Tina Villis Tip 1. FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
If you are passionate about what you do, you will shine and success will follow.
Your idea to provide accommodation may start out as a hobby, something that you really enjoy that soon turns into a business. To turn a hobby into a successful business requires a marketing strategy, understanding the demographics of your guests and to appreciate your role as a provider in the tourism and travel industry. It is hard to be successful if you do the same thing as everyone else in the industry, so it is important to find your niche in a competitive environment.
To reach your full business potential you need to surround yourself with the right team as they are integral to success. Your team may include a Reservations Manager, Property Manager, a Caretaker, Handyman or Gardener and they need to share your vision. Your business is only as good as your team. They can not only transform your business but also accelerate its growth.
It is important to understand all aspects of your business but it does not mean that you must do all the tasks to maximise your business. There are only 24 hours in each day, so it is more effective to do what you do best and outsource the tasks that you are not good at, to people who excel at them. To delegate effectively takes trust and the ability to clearly communicate what you want. This may mean delegating to staff or considering the option of out-sourcing and hiring a virtual assistant.
Running an accommodation business – whether a single property or multiple properties – is labour intensive and is mostly a 7-day week service, whether it is meeting and greeting guests, attending to enquiries, and maintenance issues, to name but a few. The message here is don’t try to be all things to all aspects of your business. If you are innately good at something or have a skill set, embrace it. Find other people to do what you can’t do and focus on your strengths rather than being ‘jack of all trades’ or ‘master of none’.
Stay posted for Tip 2.
