|  | The latest in short-term rental news - updates, tools, tips, & strategies to make the most of your time & energy!Welcome back, <<First Name>> | It’s sure been busy in our neck of the woods!
But what did we expect, right?
As STR hosts, you know how business is hoppin’ this time of year. After all, summer is when people go on vacation, so that’s our time to shine!
But besides that, I’ve been busy on another project. I’ve taken some time to totally freshen up my signature course, CoHost Accelerator.
If you’ve already taken it, go ahead and check in again to see the updates!
And if you haven’t, well let me tempt you by giving you an idea of what’s new… | What’s new in The CoHost Accelerator | Some of what I’ve added or updated: Voxer access to me for students, review/comparison videos for top channel managers and smart locks, new information on scaling your biz and growing a team, calculators for property profits and furnishing a property, checklists for furnishing your property and for your cleaners, a brand new, customizable guest info placard, updated information on host insurance, time-saving business tools, and tech to knock the socks off your guests, and more!
| My goal is to provide all the training you need to be off and running as you set up your co-hosting business.
My mission is to provide you with all the tools you need to serve both your clients and their guests with excellence and care, while ensuring that your bottom line is solvent and your business grows.
(Just a heads-up, tho: With all the work and new material I’ve just put into it, the price will be going up later this month, so if you (or a friend) are on the fence about diving in, don’t wait too long!) Learn all about it here… | | An Interview with Matt Landau | Matt Landau is one of the biggest names in the short-term rental/hospitality industry.
In this interview he did with Lodgify, he covers a breadth of issues, from his own beginnings in the business to looking towards the future.
Of special note, I found his comments on burnout were helpful and insightful. Also interesting was what he had to say about marketing (examples of uniqueness). He really has a ton to share, so you may want to pour a cuppa and definitely plan to take some notes!
The interview is about 48 mins long, but there’s a clickable outline in the description that you can use if you’re interested in specific topics he touches on. |  | | Do you have a direct booking site?A direct booking site allows you to bypass platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, etc, and enables guests to make their reservations without a “middleman” - and the associated fees, of course! While that may sound terrific - I mean, more money in your pocket, right? - there are pros and cons.
Pros include being free to set your own fees, not being obligated to collect (and then hand over) any additional service charges, and not having to deal with resolution centers when there is damage or a guest issue to deal with. I’m sure you can think of others, too, if you’ve been in this business for any length of time.
The big “cons”, of course, are that by using a direct site, you are now responsible for marketing, vetting your guests, and damage protection. In addition, there are no “Superhost” badges or statuses that help potential guests feel confident in choosing your space for their time away. Unless you’re good at presenting your place/s professionally, you’re in danger of looking cheesy and/or questionable.
So what’s your take?
I’ve taught others about setting up their listings using a direct booking site, and my co-hosted spaces are also available on one, but I’m really curious about 1) what questions you might have about this, and 2) what solutions you use for these issues if you already do have a site like this set up.
Let me know if you have something to say about direct booking sites - I’ll be doing a post on the blog in the near future, and I’d love to include your ideas, suggestions, and thoughts, too! Hit “reply” and let me know! | | If at any time you have a question about something you read here, or something else you’ve seen in the news, please feel free to shoot us an email or simply reply to this bulletin. I’m here for your support, and so looking forward to hearing from you! | | | To my fellow hard-working hosts and co-hosts…sending you my sincerest wishes for REST on this Labor Day weekend! |  | | Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links for products and services I trust, use, and like.
That means I may make a small sales commission, at no extra cost to you, on qualifying purchases.
You can read my affiliate disclosure policy here. Thank you for your support! | | | |
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