Managing holiday resources (caravans, cottages, apartments, tents, boats, etc.) can be challenging at the best of times. Very small operators often manage with that old favourite, the Excel spreadsheet, or a simple proprietary product. Large operators have their own bespoke systems. But what about those operators who fall somewhere in the middle? What do they use?
Our client had developed a web based system for their own units (they run between 30 – 50 caravans and cottages a year) and wondered whether there would be a wider market for it. And that’s where we came in.
Their system allows users to manage bookings and payments for medium sized operators running between 30 and 250 units. It could be branded to a user and created all the paperwork (digital and hard copy), including brochures, contracts, owner advice notes, etc., needed to manage a holiday booking.
Discussions showed that licensing would be the most appropriate route to market. But how to get from something used every day to a product fit for licensing?
We worked with our client to draw up a licensing plan. Key elements of the plan included:
- An estimate of market demand
- Outlines of the licence structure – what buyers got for their licence
- A bespoke Licence Calculator to show the potential income generation
- A timetable for the creation of the Operations Manual and full testing by users
- What legal resources would be required to create the licence agreements and contracts
- How to take the product to market
One outcome of the work is that the creation of the Operations Manual has thrown up areas in day-to-day working which can, and have been, streamlined leading to better operational efficiency and reduced costs.
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Contact the team through: jo@gapcomm.co.uk