It is not only property owners who are benefiting from the Airbnb success story. Airbnb has grown so rapidly, it has to lead to many golden business opportunities for other up-and-coming startups too.
Nowadays there are countless start-ups that are turning Airbnb’s success to their own advantage by providing a wide range of Airbnb consulting services to both guests and hosts. In fact, there is a real need for Airbnb consulting businesses as hosts have become more tech-savvy and are now looking for ways to work smarter, instead of harder. Therefore, they are only more than happy to add someone to their team as long as they can bring something to the table. And it is not only hosts… Airbnb guests have also upped their expectations of what constitutes a five-star stay.
So, if you have a good understanding of the short-term vacation rental industry and specifically how the Airbnb platform operates, it can be a good business move to get involved in the Airbnb consulting industry. Start by simply giving some thought to how you can make hosts’ lives just that much easier? Perhaps you have already brainstormed a few great solutions? If you can come up with a service for how to make Airbnb businesses more profitable too, that is an added bonus. In short, any service that can take care of daily tasks like guest communication, pricing, cleaning or key exchange will be welcomed by Airbnb hosts.
Identify the Common Airbnb Business Challenges
In order to be successful, you will need to know what you are up against. Just like with any other industry, Airbnb hosts also have to encounter different types of challenges on a regular basis. The majority of these common challenges of Airbnb businesses are regarding safety and guests.
For instance, one common challenge that hosts have to face with every single listing is how to clean the property for Airbnb guests. Many times hosts do not have a lot of time for this all-important task as guests might be checking in and out on the same day. Yet, every guest expects (and deserves) to be greeted by a pristine place. By knowing which are the challenges that Airbnb hosts worry about the most, you will be able to tailor your unique selling proposition much better, which brings us to the next point.
Find Your Unique Selling Proposition
Countless other start-ups are starting to concentrate on this niche already. So, if you want your Airbnb consulting business to be successful, you will have to identify something that makes you unique. For example, you could offer comprehensive reports that will help hosts to boost their return on investment. Ultimately your main objective should be to help hosts to grow their businesses.
Invest in Technology
Staying up to date with the latest developments in the world of technology is truly important. Firstly, technology can help your Airbnb consulting business to streamline many of its processes Secondly, by investing in new technology on a regular basis, you will ensure that you are one step ahead of your competitors.
You will also look much more credible if you are familiar with resources and tools like vacation rental software that will help hosts to automate many of their daily tasks. As there are so many tools available today, hosts often have a hard time identifying the best solution for their unique needs. So, ensure that your Airbnb consulting business can save them all the effort of having to go through the trial-and-error approach and you’re set to make a good name for yourself in no time at all.
Build a Relationship With Third-party Vendors
It can be a good idea to build relationships with other third-party vendors such as insurance companies, cleaning services or tax consultants. By doing this, you can possibly offer your clients great deals via affiliated companies and smaller start-ups.
What is more, when you have a list of reputable third-party vendors that you have collaborated with successfully in the past, Airbnb hosts will be more inclined to trust you. Why? It will let your clients rest assured knowing that you do indeed have steps and resources in place in the unfortunate event that a problem should appear. Plus, with the help of other third-party vendors, you are also better equipped to offer your services 24/7.
Expand Your Expertise
Another major challenge that Airbnb hosts have to deal with is that they are not at all times entirely knowledgeable about intricate matters like Airbnb tax and city regulations. So, if you want your Airbnb consulting business to be successful, you will have to expand your own skills and knowledge so that you are in a position to help hosts with these matters.
Market Your Services
The best (and most affordable) form of marketing remains word of mouth. So, ensure that people are speaking about you in a positive way. Whenever family, friends and other acquaintances recommend a service, people really take it to heart. It is by far much more powerful than any online review or elaborate paid-for marketing campaign. Still, investing in promotional activities will also help you to spread the word faster.
At the end of the day, your Airbnb consulting services should help hosts to be more professional and empower them to provide a better experience to their guests.