This week’s episode of That Bad Review may stoke a bit of wanderlust in your heart. I had the pleasure of speaking with Amanda Kingsmith, co-host of The World Wanderers podcast. Amanda and her partner Ryan have done what a lot of us would love to do — making careers out of travelling and having a great time. Our chat …
Technology tips for new accommodation owners
You’ve just picked up the keys to your new business and you’re itching to get started. You open the office and sitting in front of you is a big pile of books, and it dawns on you that this mass of paper is the booking system and accounts ledgers for the business. You suddenly realise that you’ll have countless late …
How to Make a Difference with Your Business
If you’re a regular listener to That Bad Review, you know I value the importance of paying it forward in my business. Whether it’s hosting a charity event, finding a good NGO to support or just trying to be a better person in general, there’s so many ways that you can use your company to contribute positively to the world. …
The Business of Booking Late
The rise of last minute booking sites in the accommodation industry has been both a boon and a bust for some accommodation businesses. While there are certain sectors of the industry that may get an increase in revenue from these sites, that isn’t the case for the entire industry. In the same way that discounting your rooms or sites can …
How to Turn a Lacklustre Holiday Park into a Star Performer – Lessons From a Newby Management Couple
They say that nothing focuses the mind in business like biting off more than you can chew and chewing like hell. Now picture this: a couple with only 18-months experience managing a moderate size holiday park on the NSW Mid North Coast, decides to take on a 579-site, two part park in the popular holiday spot of Evans Head. What …
The Benefits of Being Green in the Accommodation Industry
These days, the focus on minimising your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment is something that every business owner should get behind. Not only does it ensure that future generations can benefit from the beautiful planet we call home, but in the short term it can also give you a boost in occupancy rates and help to increase …
Courting Disaster: The Importance of Insurance and Preparedness in the Accommodation Industry
For those in the hospitality industry, we’re often responsible for millions of dollars of property. When a disaster like Cyclone Debbie rolls through, all of our hard work and investment could go up in smoke. On the latest episode of That Bad Review, I speak to Wayne Hepton. Wayne is an insurance professional at Australian Insurance Solutions and involved with …
Why Belief in Your Staff Improves Business Success
The success of your business can rise and fall based on the team you put in place. But what if I told you that choosing the right people was only part of having a great team? You can have the smartest person running the operations for you, but if you don’t believe in them then not only will their performance …
4 Things Any Good Leader in the Hospitality Industry Needs to Understand
On the last episode of That Bad Review, I spoke to Grant Wilckens, CEO of Discovery Holiday Parks and chairperson of the Caravan Industry of Australia. Given his background in corporate finance, Grant has some interesting things to say about how to make a business work in the hospitality industry. Grant’s business sense combines the analytics of finance with the …
3 Sure Fire Techniques to Improve Occupancy
The accommodation industry has a problem, and it’s not from a lack of guests or from bad reviews online. The problem our industry has is selling itself, especially when it comes to taking leads that come into your business and turning them into sales. I see it so often in businesses, that I felt compelled to come up with three …