergencies.
• The staff that responds to the call will be assigned to boating site. A technician will be located on the actual water site, which means that response time to a call for assistance is reduced.
• The business is in an area supported by local attractions and other places of interest such as Chapel Hill, Apex and Durham.
Weaknesses
• In trying to increase customer requests to include or add additional a la carte services like electronic installation in an effort to expand sales.
• Due to the cycles of boating activity, income may be lacking may need to be supplemented with other income producing activities.
• Not enough business to support running a single boat for multiple water sites.
• Lack of experienced staff to take on the challenges of this type of employment.
Opportunities
• Offering basic boating safety classes, first aid, CPR, water craft classes (public, private, schools).
• Personal water craft rentals (with other recreational items: tow ropes, life jackets, towels, short and t-shirts.
• The addition of tours and fishing trips.
• Free public education (partner with schools, scouts, military and other civic organizations for short safety lectures).
Threats
• Possible competition by an existing established business that adds this service.
• Lack of need for service resulting in closing of business.
• Existing entities offering services that compete with maintenance portions of the business.
• New competition that has the ability to have a regular year round presence with additional technicians equating to more response calls covered to service customers.

The target market for Boating Services is the recreational, seasonal boater. As B. Everett Jordan Lake is listed on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Corps Lakes site, there will be a strong marketing emphasis on services being military friendly and veteran owned. They’ll consist of out of destination vacationers and local recreational boaters. Reaching potential customers will occur using the website, outreach opportunities, partnering with other local business and with one of the state agencies using boating safety classes as a platform for reaching potential customers.
Potential local customers will be targeted using the website for updates on news about events that are happening in the area and on the lake. The site will primarily carry boating safety and preventions tips including guidelines on the importance of preparing for emergencies. It will include a checklist for boating season preparation and supplies that that boaters should have. Making sure we have good words for searches will be critical in getting visits from both local and destination boaters. Destination or distant recreational boaters will have additional items to prepare them for travelling with their boats to include information on lodging, food, local attractions and most important, hot fishing spots. A sign will be used in partnership with both existing entities at the lake advertising emergency and mobile services.
The local general store and gas station has an incredibly high amount of traffic which for the possible posting of a traditional sign, the target will be half sheet color printed flyers with emergency towing and service highlighted. Business cards will be left in the store and available at the existing brick and mortar repair shop and where boaters pay launch and slip fees. The initial budget will be $5,000 for marketing. The task of business cards and flyers will be carried out by the assistant. I plan to contract for the construction of the website.
We’ll power to your rescue. Boating Service is about providing a fast, efficient and mobile service where it may be least expected, on the water. The emergency repair or tow within the local area is nonexistent at this time; it will showcase the quality service of a veteran owned, local North Carolina business. The standard service call response time is 15 minutes which should be achieved on most calls with the exception of extreme weather conditions. This will be able to occur as a boat ready to respond will be available on the lake.
The customers I expect to reach will be those who need a service immediately and a willing to pay a reasonable cost to have their issues responded to in a short window of time. The goal is to develop repeat customers based on fast, professional and efficient service.

References
Lowrance Marine Electronics. (n.d.). LOWRANCE. Retrieved May 10, 2014, from http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/
Starting a Business | SBA.gov. (n.d.). Starting a Business | SBA.gov. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business
USCG News NOAA to Cease Printing Traditional Paper Nautical Charts in 2014. (n.d.). USCG News NOAA to Cease Printing Traditional Paper Nautical Charts in 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.uscgboating.org/news/default.aspx?ArticleId=722