First off, no need to patronize me and give me lessons in depreciation, gross profit and net profit. I have an MBA and have been running a successful dive operation for close to five years now. I am fully aware of these things...I was speaking in very general terms without going into a full course on accounting!
Second, you are off the mark with your blanket statements and assumptions about dive shops. ALL dive shops are differnet and have different policies and procedures. In my shop for example, you would NEVER, EVER have eight students taking the course together. ALL of our instruction is private. The ONLY exception to that is if a couple or a family is taking a course together and they WANT to be together in the course. In that case, the course fee is obviously adjusted.
We average about 10 certifications a month and not ALL are OW courses. I have two instructors on staff. They work as divemasters leading dives when they are not teaching.
My point here is not to argue with the PADI membership fees...I never complained about them, simply stated my experience with the logo issue and the lack of follow-through and service from PADI...this was in response to Catherines post and several questioning her claims...I posted to confirm that the same thing happened to me and another firiend of mine with a dive shop here in Cozumel. If you read my post again, you will see that I never debated the $750 and was prepared to pay it until the hurricanes came through. At that point, obviously I had other financial obligations that took priority over joining PADI for the few benefits it provides. I earn my business by word of mouth...I don't gain any benefit from PADI in that regard.
My whole point to you is that operating a dive shop is MUCH less profitable than you and many people out there believe. As I always say...I didn't get into this business for the money...I had a solid high paying career for 12 years before giving it all up. I got into this business because I LOVE what I do and I wanted to live my life happy...not wealthy, but happy. The truth is that this is a very stressful buesiness and one of the biggest frustrations is constantly having to set the record straight from all of the misinformation delivered by armchair divers. I just have to set the record straight when people start spewing off at how much dive shops make and how overpriced everything is...because it's simply not the case.
Rant off.