Ideas

Sometimes it’s important to keep up with competitors, to use the latest social media or do something so you’re not seen as ‘old-fashioned’.

But sometimes it pays to deliberately be different.

Millionaire entrepreneur James Caan says he made his money by 'zigging' when everyone else was 'zagging'.

I was reminded of this recently when the family-owned Booths supermarket chain (the North’s answer to Waitrose) announced that they are removing almost all their self-service checkouts. This was in s…

I've had a few conversations recently with business owners who're teetering.

Some are tinkering around the edges. Some are poised to go deeper but not quite there. 

This is to encourage you to jump and 'go all in'...

I'm talking about focusing on something - in this case a target market - and really doing everything you can to be as strong as you can in that area. There are great revenue benefits when you do. And it makes marketing much easier. 

A few examples: 

Is your business dog-toleran…

Can you quickly answer these questions?

I’ll explain why in a moment.

What can you smell right now?

If you tasted the most local (to your business) food you could find what would it be? 

Is there anything you can see close to your business that many visitors don’t have near where they live. Or is there a small detail that visitors often overlook? 

What sounds of nature can you hear? Perhaps they change through out the year? 

If you were to walk blind-folded in the area close to your busi…

When you first start a business it’s relatively easy to promote it and attract attention: you’re offering some fresh and people are curious.

After a little while though things get a bit ‘samey’ and marketing is harder. Visitors get used to what you offer. There’s even a chance of becoming invisible or not keeping up with visitor trends.

There’s a solution. A solution that can generate interest and additional revenue.

Yet very few business owners do this.

Visitors are constantly looking for s…

New pens, notepad, clean desk. Good intentions. Freshly scrubbed face, newly cut hair.

Actually my hair isn't even properly brushed today. But the thought is there: that 'back to school' feeling is in the air.

Is there a way you can use this to strengthen your tourism business? 

It's many years since I went to school and quite a few since my daughter was there, but I still get the back-to-school feeling. It's a good excuse for some new stationery, but it also galvanises me into action plannin…

It’s raining. Again.

It might not be raining all the time, but the idea of a rainy summer can deter potential visitors. It dampens (sorry!) the spirits of those who do visit too, so referrals may be lower than usual.

What can you do?

Obviously you can’t stop the rain, but you can change perceptions.

Here are a couple of suggestions that work:

1. Don’t moan, especially on social media. Everyone knows the weather isn’t great. You don’t need to add to the misery

2. Don’t deny that it’s a litt…

My mother recently pointed out something that I think is a little unkind. She commented that I keep saying that I've worked in tourism marketing for over 30 years but I'm old (according to her) and it's now nearly four decades. Nothing like telling someone they're older than they think!

But there is a good side. Or so I choose to believe. 

Experience. Lots and lots of experience. I've helped and advised many different businesses - all in tourism, in many different areas and sectors and differe…

This week I've been judging the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence (accommodation) and noticed some positive trends: 

1. Good businesses really are memorable, with stand-out appeal: independents manage to do this well, and some chains are trying to find better ways to differentiate individual properties. Some businesses have made significant investments in their properties, but it's not just about cash - creativity and guest-focus really count.

2. Since last year's judging panel, it seems that…

If I say that I can tell you '3 easy ways to increase your profits', what's your response? 

The cynical ones among you might think it's too good to be true, but most people are curious and want to know more. You might think that you pretty much know everything there is to running a successful tourism business, but a little part of your brain will still want to know more, just to double check. 

This is 'information gap curiosity': the idea that most humans want to find out more when they think …