As 2022 comes to an end, and a new budget cycle is set to begin, it’s only natural for operators of lodges and ranches to take stock of the last 12 months, and likewise, set a few new goals to strive for in 2023.
Do More for Your Team
For any lodge or ranch, the team is ultimately the source of its success. While there is no element of your business more dynamic than the people that make it go, it is also an aspect that is notoriously difficult to measure. As a result, when sizing up the team, owners and operators might gain insight from a variety of data points, but at the end of the day, it’s essential to discuss this with your key leaders. Make your best effort to learn if the team will benefit from additional resources, new equipment, an infusion of talent, or perhaps some combination of the three. Whatever you conclude, act on it, and have faith wise investments in your team will always pay off in more ways than one.
Better Leverage Your Technology
With each year that goes by, businesses become more reliant on technology. Owners and operators of lodges and ranches are saddled with so many responsibilities it can be difficult to determine if it is being utilized effectively. In fact, it is very common for managers to fall into routines and focus their energies anywhere but in optimizing their use of software systems. If this is true in your organization, make your technology (or lack thereof) a focal point this year. The potential for time saving efficiencies and workflow improvement is vast. If you don’t know where to start, contact your software provider and ask, “What are the top 10 things the system is designed to do?” From that point, compare this list with the features your team is actually using, and you will have the beginnings of a strategy to better leverage your technology.
Take More Direct Bookings
Revenue in any business is king, and while there are times that paying for a booking is the right call, it does not stand to reason that you can efficiently grow your business when would-be profits get skimmed off the top. The best booking is a direct booking, and there is no dollar spent on a commission fee that wouldn’t be better spent elsewhere in your organization. Because you are in the business of catering to repeat guests and building referrals by word-of-mouth, then the rate of your direct bookings should steadily increase year over year. If this is not true for your lodge or ranch, find out why. Whether the answer is a better reservations system, better marketing, more training for your sales team, or online booking, get to the bottom of it, and don’t put off doing something about it for another year.
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