IDEA
What makes our vacation rental movement strong is the combined powers of many different stakeholders. We are strongest when each owner/manager is aware of his or her role in the industry: confident in their place, harnessing their unique strengths, and focused on their plan. After pouring over 9+ years of vacation rental research, we have found there are 5 primary "archetypes" or kinds of vacation rental professionals. When all 5 are present, the vacation rental whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The Lifestylist: The perfect embodiment of the vacation rental movement, the Lifestylist disrupts conventional hospitality by combining unused property(s) with an innate desire to share memories with travelers. The Lifestylist places a heavy emphasis on the fulfillment factor of vacation rentals: taking great joy in hosting guests (this is as exciting as income) and being able to work on their own terms (more rewarding than normal jobs) and most importantly, the profit.
The Craftsperson: The most exhilarating mode of vacation rental pro, after dabbling in vacation rentals on the side, the Craftsperson recognizes they have something special on their hands and have made the big decision to go all in. Vacation rentals provide the Craftsperson with a job they like, are good at, and can make money with (a dream by all accounts). Seeing the results of their hard work on the faces of guests (and in the bank account) make for romantic highs and lows. Enthusiasm and passion are their greatest fuel.
The Architect: The most dynamic kind of vacation rental professional, the Architect has identified a profitable business niche, proven themselves good at the job (indicated by property owner feedback and profit), and begun to scale their property fleet. The Architect is all about calculating scale. They aim to acquire a target property count and maintain a specific property standard. Once they reach that sweet spot, they begin to tighten the bolts of their business. At this point, they are nearly unstoppable.
The Enterpriser: Not to be confused with corporate enterprise, the Enterpriser is the shark of the vacation rental movement: the biggest, fastest, and most powerful player in the market. Using a blend of technology and business savvy, the Enterpriser has reached their sweet-spot property count and shifted all focus to optimization and refinement or "tightening the bolts." Processes, attention to detail, HR, and innovative marketing initiatives are the Enterpriser's keys to the galaxy. Disrupting hospitality as we know it.
The X-Factor: The greatest unknown of the vacation rental movement is the X-Factor: the individual who hasn't started growing their vacation rental empire just yet...but is doing their homework, spotting the opportunities, and preparing to enter with focus and purpose. Since most existing vacation rental professionals got started accidentally, it is the X-Factor that can speed past competition (no bad habits to break), carve out niches, and become profitable with relative ease. Watch out for the X-Factor (you). Watch out for you.
ACTION
Take our brand new Archetypes Quiz and identify which of our 5 vacation rental pioneering-styles best describes you! In doing so, you get to define your unique role in the industry, double-down on your inimitable strengths, and define your own version of success.
Once your Archetype has been identified, you'll get access to a "playbook" as well as the individual Principles that power your growth.
IMPORTANT IC Note:I feel this quiz represents some of the best work of my career -- but it's not finished, so any suggestions, comments, or critiques of your Archetype are greatly appreciated. For instance...
- Was your archetype description accurate? Or would you add some bits to it?
- Is there a whole new "archetype" that we haven't identified yet?
- Does this kind of classification make you feel validated/unsettled/good/bad?
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