5 Tips for Setting up a Hostel

Australia has a rich and complex tourism offer. This provides anyone who wants to open a hostel with a business opportunity. It’s not an expensive business to start, but it can be rather lucrative based on the location you have chosen for your business.

It’s important to set up a workflow for this business before you start inviting guests. That way, you won’t find yourself in a difficult position of not being able to fulfill some of the needs of your clients.

Location, location, location

The most important part of a hostel business is the location where it will be founded. Sydney has lots to offer to its visitors but finding the right place to start a hostel can affect how many guests you have and how much they can spend.

The hostel should be close to the most important sights that your visitors want to see while they are getting to know the town. However, it should also be close to a few basic shops and banks in order to accommodate the needs of the tourists.

 

Employees

Employees are what sets your hostel apart from your competitors. Those who have employees that are able to deal with the needs of your guests in a responsible and organized manner will be able to get the guests to return and spend more. This is a skill that’s gained by experience and it’s also one that you need to pay for.

These employees aren’t easy to find and keep around. The best way of doing so is to provide them with a decent salary and the ability to advance on the job. It might be difficult for a small and new hostel, but that’s the price of having good workers.

Dealing with emergencies

Regardless of how well-organized you are, there are going to be some emergencies that a hostel needs to take care of. These are usually smaller repairs that need to be done quickly in order to make the rooms appear presentable and safe.

One of the things to do is to hire an emergency Sydney electrician that you can have on call 24/7. That way, you can handle everything that comes your way regardless of the type of repair or when it happens. It gives you peace of mind and you only need to pay when the actual work is being done.

 

Funding

It’s an expensive business to start because you can never know how much you’ll have to spend to make sure that a business is actually up and running. You can create a business plan and stick to it, but when you work with guests, you’ll always have delays and unpredictable costs.

The best way to go is to simply borrow more money than you actually need. That way, you can rest assured that your hostel will always be able to deal with an emergency and cover the costs that come up.

Marketing

There used to be a time when a hostel was marked without a plan and without funding. All that was needed was word of mouth and it was enough to get the visitors through the door. However, this isn’t an option anymore, especially in a city as big as Sydney.

It’s best to hire a professional that will create a marketing plan with a special focus on the social media part of this campaign. It’s the least expensive way to market a hostel and it’s rather effective.

 

Setting up a hostel could be one of the most lucrative decisions you’ve made. It takes time to set up such a business but it can last for years once it’s done.