Step 5: Making it happen

If you have worked through this toolkit, you are probably ready to go.

You are going to be very busy. Launching a tourism offer is a big task.

At this stage you need to pause and check that your business has a realistic chance of success.

If you are assured that it is viable and sustainable, you need to prepare to be your business’s strongest possible advocate.

Building success checklist 

Exercise 5A

Use this list to check that you have achieved the key steps covered in this toolkit.

For more on final preparations for outdoor activity businesses see: Top Ten Questions

Reality check: Can this work?

Exercise 5B

Take a final look at the economic viability of your business and its environmental and social impact before moving forward.

Your new venture must contribute to your finances. Pricing your experience properly is essential. The price that you charge needs to cover all your outgoings and ensure a profit in return.

Identifying all your costs is vital. What are your costs?

• Set-up costs like equipment, signage, refurbishment or repurposing of spaces. Identify when you will recoup this investment.
• Indirect costs like running costs of building, vehicle and fuel costs, insurances, website etc.
• Expenditure related to events, like refreshments, materials etc.
• Staff costs including preparation, follow-up time as well as delivery of the experience.
• Promotional costs per year including print, website, social media including staff time, attending marketing and networking events.
• If you are working in a collaboration, include applicable partners’ fees.
• Work this out as a price per customer. This is the bottom line. If your average price per customer is less than this, you will lose money.

Covering your costs is not enough

Exercise 5C

What profit do you require?

• Identify the profit you would like to make per year and divide by a reasonable estimate of visitor numbers.
• Then add this to your price per visitor.
• Don’t forget to allow for discounted  rates for groups and tour operators

This is the price that will give you what you need. Will your customers pay it?

Is your price competitive?

• Compare your price with what comparable businesses around you are charging.
• If your price is cheaper, and you are convinced the quality is comparable, consider increasing the price.
• If your price is higher, look at whether you can cut costs to bring the price down without impacting on the quality of the core experience.
• If this is not possible, critically assess whether you offer added value for your higher price. If you do, identify and promote what makes you stand out.
• If you don’t offer extra value and cannot lower the price, this is unlikely to be a commercially sustainable venture.

Why is your experience special?

Exercise 5D

Make sure that you can speak with confidence and conviction about what you are offering.

Take a moment to capture your vision and what you have learned, in terms that reflect your passion and joy for what you are doing.

Write yourself a one-page summary for when you have to sell your experience. Use your most enthusiastic language to capture your aspiration. Include answers to these questions.

Preparing for market: Your elevator pitch

Exercise 5E

Imagine you have three minutes of a tour operator’s time - an important opportunity to impress. Prepare yourself for this by focusing on three crucial elements of your outdoor experience. Make each of them as compelling, original and memorable as you can.

1. Describe your location using vivid descriptions, highlighting all the senses
2. Describe your experience in impactful verbs to emphasise the activity and what people will do and feel
3. Describe your story through the characters that bring it to life

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