Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Curtis White, owner of Skydive New England, located in Lebanon ME, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

2021 marks our 37th year of operation in southern Maine. Skydive New England is 100% veteran-owned, known for its family-friendly atmosphere and incredible passion for the sport of skydiving. We employ state-of-the-art training methods and use only the latest technology in skydiving equipment. We boast an excellent safety record, and all of our instructors are licensed through the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Each of our instructors has completed an intense training program to ensure the best possible methods of instruction. Our AFF student training program is among the best in the country. It continuously evolves to meet the advances in our sport. Our customers are anyone aged 18 and older. We get every walk of life, from the adrenaline junky to the person confronting fear, and even those with disabilities who still want to experience the thrill of free fall and canopy flight. The parties are pretty cool too ;-)

Tell us about yourself

I began skydiving back in 2012 while backpacking Australia. To be honest, I got into it because I thought the videos on YouTube were the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I finished my A-license down under and just kept skydiving once returning back stateside. 2015 was the year I earned both my D-license, which is the highest license under the USPA (United States Parachute Association), and my Tandem Instructor rating. I then spent five years working in Cybersecurity during the week and throwing people out of airplanes on the weekends at Skydive Danielson, located in Danielson, CT. Last year the owners of Skydive Danielson approached me about partnering with them and purchasing Skydive New England together. Long story short, I quit my Cyber job and have just completed my first year as a Drop Zone Owner. Quite a wild ride, if I'm being honest, from a lengthy and intense purchase process to 14 hour days running skydiving/airport operations... Sometimes it can be a bit much, BUT it's pretty awesome having a private airport for a backyard! The unbelievable STAFF and the local fun jumper community here at SNE keeps wanting to come home each night smelling like jet exhaust and covered in jet fuel. Maybe I'll learn to spill less on myself next season, haha!!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The bank hasn't come knocking yet! Nah, jokes aside, we had a fantastic season and beat our expectations by almost double. We really didn't know what to expect coming into SNE this season as neither the owners of SDD nor I was ever jumpers or staff here at SNE. That being said, we did 4000 tandem skydives and over 20000 total slots out of our Super Twin Otter, which is pretty rad and surprising considering this was our first year of ownership. It really shows how well the STAFF is able to operate together. It would be impossible to do the numbers above without the incredible STAFF I have here with me.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Weather and managing expectations are the hardest part of working in the skydiving industry. Most customers will only ever skydive once in their life, and skydiving is also an expensive activity. We try as hard as we can to educate our customers about weather, expectations, training, and the whole process prior to their arrival on-site so they are prepared for what can happen on the day of their skydive. Unfortunately, mother nature doesn't always like to play nice for us, so some days can be tough both on the customer and also the staff when we have to wait out the weather. However, the customer always leaves happy when they get to finally jump. It may take a few trips to the facility, but sometimes the things we have to wait for make for the best experience.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be ready to work longer hours than you have ever worked as an employee.
  2. You can't do everything. Put people that have the skill, and you can trust in the positions they will both excel at and take tasks off your plate.
  3. Try to keep processes as simple as possible and DOCUMENT them for future reference/training!!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Skydiving is something everyone should experience, even if it is only once! There is nothing better than seeing the sunset, the plane takes off, watching the sun re-rise as the plane climbs, and then leaving with some of your closest friends and watching it set all over again together. Anyone in the New England area looking to jump, come see us at Skydive New England!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.skydivenewengland.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkydiveNewEngland/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skydivenewengland/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtislwhite/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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