Over the past couple of years, I’ve been running surveys and questionnaires to find out what troubles the bed and breakfast owners, guest house owners and innkeepers and here’s what I found…
They want to learn how to
- Attract more direct bookings
- Reduce commission bills to online travel agents
- Fill rooms in the low seasons
- Charge more
In reality, these challenges amount to only one real challenge
Small hospitality businesses don’t understand their own value
They’ve been “commoditized by the online travel agents
They are price driven as opposed to value driven
They do not communicate their value well enough to their guests
They don’t understand the amazing opportunities that leveraging the internet and the many (often free) online tools gives them
Which is how and why the online travel agents have become so big and powerful
Their entire business model is built on the ignorance of the hospitality business owners and often their unwillingness to learn
I’m on a mission to change that
I’m on a mission to educate and inspire all hospitality business owners as to what’s possible for them when they take a stand for themselves
On our group coaching all last night, lovely client Marie said she noticed she wasn’t getting the same challenges that so many of the others in the Facebook groups were getting anymore, since she decided to own her value and stand by her own principles with her guests
She’s even taken her foot off the peddle this year because of some important personal events, but is still maintaining the same elevated income level as last year.
The online travel agents are not the enemy
They can and do bring bookings
They have opened us up to the world
They are a great short term solution if you desperately need bookings right now
But they are not the long term solution
Sooner or later you will get resentful of paying those commissions
You will begin to notice that the guests are not really ideal guests for you
You’ll start to feel anxious about not knowing what the future holds for you
You’ll have no idea how to attract more guests, without paying higher commissions to get a higher ranking
You’ll notice that even paying more money to the OTAs doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a place on page 1
You’ll get tired of the competition, discounting, lack of money, lack of time
You’ll get tired of it all
You might even get a sick feeling in your stomach when the doorbell goes
Then one day it could all get too much
And then you’ll start looking for help
This is why I’m here for you
This is why I do what I do
If you’re ready to embark on a new way of running your business to increase your income and have more fun, then CLICK HERE to book a call with me now.
Don’t wait until it’s too late
Yvonne x
