[Matt Landau]

How do you consider whether you want lots of little improvements or one much bigger change? Is it possible to both simultaneously? Does it depend on the particular phase of growth?

Years ago ROster introduced his formula for continual improvement and many members have shared examples of this thinking in all aspects of the business (and life). The gist? Continual improvement always.

If you are on a good path, small continual improvements are a beautiful thing. But what if the path needs changing?

Lately I've been wondering if a mentality of small continual improvements could obscure, postpone, or block the possibility for big change/improvement?

I think about Sallie's arms race to impossibly spoiled guests and wonder when continual improvement in one direction aren't serving us the way they were once intended?

I think about burnout, margin creep, unfair regulation, increased competitors...etc. Could improvement eventually mean switching lanes or getting off the highway?

Making small steps every day feels much safer than stepping blindly into some great unknown...are there times when small continual improvement is like a mini addiction that helps us avoid the truth?

In my experience for big growth leaps to happen (read: transformations) we need to distance ourselves from the old mindset (it needs to die) so that we can construct a big new one. And eventually make that decision that triggers the small improvement cycle all over again.

How do you think about small continual improvements versus bigger, more drastic changes to your business?

 

[HolderHoldings87]

I've certainly cycled through both on my properties and it's typically dictated either by something financial or by guest feedback.

If I get consistent feedback on something then it's time to make a change. That can mean a big change as long as you have the time, and financial means to achieve it.

After the big change then you let the dust settle and shoot for smaller improvements. Until the next big thing arrives for you to tackle.

 

[Terry]

From an owner perspective nothing beats staying at your own property(s). We all know how demanding and critical guests are. Turning a blind eye to know issues or even issues no one has brought to your attention only compounds the problem.

From a business perspective, go to the conferences, listen to the podcasts and webinars. If you only learn/implement one thing we are always improving.

 

[amym]

Great topic!! Hundred percent agree with Terry that nothing beats staying in your own property!!. Let “reality be the teacher” — staying in your own property with a guest mindset will quickly show you if the small changes are enough or if a big dramatic change is called for. Personally Climate change/Mother Nature here in Florida is prompting me to think BIGGER for my own sanity!

 

[BrendaS]

Both strategies are critical if you want to stay current but I shy away from being a super early adopter of big new ideas and let them prove themselves before jumping in.

 

[Adriana]

I love this Matt! Today, I had a call with Jed and was so mindblown because I feel this is similar to what we discussed. I think you need both micro improvements and big changes/improvements when the time is right. We need continual micro-improvements (i.e. white-belt mentality, always continue to learn like a beginner student) to safeguard from feeling that "I've arrived mentality". Micro-improvements for me, can also equate to always be listening to others...clients, guests, owners, industry peers, etc. That should be item #1. And yet, we need to have enough self-awareness to witness when a radical paradigm shift is desperately needed--and be okay with that too. Which, when in effect, may feel like you're going backward a few steps to move forward in the right direction, thus starting the micro-improvements over again with a new mindset. It's part of the job we sign up for to be in business ourselves 🤷‍♀️ However, I think it's critical to surround yourself with a team and mentors who can give you the birdseye view to help guide you and let you know that it's OKAY to do both small and big changes. It's all good

 

[Jeff_I]

I think Adriana's totally right here. Key words are "enough self-awareness". That's how I tell whether it's a small steps or big step moment - trying to be as self aware (and honest) as possible about what path I am on, how that path is doing, and where that path is heading. If that gut check, feels wrong, it's time to back up, drop the small stuff, and really distance yourself like you mentioned

 

[Filipa]

What I love about this business is the flexibility, we can always try small or big improvements and if they don't work we can always go back. And for me this is the right time of the year

 

[Camille]

Big changes usually bring themselves to the table in our experience. We stay at our properties on a regular basis for the purpose of checking in on the situation. I want the vibe of the place, the employees, the area is giving our guests. That radical paradigm shift Adriana spoke about sneaks up on you at times and has to be experienced at times to be understood. We also send employees from other properties out to experience the ones they do not manage for us directly. It brings a plethora of ideas and tweaks each year from different perspectives. Also, listening to our guests even when I do not always agree with them can open my mindset... painful as that can be at times!

 

[Robin]

I believe the answer to this question may depend more on what stage of maturity your company is at. As you become more established and begin seeking operating efficiencies, the changes required will become smaller and the gains from changes more marginal.

When you start out, hiring staff makes a huge change, but also requires growth to support it. Same for when you make the leap to use a PMS or operational management software. Big decisions at the time.

At Moving Mountains we are currently engaged in a search for marginal gains in all areas of our business. This is the model exemplified by David Brailsford of Team Sky Cycling Team, who set about improving performance by looking for 1% in every area of what they did. This meant looking at diet choices for their riders, mattress choices to improve sleep, aerodynamic clothing, and mechanical efficiencies, right down to painting the inside of their vans white to reveal the tiniest speck of dust that could slow them. The result - a dominating slew of World and Olympic Titles, numerous Tour de France wins and the rise of Team Sky to the highest ranks in professional teams.

We have gone after 1% (or greater gains) in all areas of our business, and the results are proving that this approach wins in vacation rentals too: highest guest NPS (90+), Google reviews: 4.9, profitability and stability, Top 80 Best Places to Work in the USA, and a 70% direct booking rate.

 

[StacyW]

Lately, I feel that small things tend to just keep you busy. I feel like going big. We are going big this year with some things and we are going for it and letting the crumbs fall and we will get to them as we can. I don't think that means small things don't matter. Small things can have huge results. One year I put out snacks from Costco like bagged chips, fishy crackers and cookies (all bought in bulk at Costco) in a cute basket on our check in counter (clearly precovid) and people loved it. It had a huge impact on guests I wasn't inspecting. They were excited to go back out to their car with screaming kids and throw snacks at them. I guess what I am trying to say is make sure small things are solutions that will increase your business whether in smiles or money. If you keep doing small stuff and never the big stuff maybe it is time to take a big leap.

 

[Matt Landau]

What I love about this business is the flexibility, we can always try small or big improvements and if they don't work we can always go back.

If I could challenge this idea...I think inherent to the big changes is the understanding that there is no going back. For me, it's less of a flexibility in that sense. And more of an agility to move in lots of new directions (as opposed to feeling confined).

 

[Sallie]

My husband and I, and our two golden retrievers, just returned to the same house we rented for 11 weeks last winter (see Why I Love Our Host). Since our departure, our host and I have stayed in touch via texts and emails, exchanging news and silly photos of her goldens and ours.

Last year she said she was going to upgrade the main bathroom, replace the backyard fence, and add a tile backsplash by the cooktop. But then she ran into expensive roof and drywall repairs. Not fun Big Changes but absolutely necessary maintenance—and budget busters.

Her postponed changes would have been enjoyable, but completely unnecessary for our current 11-week stay. The original fence still safely contains the doggies, we prop up a cutting board behind the cooktop as a makeshift backsplash, and that bathroom is still beautiful.

She did make two Small Improvements that are making our stay a lot more enjoyable. She upgraded the back patio lighting so the lights turn on immediately instead of the slow lag time that kept us in the dark for a few minutes last winter. And the backyard potty area for dog guests now has bright lights on motion sensors, so the dogs—and we—can see where we're going for Last Call before bed.

These are not "Wow!" improvements, but they're enhancing our time here.

We're thrilled the house is much the same, which makes it feel like a home away from home. This photo shows we quickly settled in.

Is there a takeaway for you?

 

[Debi]

I think that like life, changes happen both big and little as we grow and if we can, we pivot.

I love that our guests have enjoyed staying at our places, appreciating the fresh flowers, the views and the new mural. This year I have assisted on the Becoming RentABLE advisory board and am becoming more educated regarding disability travel. Rob is, as I write this, at our beach house doing a major remodel to our primary bedroom and bathroom, making them accessible. It's a big (and costly) move for us, and I think will gradually change our guest base. In the meantime, at our home place, I'm pivoting my gardening interests to focus more on flowers. I have just started developing another side business that provides fresh cut flower bouquets to the neighborhood, and I'm pondering ways this can also influence our guests.

I believe the changes happen as we evolve, but I'm is a very small 2 listing owner and definitely not in the same category as many of you here, who likely need to be more planned and intentional in your business evolutions. I love having the freedom and ability to act on some of these new ideas and appreciate the creativity of life.

 

[RichardC]

Great topic Matt Landau I believe the Japanese have a word for small changes Kaizen! Small changes can lead to a bigger outcome.

 

[DMartinez]

backyard potty area for dog guests now has bright lights on motion sensors, so the dogs—and we—can see where we're going for Last Call before bed.

Love that idea!...But then there's the assumption that guests will actually go out in their jammies to pickup that last call poop, rather than shrug it off until the morning...if they are not otherwise occupied with vacation-things to do.

 

[Sallie]

Love that idea!...But then there's the assumption that guests will actually go out in their jammies to pickup that last call poop, rather than shrug it off until the morning...if they are not otherwise occupied with vacation-things to do.

Since we're here for 11 weeks, we brought 14,782 poop bags and stationed them near the pooping area. Perhaps dog-friendly properties could supply bags and store them near where they want dogs to go, and provide instructions on where to dispose them.

 

[RuthM]

Happy New Year VRMB community! I have three frames to look at small vs. big improvements/changes:

• What's going on in my properties
• What's going on in my business
• What's going on in my life

I'm always trying to maximize profitability AND maximize my life enjoyment. I love our properties and I love my own little hospitality business. The day that I am not leading with passion is the day I will need to think about a big change.

Small, continual improvements: always and immediately as needs require OR as per guest responses on my Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Big, drastic changes: necessary and require focus and planning (timeline and goals).

2023 was a record year for us so I have spent the winter thinking about how to keep improving and growing with my own property portfolio.

I focus on the physical properties (improvements, bringing on two new apartments that we are currently renovating).

I also focus on how to run my business more efficiently and with greater profit:

• I am trying to map my processes and deciding what can be automated and what should stay "hand made" / personal.
• I made direct bookings a priority in 2023, and I finally hit 50% direct bookings. This progress not only makes me more money but it gives me so much satisfaction!

Basically, spend time thinking about what you want to achieve and then go out and make it happen! Wishing everyone success in 2024!

 

[ToonTownRob]

If I could challenge this idea...I think inherent to the big changes is the understanding that there is no going back. For me, it's less of a flexibility in that sense. And more of an agility to move in lots of new directions (as opposed to feeling confined).

This hits the nail on the head for me. You can't pivot away from big changes. Their very nature makes them unchangeable, and that's part of what makes them "big". They require a big commitment, often in time, but most often money, and usually both.

Looking at things holistically, and on a grander scale (as I contradict myself here) I suppose that it is possible to pivot away from a big change, but that could necessitate another huge change, just as big (and potentially as dangerous) as the first. To me, a big change has the potential to do significant damage that may be unrecoverable from, otherwise it isn't really a big change. I'm suggesting that, for me, it is the risk involved that defines a business move as a big change or not.

If a change doesn't work out, and you can just go "Well that didn't work, let's go this way instead..." then it's not a big change.

Working remotely on our business, my experience has been that operational changes of any scale are just about impossible to make. No matter how hard I try, I can't evolve my business in the way that I want, as I'm limited in my ability to beat the people who wear the boots on the ground into becoming what I want and need them to be.

That's supposed to be a joke, but it's not funny... as it often feels like a gigantic club would be the only way to get them to change what they do. I'm the cat, and I'm away most of the time, so the mice play the entire time, doing what they want in the manner they want to do it in, and only giving me lip service when I am there. They know that all they have to do is wait me out, and I'll be gone again for another year, and they can just do what they want again in my absence.

And being remote, it's too difficult to find better people to replace the ones I have, and besides that, I know that the truth is, there aren't any better ones to find. I have the best available, but they're only the best amongst a bad bunch. So frustrating.

This being the case, big and small changes for me fall into the categories of those things I can actually do something about, which means asset changes; buy a property or not, do an addition to a property or not, renovate a property or not... all of which are big changes; and fix, repair, replace or maintain this thing or that at a property – which would be small changes.

If I'm going to allow myself to be brutally honest here, I'm reeling right now from a big change. It wasn't supposed to be a problem, but it sure turned out that way. The pressures and challenges brought about by our last 'big' change are consuming me, my life energy, and my business direction, both with our villa business in Florida, and even here at home. Everything has been affected by this.

I'm waiting out circumstances, of things beyond my control, which have the absolute power to bury me, or set me free. It is a highly stressful and frustrating place to be in. So you focus on those things you DO have control over for two reasons; 1) to keep sane, and 2) because there is always the hope or possibility that those 'other' activities may eventually rescue you from those things you can't control in the present moment.

In addition, not progressing in some way would be a waste of the opportunity of the present moment – time is valuable, so use it well no matter what's happening, good or bad. At some point in the future, now will be the past. The uncontrollable in our lives will determine its own effect upon us, so we may as well have whatever benefit we can gain from what we can control, instead of having less because we let the uncontrollable completely distract us. As humans that's admittedly tough to do. Sometimes only coping has to be labelled a success.

With the effects of COVID, and three years of not upgrading or even properly being able to maintain my properties, my resources and capabilities at this time are and have been completely overtaxed. I didn't really understand that to be the case until today, when I was reviewing a guest exit survey that made me realize that a number of things I didn't take care of recently, should have been. I let them slide, perhaps because I was distracted, but being completely honest and fair to myself (I tend to be a very hard and brutal critic when it comes to my own efforts) I was simply limited by the time, money and personal resources I have available. Nothing will change that. The only thing I can do is spend more time at my properties on those issues, and being able to do that is completely outside of my own control right now. So choices had to be made.

Another interesting thought that popped into my head as I have contemplated this, in my situation at least, is that the big changes are the single biggest controlling factor of what small changes I can make, or perhaps should make. There is no independence between the two.

For example, I purchased our third vacation rental property recently. It was actually at the end of 2021, but in the glacial time scale that is my vacation rental business, that's recent. The property was not ready for STR when we bought it, so we placed long-term renters in the property for the first year, until our own timing allowed us to spend time in Florida and 'attack' it. Getting long term tenants took about four months to setup (including my stage-4 heart trouble surgery). We then had them vacate to start renovations to turn the house into a suitable vacation rental, which took three full months, and then our first true guest arrived. Eight months of rentals over the next nine months became the shake down cruise, with everything still needing to be done becoming glaringly apparent during that time.

The list of things to do got longer, not shorter!

The other thing that became so noticeable was the effect of all of the small changes and improvements we have done over the last decade on our other two properties. Over time, our properties have evolved in a manner that matches our tastes and goals for them. The similarities between the first two under our hand, and their differences from the third, which actually was operated as a vacation rental by others for the last decade as well, became shockingly obvious.

So the big change (adding the third property) now defines what all of the upcoming small changes might be. Do we paint the pool deck, cut back the jungle that encroaches on the rear yard, install fences or hedges to increase guest privacy from a neighbour's peering eyes; or install a guest safe, an irrigation well, lifters for the hot tub cover, a concrete apron for the BBQ, security cameras, or landscaping borders? Those are some of the needed changes that I can quickly think of off the top of my head. Most of those will be small changes, but all brought about because of the big change of taking on the third property.

But as I make my choices, I absolutely have to not lose focus on the ongoing needs of the other two properties. I had little choice before, as the new property needed to be brought up to operating condition. Now I have to evaluate and make sure that the glittery new jewel doesn't keep me from polishing the others as well.

Changes never happen in isolation. Before making choices it is vital to consider what additional changes may be required downstream as a result of a change today. And to be brutally honest in making that assessment. Even if we are, we will still likely get thrown curve balls we didn't anticipate. Life is like that.

Changes, big or small, can be a huge distraction. Looking to change to rescue us or solve a problem may be a gigantic mistake, when what is really needed is to just focus in on maintenance and making sure that the ship is well rigged for smooth sailing.

The time can be right for a change... of any size. Or wrong, depending upon a myriad of factors.

For everything, there is a season.