When launching your glamping site, there are a lot of elements to come together, much like a clock, if one part doest work then the whole system may fail. In this post we will give you a couple of key points for you to consider before launching your site.
– Planning Permission
– Competition
– Marketing
– Managing your site
Planning Permission
The first point to be made is that you will need planning permission if you are wanting to run a long term operation. Planning permission is the first and largest hurdle to overcome for land owners that are wanting to get into glamping/ development. With the correct application procedure and even the use of a planning consultant, your chances of obtaining planning permission are increased. Some companies that offer planning permission charge large sums for something they cannot guarantee more than the next company simply because planning applications is the only field the work in. High price doesn’t mean better guarantee of securing planning permission.
Competition
Before you consider starting a glamping site you need to identify potential competitors in your area. Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing but if you find there are several popular glamping sites close to your area then your chances of succeeding can be held back. In this situation you can consider joining a brand that will jump start your launch and immediately put you on the map to a large target audience. Or you could consider doing something completely different to your competitors, Steve Jobs once said “You can’t look at the competition and say you’re going to do it better. You have to look at the competition and say you’re going to do it differently.”. That being said, doing something differently could lead to you becoming more popular.
Marketing
When starting a glamping site, you will be marketing, marketing and marketing otherwise you will not succeed. What makes you stand out from the other glamping sites in the UK? Why will people want to come and stay at my site instead of the others in the area? What makes my site better? These are some questions you will want to consider. When starting your site you will have to commit at least 40 – 50% of your turnover to marketing. This will increase your chances of being found and hopefully push bookings your way.
In comparison, as part of the Glamping Adventures brand, you can expect to allocate unto 30% of your turnover instead, Leaving more profit for you from day one. (Glamping Adventures® coming in 2021)
Managing your site
To ensure you meet your guests expectations each time they visit, you will want to keep your site maintained (aesthetically and business wise). Repeat visits are what you will rely on the most in the first couple of years, by making sure your customers are more than happy, you are effectively using them as a marketing tactic as they will go and spread the word about your site. Depending on their experience at your site they will either spread great reviews or a warning not to visit again, a customer that gives a negative review can do a lot of damage to a newly established site so make sure everything is up to scratch and you provide service that is above and beyond.
