Growing a sailing business with myPOS Online

When Felipe Araujo moved to Portugal from Brazil, little did he realise that his whim would turn into a business pursuit. Yet, with time, he succeeded in turning his love for the ocean into a profitable business with many returning customers.

What was merely inviting some friends over from Brazil to sail to Croatia soon became four sailing boats. Just one year later, that number had more than doubled to nine. This is when Felipe realised there was a good business opportunity in sailing boats and offering customers a premium experience. Since then, he and his team have created flotillas with up to 14 sailboats both in Croatia and Sardinia. 

Felipe said his love for the sea and sailing has been with him for a long time. In fact, he recalls feeling the calling for the waters over the past two decades. This passion has translated into a business with a unique selling proposition. Through Sailing Boats Experience, customers are able not only to rent a boat on the internet very easily, but also to get personal attention and an offer tailored to their needs 

“We listen to our customers before offering any boat, we indicate the best locations, the best time of the year and the best companies to proceed with the reservation,” he explained. And if the client wishes, they can also get itineraries as well as a crew that consists of a skipper, chef, cook and/or hostess. To Felipe, support is their biggest differentiator. In addition to the charter service, sailing training is also offered, in what is called the “Sailing Experience” – a week on board, with sailing instruction, through Croatia.

Known for its beautiful coastline, Felipe stated that Croatia is a very popular destination as it offers more at competitive prices and has the best nautical infrastructure in Europe. However, sailing in Sardinia or the Balearic Islands is another popular choice for those who want to go to the beach. “It really depends on one’s objective.”

And speaking of objectives, when asked what his business’ mission and vision are, Felipe answered succinctly. The mission is to take as many people to the sea as possible and show them the free and simple onboard lifestyle. While the vision is to be the biggest reference in charter planning and execution in the Mediterranean. 

So, how can these goals be met? One of the main ways is through their myPOS Online website, which Felipe has chosen to take advantage of. Why? Because this business was designed to be 100% online right from the beginning, guaranteeing the entire team geographic freedom. Although charters are generally in the Mediterranean (even though there are other locations), advertising, sales and all control can be exercised anywhere there is Internet (even and especially from inside a boat!).

Felipe, who also has a business related to civil construction services, started using myPOS over a year and a half ago, to offer his clients a modern payment option. He became familiar with the myPOS business platform and noted the chance to build a free site. 

Felipe’s reasons for signing up for  myPOS Online were the ease of access, the user-friendly construction of the site, the low cost and integration with the payment system. He has found that the system is reliable and that he receives efficient support. 

In fact, with myPOS Online, all merchant needs are taken care of. From hosting to choosing predefined, beautiful design templates, merchants are also able to connect custom domains, add photos, a contact-us page, promo codes and much more to get their online business off the ground.

Offering advice to other merchants considering choosing myPOS as their payment partner, Felipe said: “Do not waste time!” In the times we live in, “we have to reinvent ourselves, look for alternatives and dedicate time to finding new solutions.” myPOS can be a great way to diversify and capture new sales.

Felipe, who graduated in architecture, is a businessman and a specialist in business mediation. He’s also a skipper in his spare time who says that most of the customers for Sailing Boats Experience are from Brazil. He described these customers as being people who are looking for a different vacation; those who want to visit various places without having to change hotels every day, repack their bags or worry about how things work on a boat.   

Sailing Boats Experience helps with that. And due to the vast number of positive testimonials, the wide following and the clients who return, Felipe believes they are on the right track. 

Looking at the future, Felipe said that their goal is to convert their proposal into more sales, not only through WhatsApp and Instagram, but also through the myPOS Online website.