By Donna St. Louis

As the days get longer and the weather warms, the tourism season on Vancouver Island approaches and Sea Quest Adventures, an Aboriginal owned whale watching company in Sidney, BC is ready.  Owned by Michael Child, an Aboriginal youth living in Victoria, Sea Quest Adventures offers an exciting 3 hour tour by boat through the Gulf Islands to see an abundance of wildlife including orca’s, porpoises and dolphins, sea lion colonies and much more.  Michael has owned the company since 2008 and after two years of running his own business, he attributes his success to planning, education and previous business experience.    

Michael first had the idea of owning his own business when working for Sea Quest Adventures and heard his former boss mention that she’d like to retire.  For the two years that followed he researched the idea further and gained the experience and education that contribute to Michael’s success.

Michael’s education includes a Certificate in Adventure Tourism, enrolling in Camosun College’s Business Diploma program and attending the Aboriginal BEST Program – a business, entrepreneurship and skills training program.    Each of these programs helped him with planning the purchase of the business and the knowledge came in handy for when he started to operate his business. 

Another key element to his success is the two years he spent running his father’s company.  “I gained a lot of confidence and the experience helped me learn how to handle stress,” he says.  It also gave him a nearly taste for entrepreneurship.  Michael adds, “I like the challenges of entrepreneurship and everyday it brings new challenges.  It’s exciting.”

Having a business idea and taking the time to implement it takes dedication.  Michael did just that for two years before actually purchasing Sea Quest Adventures.   Part of his success comes from his ability to plan, and the perseverance to see his plan through.   When asked what advice he would offer to other youth entrepreneurs, Michael says“have a plan…you have the enthusiasm, make yourself a plan and follow it over the years.”

Of course, buying and running a business doesn’t come without its challenges.  When asked about what challenges he faced, Michael lists accessing financing, financial management for a small business and marketing. While Michael was fluent in the operations of Sea Quest Adventures he says, “I had to focus a lot of time and energy to the areas that aren’t my strong point.”    He overcame those challenges thanks to his education and says that, “without the base knowledge in accounting, financial planning and marketing, this would have been more difficult.”

High points for Michael include the actual purchase of the company, and “knowing it was mine when I walked in the office on the first day of ownership.”  Getting through the first year of business, and then the second gave Michael the confidence to know he’s on the right track.   The day to day events in business ownership count too and Michael has always been satisfied by seeing his customers happy at the end of the day and loves it when a group of school kids send a thank you letter.  

Now that Michael has two years of business operation under his belt, his vision for 2010 includes adding an Aboriginal cultural component to his tours to share his First Nations culture with tourists.  When asked why he incorporates culture in his business, he replies “as a kid, it gave a sense of pride in being able to share the culture.”   

In addition to the cultural component, Michael also has plans for some exciting outdoor activities to add to the whale watching tours and kayak rentals.   It’s no surprise to hear Michael say, “I love the water, I love nature and I’m fortunate that I love what I do,” and given his success so far, it’s clear that Michael’s passion for the ocean and outdoors is another factor to his success.

Whale watching tours are highly recommended with Sea Quest Adventures.  Not only does the Sidney location bring Sea Quest closer to the whale migration routes, but the tours are safe and guided by knowledgeable and friendly tour boat operators.    Also available are the kayak rentals for those that want to explore the coastline of Vancouver Island or make a day trip to Sidney Spit – a popular spot for picnics.  If you’ve never been sea kayaking, you can also book a lesson and a guided tour.

To find out more about Sea Quest Adventures, to book a whale watching tour or to go kayaking, visit the company’s website at www.seaquestadventures.com.  If you’re in Sidney, on Vancouver Island, you can find Sea Quest Adventures at 105-2537 Beacon Avenue.  Reservations can also be made by calling 1-888-656-7599.