In this, our 15th year of running our Farm Stay Business, we would like to share some of the values which have contributed to our success and our business having a sustainable future.
For more information on booking a farm stay with us please visit: Accommodation Options
Say yes
We are not conditioned to agree to opportunities when they come our way, however with a little conscious effort to say yes, we can open up a whole new chapter in our lives. Often saying yes to leads to a spin-off event that could not be foreseen.
We had repeated requests for an outside dining area, back in early 2019 we drew up plans to construct this, we commissioned the steelwork and waited on its fabrication this was all well before COVID, little did we know that Outside dining would be the new thing in complying with COVID legislation to reduce the risk to our Farm Stay Guests.
Doing the right thing
Amidst the COVID crisis many in the travel industry chose not to refund cancellations, hiding behind their Standard T’s & C’s, we chose to allow deferring of bookings or a full refund. Thankfully our insurers met some of these losses and because we were business rated our loss of income was also supported by the local authority. The net result of this was many of our guests chose to return once restrictions allowed because we had done the right thing by them.
We had to adapt our business through the pandemic, we hosted Key workers, Provided emergency accommodation to children being fostered, and provided self isolation and shielding accommodation.
We gained AA Covid Confident accreditation, Visit England’s Good to Go status, and were listed as a Safe Travel Destination. We achieved all of this simply by wanting to keep our Guests Safe.
Minimise your footprint
Not confusing this with footfall, here we are looking at ways that your business can reduce its environmental footprint, we started with a solar install to reduce our on-grid dependence, then installed a biomass boiler to switch from oil to a sustainable carbon-neutral heat source. Whilst these big-ticket items required significant investment, both have paid back in terms of capital and fuel savings. Smaller changes can also make a big difference, we were struggling with the volume of recyclable waste generated on the farm, so we introduced can crushers to each of our properties and asked guests to flatten plastic bottles and tighten the cap to reduce the space these items take up in the recycle bin.
Invest in yourself
With bank interest rates at an all time low, and markets being unpredictable, investing in your own business should be the closest you can get to a sure thing. There are also many more on line learning opportunities available for you and your staff team. Whilst the pandemic has significantly impacted on many sectors, there are some amazing examples of how companies have adapted and grown.
Treat your customers as you would like to be treated
The quality of your product and service should deliver above expectation, treat people well and they will remember, come back and tell others. Be sure to promote their experience using review sites. We consistently achieve 5-star ratings from our customers across Google, Facebook, Yell Trip Advisor, and other platforms. We hold Air BnB Super Host Status.
Don’t give up on the dream
Being turned down for funding can be simply about timing, if your plans are sound it may be worth investing anyway.
Look for the next big thing
Salt-Water Hot Tubs, Pizza Oven, Outdoor Fire Pit, Outside Dining, Air Rifle Shooting, Farm Animal Interaction these are just some of our investments which have now become imbedded in our business, there are more on the horizon in our dreams list so watch this space for further developments.
Thank you for reading
Wayne & Sue
