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Question
Hi Mike,
I am a student at Arizona State University.  I am currently an exploratory student because I can not for the life of me decide on a major that will benefit me in owning a dive shop.  I have many years left ahead of me before I can get started but it is my end goal.  My question for you is this: Having started your own business and kept it going for almost two decades, is there anything that you believe a major/background in would help in starting up and maintaining a dive shop?  I have done research and I know that most certifications and training involved in diving is done separate from school and mostly out of your own pocket.  I know you are not a college counselor but since you are an expert in what I desire to do I wanted to ask.  Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Max Mertens

Answer
Hi Max,

That's an interesting question and it's the first time I've been asked that one.  You are correct in that most, if not all, of your dive ratings will be obtained outside of the university.  I think the best major for running a dive shop would be a business degree.  Starting and running the shop is mostly a business venture with some marketing and salesmanship on the side.  Your business degree will teach you how to prepare a business plan (necessary for obtaining bank loans for starting and operating the business).  You will also learn basic accounting (needed for day-to-day cost tracking, inventory control and budgeting).  You will also learn basic tax rules (for handling tax issues unique to your particular state, county or city).  you will learn marketing principles which you will use to position your shop to compete with other dive shops and how to best present the inventory you stock to your customers.  Along with that comes salesmanship.  I think good salesmanship is having a good knowledge of what you are trying to sell, believing in it, and believing that other people will appreciate it's value if you can only get an opportunity to tell them about it.  Your suppliers can provide you with everything except the enthusiasm to present it to your customers.  That's your job.

You can eventually hire people to fill these positions but it costs money and you'll probably need to wear all those hats yourself for a few years.  Even after you hire somebody, you'll still need to know what they're doing.

I don't have a business degree although I took some basic business and accounting courses as electives for my other degrees.  I think that I'd have done better if I had a complete business degree when I started.  I had to learn the hard way and I made some mistakes along the way.  When I was in college, I never planned to own a business so I didn't prepare for it.  You are in a position to prepare for it and then to put your plan into action.  I admire your forethought!!

Your dive training can be used as a tax deduction under certain circumstances.  Tax laws are constantly changing so I'd talk to a tax professional for advice along those lines.  Generally, you'll have to start a home-based business in order to take the tax deductions but that's not hard or expensive to do.  It can provide you with some income while you're in school and also provide valuable experience that you can use after you graduate.  I started my business in my spare time at home teaching private dive classes and doing small dive jobs for friends.  I only expanded the business to full time and opened the shop after I retired.  I think you'll find that starting a full-time business can be expensive but it can be very rewarding and there are a number of tax advantages as well.  The key to success is preparation and you seem to be headed in the right direction!!

Much of your dive training doesn't take large blocks of time so you should be able to handle it in conjunction with your college studies.  That's an interesting challenge...are you up to it?

Another option I've discussed before is to work in an established dive shop while you learn the business.  This is normally done as a scuba instructor so it would mean taking more of your class time to earn scuba ratings.  That's not what you had in mind but remember that you'll need the scuba instructor rating to begin your business anyway so factor it into your plans.

Max, as you can see, there are a number of ways to handle the business of diving.  How you decide to handle it is a matter of choice and circumstance.  I hope this brief explanation will provide you with useful information so you can make a decision that works well for you!

Best Wishes for a successful career, Max!!

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com