I’ve made a few changes on the blog – only minor tweaks but there were a few things that needed doing. I changed some photos; moved the categories over to the left, and adjusted the comments list on the right so it no longer shows twice. I added some plugins, a contact page, and set it up for SEO.

Well, actually I didn’t do anything since I throw up my hands and confess to technical inefficiency. Instead my virtual tech support, Raju, did it all in an hour or so. I’ve never met Raju but have had good conversations with him on Skype IM and am very impressed with his prompt response to the tasks I have asked him to do. He lives in India and is a student studying hard to achieve an MBA. He also does a wide range of computer work on outsourced projects just like mine.

Outsourcing is a wonderful way of getting things done on your site or blog if you are, like me, not technically inclined. The idea is that you post the work you need done -  ‘the project’ – to an outsourcing hub such as Elance or Get A Freelancer, and then wait for the bids to roll in.  It seems easy, and when you see all the bids come in, it’s quite exciting. But then, the hard work starts.

Finding just the right person for a job can be challenging.  It’s tempting to go for the lowest bids, and some are very low indeed, but it’s more important to spend the time – and perhaps a little extra money – to select the one that is going to work with you the best.  It took me a few small projects before I found Raju.  Here’s a few tips:

• Start off with a small project – something for under $50.
• Write a short project outline and a more specific list of requirements to send to a selection of bidders.
• Read the feedback the bidders have received from previous buyers, and ask for testimonials.
• Write a list of questions to ask your shortlisted bidders. Make sure they will communicate in your preferred way. I like to use Skype and Skype IM so would only use a provider who did the same.  The answers to your questions should also determine whether there will be any language issues.
• For a small project, don’t expect to pay anything until it has been completed, but you’ll be expected to place the agreed amount into an escrow account.  For a larger project you might agree a list of milestones with payments made incrementally.

If you want to set up a blog or small web site, or get someone to look at what you’ve already done and optimise it for the search engines, this could be the route for you. You could exchange the hours spent on tutorials, videos, books and Google searches for a completed project in just a few hours.

Give it a try, and if you already have, let us know what the experience was like.

Every time you send an email, you have a great opportunity to promote your property at absolutely no charge, and it is so simple.

John Romano of the Vacation Rentals Community suggests using the Outlook signature function to add a personalised footer that you can attach to every email. His post includes instruction on how to do this. You can even attach an image so you could have different photos for each season. There is no end to how creative you can be but remember to keep it simple.

I also use this function to create brief email responses in answer to common questions. For example, if you consistently get the same question, you can write a standard reply and store it in your signature file in Outlook. When you need the response, open a new message, click on the signature file, and select the message you want. Voila! 

Q.  Will turning up the brightness of your bedside lamp attract more moths?

A.  Only if the window is open and they can get in.

The same is true of your web site or vacation rental listing. Spending time making your web site attractive is great but if your potential clients can’t get in to see it, then it’s not really worth the effort.

This is the time of year to start attracting guests for the out of season months. Since the balance of play changes and there are many more property owners seeking those elusive off-season renters, it’s all the more important that your web site or listing is the brightest light out there.

I read a really neat (and free) report over the weekend. Written by a web designer, it gives a straightforward overview of how you can achieve better results with your site by making a few changes and tweaks here and there.

Just taking a few of the tips Dr Richard offers in Squeeze More Results From Your Website may attract more moths than you know what to do with!

‘This is wild!’ I heard one exhibitor say around noon on Sunday, and I was in full agreement.

I’ve been going to the Spring Cottage Life Show in Toronto for over 8 years, initially as a visitor, and for the past few years as an exhibitor. This Show gets better every year, and when the organisers release the visitor figures, I wouldn’t be surprised to find this past weekend saw record attendees.

The Cottage Life Show has become so much more than an exhibition – it’s a real event that keeps visitors occupied for hours. This year, I loved the Dock Dogs – sponsored by Bark & Fitz – a competition to find the dog who could leap the furthest off the dock into the water. It was great fun and sure attracted the crowds.

Sadly, I couldn’t take part in the Dock Party since our booth was so busy, but it seemed to be a popular meeting venue. There were plenty of people taking some time out to fantasise about the possibility that summer is really on the way.

I was delighted to see so many people I knew, many of whom came along to my presentations in the Cottage Seminar area, I’d like to thank those of you who attended. And, of course, our booth was packed most of the weekend with owners who already rent out or are thinking about it, and plenty of people looking for a rental property.

One of the great benefits of being an exhibitor is that we get to meet so many other cottage product and service suppliers over the weekend. Over the rest of this week I’m going to feature a few of them – those that stood out and made me go back more than once to their booth. These are:

• a great way of tackling the mice at the cottage
• sandblasted cottage signs
• a hand carved signpost to hang your sign from
• ways of financing your cottage purchase and managing your money
• Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre
• amazing hand crafted coffee and side tables
• Boater Exam – a reminder that you’ll need to do this before next year

Watch out for my daily reviews all week.

I’ve found a new blog and want to share this one with you. John Foxworthy, who writes brilliantly by the way, owns and manages over 30 homes and condos in Tuscon, Arizona (now we know where to go to escape our lovely Ontario winters). His web site Go Furnished is a new one and aims to compete with some of the big rental boys. Like any new site it needs properties so he’s looking for new listings. There’s nothing in Ontario at the moment – until I start uploading some of mine – and it’s a very professional looking site. This one may be well worth the time it takes to put on your listing. Since it’s free, I’d give it a try. I’ll feedback on how it works for me.

I read a few of the posts on the blog and John’s viewpoint is very similar to mine. Read the one called Green Shag Carpet – Renter Must Rake Daily. I loved it!

Photo by Bradleyolin

1 Magnetic door locks

When you spend time in your own cottage, there will be things you don’t want to take home with you, or pack away in totes. Storing them in a cupboard that is designated as ‘owners’ storage’ is the best way if you don’t want guests using particular items. You’ll need to find a way to secure the storage area without it looking untidy and unwelcome, so instead of using a padlock which doesn’t look great, why not try a magnetic door lock. These secure a cupboard door from the inside with a magnetic ‘key’ to lock and unlock. Take a look at this one from Toys’R'Us

2  Shaklee Products

If you are an Oprah watcher, you may have seen her endorsement of these natural products. I was supplying all sorts of cleaning materials for my guests and the bathroom ones all had bleach in them. My towels were getting bleach spotted, and I don’t think it was doing much for my septic system either. The Shaklee product line look expensive but once diluted and supplied in spray bottles, will last a long time. I’m trying this one out in our cottage and will follow up with a report.

3  Oust a Mouse

2007 was the year of the mouse. We heard of many cottages that were overrun with them last summer, and of owners whose renters had quit half way through a rental because of rodent issues. We’ve known the developers of the Oust a Mouse system for several years and have also talked to cottage owners who have used the box successfully, so have no hesitation in recommending it. It’s so much better to have a neat box concealed outside the cottage rather than ugly mousetraps under couches and in drawers.

4  Keyless Entry Systems

Don’t put the key in the barbecue, under a flowerpot or on a nail under the deck. The chances are good that your renters will lose the key at some point during their week, or will forget where they should leave it on their departure. Get a push button key box, or better still, a Powerbolt keyless entry system. Then set the code to the last four digits of the renters’

5  Propane Tanks

Get two tanks! In fact, get three. There should always be one on the ‘Q’ and one full spare at the property. Each changeover, take down a full tank and replace the empty or semi-full tank. Then use that one at home. This prevents those calls at 8pm on a Sunday night with the complaint that the propane has run out. This is such a simple fix, but saves so much time and frustration all round.

6  Dump Cards

Every cottage country dump has different requirements and if yours is one that asks for a dump card to be shown, you may need to put a plan in place to preserve yours. Rental groups often head to the dump on their way home and invariably carry on with the precious card tucked behind the cup holders. Since townships are notoriously tight on replacing lost dump cards, they don’t take too well to them going missing week after week. An alternative way of managing this is to liase with the dump ‘police’ and ask if they would accept a ‘letter of authorisation’ in lieu of a card. You then provide each rental group with a unique letter that they can use while in residence and take with them on their last day.

 7  Cleaning Checklist

Renters will generally do what you ask of them before departure, but if you fail to give them adequate guidance, they may fail to give you a tidy and clean cottage. Providing a checklist so they can tick off items you want done is the best way of directing your renters to leave the place in good condition.

8  Power Outage Kit

We all know how common power outages are in the summer after a thunderstorm or high winds. Supplying a kit that contains everything a renter might need to see through an extended period without power will help them to continue enjoying their vacation independently, so it’s worthwhile to spend time on this. Items to include are a flashlight (with batteries kept separate), bottles of water, a battery or wind-up radio, laminated sheet with emergency phone numbers and instructions, an analogue phone if the standard one is digital, safety candles or an enclosed gas lamp. I also include a tin of powdered milk.

I’m at Cottage Fest this weekend. This is the first cottage show of the season at the Markham Fairgrounds, and is always a good way to spend a snowy weekend in February. As it falls on our new Ontario long weekend, it also a good opportunity to get out with the family and for a few blissful hours, think of nothing but summer and the cottage!

Even after the first day,  I’m noticing a theme. Many of the cottage owners I spoke to yesterday are just beginning to think about renting, as a way of helping pay taxes, or to fund some renovations or new projects.  Most had never considered the idea before but are seeing neighbours who rent, and who appear to be achieving significant income. The big question seemed to be, ‘I’d like to do this but don’t know how to start’. If this is you, here’s a few things to think about.

Rental Agency vs By Owner Rentals

There’s a big decision to make at the very outset – whether to use an agency or go it alone. An agency will take up to 25% of your rental income depending on the services they offer, but they will get your property listed promptly, and if it is a desirable rental property, will have your available summer weeks rented very quickly. They will use their expertise to screen potential renters, advise you how to set up and prepare for your first rental groups, and ‘hand hold’ you through the process. Going the do-it-yourself route is the other option and I’d recommend this only if you have done significant research on marketing and have a booking system already in place that includes a legally binding rental agreement.

Recommendation #1 - Talk to a reputable agency – preferably one that is registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) – and discuss how they can market your property for you. You may be surprised at how much money this can save you in your own marketing and set up costs in the first year.

Set Up Costs

Regardless of whether you use a cottage rental agency or not, you will need to prepare the property to meet the demands of the rental market. Renter expectations are rising and people who part with significant money to rent a week or two in a vacation property quite rightly expect high standards. You may have to replace old and worn mattresses, kitchen appliances, and and furniture that has seen better days. That ratty couch might have been at the cottage for thirty years and have sentimental value, but quite honestly, it’s not acceptable for a rental property.

Recommendation #2 - Do a complete cottage audit. Check all the items on the list and plan on making changes to upgrade and improve. This will be well worth the time and expense since you’ll be able to achieve a higher rental rate (which should cover your costs over time) and you won’t open yourself up to the risk of complaint from unsatisfied renters.

Set a Competetive Rental Rate

‘My neighbour’s charging $3000 a week, and my cottage is better than his’. I hear you and appreciate it’s very tempting to take this figure at face value and decide this is the benchmark rate for your cottage. And there is nothing to stop you doing this. However, if you’ve decided to rent with an agency, it is definitely worthwhile listening to what they have to say. Most agencies have been in operation for years and are highly experienced in setting competetive rental rates to attract the type of renters who will look after and respect your cottage.

Recommendation #3 – If you are going it alone, do a lot of research on other properties in the area and what they are charging. Look at all the angles, for example, if your neighbour allows 16 people into his 3-bedroom property, he may well be asking a high rental rate, but he is also risking damage and high wear and tear costs.

Changeover Plans

Make sure you’ve made plans for checking the property between guests. Most cottage owners expect their rental guests to leave the property in the same state in which it was found, but standards can vary widely, and it is so important to have someone do that check after your renters leave. Decide early on if you are going to drive up and do it yourself, or if you plan on hiring someone. Good maintenance and cleaning people get booked up very early and if Saturday is your changeover day, they may be a challenge to find.

Recommendation #4 - It may be less challenging to find a cleaner who can give you four hours on a Saturday afternoon at a decent rate, than expect to find someone to pop in for an hour to do a quick changeover. This is what I have in place in my cottage this summer, and I have added the cleaning charge to my rental rate. My guests are expected to leave the cottage in a tidy condition but they don’t have to clean or vacuum. Take a look at my post on Who Cleans the Cottage.

The cottage show season is just about upon us again, and I’m busy planning my booth and the seminars I will be giving at The Cottage Life Show. It’s a fun time because they are all such great events so if you haven’t ventured to one of these, make a date this year to attend. Get a taste of summer at one of these:

Cottagefest – Markham – February 15 – 17 2008

Cottagefest is the first Show of the season and the Markham location makes it easily accessible from all Toronto areas as well as the Kawartha region. Although not as large as Cottage Life, there are a good mix of cottage related vendors and suppliers which makes it a worthwhile destination over the Family Day long weekend. 

I’ll be there and have quite a few complimentary tickets to give away. Add a comment on this post if you would like me to send you some.

The Cottage Life Show – International Centre, Toronto – March 28 – 30 2008

Undoubtedly the largest show of its kind in Canada, The Cottage Life Show holds a place in the heart of anyone with an interest in life in cottage country, owners or otherwise. There is something for everyone at this Show from wildlife lovers to foodies; boating enthusiasts to weekend do-it-yourselfers. I’ll be giving seminars at the show on Marketing your Cottage Profitably, and 10 Ways to Add Value to your Cottage Rental, so come along and say hello. I’d love to meet my blog readers.

Ottawa Cottage Show – Landsdowne Park, Ottawa – April 11 – 13 2008

For eastern Ontario cottage lovers, the Ottawa Cottage and Big Backyard Show provides a great showcase for suppliers of everything cottage-related. I like this show because spring is always in the air and there’s a real feel that summer is on the way!

I’ll be bringing more information on all these shows as it comes available and hope to meet you at one of them.

Listing your cottage rental on a couple of good sites should bring you a good amount of enquiries for the high season. However, to market effectively and achieve out of season occupancy, you’ll need to go beyond the basics. So, here’s a review of some of the books and blogs that helped me to boost my rental income last year.

When I started to review the books I’d read, and the blogs that I’ve subscribed to this past year, I wanted to evaluate what had the most impact and share that with you. In my review I’ve looked at how valuable the information has been to my primary goal, which is to improve the profile of cottage rentals, and to help owners increase their effectiveness in marketing their vacation homes.

Life Hacker – 88 tech tricks to turbocharge your day

This was one of my favourite books of 2007 and although there’s some techie stuff I didn’t quite understand, most of the tips and tricks were explained simply and clearly and were easy to use.

Just applying three of these ‘hacks’ have made a huge difference in the way I manage my workload. The most effective was found in Chapter 6 – Control your Email. Even with just one cottage to manage, the amount of enquiries and email messages can clog up your inbox and the tips here are so useful to organise them all. Since every enquiry is an opportunity to create a new rental client, having an effective way of filing them is invaluable. Chapter 9 – Mastering the Web – has many time saving ideas for making your web use simpler and faster, and helping you find competitors.

Buzz Marketing with Blogs For Dummies

I’m a great fan of the ‘for Dummies’ series, and this one is a great read if you are new to blogging and want to use the medium to make an impact. If you’ve read some of my earlier posts on blogging you’ll know I believe that this is a great marketing tool for vacation home owners to promote their property as well as events and attractions in the area.

There are opportunities to make additional income in a variety of ways and Chapter 14 of the book – Making Money with a Blog – gives some ideas. The only drawback with the book is the 2005 publication date which means some of the content is already out of date. For example, in the section on setting up a blog, there is no mention of Wordpress, which is arguably the best free blog platform. This aside, there is still much to learn from the book.

Ebooks

I like to download ebooks. It’s that need for instant gratification I guess – I want it now! That said, there’s so much good stuff that is only available in this format anyway. Here’s my favourite downloads from 2007:

Zen to Done: I’m one of life’s procrastinators and have read many books on time management, or at least I’ve bought them only to put them in the ‘get around to reading it one day’ category. The difference with Zen to Done is that I read it from start to finish then went back to it and read it more slowly. In my view, it’s by far the best I’ve bought, with simple, useable ideas that can be applied straight away. It has been particularly helpful with how I organise the marketing ideas I have for the cottage and the blog. It’s very reasonably priced too!

Make your Words Sell: Ken Evoy writes some great books as well as being the brains behind Site Build It. Make your Words Sell uncovers the secrets to copywriting and getting people to buy from your site. For cottage owners this means using words to describe the property and location, that wows visitors to your web site and converts enquiries to bookings. When there are so many properties for rent, owners must find the edge to beat the competition and using persuasive language could be the key.

Killer Flagship Content: Chris Garrett’s free ebook is a great primer on creating good content for a blog or web site. If you plan on creating or revamping your web presence download this free pdf book.

Blogs

I read lots of blogs, and subscribe to feeds so that I can check daily to see what’s new. It’s simple to do. Signing up for a feed reader such as Blog Lines or Google Reader means that new posts to your favourite blog are sent to your reader and you can peruse them at your leisure. I use iGoogle to customise my home page so that the latest posts on my favourite blogs are listed when it opens up.

 Zen Habits:Author of Zen to Done, Leo Babauta, has a neat blog where he posts articles on time management, lifestyle issues. Often thought provoking and always of use in some way, this blog is one of my first visits in the morning.

Penny Caldwell’s blog touches on anything and everything cottage related. Penny is editor of Cottage Life magazine  and her posts are often personal commentaries on life at her own cottage, and make great reading.

Cottage Daily is written by Julie Nelson, a BC based author and she posts on every aspect of cottage living. Her own experiences of cottage life in BC, Ontario, and at her brother’s cottage in Saskatchewan bring a very personal touch to her cottage knowledge.

Chris Garrett on New Media brings me up to date with anything new in the internet marketing field. His posts often include useful links to other blogs or ebooks – I’ll be touching on this later this week.

Copy Blogger has some great tools for those of you looking for hints and tips on good writing for your vacation rental web
site or blog. I’ll be covering more of what Brian Clark has to offer in a post later this week.

With Christmas fast approaching, here’s a blatant plug for my book Renting your Recreational Property for Profit. I wrote this a few years ago after over 20 years of renting out property in the UK, and buying and renting six cottages in Ontario. I figured this gave me some experience in how to manage cottage rentals to give a good return on the investment. It was self published in 2003, and then radically rewritten before being taken up by Self Counsel Press in BC for launch this year. It’s now available at Amazon (click on the link on the right of this page), in Chapters in Canada and Barnes and Noble in the US.

The book covers every aspect of setting up, managing and maintaining a rental property and includes chapters on marketing, preparing the property for rental, handling enquiries and bookings, and managing the logistics of the business. The accompanying CD has all the documents you would need to begin renting out including a rental agreement, terms and conditions of rental, changeover checklists, and a useful rental calculator.

In writing the book, I spoke with many owners and renters to find out about their experiences both positive and negative. This gave a great insight into the changing nature of renter expectations, and how owners really have to go ‘the extra mile’ to maintain a competitive edge in the current market.

I’m biased of course, but think it is a great resource for any owner considering renting out for the first time, or looking for ways to add value to a current rental!