Starting a guide business

[vtfisher]

I am going to start my own gude business. I know it is alot of work and time consuming. I was wondering if any one had any suggestions. I know about claiming taxes and insurance.

[Longs for Cutts]

Find out what sort of licenses you need. Your home state will require some sort of business license. If using a motorized boat, you'll need a coast guard license. If looking to guide in national forests you might need a permit for them, and I believe all national parks require permits. Yellowstone is no longer issuing new permits, for example, and I don't know if similar situations apply elsewhere. If you can't get permits for water you want to guide, try to arrange something with an outfitter who does have a permit.

Also, check regulations for guiding on state lands. In Missouri you cannot guide on Conservation Dept land, for example.

Advertising and promotion are what will get you business. Get a good business card. You can use www.vistaprint.com, but get the cards you have to pay for and jump for the thicker paper. You need either a basic website and a great brochure or a great website and a basic (single-page even) brochure/flyer. My money is on the latter option these days. Look into letterhead or plain old mailing labels. Give some fly manufacturers a call to try to get wholesale guide pricing on flies, especially if you plan to include them in the price of the day.

Also, check your IM.

[Grizzly Wulff]

I'm not sure what the requirements are in Vermont, but most states have licensing and permit requirements to guide on state waters. In the West, the permit is the tough one, as there are a limited number available for each particular body of water, and they are usually held by a fly shop with its own guide service. Most states also require guides/outfitters to have first aid and CPR training, and if they are acting as an independent contractor they also must be registered with the state, and have a business license.

Many shops use independent contractors as guides, so they don?t have to do payroll taxes, provide benefits, etc. This is probably the easiest way to get into guiding. The shop typically handles the liability insurance and the permits. They set the fee schedule and determine the amount that the guide gets; a sliding scale based on how long you?ve worked for a particular shop. The shop is limited as to how much control they can exercise over you; check the IRS regulations concerning independent contractors.

[fish4trout]

Did you hear about the fishing guide that won the lottery? He was asked if he was going to quit working. He said, "No I plan to keep on guiding until I run out of money".

[William Fitzgerald]

Hope your not a family man with kids--if you are they shouldn't see much of you on weekends when their home and your out with weekend clients------ BILL

[vtfisher]

I dont have kids thank god i just finished my first year of college. I have some people i am taking out this summer just to show them around for free so i dont have to get insurance right now i cant afford until next fishing season. Vermont has very easy process on getting a guide licensce and its good for any water. I wont be using a boat just river fishing wading and walking trout streams.

[Gramps]

I dont have kids thank god i just finished my first year of college. I have some people i am taking out this summer just to show them around for free so i dont have to get insurance right now i cant afford until next fishing season. Vermont has very easy process on getting a guide licensce and its good for any wate. I wont be using a boat just river fishing wading and walking trout streams.

I'm sorry. I never do this, but you did say you're in college. >----. wait (not wate)

[Riverdancer]

Save all your receipts.

[Marco]

Hey Gramps,
Ya should hadda outta caught im on the "licensce" and not the "wate" in which he probably meant "water".



Mark

[Night Angler]

Hope your not a family man with kids--if you are they shouldn't see much of you on weekends when their home and your out with weekend clients------ BILL

William...


Good Point...

But unlike me.. I get about 4-6 hours of sleepa night..if that...
Im on the water at 10pm.. and off by 4am (sometimes 7am) depending on the bite...I get the wife up for school (or work) depending on the day.. and Im home with with the kids all day... and the just want to play... (I do catch about a 2 hour before going back out)

and I do it again the next night... then I take my night off... unless the bite has been awesome... or it the fall...

I loving guiding at night... I get my fishing in (and its never crowded)... Im home with the kids... and the wife... well she is getting use to it...

Leonard