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In this episode, Matt shares his big takeaways from Amy Hinote's Data and Revenue Management Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.



The first, data and revenue management is THE JUICIEST way for vacation rental owners and managers to make more money doing exactly the same job they have always loved. When you make more money, everyone has more fun.

Second, asking whether to use manual OR...
AndyM
I was asked to share my Kitchen Guide for VR Property Owners in another group on FB so thought I would share for our community also here.

I curated this guide to stocking a vacation rental kitchen from Guest feedback over the years. We're located in the mid-Atlantic at the...


Bruce Ikelheimer, a recovering rocket scientist, is currently at THE inflection point of vacation rental growth: profitable with his own 2 properties and now beginning to manage other homes, Bruce is now scaling his business Banjoe Vacations without scaling his workload.

The lessons he is learning as he approaches liftoff are valuable for listeners from all over the...
To me, there's something a little awkward about addressing the topics of bad guests (smoke, noise, parties) so bluntly.

It's like, these are real problems, and you shouldn't do them, wink wink.

I kinda like it. But not sure. Thoughts?

After some time for it to sink (there’s a pun there… get it?) in, I think the message of this ad is ‘cool’. As in, I can rent...
"Move fast and break things" (aka. MFABT for the remainder of this post) was originally coined by Mark Zuckerberg for his internal Facebook team regarding design and management. But it has since become a catchphrase for how many start-ups and entrepreneurs think about "disruptive" technology. More is better. Dominate at all costs. Worry about lines and red tape and protocol later. We'll address later...
As small business Owners with limited resources our default operations are Move Slow and Fix Things. That being said I wish I had a magic wand and could fast forward to having every bed made on...
I was out to dinner at Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant Red Rooster last week. (Yes, the same restaurant that was featured in "10 Oxtails.")

Trying to decide on an adult beverage.

When the waitress suggested a wine I had never heard of before.

"So two sisters, separated at birth, one raised in California and the other in New Zealand, eventually discover one another, learn about their mutual obsession...
So here's a story I heard recently. I thought I would share it here. Apparently, in 1965 there was a Harvard psychologist doing a study on potential in school children, and he approached a school in California and...


This week Matt talks to Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals about the challenges of modernizing and running a family vacation rental business in an era of acquisitions and tech driven hospitality.

@Stacy is one of what I refer to as the new class of vacation rental managers: whose extraordinary planning and focus on what she wants (and fierce avoidance of what she...
Hey Inner Circle, Happy Friday!

It's not midweek but this section seems an appropriate spot for this to land.

There are lots of inspiring people out there (thank you Matt!) and I’m sure you have your own personal list. Rich Roll is on mine. He has an amazing story and a...
Wow, really love this sentiment. The methodical nature of working focused and persistently for years to hone a specialty is one that gets lost lately with the "get rich quick" schemes...
In this special edition, we're airing a favorite episode from the Sarah & T podcast. Sarah and Tim are good friends and their show is a must listen for anyone in the industry. This week, they take a hilarious look at 6 key components to a successful welcome of your guests.

What is "enough" for your vacation rental business?

In this short thread, I'll argue why your ability to answer that question is synonymous with your keys to the vacation rental kingdom.

(And oppositely why, if you can't give an answer, you're missing out on perhaps our industry's greatest sweet spot for independent vacation rental entrepreneurs.)

In Spanish the word is "Bastante." Ya basta!

Or...
I have copied and pasted these action items into a document for me to review as often as I need to. We too have found that after taking the risk of opening a new asset management company (STR management) right in the middle of the...
Eric Broughton is the Chief Strategy officer of Inhabit IQ, which owns a number of vacation rental service providers and has frankly not always had the most forthcoming reputation in the vacation rental industry.



In his defense, Eric wasn’t in his position in those early days, he’s relatively new, so this conversation was originally designed to clear up some of the air.

But...
I love receiving notes from VRMB Community members and yesterday I got this one from long-time member and colleague, @JVozel:
It's getting more difficult as the industry grows to incorporate more facets (to our businesses).
Including bad actors who are not a net-positive to their environments.
The challenge is to keep up our ethos in the face of these sea-changes...I'm really...
I remember reading this when it first came out. I wanted to think about it, as my response is hopefully thought provoking for you, your business and our industry. I enjoyed reading, reviewing and contemplating the many responses. Below is our Company Guiding Principles. I...


AlexC AlexC is the Founder of Welcome Home Club, a vacation a vacation rental management company in San Antonio, Texas.

He's one of the more survival-oriented managers we’ve interviewed.

His background in the Military and working with Fortune 500 companies, give him a deep understanding of how things work, how things should work, and the conditions for when things...


@LindaS is one of our vacation rental heroines. She has one of the clearest, fiercest understandings of what she likes: and it just so happens to be what guests are willing to pay good money for: AND what homeowners and desperate to align themselves with.

But here’s the rub: Linda’s expertise is not glamorous: her solutions aren’t...
As part of our divergent thinking series, Matt sits down this week with Bob Pease, President of the Brewer's Association. The extraordinary success of the craft beer industry in the last several decades provides real insight into how vacation rental professionals can band together to achieve a host of goals.

I’ve always been inspired by small business owners. Specifically, those who have used small business to create a lifestyle that fulfills.

Cajun Claws, for instance. A small crawfish restaurant in Abbeville, Louisiana, which seats a total of about 30 tables per evening. After waiting in line for several hours, I eventually get seated in what more resembled my grandmas living room and served by what was...
I see the main commonality is they made their "customers" feel special and appreciated. It is hard to reach everyone that comes thru our company with thousands of...
In this episode, Matt sits down with Michelle Hodges of Meyer Vacation Rentals to discuss building on the legacy of a family enterprise and finding creative solutions to the massive staffing problems of a seasonal business.



Michelle Hodges is the President of Meyer Vacation Rentals on Florida and Alabama’s Gulf Coast. And when she speaks, it’s like generations of...
I'd welcome any member opinions (make a video hot take!!!) below...

Ps. here's a link to our Bali episode.
@lisafrank I agree with your assessment of the "World's Most Amazing" in that 1) they're really NOT the world's most amazing and 2) the hosts were...


Lane is the CEO of Cleancio, vacation rental cleaning on demand. Is among the top subject matter experts in the vacation rental sector. She started off with a problem like a lot of us: figuring out a consistent cleaning solution to her and her husband’s vacation rental properties.

But unlike a lot of us, that problem turned into an...
This week's motivation is a hat-tip to ToonTownRob ToonTownRob who introduced us to the concept in this thread: Remodel nearly done. Now need a Logo
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IDEA

A wordmark is a text-only typographic treatment of the name of a business (or vacation rental property) used for purposes of identification and branding.

It is different from a logo, which is usually shapes...
We struggle with the individual name aspect as we have 80 plus homes. At what point is it a hinderance to add names to your properties and should focus more on the branding of...
As a way to offset some of the unprecedented hype our vacation rental sector is experiencing, Season 7 of the Unlocked Podcast is going against the grain...pulling back the curtain...taking off the rose-colored glasses...and revealing HOW the vacation rental SAUSAGE is made.

The theme of the season: Unglamorous!



Running a vacation rental company is not sexy. It's...


Here's some thoughts on this commercial....



What are your thoughts?

Link
A few thoughts… While it's really great and sexy to feature bmw, cadillac and porche properties, most people are driving Toyotas and chevys. They strive to be inclusive in the people they show, but not in the...
This book is designed to help you through all the stages of vacation rental ownership, from buying the right property, to setting up your property for rental then the process of managing your vacation rental to achieve success.

Technology is moving at such a fast pace that...
In my obsessive pursuit to identify parallel industries that vacation rental owners and managers can learn from, I've found myself especially intrigued with craft beer.

This is due in part to the fact that research tastes delicious. But it's also due to the last 10 years. In the face of consolidation and corporate goliaths, something strange and extraordinary has happened: the independent craft brewers have not...
Wanted to share the interview with Bob Pease here very insightful: https://www.vrmb.com/bob-pease-brewers-association/
As children, we’re told not to be picky.

"Don’t be a picky eater."
"It’s only a summer job, don’t be so picky."

As we enter adulthood, being picky starts to be a good thing.

"Be picky with your accountant."
"Be picky when choosing your spouse."

And as vacation rental pros in this unprecedented moment, being picky isn’t just recommended. It’s a requirement.

Let me tell you why…

To...
As children, we’re told not to be picky. "Don’t be a picky eater." "It’s only a summer job, don’t be so picky." As we enter adulthood, being picky starts to be a good thing. "Be picky...
In this episode, Matt reflects on Season Six and shares thoughts from our guests that come together to create a framework for configuring your vacation rental Magic Zone.



@Sherry Woodhouse and Darrel Looney are two of my all-time favorite vacation rental marketing heroes. They curate their stunning Villa Mais Oui in Jamaica from their home in Central Illinois. A true remote Limited Edition business. It has not been easy for them: but when you hear WHY they do this, a clear and inspirational picture of our industry starts to emerge...


Questions or comments welcomed below...
@JPrugh what you’re really describing is the role of destination ambassador in an up-and-coming place. I met this role firsthand when I moved to the...
For our first in-person recording since early 2020, Matt sat down with Julie Brinkman of Beyond at the recent VRMA Connect event in Sandestin Florida. Julie is part of a new wave of CEOs entering the vacation rental industry with perspectives that benefit us all.



This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and...
With shrinking margins becoming a real concern (it seems like every new service takes a piece of the pie) owners and managers can compensate by either increasing profit or decreasing costs. This post is about decreasing costs in the form of a "profit center" -- a strategic way to leverage economies of scale.

A profit center is a division of a vacation rental business that reduces a previous cost by effectively...
I absolutely hate leakage especially when it affects my guest's experience. Looking for ways to increase your dollar per transaction by looking outside of the four walls of your rental is the best way to gain affiliate marketing, and even expand your business in many cases...

Welcome to VRMB!

I’m Matt Landau, the founder of this forum. It was created in 2016 when a group of us wanted a safe space to discuss our growing STR businesses.

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Here Goes Nothin'

Retreats, workshops, and discussions that spark creative leaps in your business.

Learn More

Upcoming Retreats

Matt's first Here Goes Nothin' retreat is slated for THIS NEW YEARS Dec 26-30 (cohort 1) and Dec 30-Jan 3 (cohort 2).

This retreat is all about creativity as an advanced leadership technique and is open to anyone exploring more creative risks in business (and life!)

Simply reach out to [email protected] with a bit about your current goals to learn more...

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