Splash Dash Water Bus

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Splash Dash Water Bus
By Chantal Williamson
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• 6 Ship fleet Pontoon and Lowe boats
• 3 boats designated specifically for the River
  Spirit Water Bus. The River Spirit Water Bus is
  funded partly by the City of Winnipeg. It is a
  unique way to travel throughout Downtown
  Winnipeg.
• 3 boats providing guided historical tours.
• 1 Charter Boat used for private functions
  (birthdays, office parties, etc)

• Located at The Forks
• Privately owned and operated
• Caters to all clientele
• Approximately 20 employees
• Offers guided historical tours, canoe rentals, a
  water taxi service, as well as Charter Boat
  rentals

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Charter Boat fully licensed bar, upper and
lower deck, fits up to a maximum of 35 people. It
comes with a Bartender, Hostess, and of course,
your Boat Captain.
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My Responsibilities

• My official title was Office Manager. The owner
  took care of the boats and I took care of
  everything else.
• My main duties included answering the phone,
  invoicing, bookkeeping, and coordinating upcoming
  charters.
• Some of my other responsibilities were payroll,
  scheduling, employee management, public
  relations, and promotion and marketing of the
  services provided.

The Dungeon
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Critical Events

• A full Transport Canada fleet inspection
• Recommendations and requirements for boat safety
  improvements
• Required licenses and certificates for all
  employees
• Possibility of suspension and or termination of
  operating certificate
• Manitoba Liquor Control Commission Inspection
• Major contract negotiations with companies such
  as Manitoba Hydro, MTS and Q94 BOB FM
• Successful and profitable operation of the River
  Spirit Water Bus, despite many obstacles and
  previous setbacks
• Termination of employees

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Professional Gains

• Data entry
• Payroll
• Research
• Initiate and implement marketing and promotional
  strategies
• Sales
• Invoicing and bookkeeping
• Employee recruitment and training
• Public relations
• Prepare and forecast weekly schedule for all
  staff
• Coordination of tours and charters
• Conflict resolution
• Better understanding of accounting principles

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Personal Gains

• Time management
• In-depth organizational skills
• Initiative
• Decision making
• Independence
• New and long lasting friendships
• A new level of multi-tasking
• Better business ethics
• Self-management

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Conclusion

• My first work term was a blast! I met many new
  people and developed long lasting friendships
  with my co-workers. Even though I was Office
  Manager, I still got a taste for the other side
  of the business. Customer service played a major
  role as the staff acted as ambassadors of
  Winnipeg and Manitoba to the rest of the world.
• The owner and operator, Gord Cartwright, put a
  lot of faith in me and relied on me to do the
  best job I could in the time that I had. If given
  the chance to do it over, I wouldnt change where
  I ended up or what Ive learned. If given the
  chance to do it again next year, I would
  absolutely snap at the chance.
• I definitely would recommend this opportunity
  for anyone who wants to learn how a small
  business operates and the chance to meet some
  extraordinary people.
• Thank You