How to Make Money in a Resort Town

Resort towns are different from other areas of the country. In most places, whether it is in an urban or rural environment, the majority of the population support themselves by working at various jobs or as business owners. Their jobs or businesses rarely vary. They can usually count on a steady income. In a resort town, the situation isn’t like that for tourist-related business owners and their employees. Instead, the amount of money they make each year depends on how many visitors show up during the tourist season. Following are a few tips on how to make money in a resort town.

Not Your Average Town

Resort towns are not your average towns. Many businesses are seasonal. If visitors show up in droves, business owners will usually make money. If the number of tourists is down for some reason, so is their income. As a result, business owners in resort communities are always on the lookout for new and better ways to attract people to their town. If you are considering a move to a resort town, keep this in mind; you may have to make an entire year’s income in a few short weeks--which means that you’ll have to set some of that money aside to live on until the tourist season comes around again.

Seasonal Jobs

There is an upside to a short earning season; there are usually lots of seasonal jobs available. While it’s true that most of these jobs don’t pay very much, you can make money if you’re willing to work. Longtime business owners in resort towns know that in order to make enough money to see you through until the next season, you have to put in a lot of time when that season arrives. You also have to plan ahead so you’ll be ready when the tourists arrive. Part of that preparation is finding good workers.

Owners and Workers

Businesses in resort towns are really not much different than in any other community. You have owners and workers. The seasonal jobs that were mentioned above are only available if someone opens a business that requires help running it. Making money in a resort town is a symbiotic relationship between owner and worker. The business won’t succeed if you don’t have good workers, and there won’t be any jobs if someone doesn’t step up and start a business.

Types of Jobs in a Resort Town

There are many opportunities to make money in a resort town. For example, if you live in a resort community that boasts direct access to a large body of water and nice beaches, the tourist-related businesses will revolve around the water--fishing, boating, sun bathing, etc. Marinas, bait and tackle shops, harbors with docks, and canoe and kayak rentals are obvious businesses to own--and they all need workers during the peak season. In addition, the community will also need hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and campgrounds to house the visitors. The resort town will also have to provide visitors with a way to find sustenance. As a result, various restaurants will need to be open to provide meals. The town will need a grocery store and party stores so visitors can purchase food to cook for themselves, and drink to wash it down. Resort towns usually have a wide variety of specialty stores that sell souvenirs and keepsakes. All of these businesses have owners. If the business stays open during the off-season months, they may be able to operate it themselves. But during tourist season, they need seasonal workers to meet the demand of long hours and, hopefully, huge crowds.

Training to Work in a Resort Town

If you hope to make money in a resort town, you will need to have the skills that are necessary to either run a tourist-related business or provide unskilled labor to make those businesses thrive. Even unskilled labor in a resort town takes some special knowhow. For instance, if you hire on to work at a marina you will undoubtedly be called upon by visitors to provide information on where the fish are biting, and what to use for bait. Employees at a motel or campground that provides housing for tourists are learning valuable skills that may help them if they decide to open a similar business in the future. You can increase your chances of being hired as a seasonal worker by undergoing specialized training for resort town-related businesses. An example might be learning how to scuba dive, and then getting a license to teach diving. This could help you land a job with a charter boat that offers diving lessons.

Guest post from Tracy Sheldon. Tracy writes about boat insurance for BoatInsurance.org.