Finding the Right People for My Startup
This is still a one-woman show which is quite normal if a company is still in infancy. I'm a multitasker and born to be ultra-versatile, hence, I have a business. But right now, I have this feeling that the growth will be slow due to lack of resources. It could have been easier if I have the funds to pay for people to help me scale my business, like having someone in charge of digital marketing, operating my own tours, reservations, web development, etc. But I think my real dilemma is finding the A-type of people. You know, the ones who are skilled, reliable, trustworthy and most of all, have the same passion for this business. The passionate ones are really hard to find because I don't really like people who will do some half-assed job. My perspective has changed when I have my own business. Now I am willing to stay awake all night to reply to email inquiries of different time zones. I am willing to go out of my way to please the clients or to make their trips extra special. And I really go out there to do things differently. Where can I find these people who will actually care about my business? That's the thing. Until then, I won't rest.
It is difficult to find the right talent because honestly, I don't really like the work ethics of most people here. Besides, I have no experience in the hiring process. Hiring for a startup often times means hiring for the first time. I don't know where to find the best people who will help me grow my business. Here, I get the usual too laidback attitude, lack of care for the business, backwardness, unreliability, and unprofessionalism. I've experienced this first-hand so I'm just too untrusting now. It's like being in constant alert for disappointment. If the time has come that I have to employ a lot of people, I have to get them from somewhere else. But don't get me wrong here, I am just being realistic. Finding the right people will make all the difference in my business.
I don't go for cheap because my company is founded on the principle of quality over quantity. The niche of small group tours, sustainable ecotourism, and personalized services. My tour packages are more expensive than what other tour operators offer, because I make sure my clients will really get more than they pay for and the crew gets a proper wage. So, the same thing applies to finding the right people who will work for me. I'd rather do everything on my own until I can find those really worth paying for. I'm not a big corporation looking for some mass cheap labor.
Right now, I am facing this problem that I am too dependent on my service provider. The last time they ran a tour for me, most of the things that I liked, or what the clients liked, didn't really happen. I gave them specific instructions for the tour and most were not followed due to their habits. They got used to not being on time and got used to doing things the way they do. There's just this learning curve. I am not sure if I should give them another chance for their mistakes the next tour or should I just find someone else right now. I don't really want to sacrifice business reputation and get bad online reviews. It's really hard to control when I'm not the one running the tour itself. But then, I included in my terms and conditions as a travel agent that third-party vendors or suppliers are the ones operating my tours. And if there would be any problems, I wouldn't be liable. The fine print helps me sleep well.
I've been thinking that it would be nice to actually form my own core team for the boat and land tours. I have contacts for the boats and I can find the crew, guide, captain and all. If I go on my own, the tour will work according to my preferences or of my clients. Because then, the team will follow me as their leader, otherwise no business for them, that's just it. Anyway, I am promoting tailor-made trips which are quite unheard of here. It is very important that I would be in control of everything so I can stick to my niche.
But then, if I choose to operate my own tour, it will be a big responsibility. I am weighing my options and I think this is good for myself and to pay the bills. And of course, I can grow my business faster. There are still a lot of things to think about and it's making me stressed right now. One challenge is also finding the right people for my core team. But sure, I can probably try. I can probably try both, having service providers and running my own tours for some groups. Should I stick to letting others do the job so I can be free of the hassle of the operation, or should I just do everything on my own so everything will be my way?
If my service provider finds out that I'm doing everything on my own, of course, they will probably feel bad. Or I will feel bad because they are treating me nicely or like a part of their family. They are a family-owned business and my only friends here in this town. Suddenly, I feel like I'm a vocalist of a band going solo. Perhaps, everything has been made that way so I can feel stuck, but who knows? It's really hard to know. But, I know the deal around here too. This is the same old trust issue for me, it's never gonna go away. But business is business, I will do whatever will pay the bills and regularly put food on the table. So, it does not matter anymore what everyone feels. I will just end up being friendless unless people can understand. Welcome to the jungle.
It's probably unavoidable that you have to get involved in the operational matters sooner rather than later. You'll have to be involved until you are statisfied that things will run the way you expect all the time. It depends on your local laws, but if you are more than a booking agency then you are likely to be held liable for things that go wrong with the people you high. If not in court, at least with those all important reviews/reputation. If you're a booking agent then you can avoid a lot, but then your value proposition drops and you have a lot more competition.
Consider working with your local providers on your expectations. They'll have to buy into your vision, have some faith in what you are trying to do and that'll take some convincing. People have a lot of inertia when their lives are comfortable that can be hard to dislodge. Maybe the locals will buy into your vision of a better kind of high value tourist ... that can enrich the area and its people much more than the damage they do. If you can show locals how that is possible then they might be more prepared to change. They might need some guidance/training. I'd prefer to work with the locals where possible - not least because it keeps the experience authentic. Probably institute an after tour review process with the providers; call it kanban, or continuous improvement or whatever, but make it about how anything about the tour can be improved for guests, providers and you. It'll seem strange at first by the operators will get used to it. More than likely it'll be an ally that convinces the others to come along since you're an outsider.
It's hard to explain, but I've been in places with well-trained service and places where the service was enthusiastic - they were trying very very hard - but they just didn't quite get it. You feel a bit sorry for the enthusiastic, but you pay more for the trained service.
If you think you can find the capital and can get in the expertise then it might be worth running your own tour. Though, that is going to multiply your problems. Improve what you can, but like anything prioritising relative to your long-term goals matters.
This is true, but at the moment, there is a lot of competition in the tour operation too. I don't have a traditional booking office in the town where travelers can walk in, making things harder for me. It is just expensive to get a space.
This is what I am doing. We had a review after the last tour and I pointed out the things that they need to improve on. Next time I will have a meeting before the actual tour to remind them. Maybe, I will have to give some rewards/tip for the crew if they are able to run the tour according to my expecatations or the clients.
I agree. I have to emphasize that people pay more for the trained service. Sometimes, it's just hard for them to understand especially when they've already gotten used to just breaking even and how things work.
Maybe I wrong, at least I hope my words are food for thought. I don't think your niche is really in the walk-in customers, at least not now. Maybe do deals with the higher end accommodation dealers for recommendations/material drops?
Great to hear you're doing reviews with an eye to improve. While I detest scoring systems, in my own team projects, to bring up past issues and then track performance against it really works. You can really only improve a few big things at a time and eventually, these evolve into something like de facto KPIs. The advantage is that it shows a commitment to improving in the long-term which shows seriousness.
Anyways, good luck!
I think walk-n customers are to pay the bills due to volume. But they pay cheaply for the day tours, it's just the quantity. But yes, I've really thought my niche would not be for them. Online bookings and custom itinerary pay well as these people plan ahead. But it all depends on online reputation and how I market my website.
Finding good people is always a pain. Even if they seem like the type that you are looking for, you never really know until you work with them for a while and they have had time to learn how you like to do things.
That is true.
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