Top Ten Tips for Starting an Outdoor Activity Business
The outdoor industry in Northern Ireland generated over £192m in consumer spending with the most important elements of spend being on bicycles (£37m), boats (£31m), clothing (£24m) and outdoor centres (£21m). These figures come from a study by SportNI published in 2019 on ‘Assessing the economic impact of outdoor recreation in NI’.
If then you are thinking of taking the plunge into self-employment and more specifically into establishing an outdoor activity provider business, we have compiled some top tips for you to consider before you begin your venture.
1) Research
It is really important to research what the likely demand will be for the outdoor activities you plan to offer. According to the Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey, between 2011 and 2017, walking was the outdoor activity with the greatest rise in participation. Its participation rate increased from 36% in 2011 to 49% in 2017. Watersports (canoeing, rowing and sailing) also increased greatly, doubling the number of participants in the period from 2011 to 2017.
It is also a good idea to have a good understanding of potential competition as this will ultimately affect the number of customers which come through your doors.
2) Access to the Outdoors
The range of activities you offer will depend on what natural resources are available to you including the outdoor venue you will operate from and if you need a permit from the landowner for use. Other things which you may need to consider are customer car parking, transport, shelter from the elements and if you can operate from another outdoor venue in the event of bad weather.
3) Equipment
To run an outdoor activity business you will need a range of equipment such as bikes, canoes, life vests, paddles and helmets to name a few. This equipment will also need maintained on an ongoing basis to ensure it is safe for you and your customers to use.
4) Insurance
Any business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. You might want to consider a specialist insurance provider who understand the risks for businesses delivering outdoor activities and who have knowledge of the industry specific qualifications required.
5) Staff Training
Even though it is likely you have a lot of experience in the activities you will be offering, you still need instructor qualifications from the relevant governing body to teach those activities. It is also important you are confident in managing groups, can give clear instructions and you can remain calm in difficult situations. You also need to be able to support people who may be nervous about taking part in activities and be first aid trained to be able to deal with any incidents or accidents.
6) Marketing
To attract customers you will need to plan how you will promote your business. The key to promoting your business is to understand who your target market is and identify ways to reach them using relative content. The Donut Small Business Collective analysed the outdoor activity centre sector trends in 2019 and reported “outdoor activity centres have become increasingly popular venues for groups celebrating an event, such as birthdays or stag and hen weekends” and therefore these groups of people should feature in your marketing plan.
7) Accreditation
Accreditation allows providers to show customers that their procedures and practices for managing the potential risks of outdoor activities has been inspected and found to meet the necessary standards of good practice. The accreditation scheme promoted by SportNI for activity providers in Northern Ireland is called ‘Adventuremark’. For further information please visit www.adventuremark.co.uk
8) Seasonality
Most people like to take part in outdoor activities when the weather is better so you might find you are busier during the summer months and your income decreases in the winter when it’s cold and wet. If this is the case, you may need to be prepared to work long hours in the summer to take advantage of visitor interest and to have smart financial planning for a reduced demand in the winter months. You may even decide to close for a period during the winter months if demand is too low.
9) A Typical Day
To ensure your new business runs as smoothly as possible when you open the doors, a great idea is to recce what a typical day would look like. This will help you think of all the scenarios that might happen so you can prepare for them such as factoring in time to get customers ready for an activity or to transport them to an outdoor venue.
10) Visitor Experience
Developing a quality visitor experience will make your offering stand out against other competitors and increase your chances of securing customers. Northern Ireland’s new experience brand - ‘Northern Ireland – Embrace a Giant Spirit’ promises experiences that are distinctively Northern Irish and is being used to promote Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland and internationally.
For more information on developing a ‘Embrace a Giant Spirit’ experience please read Tourism Northern Ireland’s Experience Development Toolkit.
