Setting up a business in the accommodation industry is hands-down one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. I love the versatility that comes with the job, and making clients happy is a big positive for me. But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy. There are plenty of things you need to prepare yourself for before getting started.
In fact, it’s a question I get asked a lot: ‘what do I need to know before getting into the accommodation industry?’ To be honest, there are plenty of things, most of which are specific to your exact business. However, there are four common threads that I believe apply across the board, and in this article I’m going to share them with you.
#1 – Location Location Location
Of course, when you’re thinking about setting up your accommodation business, you need to be thinking about a desirable location that your guests are going to want to come to. This usually means good weather, local amenities and water – whether that be nearby coastline or a lake. However, it’s also important to think about accessibility. How easy is it for people to get to your location? If it’s going to be a struggle, then it’ll put people off from the get-go, and trust me when I say that a resort without people isn’t a very successful business.
#2 – Providing the right service
As I mentioned above, local amenities are a big thing when it comes to choosing a location, but just in general you want to make sure that your guests are well looked after – either by you and your team, or by local businesses. It can be difficult to take care of all of this yourself, so ideally they’ll be top restaurants, bars and entertainment near to your resort. If this is the case, you have a fantastic opportunity to build partnerships with local businesses to enhance your guests’ experience. This will appeal to the businesses in the area as you’ll be sending a regular stream of customers their way, and it’ll be good for you to know that your guests can be well looked after outside of your resort.
#3 – Activities for everyone!
Of course, there’s no sense in having a holiday park if your guests have nothing to do while they’re there. Before setting up your park, you need to think about what activities you’re going to provide. Again, this doesn’t have to be entirely implemented by you and you alone. You can also enlist the help of local businesses. Find surfing instructors, canoe hire companies and other fun activity teams that you can partner up with to improve the services offered to your guests.
#4 – Know Your Competition
In any industry, it’s vital that you’re aware of who your competitors are, and how you set yourself apart from there. The only way to effectively do this is through research. Go check out your competition – see what activities they offer, what their prices are and what the location’s like. Once you have all of this information, you’ll be well placed to decide how you can offer something that they don’t, and therefore find and target your own demographic.
You shouldn’t be put off or overwhelmed by the task ahead of you, particularly if you’re passionate about the project. But at the same time, don’t underestimate the work that goes into setting up your own accommodation business. It can be a difficult and demanding job, but the rewards are definitely there. Just make sure that you’re thorough in your preparation, follow the above steps and always take your time to make sure that no stone is left unturned.