Dive Resort Business Management Training (BMT)

  Thailand

• Bangkok: 
Bangkok
• All Other Areas in Thailand: 
Pattaya,  Chonburi
• Phuket: 
Phuket

Term: Throughout the year 
Dates: Please contact for start dates - to be set by the student and Russell Martin - PADI Course Director

Description: Mermaid's Dive Centers comprehensive dive resort business management program exposes the dive professional to the skills and business principles needed to operate a successful PADI Five Star Dive Center or PADI Gold Palm Resort. Taking skills already learned from the professional level dive training now the diver gains the expertise to become a dive resort operations specialist. During the dive center management training, divided into eight unique and informative modules, we introduce you to every aspect of the scuba dive industry. All modules are conducted in real life settings with real staff, divers and clients. As the busiest dive centre in central Thailand, Mermaid's is in a unique position to increase your knowledge and skills and make you vastly more organized, ready and employable. Our dive resort business management training prepares the diver to enter the diving industry and work in dive centers and resorts at management level worldwide.

The program is divided into 8 very distinctive modules:

Module 1 - Organization: How do I keep it all running?

This is an overview conducted with Mermaid's senior management on how we keep the dive center operational and profitable. Topics include:

Organizing Dive Trips - You will schedule the diving and snorkeling trips on our 4 dive boats as well as arrange the diving for our in-house clients and those from our agents.

Organizing Dive Courses / Dive Training schedules - You will arrange and organize courses including the full PADI slate as well as Divers Alert Network, Technical Diving and Public Safety Diving. This will include organizing instructor scheduling, manuals, slates, equipment requirements and swimming pool logistics etc and all other aspects of actual diving courses and organization.

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Module 2 Marketing: Have you heard about me yet?

This is a detailed description of dive business marketing techniques used to promote a diving business, including print, visual and electronic media. Topics include:

The Internet: You will help design a new website as well as make some changes and updates to our actual diving website. You will have a chance to correspond with and deal with real clients by e-mail.

Print and Visual Media You will have a chance to update our advertising program and help create catchy new ads and logos for Mermaid's. We will also conduct a workshop on marketing a new diving venture.

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Module 3 Sales: Who's going to buy my stuff?

This module will concentrate on the retail side of the scuba industry including ordering, presentation and sales techniques. Topics include:

Ordering and Inventory You will help with stock check and order actual equipment and manuals from our suppliers. We will conduct a workshop on predicting future stock levels and ordering needs.

Sales Techniques We'll conduct various scenarios from PADI's very successful "Positive Approach Selling" program designed to expand and test your sales abilities. You will have the opportunity to make sales involving our actual clients.

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Module 4 Accounting: Where has all my money gone?

This module will teach you the principles of bookkeeping and accounting. We'll show you how to mange cash flow as well and also how to price various courses and dive trips for maximum profitability. Topics include:

Accounting techniques You will run the daily and computerized accounts for Mermaid's and see how we track funds and make sure that it all ends up accounted for and in the right hands. We will work with computerized and pen and paper accounting systems.

Pricing and costing We will conduct a workshop on how we price our dive courses and trips and the rationale behind our pricing scheme. You will price actual new courses here at Mermaid's, and also open a simulated dive center with a logical price structure.

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Module 5 PADI and Company: How do I work with the Diver Training Agencies?

This module will familiarize you with the tricks and techniques of getting the most from PADI and the various training agencies such as Divers Alert Network that you will deal with as the owner/operator of a dive business. Topics include:

Agency Standards You will have a chance to confront a variety of staged and real situations regarding compliance with the Standards of PADI and other diver training agencies. Morals and ethics as well as sound business practices will be on the agenda here.

Paperwork You will organize the actual student paperwork for a variety of diver training programs. We will have you deal with actual correspondence from students with certification issues as well as agency related paperwork problems. Maybe the least "sexy" but most important part of our course!

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Module 6 Customer Complaints: What do I do if it all goes wrong?

This module will train you in the skills and temperament needed to deal with those difficult situations and/or difficult customers that can make or break any dive business. We will train you in the methods of turning your loudest detractors into your biggest fans. Topics include:

Dealing with Complaints You will handle a series of simulated and real customer complaints designed to improve your people skills as well as keep our own clients happy.

Dealing with logistical problems Here you will handle boats breaking down, compressors going bad, instructors disappearing, clients on the wrong boat, etc... We will set you up with numerous staged and real life situations that will stretch you to the limits of your abilities, and then increase those limits.

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Module 7 Staff: How do I handle all those people?

This module will train you in the realities and techniques of dealing with your shop staff. Training will include the handling of instructors, shop personnel, boat captains and crew and the myriad of other folks who keep a dive business together. Topics include:

Instructional Staff You will work out schedules, salaries and riles and regulations for Mermaid's actual staff Members. We will conduct a workshop on hiring staff for a newly created dive center.

Everyone else You will work on the training and organization of new Mermaid's staff members. We will also have you dealing with all the "other" members of Mermaid's team from taxi drivers to boat boys. You'll learn how to keep everyone happy and productive.

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Module 8 - Marketing yourself: I am over here!

Module 8 covers getting your foot through the door to your first dive job. Essential to start your dive career is knowing how to present your credentials professionally and effectively. You will be skilled in many areas of dive resort management and this needs to be showcased.

We create a very professional scuba diving CV (resume) and discuss important dive resort interview techniques. Focusing on the main selling points for yourself and promoting strengths will kick start you scuba dive career.

Highlights: All throughout your training you will be working with Stephen Blumenthal our experienced PADI Course Director (20 years in the scuba business, over 1100 dive instructors trained and the most successful dive center in Central Thailand). Steve will supervise you in putting together a comprehensive plan to create and manage a new dive center in an actual location in Southeast Asia. Who knows, some of these plans can end up coming off the drawing board and into the real world!

The applicant must be prepared to enter the dive industry at management level.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Please inquire

Contact for further details.

Experience Required: yes

18 years of age++ and Divemaster certification or above. If the enterance level training is not held then this can be included.

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Thailand Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Job and Internship Network

Learn In Asia Scuba Internships Co., Ltd.'s Mission Statement: Learn in Asia Scuba Internships aim to give just that! Scuba Internships, we offer the most comprehensive scuba diving internships for the serious diver no matter whether professional or recreational. We wish you to be the best trained in your field whether it is a dive career or just for the love of diving - our divers are knowledgeable, aware and safe. Learn in Asia do not just make the grade or certify for the certification - we pride ourselves on producing 1st class recreational and professional divers with skills and dive knowledge over and beyond the normal. All of our internships have specialty courses and unique courses that cannot be offered anywhere else in Asia - showing you our dedication to your scuba diving education. Learn in Asia trains Dive Professionals to a high class and highly employable level and then actively assists them to find work within Asia through our vast network of shops. (If work is required outside of Asia - we assist also). You will not see scuba internship programs as detailed.

Year Founded: 1991