buying a dive shop

Question
Hi Andy,
I am considering to maybe start/buy a small dive resort as a lifestyle change. I have college and professional background in finance and I am currently certified as a PADI DM. Though the money is good, I feel I am missing some more adventure and challenges. I feel it might be wise to first continue my training and gain more experience in guiding dives as well as teaching. Also what should you expect business wise in terms of profitability? You probably know this saying about earning a million in diving and starting out with 2, but if it would be such a bad business model loads of diveshop owners would be bankrupt. What would you advice be for the best approach to get started?
Any advice you could offer would be most welcome.
thanks!

Answer
A dive shop in the right location, with the right model, like any business can be profitable.  For sure I recommend at least 12-18 months teaching experience ideally in a variety of environments, similar to where you would like to base your business and similar to the model.  It depends if you are looking for a resort or center, and in a city or the tropics, if you could narrow down the model to me I might be able to give more specific guidance.