Bulletin Board
Zero Waste Scotland - Discussion paper on the Hospitality and Foodservice Voluntary Agreement; for the opportunity to have your say on the proposal go the following link: http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/hospitality-and-food-service-agreement-discussion-paper
Skills Developent Scotland - services that are in place to support employers to build a skilled and valuable workforce. The You’ve Got The Business Leaflet outlines key initiatives and signposts anyone who wishes to find out more to their Employer helpline on 0800 783 6000.
World Host Taster Sessions - Event 22nd February 2012, invitation and opportunity to sign up.
The Standard - The Standard is an exciting new customer service package aiming to empower hospitality and tourism staff to be ambassadors for your business and your town. Click Here for more information
Springboard Ambassador Programme - February 20th and 21st 2012 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow, 9am-5pm each day. As a reminder this is being offered at the special early bird price of £220 +VAT per person for the two days training course which includes training materials, and lunch and refreshments both days as well as post course support. Click here for more information
Springboard Scotland FutureChef Dinner - 22 February 2012 at the City of Glasgow College followed by the Regional Final Dinner at the Glasgow Science Centre. Show Springboard Scotland your support and click here for more information on how to attend.
VisitBritain Special Bulletin - Secretary of State unveils image campaign and global contract with Yahoo
The Scottish Thistle Awards 2012 - The awards are open for entries until 2 May.
Click here now to enter your business
B&B BOSSES' BID FOR £200K BUSINESS BOOST
TWO brothers behind one of the UK's leading online booking firms are giving a small group of Scottish B&B owners a major helping hand to drive new business.
Glasgow-based Craig and Iain Stewart run a series of online accommodation booking sites, which have combined annual sales of more than £4m, but they've accepted a 'modest' four-figure sum to share their expertise in a unique partnership with the 50 members of the Ayrshire Bed and Breakfast Association - known as ABBA.
The brothers have created a series of world-class online booking software tools including justonehotel.com, which drive web-based reservations for UK and international hotels. They also work with major chains including Radisson, Park Inn, Barcelo, Best Western, Thistle, Jurys, Principal Hayley and Britannia with their roomgenie.com site, which effectively provides accommodation sales for these companies. The business was set up 14 years ago promoting hotel accommodation via phone/fax before the Internet kicked in.
For this new partnership with ABBA, they created a bespoke site for the Ayrshire owners based around their
software. Twenty-five of the fifty strong ABBA membership are showcasing their properties on the new site in its launch phase.
ABBA predicts that bookings could rise by around 10% in the first year alone, increasing members' combined revenues by as much as £200,000.
The Stewarts plan to roll out similar sites working in conjunction with other groups of B&B owners throughout the country. The UK's B&B and guesthouse market generates £2 billion a year.
The business model could also be replicated globally with aims to target the potential from the massive American B&B, guesthouse and short-stay business.
The newly launched website - www.ayrshirebandb.com - gives each of the owners a profile to showcase their B&B or guesthouse accommodation options.
Iain Stewart, operations director of freetobook.com, said:
"Our innovative software is offered free to use and allows each property to take 100% of the booking revenue when reservations are made directly from their own site.
"For this unique partnership which sees us creating a dedicated, bespoke site embracing all 50 members' properties we charged only a modest four-figure sum.
"We were impressed by the Ayrshire group's motivation and desire to proactively manage and drive their marketing push and turn more lookers into bookers."
The new website is part of ABBA's aims not only to drive more bookings but also to promote Ayrshire's attractions including its world-class golf courses, castles, beaches, historic buildings, Burns' landmarks including the new Burns Birthplace Museum. The group launched almost two years ago and has been given assistance by South Ayrshire Council.
Charlie Steele, vice-chairman of ABBA, runs a four-bedroom B&B in Ayr town centre. He said: "We decided we wanted a website that would look professional, and be simple for the customer to book a B&B. We looked at many website designers, and in the end settled with the freetobook team, as they had years of experience in the tourism market, and really understood what we needed. Being local was an added bonus.
"The new website is just one tool in ABBA’s strategy to increase bookings for members, by promoting Ayrshire as a holiday destination. We are also confident of taking more of the business market, by highlighting the friendly service and value for money that B&Bs can offer, compared to hotels.
"This site offers tremendous potential to drive new business to our members' properties and to showcase what Ayrshire has to offer as a holiday and short-break destination.
"Many small B&B and guesthouse owners can feel isolated when it comes to being able to market themselves properly so this move allows us all to have a stronger and more confident voice together. We are sure more owners will join us to combine forces."
"Each owner has control over their own details and can update and change their content and photographs very simply. The system is extremely easy to keep availability up to date."