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Swiss Ski School

rodltg2

By rodltg2
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Stevie Boy Grand Master

Stevie Boy

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I have just read Steven Schnitzer's write up on Swiss Ski School, he makes the numbers look very attractive, it would be interesting to see what the books say, after all the costs, purchase of Boats, Gas, Maintenance, Property Tax, Utilities, Staff, Tax on Income,etc, what would be left, after all your efforts, does anybody run a Ski School which turns over $500,000 plus per annum and makes a acceptable return for their money.

 

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roberto Enthusiast

roberto

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I think 89 was my first visit. Golf course was just sand! Pierre and Denise working like trojans to create their vision. Flights were affordable in those days, 2 visits per year were easily achievable, plus house and skiing. Reckon I have stayed in every villa on Lake Stephanie/ North Lake. Lake Carolynn must rank as one of the best slalom lakes in the world.

 

Sadly we lost Pierre, god bless him, he taught the wife to ski in 2000 along with his daughters Steph and Carolynn. You can not believe the character & desire he had to build that site. They were well ahead of their time in offering the 'travelling skier' the best facilities.

 

Denise was something special on a trick ski, and no mean slalom skier. I wish Denise and Steph , Carolynn well, my best skiing memories will always reside with their facility. I hope whoever buys it will continue the 'Family Grimm Vision'

 

Robert (UK)

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BraceMaker Grand Master

BraceMaker

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@jayski - it doesn't say 500K year net profits.

 

":The water-ski school operates on 4 man-made ski lakes and one natural lake. Under the current operational structure, the ski school averages 10,000 rides per year.

(To put this in perspective, 2 lakes pulling 20 sets a day, 5 days a week = 200 sets a week x 50 weeks = 10,000 sets! If you average $50.00 a set, your income from these pulls alone would be $500,000.00. :"

 

But that's 500K gross, and that's what the link says they do in an average year - gross.

 

Now subtract cost of insurance, property, boats, staff, fuels, and see where you land.

 

 

 

For perspective should say - install a wake park on some of that and see if you can up the wake park sets from 10K 50$ pulls with loads of overhead to 40K 10$ pulls with very low overheads.

 

 

 

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Skihack Proficient

Skihack

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Most ski schools do not pay their instructors so you really only have to deduct the gas they use to ski and their room and board. Still would make it tough to turn a profit. If I could have turned a decent profit, I would have ran a ski school. But, in the end, it wasn't going to be worth the effort in my mind. I worked two years at a ski school in the 80's, and there just wasn't a whole lot of profit in it then.
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Razorskier1 Grand Master

Razorskier1

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Investments like these are done for the love of the sport and lifestyle, not to get rich. $500k gross is going to turn into next to nothing net in a big hurry once you factor in all of the fixed and variable costs. In a different but similar business I had a friend in the "lake cabin resort" business. He had a full time job. He said the only way to run a good cabin resort was to have a full time job to fund it. Otherwise, it just doesn't work. I think this is similar.
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addkerr Collaborator

addkerr

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Skiing does not make money, we know this for a fact. To make money you have to appeal to the people that cant do it, but want to be involved. Tubing is the best thing at our complex, allows the erm more well built ;) individual to be on the water, requires no skill and is good fun. Plus a lot less on gas than someone doing 8 passes at 34 or even 36.

 

We run our ski club separate to the watersports centre although they are together. The skiing is either self sufficient or a bit down, as the other less serious side is up and normally paying for the skiing part. Anyone in this businesses will tell you that your in it for the lifestyle not money.

 

So basically anyone who will invest in this is for the sport or in it to diversify.

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roberto Enthusiast

roberto

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Jackski

 

Pierre passed away Dec 2007.

 

I hired a jeep one year, Pierre was digging out the lake Phil Hughes uses, champions lake I think. Pierre had a Jeep to. Robere, he said in a wonderful French accent, take it to the lake have some fun, you get stuck, I pull you out with my digger.

 

Fantastic afternoon trying to get a 4x4 stuck in an empty slalom lake, Yes , he did a lot of the work himself, he never stopped. Bless him.

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Wish Grand Master

Wish

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About 40-45 minutes west of Orlando Airport and attractions. Once your outside Orlando there's not much out that way accept the gulf course at Swiss. There's already a cable park in Orlando so no ones going to drive that far. Not a large enough population near Swiss to support it either IMHO. The site is beautiful and the lakes ski great. Hate to see it fade away. They seemed to always have boats running and students learning though. Lots of photo shoots from there for WSM. Price??
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skibug Veteran

skibug

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I've skied there and it skis well. It is a great all inclusive set up if you just want to ski, play golf, ski, sleep and start all over; problem is the family isn't as keen on it as I am. It is definitely an hour outside of Orlando and not much around. If I won the lottery, I would buy it and move there....so I guess I will just stay where I am at.
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jackski Collaborator

jackski

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Swiss is a great place. We used to go there with friends, rent a villa, ski 5-6 sets during the day, meet people from around the world, make supper together, hang out at the pool and hot tub, and sometimes at night do the Swiss Grand Prix in the golf carts (don't ask). Couldn't ask for more. Pretty relaxing after working your butt off all year.
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SkiJay Veteran

SkiJay

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If you do the math on how many sets and $25 golf rounds you need to sell annually to make any return on $1.5m, it becomes clear that this is more of a lifestyle retirement project for a rich patron of the sport than a business investment. Having said that, some guys spend way more on yachts, horses, race cars, and even houses with no expectation of a return. My prediction is someone who is somewhat indifferent to the numbers will be the eventual buyer, and they will probably dump a bunch more into it. That would be an awesome outcome for this fabulous enclave, and for everyone who gets to ski there.
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Jordan Mentor

Jordan

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Guys. It doesn't say that $500,000 is the total revenue either.

 

It says that is the revenue from skiing, it also says that there is a pro-shop and ten guest units.

 

I have no idea if the businessis profitable, but I would doubt that it is priced at three times revenue.

 

I would also doubt if that it's a big money maker.

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