what can you expect to earn? –

Starting unique hospitality can be challenging but what glamping business income can you expect in return? For those who love an outdoor life, it is profitable in more than just revenue as it can allow you to put your family and your lifestyle first while you work in a flexible business that you have full control of. For many, that is very rewarding but unfortunately, it won’t pay the bills. So what income can you expect from a glamping business idea you’ve had?

Glamping Business Income

I have worked in the glamping industry since 2010 and in that time I have witnessed everything there is to see when it comes up to setting up a new glamping business. The successes, the failures and everything in between.

I have watched many set up their hobby business on a shoestring while others have invested hundreds of thousands to launch their start-up plans. 

It is clear that glamping is no longer a fad but has demonstrated it can generate an income in a big way if done right. The trouble is that many make the mistake of thinking if they build it the guests will automatically come, leaving the owner with their feet up raking in the money. Unfortunately, that is not often the case so what can go wrong?

The Wrong Glamping Business Model

Over many years, glamping has been growing in popularity and different business models have come and gone. While this is completely natural and expected during the early emergence of a new industry, many make the mistake of looking back at what has worked in the past rather than thinking about what will work in the future.

The need for guests and trends in what they like and don’t like move fast in a new industry so assuming it will also work for you is a mistake. Instead, keep your eyes on new and emerging trends and measure how popular they are and how long they are likely to stick around. This will have the added benefit of giving you some excellent marketing opportunities to promote your new business during its launch phase.

Forgetting The Business Plan

If people are telling you that you don’t need a glamping business plan then they are either trying to get you to move too fast because they are hoping you’ll buy something from them or they don’t know what they are talking about.

Ask yourself, do you honestly think it is a good idea to spend thousands on a new business idea without knowing what you will get back and when?

No! 

This is a bad decision that is likely to be bad for your business.

Instead, realise that a business plan comes in two parts. Part one is the narrative around your glamping business idea that sets the scene and investigates your local market and if it can support your ideas and part two is the set-up costs and cash flow forecast. If you are in the fortunate position of not having to attract external investment then doing part two is the very minimum required in order to protect your own financial outlay. 

This exercise will also help you understand the potential for glamping business income and where it comes from.

As the options for this business model are so different the only limit is your imagination and that means there is no industry standard for what you will need to invest or what income you can expect. That is why taking advice and working on the above is so important.

However, there is a way of understanding this for the ideas you have and I cover this in more detail in this glamping business advice article with The Glamping Academy.

Can You Make A Good Income From Glamping?

I cover this in more detail in the article mentioned above but there are a few key things to mention here. 

Setting up your glamping business is only one piece of the puzzle as generating the income you want will only happen if you can attract guests. 

The more intriguing the accommodation, the more likely guests will find you, without you having to rely on expensive Online Travel Agents (OTAs) resulting in lower commission fees for you and higher profits. This is when the real magic starts as you realise how your business can generate revenue and, more importantly, the profit that you need to keep your lifestyle the way you want it.

In my view, that’s what’s important and that’s worth working towards.

About Sarah Riley

Sarah is a glamping start-up adviser and guest attraction specialist who has been involved in unique hospitality for more than 20 years by helping thousands of students design their dream glamping business and the lifestyle they want. She is also the host of the leading industry podcast: The Business of Glamping and Unique Holiday Rentals

You can contact Sarah here.

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