Guest House Horrors
On 26th July, Sunday Times featured an excellent article in the “It’s My Business” section titled “Guesthouse Horrors”.
Written by Phillip de Wet, it’s an eye-opening, somewhat scary article about the potential hazards and real pitfalls of running an accommodation establishment.
Some of these include dealing with difficult guests; bilkers & thefts; accidents and constant maintenance issues.
Then there are the many hidden expenses – public liability insurance (an absolute must!); municipal requirements – rezoning; health & fire certification; liquor licence, SABC TV licences (every TV must have its own licence!); SAMRO (Southern African Music Rights Org); MultiChoice (every room must have its own DSTV) & of course you must pay heed to the new Labour Laws for Hospitality Sector!
On top of all this, you need to run your business and one of the most important aspects is marketing your property.
GHASA’s advice to everybody: Put on your walking shoes, literally & figuratively & tell the world that your doors are open. Get creative with your advertising – it can be an expensive exercise, so try to work out the best ways to get more “bang for your buck”.
We invite you to share your experiences – good or bad!
Tags: Tips
Author: Kristi
