Sail for Success operates sailing-based corporate team development programs, facilitating team building through a series of physical and mental challenges.
Sail for Success operates sailing-based corporate team development programs, facilitating team building through a series of physical and mental challenges.
After a brief introduction on sailing, teams are left to their own devices to sail around a set course, under the watchful eye of an instructor. Team racing is then introduced to encourage healthy competition among the teams.
With a background in hospitality and human resource management, owner Kendra Frew launched Sail for Success in May 2004 after completing a government-funded small business initiative, the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS).
Ms Frew has since built up her client base to incorporate mainly large companies within the corporate sector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Wesfarmers, AWB and CPA Australia.
“The programs take staff out of their comfort zone, the office, and put them on a yacht where they are required to sail as an effective team,” Ms Frew said.
Specific workshops can also be introduced into the programs to address particular staffing issues, including communication breakdown, leadership and motivational issues.
Not long after beginning operations, Ms Frew encountered what was to become a major challenge for her business – the seasons.
“Overcoming the seasonal effects of my business became a major focus after surviving my first off-season,” Ms Frew said.
“The official sailing season runs from October through to May. It became obvious to me that [people] had an aversion to participating in outdoor events during the cooler months of the year.”
To overcome this issue Ms Frew consulted her mentor, who suggested that she diversify her business in order to maintain cash flow during the winter months.
She considered holding different team-building exercises during the winter months, such as white-water rafting or indoor rock-climbing, but was not convinced that it would work as these activities departed from the core focus of the business – sailing-centered team development activities.
“My business is called Sail for Success, not climb for success or any other variation on that theme,” Ms Frew said.
With the idea of diversifying her business in mind, Ms Frew formed a partnership with a finance broker, who had previous experience in organising networking events, after discovering they shared the same idea – offering a quick and easy solution for managers wanting to reward their staff or challenge them in a team-building program.
Ms Frew also listened to her clients, who would often ask if she had any team-building exercises other than sailing that they could participate in.
With her new idea, and recently formed partnership, Ms Frew developed the BigThanks.com website.
“BigThanks.com is a one-stop shop, offering a large range of experiences and team-building activities which can be done at any time of the year,” Ms Frew said.
“Now when my clients ask what other team-building activities they can participate in during the cooler months of the year, I send them to the website.”
Having a portfolio of activities to offer clients encourages them to re-visit BigThanks all year round. It is this return business, according to Ms Frew, that has made the website a financial success.
Ms Frew says the website has had a dramatic impact on her business, taking it from virtually zero bookings in the first off-season to a “substantial increase” in bookings in its first year of operation.
The business model of the website is essentially self-sustaining and fully automated via an online shopping cart.
Suppliers can list on the website for free, and commission is deducted when a sale is made.
When the sailing season re-starts in the summer months, Ms Frew says she will be able to balance Sail for Success (her core business) with the website which, because of the fully automated set-up, requires little hands-on management. The website is also managed by her two business partners and one staff member.
