You wouldn’t have thought anyone would want to start up a new business in times such as these.  The news is fraught with redundancies and job cuts galore, and businesses seem to be collapsing weekly. One new business hasn’t been put off despite the climate.

Southern Cross Yachts offer premier yacht brokerage and new boat sales including brands such as Bavaria, Rodman, Azimut. The business is the brainchild of Rob Cross, a Plymouth man with over 15 years experience in the industry. Southern Cross Yachts has jumped at the chance start up taking advantage of opportunities which have arisen due in this recession.  Southern Cross Yachts are superbly situated at Yacht Haven Quay, Breakwater Road in Plymouth, which boasts the UK’s largest fully enclosed dry stack marina.  This multi-million pound feature allows the launching and recovery of yachts, dinghy’s and powerboats alike in a matter of minutes and is a less expensive solution to the more traditional “wet berth”. The dry stack marina and yard are fully serviced with an onsite cafe, and toilet and shower facilities with the advantage of being only minutes from Plymouth Sound.

Southern Cross Yachts aims to offer premier yacht brokerage at some of the cheapest commission rates taking into account the current climate.  Fees start at only 4% commission for boats kept at their yard which is an industry first. Customer service is at the forefront of the Southern Cross Yachts ethos, making sure they deliver efficient, friendly and reliable services.

“We firmly believe that yachting can be affordable for everyone. That is why we offer the lowest brokerage rates, the lowest yard fees, and affordable maintenance services to all our customers. We understand how important repeat business is and we are already overwhelmed by the number of repeat customers that we have had. Our first year has been a whirlwind start with several new boat sales and 36 brokerage boats sold between April and December. Our yard is full of our new listings and we are ready for spring with commissioning and antifouling already taking place.”

By starting up the business in a recession they are able to keep their overheads to a minimum by taking on new staff and premises as and when they need too, only expanding to match the demand. This coupled with their knowledge, understanding, and passion for boating and their aggressive marketing strategy is the obvious reason why they are having so much success.