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Checklist on Major Issues

 

While studying this module you got acquainted with different aspects of accommodation business. Now you need to cover all the main points so that no costs are overlooked in your financial plan. The Checklist below provides an overview of major issues that you should have considered, discussed with others, and planned.

1. Entrepreneurship:

  • Organization type
  • Insurance
  • Management style

2. Product:

  • Major target group
  • Level of accommodation quality
  • Type of accommodation
  • Set of services to offer
  • Rates
  • Co-operation possibilities/plan
  • Unique selling points
  • Marketing strategy

3. Legal aspects:

  • Licences and permits required for construction and provision of specific services, their costs and time schedule
  • Awareness of local authorities and neighbours about your plans

4. Infrastructure:

  • Map with the marked accommodation, tourist attractions
  • Map with trails
  • Map for access by road
  • Plan of the surroundings, main building and auxiliary structures
  • Way of housing
  • Style of the accommodation building
  • Plan of the rooms / dining area / common lounge / reception, etc.
  • List of furniture, equipment and other objects to purchase for each room, prices

5. Communication:

  • Personnel (numbers, functions, requirements, wages)
  • Reservation and payment conditions
  • Business cards
  • House Rules
  • Standard forms: reply to the 1st inquiry, reservation form, booking confirmation, damage form, check-in guest card, Guest book, feedback questionnaire)
  • Information to be provided to guests (separately for the website, reception, and brochure)

6. Hygiene and cleaning:

  • Cleaning frequency
  • Cleaning instructions to the personnel
  • Maintenance plan (outdoor and indoor measures, time schedule), costs
  • Chemicals to purchase, usage

7. Safety:

  • Emergency contact list
  • First aid kit, list of the contents and instructions on use
  • Risks, emergency procedures written down
  • Plan of measures to avoid these situations
  • Personnel training

8. Meals:

  • Types of meals to be served, schedule
  • Food / courses served, prices
  • Menu card
  • Kitchen / dining area equipment to purchase

9.Meals:

  • Types of meals to be served, schedule
  • Food, courses served, prices
  • Menu card
  • Kitchen, dining area equipment to purchase

After you have put all your ideas together, you need to make a good financial plan for yourself and for the bank. Clear planning of the issues in the Checklist gives you a solid basis for your own financial plan of investments and debts, profit and loss account.

You should send the draft plan to at least two colleague students/entrepreneurs for feedback, so they can point out poorly thought through issues, make useful remarks and ask questions about the reasons for this or that decision. After you have taken into account their comments and made amendments, you should put down the most important aspects of your business on a sheet of paper and present it to some of your colleagues, asking them immediately feed-back. After you have made improvements, you are ready to contact the bank. The software for a business plan development is usually available on CD-ROM at almost any bank free of charge (at least, in The Netherlands). The plan will demonstrate to banks and other funders that you have seriously thought about all the aspects of your business. You can apply for a loan and start your own successful accommodation business.

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