She Thought a Lifetime in Hospitality Would Prepare Her For Running an Independent B&B…But She Had No Idea What She’d Signed Up For
Caroline and her husband had worked in hospitality for years, so they loved the idea of running their own business. But when they bought their tea room and guesthouse, they never imagined how hard it would be.
The previous owners had no systems in place to get new bookings.
“We started from the bottom.”
“We’re not going to survive.”
They had no money, time or know–how to advertise.
Caroline paid for courses to learn about social media, but felt like an idiot compared to the more experienced (and younger) people.
And although she got more guests after an ex-hotel manager told her she ‘had’ to get onto Booking.com, the £6,000 commission fees ate up the little profit she made.
So after two long years of scraping by, Caroline and her husband agreed there was no way their business could survive any longer.
That’s when they came across Boostly.
“That was the start of this journey that made this a successful business.”
Like many hosts, Caroline had her doubts about Boostly:
“I can’t afford that. It’s not going to work for me.”
The business wasn’t making any money, so any investment was a risk.
Not to mention that she’d already paid for a website that she hated!
So despite being impressed by Boostly’s offer, she couldn’t help but wonder:
“Is it worth it?”
“Will I get anything out of it?”
“What if I don’t earn my money back?”
But after speaking to Mark and seeing others’ success, she took the brave leap of faith and joined.
75% Direct Bookings
Her business didn’t become an overnight success.
Caroline joined Boostly during COVID – when people were locked in their homes – but that didn’t stop her.
She got her Boostly website set up, began advertising, and built demand for her rooms and tea house. So when the restrictions were lifted, her business catapulted into success.
“We were absolutely chocka!”
And it’s not stopped since. Caroline is booked up year-round and maintains a healthy 75% direct bookings – saving thousands in OTA commissions.
And 20% of her direct bookings are repeat guests who love Caroline and her husband – some visit as many as 6 times per year!
Unsurprisingly, the worst guests are those from Booking.com:
“They don’t read the description properly, and mark us down because of the location or the facilities or something that we quite openly tell you where we are and what we do.”
£25,000 Saved Every Year!
But that’s not all…
Thanks to the support and systems Caroline gets from Boostly, she and her husband can run the entire business between the two of them.
Caroline reckons this saves her £25,000 every year in staffing costs:
“We won’t be here without Boostly.”
Caroline admits Boostly isn’t for everyone because it’s not a quick fix.
And there is some work involved.
But if it weren’t Boostly, Caroline and her husband’s business might not be here today…let alone thriving for 6 years straight.