⚓️€550 net per month: The price of resilience for a captain without a crew ⚓️
- Sébastien Abel
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
We often see boats, sunshine, and holidays. Behind the postcard image, there is a much harsher reality that I want to share with you.
An entrepreneur is not defined by the number of zeros on their profit and loss statement, but by their ability to take risks and create value. Yet today, in a context of great economic strain and after having suffered the full force of the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining the sustainability of my business in a country with exorbitant taxes is a constant struggle.
Being an entrepreneur means: 👉 Creating a company 👉 Taking financial risks 👉 Generating revenue 👉 Selling a tangible service to real customers 👉 Managing operations independently: sales, website and social media, administration, accounting, taxes, social media, and marketing 👉 Making decisions, taking responsibility, weathering setbacks, and persevering despite difficulties
My business — boat rentals with or without a skipper — is a full-fledged operational activity: vessel maintenance, specific insurance, scheduling management, passenger safety, and human and technical logistics. It's not consulting; it's hands-on work.
Profitability is a constant challenge. Expenses are high and relentless: maintenance, mooring fees, fuel, insurance, accountant, bank and partner fees, VAT, social security contributions, business property tax… Earning even a minimal salary requires constant and complex management rigor. Today, my net income is €550 per month. This is the harsh reality of a small business carrying significant assets under a crushing tax burden.
Isolation is also part of daily life. In a SASU (simplified joint-stock company), you're alone on board. Without employees, you can be perceived as just a self-employed person, whereas a captain remains a captain, with or without a crew.
Late January already marks the start of preparations for the 2026 season. This behind-the-scenes work—maintenance, planning, organization—is often invisible, but it's what distinguishes a true entrepreneur from a mere worker. We only see the boat sailing in the summer, but we forget the hundreds of hours of solitary preparation in the dead of winter.
In summary: I manage assets (boats), risks (navigation and safety), a complex legal structure (SASU), and revenue. I am proud of what I am building, but it's time to put words to the difficulty of staying the course when the headwinds are fiscal and economic.
Thank you to those who understand that behind every small business, there's a person who sacrifices a lot to provide quality service. Without you, the ship would have sunk long ago ⚓️
Why do I continue? Because I love this job. Because selling a concrete service, ensuring your safety at sea, and maintaining my vessels requires expertise that I don't want to give up.
Why is it so difficult to maintain our very small businesses in France?
Did you know that one in two entrepreneurs earns less than the minimum wage?
Being the captain of your company when the horizon is blocked by taxes
We often picture entrepreneurs behind a screen or spreadsheets. The reality of my daily life is much more physical, more raw. Managing a boat rental business (with or without a skipper) means being on deck, literally and figuratively.
Today, I want to break a taboo: that of profitability in the face of French tax pressure. As a sole proprietor in a simplified joint-stock company (SASU), I handle all the roles: salesperson, mechanic, community manager, accountant, and maritime safety officer.
The paradox is stark:
• I generate value, revenue, and indirect employment.
• I manage substantial assets and real risks.
• Yet, despite rigorous management practices, my salary is only one-third of the net monthly minimum wage.
Between the after-effects of the COVID crisis, the inflation of maintenance costs (fuel, port facilities, insurance) and a tax system that leaves no respite (VAT, URSSAF, CFE), sustainability is a constant struggle.
At the end of January, as preparations for the 2026 season were underway behind the scenes, I would like to remind everyone that an entrepreneur is not defined by their dividends, but by their ability to weather the storms and stay the course. A captain remains a captain, with or without a crew.
Do other entrepreneurs feel this gap between the energy invested and the remaining income?
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