Have you outsourced the running of your SA unit(s) to a management company? If you have this should free up your time and keep your SA business and investment generating a profit for you while you do other things. However, I’ve had many questions from R2SA business & property owners alike about what they do when the grey areas in the arrangement start causing issues. Similarly, if you manage SA units for owners or R2SA operators, what exact level of service are you including? This will help ...
Oct 25, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 101
This awesome business woman from the world of SA, Moneesha Imrit Ludhor is the founder of KVM Serviced Accommodation Ltd and is the perfect guest to celebrate our 100th Podcast episode!!! Moneesha operates a successful R2SA business in Peterborough, plus runs the guest house she converted to SA last year with her team including three VAs. She is a shining example of a woman who replaced her substantial income from her high pressure corporate job, enabling her to spend precious time with her husb...
Oct 11, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 100
As lock down continues in the UK, with our public health emergency caused by COVID 19, the ‘new normal’ now includes ‘NHS Test & Trace’ which is part the range of measures to track where COVID 19 has spread and enable us all as individuals to do the right thing to self-isolate if we’ve had contact with someone who has symptoms or a full case of the virus. Here are details about the individual QR code we must display specific to our property, and info on the requirements to maintain records o...
Oct 04, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Lots of SA operators in the community have been asking for help with revenue and basically becoming profitable, as things can be a struggle in lockdown. Here are 11 points to guide you through steps to take - it can just take a few small adjustments to change this to start making money now instead. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets.com and Facebook page: http://bit.ly/SASecretsPage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Se...
Sep 27, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 98
I was lucky to be presenting all about SA Business Systems at the online The Property Ladder with KMO Support monthly meeting. Thanks so much to Kudirat Mojisola Olowosale for the privilege to share what we do and the benefits of SA systems. With SA being hospitality as well as property, it’s really key to use systems to give your guests the best experience when they stay, while still remaining personal. There were several questions I didn’t have time to answer in the end, so I thought it would ...
Sep 20, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Kevin, known as The Property Soldier, runs successful serviced accommodation and property businesses with his partner Caroline Benson and he also enjoys sharing his knowledge as lead SA trainer at Progressive. In this interview we hear how Kevin got into SA in the first place and his future goals, plus many gems of wisdom. Kevin’s recent Amazon bestselling book Serviced Accommodation Success, is bursting with foundational knowledge about SA and features numerous achievements by new SA operators ...
Sep 13, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Episode 95 - Serviced Accommodation Secrets – Getting AA COVID-19 confident accreditation We received our AA COVID-19 confident accreditation for our SA units this week, which is something that all SA operators can still apply for if you haven't already. Here I go through what you need to do to receive this, plus thinking about communications with any overseas guests who’ve booked and need to self-isolate and how to prepare for their stay. It’s not just to tick a box, it’s to ensure your SA unit...
Sep 06, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 95
This is to help you manage the peaks and troughs in your SA business - we’ve gone into a really busy phase this week, and persistence is paying off, but these times have been challenging! Some operators I know are really busy with weekend guests but we have a mix of bookings - contractors and now overseas guests who are working here but need to self-isolate, so we have some solid stays :) If you’ve got patchy bookings and the indecision of lock down is affecting your business, just keep going do...
Sep 01, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 94
We’ve been working on a guest survey to find out what our guests really want, and what they’d love us to do more of and anything we could stop doing that would improve their experience staying at our serviced apartments. This will be awesome to enable our guests to come back and have an even happier stay next time they book. Along with other recent events, it made me think that a valuable exercise in our own lives could make all the difference too. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go ...
Aug 26, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 93
With rent to SA, we have the chance to create brilliant, rewarding win:win relationships with our property owners whether you have SA houses or apartments in a block, or another niche type of SA unit! We provide a valuable service to our guests which has been shown to weather the battering of lock down, particularly well, with the diverse needs of travellers and key workers. With our economic climate uncertain, it is likely that we’ll have more landlords, freeholders and property owners who will...
Aug 19, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 92
What lifestyle do you want to live, and what legacy do you want to build? If you’re constantly involved in the daily operations of your business, then you won’t be making decisions about this, you won’t have the time or the choice!! Here’s how systems can help you see what tasks are being done in your business and how to delegate effectively. That way you have a systemised operation, time to really choose how to live your life, yet personal customer service to keep your guests happy and secure i...
Aug 10, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 91
With all that’s been going on with lock down, and changes to rules, easing then tightening again, this is an especially important time to build trust with our potential guests, especially at this time, They may find OTAs reassuring, but direct bookings are brilliant for us as operators and for our guests alike. There is a lot we can do to assure our guests that they are safe in our hands, for example, we’ve just been approved by I-PRAC, which is an international verification program that gives g...
Aug 02, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Many of us have been in survival mode for such a time now during lock down, now is the time to take the path of least resistance so that we thrive instead. If you tap into support systems that you most likely already have, you’ll feel more energised, vibrant and successful – here’s how. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets.com and Facebook page: http://bit.ly/SASecretsPage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio...
Jul 26, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 89
I was privileged to attend a webinar recently, hosted by Na'ím Anís Paymán and Emilio of Zeevou, and listened to the fabulous panellists who spoke from the heart about race relations in our industry. Here I share aspects of the discussion and their help for us to make good and positive changes to benefit the human race in the incremental ways we all can. In your business it's so important to share your values and show empathy, kindness and compassion so that we become a united community, support...
Jul 22, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 88
We have been in lock down for the whole of the 2nd Quarter of 2020, so it's time to take stock and review your income and expenses per Serviced Accommodation unit! It’s important to keep track of your revenue and specific costs per property, and review monthly so you can stay on top of your revenue management and know how your SA units are performing. So here we go through how to do this and regroup successfully from this point forward. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my websit...
Jul 13, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Are you ready for your guests, can they be confident in your SA unit? If you don’t have your COVID-19 measures in place yet, here is detailed help on how to re-assess your current COVID 19 measures and enhanced cleaning procedures. You need to carry out an appropriate COVID-19 risk assessment, at a business and onsite level, and train your housekeeping team. It’s straightforward and will keep your guests and team safe. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedacco...
Jul 08, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Preparations for 4th July re-opening in the UK - Cleaning Compliance It's exciting that we will be able to welcome all guests from Saturday 4th July!! As lock down eases, it super important to make sure we still have robust cleaning processes and an enhanced regime in place, even if you've been open for keyworkers, to ensure our guests are confident in their serviced apartment. This is about how to help your guests with self check-in too, the PPE you need and doing a risk assessment of your SA u...
Jun 29, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 85
We had a weird thing happen with a potential guest getting in touch and it got me thinking about how we all need to stay vigilant to make sure our guests are meant to be staying with us. This is the time to follow your processes and do due diligence on guests and bookings - most people are lovely but sometimes there are those who are may plan to misbehave in various ways, so take preventative measures. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets....
Jun 22, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 84
We, in the hospitality business, have a few more weeks till we can open fully to all guests, but from today non-essential retail shops can open and so we are heading towards SA, hotels, pubs, restaurants and attractions opening in early July. Exciting times for anyone who has been closed, and if like us you’ve been open, this will help you to prepare for the shift in the market and opportunities that are opening up for us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/l...
Jun 15, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 83
With lockdown easing but rules still in place for the SA sector and our guests, as well as the threat and difficulties of COVID-19 itself, sometimes our guests are very stressed or have concerns, and we are there to help them and make sure they are doing well. Placing ourselves in their shoes, being kind, showing courage and compassion in these challenging times across the globe is so important just now, and will help no end. Having a personalised touch but also systems in place to enable us to ...
Jun 08, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 82
This time it’s all about keeping going towards your SA business goals, even through these challenging times. We’ve had some ups and down, mostly up I’m glad to say, but I know that many in this sector have had difficult times and because they just kept on taking the right actions, they have finally achieved success!! I would say that self-belief helps but I’ve learnt a few things lately that show there are other ways to achieve a positive outcome! For show notes and resources in my podcast, go t...
Jun 01, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 81
With the OTAS like Booking.com still closed, this is a great time to propel your direct marketing forward, and to get more ideas on how to do this, I attend many networking events and have a mastermind and marketing meetings with the experts! This is the best time to rejuvenate your SA business ready for the end of lock down – you have the chance to review, reflect and implement new marketing methods and get feedback from your guests so you have your vision of how to keep moving forwards. For sh...
May 24, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 80
In this interview with Theo Bailey of “Per Person Per Night Contractor Digs” he shares how his SA business had been increasingly busy providing short stay accommodation for many contractors throughout the COVID-19 situation and how he anticipates this will continue long after the current crisis. Theo and his partner Kelly have recently launched their platform PPPN.co.uk/hosts/ so that you as SA operators can list your SA units to serve this expanding market too. Huge thanks to Theo for this awes...
May 17, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 79
In the UK any changes to lock down will be announced on 10th May - we may see demand increasing for short term stays if workers are allowed back to work, and momentum is building in the sector. If you’re still open but lacking bookings, or open at lower rates to help at this time, there is financial support available in several forms which I share here for you. Stay positive, keep coming from a place of service. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodati...
May 10, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 78
During difficult times, it’s the companies who keep marketing that stay in business and this is one of the cheapest times to advertise especially as you’re not competing with all the big advertisers. It’s as if the winds of space are blowing through Google at the moment! If you aren’t proficient at placing Google Ads and Facebook Ads, then get someone from one of the outsourcing sites who is experienced in this to help you, or a good digital marketing agency, and here I share ways to get started...
May 10, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 77
During the COVID-19 lock down, Booking.com have now joined AirBnB and closed the calendars of all of us in the serviced accommodation industry – for those of us still hosting key workers this makes it more difficult to be seen, but there are many key workers looking for emergency and short-term accommodation while they work but now cannot find anywhere to stay! So this is the perfect time to make your existence known online on different portals and other places, as well as highlighting how you a...
Apr 29, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Episode 75 - Serviced Accommodation Secrets – Time to reflect, plan and prepare Looking ahead beyond the current challenge of COVID-19 and lock down, we’ve adapted what we’re doing to provide short term SA, and this is a very good time to plan the future of your SA business. We can sharpen our tools, look to adjust our business model moving forward and run our business more effectively to serve a different market really well. If you are completely new to SA, then this is an awesome time to devel...
Apr 20, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 75
If you're feeling stuck, scared or distressed about how your SA business is working (or not) in Lock Down, remember that we are in this together and we can work on ways to stay safe, stay healthy, to have a balanced mindset and be kind to each other. Here I share numerous practical things you can do to improve your business situation right now. We all have more resilience and resources within us than we ever realise until something like this happens. Sending lots of love out to you all. For show...
Apr 13, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Amidst the new tightened rules of UK Lockdown we may only continue to operate for critical workers and stranded guests essentially. It is up to you whether you stay open or not, but I think we can provide vital accommodation for NHS and all the many key workers who are keeping us going right now. Important points are making sure your cleaning team are safe (they are key workers because your guests are). Keeping healthy, staying safe and supporting each other are the way through this, let’s stay ...
Apr 05, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 73
The situation with COVID-19 continues and we are now in Lock down in the UK – This means we are allowed to continue to operate in order to accommodate key-workers and guests who are stranded in our locations. Here are details about how to go about this, plus the support available to you and a quick but vital guide on how to look after your cleaning team. Stay strong, stay positive. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets.com and Facebook page...
Mar 30, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 72
