Increase your revenue by offering more than – rent a lot to park a trailer or slip to moor a boat. By offering more to your clients, you increase client retention, referrals and income.
This may seem like an intuitive first step, but many businesses overlook the importance of making their customers happy. As simple as it sounds, a well maintained, clean and safe environment with areas for people of all ages to gather is comforting and welcoming. People are social creatures and one of the biggest reasons they have an RV or boat is the social aspect of being with like minded people.
Some examples of this are:
Perform regular maintenance of the property, docks, driveways and walkways to keep it looking good, keep the grass cut, flower beds look nice, bushes and trees trimmed, fresh paint where needed.
Keep restrooms clean and tidy. Make sure its well stocked, toilet paper, paper towels.
Create a family atmosphere with a gathering space that welcomes all ages, slides, swings, fishing pier, pond, play area.
Consider some value-added amenities like Dockside cable TV, Club house, central fire pit, picnic tables, gazebo or Free Wi-Fi hotspots.
You can also organize events like dances, rally’s or regatta’s, poker runs, trips, dinners, games. Invite special guests that can come out to do a presentation on products or talk about things of interest to your clients. BBQ or Chili cook off. The list is endless.
Make yourself and or your staff available. Nothing more frustrating than not have anyone to take care of an issue.
Expand your product line
Make available convenience items that your clients use or need on a regular basis like ice, drinks, snacks, worms, pump outs and fuel.
You can also stock maintenance items and accessories, Branded Merchandise Embroidered with your company logo – T shirts, jackets, hats and hoodies.
Install extra docking or guest parking. Dingy dock, Kayak launch, Watercraft dock, Transient rental lots or docks for guests of your clients.
Creative Marketing
Start with your clients, referrals and retention are your two of the cheapest and best ways of getting and keeping clients. Make them proud to be part of your facility buy utilizing some of the ideas I mentioned above. Expand on these ideas and make it your own.
Branded marketing like Logoed clothing is an excellent way to advertise at virtually no cost or even a profit.
Partner with manufacturers, suppliers, service companies and even the Township, Town or City. Get on their website or participate in their marketing program.
Join associations, clubs or other groups that are inline with your business in some way.
Develop a website and keep it updated. Make sure they can find you by doing a search. List it in Google, Bing, etc.
The majority of your clients for most RV resorts and Marinas live within a 2 hour drive of your facility. Knowing this, you can focus on advertising in that radios.
Attend or advertise in Trade shows and events in that 2 hour radios.
Consider hiring a marketing company to promote your business. A good marketing company knows how to attract the clients you want.
About me.
I have been involved in the recreation industry in some form or another my entire life. My experiences in the industry have taught me a lot about what makes people like or dislike the various facilities that are available. It is usually Not price alone, It’s the combination of perceived value versus cost.
When you place insurance on your business, it’s the same thing. Everyone’s budget, needs and tolerance for loss are different. The most important part of your decision is knowing what you are buying – insured for and knowing what you are Not insured for and knowing what your tolerance for risk is (How big of a hit your can take).
I have been in this business for 35 plus years and Yes, I like reading policy wordings. It tells me what they cover and what they don’t. All 150 plus pages of legalese. I don’t expect you to know what you need for insurance. That is my job. I know what you need. Your decision is, can I take the loss should something happen or should I insure it.
I also have lots of insurers I work with which give me the ability to shop for best rates and coverage. Before your policy renews, call or email me so I can review your current coverage and get you quotes from the other insurance companies.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Steven T Kadar.
Recreation Business Insurance 