Sail-World.com : Hiring a boon for Boab
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'Boab provides locals and tourists with an affordable alternative to boat ownership.'
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On the eve of Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, where the company is exhibiting as part of the Honda stand, Boab Boat Hire is celebrating great figures, unprecedented interest in franchises and a new partnership with the engine manufacturer.
“Of course, like any company at the moment, we’ve had to tighten our belts,” explains director, Paul Gelfius, “but we have been able to do that through redirecting our marketing efforts, better targeting and more strategic advertising.”
Fresh off the back of a franchisee conference last week in Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast, Gelfius is heartened by the enthusiasm of the Boab team.
“There were 36 people there, all of them doing well and very positive about the company. It’s important that we get together with franchise owners otherwise we’re operating with blinkers on. We’re good listeners. But while we can’t possibly implement every single suggestion that the group puts forward, we look at them in a holistic way and consider them in the framework of benefits for the group.”
Most heartening was the order of 10 new boats following the conference. Boab is able to draw from Gelfius’ other company, a boat manufacturing enterprise Amara Boats, based in Wollongong. Based on plans drawn by naval architect, the range has been described as indestructible and over-engineered.
“They need to survive all conditions and they’re built to last a lifetime,” says Gelfius proudly.
Although traditionally, the franchise ‘season’ begins around March/April, Gelfius reports incredible interest from all parts of Australia.
“We are receiving 10 to 20 enquiries each week and have been for months now. We have just signed up Port Hacking and Hervey Bay, and Cairns is due to be formalized in October.
Franchising is a great industry to get into, Gelfius states. “People are putting buying a boat on hold, or they’re selling their boats and hiring one when they need it. People still want access to the lifestyle and pleasure boating brings them.”
Boab Boat Hire has a standard product for three uses: fishing, general boating and skiing. “Our boats are trailerable so people can take them around the place. We deliver boats to people. They just turn up. All are equipped with GPS (we can track them from a laptop) and depth sounder, CD player, 27-meg radios, VHS radios, Garmin GPS/fishfinder and all use Honda four-stroke motors.”
Gelfius predicts Queensland will be a huge market for the Boab concept, so dedicated are Queenslanders to the outdoor lifestyle. “We just exhibited at the Brisbane Tinnie & Tackle Show (and National 4x4 & Outdoors Expo)in March and I have to say, it was our best show ever. It was our ideal target market.”
As well as boat shows, Boab Boat Hire is a regular advertiser in fishing magazines, and more recently, in general interest publications and sites like “Out and About with Kids”.
“We have excellent Google rankings and word of mouth and repeat customers are a great source of business as well.”
For potential franchisees, the benefits are numerous. As Gelfius explains: “It’s all about lifestyle and career change. It’s not a massive cost to get into and it’s the type of business that doesn’t consume all your time. It’s a great industry.”
More at www.boabboathire.com.au
by Jeni Bone
11:51 PM Mon 18 May 2009 GMT
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