Using E-mail to Boost Your Business

More and more of your guests research and book their accommodation online. So, using regular e-mail newsletters is a low-cost way of contacting previous guests and potential new customers. A regular e-mail is a good way to remind them about your establishment and let them know about upcoming events in your area, driving more traffic to your website and generating enquiries.

While the details included in your own marketing email will vary depending on the nature of your establishment and what you have to offer, there are principles and techniques that everyone should bear in mind. If you can get the basics right, you can be confident that your e-mail contains the right information, presented in the right way – and is being sent to the right people.

LBTB are holding two training days to support the use of the email as a form of communication.

Data Management for Customer Engagement – Whatever your business we all need to know who our clients and customers are, record who has stayed or used us before and how to attract them back, so if this sounds like you then come along and take part in this one day, basic training to help increase your business using existing contacts.

The Basics of Email Etiquette – Understanding how the reader deals with e-mails means getting your message to them. This one day course will enable participants to maximise the results from the e-mails they send by organising the content and considering the audience for your communication.

For further details and to book click here

Diane

Is Food Hygiene Training Compulsory?

Owners of B&B’s and guest houses need to be well-informed about food safety matters, any staff handling food should be supervised, instructed and/or trained in food safety – but it is not a requirement to have completed a certified course. Most local authorities do run a basic food hygiene course – Level 2 – which consists of a six hour course and test, with a certificate given if you pass.

It is however a requirement to have a food safety management system in place and an easy way to comply is to get a Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack from the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This contains a folder and DVD that details the steps businesses can take to ensure that what they are doing is safe for the consumer, and gives ideas about how to improve things in your kitchen.

A piece of essential kit you will need to have is a basic fridge thermometer and once you have worked through the pack a simple daily tick to show everything has been done will be sufficient in the smaller establishments. So ensure your guests stay food safe whilst visiting you.

Diane

Fame on Four

From the makers of CHANNEL 4’S groundbreaking documentary series       ‘The Family’ and ‘One Born Every Minute’ comes a BRAND new series – ‘The Hotel’

Dragonfly Film & Television are looking for a small/medium independently run hotel in Britain to be the focal point of an exciting new series.

This will be a unique opportunity for one hotel as life behind the scenes is captured for a month on film.

They would like a vibrant hotel with warm and humorous staff which caters for regular customers, summer trade and functions such as birthday parties, weddings or wakes.  The series will give a heart-warming insight into life in 21^st century Britain.

 If you think that you could be The Hotel, please e-mail thehotel@dragonfly.tv with your telephone number, address and a brief description of your hotel or call 0207 033 2301 for more information.

Access Accessibility

Simple Steps to a more Accessible Business

Making your property more accessible requires a huge amount of time and money right? Think again. Achieving an accessibility rating is cheaper and easier than you might have imagined and it can open up your business to a huge underserved market.

Attracting guests with access issues is a matter of gaining an accessibility rating under the Visit Britain National Accessible Scheme (NAS) – and the different types of access needs are reflected in the different levels of rating. Whilst some accommodation providers aim to achieve the highest rating possible, making even small changes can benefit your bottom line.

Here are six easy low-cost changes you can make to your business:-

1. Install handrails alongside staircases, toilets and bathtubs
2. Clear all rooms of trip hazards
3. Arrange furniture to provide clear, wide paths through rooms
4. Secure slippery rugs and mats
5. Ensure reception areas and bathrooms are well lit
6. Make your Access Statement available on your website

Why not do one of thiese things today?

Diane

Linking in with LinkedIn

I went to a fantastic ‘social media facelift’ session in Burnley yesterday – to check that we were still doing the right things and not just keeping up with the Joneses but outstripping them. The guest speaker was Liz Cable from Reach Further. A very impressive and inspirational speaker. Luckily I found myself nodding in agreement most of the time to what Liz was saying.

The session was aimed at businesses in general but the points would apply to you all as tourism businesses. I would encourage you all to read the social media blog from ReachFurther and put into practice the things you learn from it. I’ve always said that for a small business it should only take 10 minutes a day to do this social media ‘stuff’ – and Liz agrees.

This week I’d like you to focus on your LinkedIn profile. This professional network is there for you to get new business. Ensure your profile is an accurate portrayal of yourself personally – and that you add a business profile with this. Link with people you know well and have a look at some other profiles to get some ideas for the content you should reflect in your own profile. Also join groups and get involved. We have a Tourism Businesses in Lancashire Group which you are more than welcome to join.

Come and LinkIn with me and the rest of the staff at the Tourist Board. Ask us questions if you want any help.

Sarah Lundy