Boatshed Norfolk: 3 years and counting!
Gary and Will of Boatshed Norfolk took over the franchise in September 2006 both having come from completely different backgrounds.
“Unlike a lot of the brokers in the group we did not hold Yacht master qualifications etc nor had we done any Blue water sailing, we were simply passionate about boats in general both owning Fairline sports cruisers on the Norfolk Broads” says Will.
As a result of Gary forming an owners club for these boats Will and Gary met at a club rally and the rest as they say is history.
Will says “we looked at various options of how we could best become more involved with boats whilst maintaining an income and it was obvious to us that being a broker would tick all the boxes. “
As Gary lived in Norfolk and Will lived in Suffolk at the time, the Norfolk Broads would be the obvious area to set up a Used Boat Sales business.
“We had a look at the various options and it soon became very apparent there were a lot of existing Yacht brokers in Norfolk and Suffolk already. Many were very well established and appeared to be providing a very good service.
“We soon became aware that in order to survive we would somehow have to provide an unprecedented level of service to our potential customer, both boat owners and sellers alike.
After considering several options Will noticed that the Boatshed Norfolk Business had become available and we made enquiries as to ascertain whether this would be a viable option for us.
After months of talks and discussions we decided to “take the plunge” and invest in the Norfolk franchise. There were several advantages to this the main one being that the business was already reasonably well established and we “inherited” a stock of used boats for sale from day one.
Initially both Gary and Will were at the helm full time until the business was set up and running efficiently. Nowadays it is Gary that runs the business on a day to day basis with Will able to provide support whenever it is needed.
They have a range of boats for sale the majority of which are on the Norfolk Broads and come under the heading of Motor Cruisers. “Having such an imbalance of Motor boats for sale was an area which we felt needed addressing” Gary tells me, so as a result they took on an agent (Bob Goddard” who has many years experience in both sailing and sales).
Bob has listed mainly sail boats for sale and has provided Boatshed Norfolk with more of an even balance between sail and motor boats for sale in Norfolk.
Gary and Will have also identified the huge potential business in North Norfolk and as a result are having a meeting with a potential agent who will be able to cover Boat Sales in North Norfolk.
“We felt that we were not concentrating enough on promoting our business in North Norfolk and as a result we have decided to take on another agent who will look after that area for us and provide a much needed service to marina’s, boat owners and boat sellers alike.
Anyone thinking of buying and selling a boat should take a look at the Boatshed Norfolk website to see just how well we market our boats for sale. There up to 70 pictures of each boat along with an honest and accurate description and appraisal of each boat we list for sale.
We have seen a steady increase in boat sales despite these hard times and we are confident that 2010 will again be a good year for us given our intended coverage of the whole of Norfolk.
We have good relationships with marinas on the Norfolk Broads and as a result we find that marina owners recommend Boatshed for customers who are looking to sell or buy a boat.
“This is very important to us and we endeavour to keep marina owners involved and informed as to the progress of the sale or purchase of a boat either in their marina or by their customer” says Gary. “We will always respect the marina owner by calling in advance to advise of any potential viewings.
Similarly for boat owners we will only carry out accompanied viewings on a boat and again we will always ring the owner in advance to advise of any viewings.
For boat buyers we try to be as flexible as possible in arranging viewings as we appreciate most people have to work and often they are having to travel to come and view a boat.
“Again this is where we feel we score highly, we will always be as open and honest in describing any of the boats we have for sale before the customer makes the journey to view. This along with up to 70 photographs will give the potential buyer a very accurate idea of the boats condition” says Gary
So if you are interested in buying a boat in Norfolk or you are thinking of selling your boat please give the guys at Boatshed Norfolk a call.