Start a SailTime/PowerTime Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $75K - $152K

Units as of 2023: 27 18% over 3 years

Founded in 2001, SailTime/PowerTime is a membership-based boat club. Unlike other sail clubs that offer a general membership, a SailTime/PowerTime membership gives members shared access to a specific boat, whether it be a catamaran, sailboat, or powerboat. The boat you choose through SailTime/PowerTime may not be available to every club member, but just a few members.

You may think of it as a boat timeshare!

Monthly membership fees may change according to the location, boat size, and the number of monthly uses and cover other fees, such as maintenance, cleaning, marina fees, fuel, and boat insurance. The company also has its own app with a sailing calendar, where members can book a time online to use their boat.

SailTime/PowerTime began franchising in 2009 and has since opened several franchises in select throughout the United States, Canada, and overseas.

Why You May Want To Start a SailTime/PowerTime Franchise

SailTime/PowerTime is certainly a niche franchise and probably requires a specific set of interests and skills. A franchisee doesn't need to know how to sail a boat, but should have a strong interest in the water and boating lifestyle. They also should see how a SailTime/PowerTime franchise can benefit their community and perform in their local market. Typically speaking, an ideal franchisee is a strong businessperson.

SailTime/PowerTime also stresses the importance of flexibility, having enough capital for operational and marketing costs, and working hard to achieve a positive business outcome. Despite the dedication corporate may require from franchisees, they may be able to run their business from home or via a mobile unit.

What Might Make a SailTime/PowerTime Franchise a Good Choice?

SailTime/PowerTime believes it has a unique business model approach for startup investment that may suit careful and organized businesspeople. A franchisee could build their fleet through primary ownership. However, there is an option to use what SailTime/PowerTime calls the owner membership program. With this program, other people buy the boats, and you simply sell memberships.

SailTime/PowerTime may also use certain tactics to encourage customer loyalty, something a franchisee may enjoy should they execute the business model properly. These tactics include aggressive marketing, a fully computerized back-end, and product sales outside of boat memberships. Customers can also book a time on the boat through the club's app, so you don't necessarily have to be in touch with them about upcoming reservations.

Besides running daily operations, a franchisee should expect to maintain the financial ability to cover business-related costs, from startup to maintenance. This includes advertising fees and royalty fees.

How To Open a SailTime/PowerTime Franchise

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the SailTime/PowerTime franchising team questions. If you are working out of a marina located in seasonal areas, one question might be how you would maintain business during that off-season.

If awarded a franchise, SailTime/PowerTime typically provides new franchisees with on-the-job training as needed, several hours of classroom training, extended ongoing support, and vast marketing support. Still, it will be up to you to maintain a good business standing.

Company Overview

About SailTime/PowerTime

Industry	Recreation
Related Categories	Boat Clubs, Miscellaneous Recreation Businesses, Recreational Rentals, Sports
Founded	2001
Parent Company	Sea Style Acquisitions
Leadership	Todd Hess, CEO
Corporate Address	105 Eastern Ave. Annapolis, MD 21403
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2009 (15 years)
# of employees at HQ	5
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	27 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a SailTime/PowerTime franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$25,000 - $35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$74,675 - $151,950
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%-7%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	$250-$400/mo.
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	SailTime/PowerTime has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	As needed
Classroom Training	24 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes