A Captain's Guide to Running Your Business - Course and Certification

Details

Chart Your Course from License to Livelihood: Start with A Captain’s Guide to Running Your Business, designed for licensed captains ready to operate professionally and profitably. Dive into the business, legal, and operational foundations of paid marine work, covering licensing opportunities, compliance requirements, pricing strategies, customer management, and risk control to build a sustainable maritime business with confidence.

What You Will Learn

Core Business Foundations for Captains

• Understanding Your License & Paid Marine Work: Learn what your captain’s license qualifies you to do, explore different types of paid marine work, and understand the federal, state, and local requirements needed to operate legally and compliantly.
• From Captain to Entrepreneur: Develop an ownership mindset by learning essential business skills beyond seamanship, including goal setting, planning, leadership, and communication required to grow a side income, seasonal operation, or full-time marine business.
• Building a Profitable Operation: Discover how to identify the right niche, price your services sustainably, choose the right vessel, and create systems that support efficient operations, satisfied customers, and repeat business.

By the end of A Captain’s Guide to Running Your Business – Course and Certification, participants will be prepared to operate a professional, compliant, and customer-ready maritime business. This course empowers captains with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to turn their license and experience into a reliable source of income.

Topics Covered

• Maximizing Your Captain’s License and Opportunities
• Types of Paid Marine Work
• Business Planning and Funding Basics
• Pricing Strategies and Market Positioning
• Customer Experience and Repeat Business
• Vessel Selection and Outfitting
• Legal Business Setup and Insurance
• Marketing Your Charter or Marine Service
• Risk Management and Customer Protection
• Crew Hiring and Management
• Operational Policies and Professional Standards
• Emergency Response, Incident Management, and Reputation Protection
• Systems for Scaling and Long-Term Growth
  

What’s Included

• Pass Guarantee – When you do the work, we’ll ensure the result
• Enrollment Period – Unlimited course access for 12 months
• Online Final Proctored Exam – Available Any Day, Any Time
• MLS eBook Training Series – Access training materials on any device
• MLS Audio – Learn while on the go
• MLS Mobile – Access course materials online or offline

The Mariners Advantage

• Decades of Maritime Expertise – Proven Curriculum and Real-World Results
• Captain-Focused Training – Built for Working Professionals
• Flexible Learning – Designed Around Your Schedule
• Day or Night Support – 24/7 Live Technical Assistance

Online Testing

Mariners Learning System™ offers remote testing for those looking to excel out on the water. Our eLearning system makes it easy to take your course and final proctored exam online when it’s convenient for you. Any Day. Any Time. Any Place.

Grading Process

Once the student completes the course quizzes and online module exam(s), they can test on-demand online for their final proctored exam with Mariners Learning System™.

A Captain's Guide to Running Your Business is a single module final exam with the following grading standards:

• Total Multiple-Choice Questions = 50
• Minimum Passing Percentage = 90%
• Total Questions Wrong and Still Pass = 5

The student must pass all modules to receive a certification of completion. If a student fails one or more modules, they will be able to retest after the previous exams are reviewed, and reattempts unlocked. This re-examination must occur within 3 months of the original testing attempt or prior to the course expiration date, whichever date comes first. Those who do not pass an exam module after three attempts must retake the entire online course and retest all modules online prior to the year course expiration date and wait a period of 45 days to retest.

Exam Requirements

Students must have a high-speed Internet connection and an up-to-date desktop or laptop with a webcam and microphone. Also, students must have the ability to download software through the MLS account. This is required to access the exam.

When testing online for the proctored exam, students will be required to display a legible photocopy of their Mariners Learning System recognized photo identification to the computer screen.

The list of acceptable forms of photo identification includes:

• U.S. driver’s license
• U.S. Passport
• Foreign Passport
• Law enforcement credential, with photograph of the applicant, issued by Federal, State, or local government
• U.S. Military identification card
• Official identification card issued by a State, or local government
• Official identification card issued by the Federal Government
• Merchant Marine Document issued after February 3, 2003

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to provide a clear and legible copy of identification. If an ID is not provided and/or MLS is unable to read the copy, it will result in a failure. No exceptions per our policy. No other forms of identification will be accepted.