Assignment 7A: Testing my Hypothesis, Part 1

Professional boat repairs and services

Opportunity: In Tampa, it is a known problem that no one has a reliable boat repair professional. 

1.Who: The who is the boat owners in Tampa.

2.What: The what is the lack of professional boat mechanics.

3.Why: The why is People do not have the opportunity to pay more for legitimate and professional work on their boats because these mechanics do not exist.

Testing the who: I am almost certain this problem does not only pertain to Tampa. People that own boats around the world have to have this same problem. Any boat owners, fresh or salt water, could potentially have this problem.

Testing the what: To test the what I will look at the problems boat owners are currently having with their mechanics and figure out why this problem exists. My theory consists of missing deadlines, not having certain things done, and unprofessional work that fails quickly.

Testing the why: I figure people return to their sub-par boat mechanics because it is the only option that exists. If people had a more professional worker for a higher price, I am sure they would pay. Why people pay top dollar for repairs that only lasts weeks, I don’t know, but that is what we will look at and see if there could be a substitute.

Interview 1: I conducted this interview with a fishing buddy in Crystal River. He too had the same problem with boat repairs that exists in Tampa. He said his boat is never done on time and repairs only last so long. Sometimes he takes his boat in for a repair and the problem is not even fixed after paying a good amount of money. He does not know who to take his boat to, so like me, he started repairing his boat himself by looking online.

Interview 2: This interview was with my cousin who currently lives in Tampa and owns a brand-new boat. Being new, one would think there is nothing to repair, but that is not the case. Every boat has problems eventually due to the harsh environment it exists in. He bought the boat over this last summer and has already had it in the shop where he purchased it from 3 times for minor fixes. He had to trailer it 3 and a half hours to the dealership where the repairs were fixed on warranty. He was happy with his repairs but complained about the distance he had to travel. I doubt he will be taking his boat there once the warranty runs out next year!

Interview 3: This was my friend who lives on a lake in Ocala. Known to all boat owners, fresh water is way less wear-and-tear on boats. But like all boats, there are some things that are needed to be fixed. He has had a local mechanic who comes to his house for his repairs, which actually he is completely happy with. He says costs are fair and repairs last a long time. This is my first interview that proved my theory to be inaccurate. If I lived in Ocala, I’d be sure to get this mechanics number!

Interview 4: My friend who goes to Auburn fishes offshore out of Louisiana almost every weekend and I asked him what he thought about this opportunity. He said he does not know one of his friends that is satisfied with boat mechanics and they often call his dad looking for someone. Their fishing in Louisiana is different, sometimes they go 60 miles out and spend multiple nights on the boat. Their stuff has to be up to standards for those trips. Being a commercial fisherman his whole life, his dad has learned everything about a boat and can make repairs himself. He does not share the problem all of us have.

Interview 5: This interview was exactly what I was looking for. This is a Tampa boat owner, friends with my dad, whose boat is currently in the shop. The boat mechanic, who I actually worked for personally, is way behind schedule. The mechanic promised to have his boat back in a month after remodeling, and he hasn’t even started after 6 months. My dad’s friend is beyond angry with the situation but cannot really do anything. “These boat mechanics grab all the business they can and store their workshops with customers boats who don’t see a working hand for almost a year”, he stated. This was very true when I worked there. They say they can do the impossible and customers boats will just sit and collect dust instead. Although their work is good and relatively cheap, they were always behind deadline and you never knew when the next time your boat will float would be.

What I learned about my opportunity:

Interviews 1,2 and 5 supported and mirrored my opportunity beautifully. They were not all located in Tampa so that proved the who is a wide range of potential customers. The what was pretty consistent in problems with repairs and deadlines. Also, the why was suspected. They all do not have another option when it comes to boat repairs and remodeling. Interview 3 completely rejected my theory, but interview 4 was a little different. The fourth interview had potential customers everywhere, but the old commercial fisherman has turned into his own repair mechanic as well as all my buddies’ friend’s mechanics. They found a solution, but is it the one most preferred? Overall, I think this was a very beneficial study to test my hypothesis for my opportunity.