[naviga:h2]Denis and Andrew Owen, [/naviga:h2]

Owners

Atlantic Mooring Maintenance Ltd. (AMML)

"I did my first mooring with no barge or equipment. I swam off the shore and used a mask and snorkel."

AMML was incorporated January 2005 and is owned and operated by brothers Denis and Andrew Owen. They specialize in the installation and maintenance of moorings and floating docks. They say of starting the business: "We saw an opportunity, wrote a business plan, secured the financing and went for it!"

Both brothers have bachelor's degrees from the University of Western Ontario, Denis in economics and Andrew in philosophy. Their business is obviously physically demanding but they must also put their heads to generating new business and ensuring the quality of their work.

"We have an ad in the Bermuda Yellow Pages, we have advertised on E-moo and we hand out business cards. But word of mouth has been our biggest promotion - we focus on doing an excellent job with integrity and when a client is very happy with our services then they tend to tell their friends."

The business also has a website (www.amml.bm) and the brothers are sure to take advantage of the natural promotional opportunity presented by their primary tool of the trade.

"We are out on the water a lot and our barges have the name and the telephone number printed on the side in big letters. We also make an effort to approach and talk to the people we see on the water.

As for keeping their clients satisfied they say they try to put themselves in the shoes of the client.

"The old adage of "treat others as you would like to be treated" really applies to business. We found that there was a lot of stress surrounding "How much will it cost" and clients felt that they were writing a blank check when they called a contractor.

"At AMML we provide free surveys of a mooring on request. That survey includes underwater pictures of any issues that a mooring might have as well as a detailed quote detailing what is needed to fix those issues. And the quote is the price."

Another way the AMML team tries to enhance their customer's experience is by inviting them out on the barge while they work.

"That way they can see exactly what is being done to the mooring. Most people never think about all the engineering that goes into making sure that their boat is safe."

Denis says problem solving is the most enjoyable part of the work they do.

"Trust me, with a business there are always tons of problems. It's very rewarding when I figure something out and it works."

As for advice for anyone thinking about starting their own business Denis says: "In my experience waiting for the perfect moment will have you waiting for ever. Get as much information together as you can and get things going. I did my first mooring with no barge or equipment. I swam off the shore and used a mask and snorkel. That definitely was not a perfect scenario, but it was a start. If you want to do something then go for it!"