Many aspiring entrepreneurs who decide to master the fertile field hotel business make their choice in favor of the hostel. You don't need to be a hostel to become a hostel. major investments, while the hostel remains highly demanded in the market hotel services, which together makes hostels an ideal springboard to start your career. If you have decided to start your business from a hostel, it will be useful for you to know some aspects regarding the location of your future enterprise. Which premises are suitable for a hostel, residential or non-residential, is it possible to open a hostel in non-residential premises, what should be the non-residential premises for the hostel and others FAQ consider below.
Non-residential premises for a hostel - the law on hostels
Hostels appeared in Russia relatively recently. Having come to us from Europe, for a long time they were not at all subject to a separate regulation protecting the safety and comfort of both the guests themselves and the unwitting neighbors of apartment hostels in residential buildings. The number of hostels grew uncontrollably. Somewhere they were registered as mini-hotels, and many were forced to work “in the shadows”.
Finally, in 2014, the government reacted and recognized the hostel as an independent type of budget hotel housing, releasing a single GOST for hostels. The original law established formal free standards and, in fact, did not solve the problem of hostels in apartment buildings, who have set the teeth on edge with ordinary citizens who are forced to coexist with such hostels. Responding to their requests, two years later, a package of amendments was developed and implemented, forever closing the conflict between hostel owners and their neighbors.
Requirements for non-residential premises for a hostel
According to the new law, the hostel, as a hostel for temporary stay, can no longer occupy living quarters, which were previously apartments. From now on, to set up a hostel in an apartment, you will first have to withdraw it from the fund of residential premises and transfer it to non-residential premises, and in order to fulfill a number of mandatory requirements.
Non-residential premises are located, as a rule, on the first floor of the building. On the second floor, an apartment can be transferred to a non-residential fund only if the first floor is already occupied by non-residential premises.
An additional requirement in the new amendments is the arrangement of a separate entrance to the hostel, not adjacent to the common entrance to the entrance. In fact, these fundamental two points protect the peace of tenants of an apartment building and the cleanliness of their stairwells from unfamiliar hostel guests.
Same way, new law prohibits placing a hostel in non-residential premises of the basement floors. The rather cheap cost of renting such areas attracted hostels, while the sanitary standards of living in the basement were usually turned a blind eye.
Basement floors are still suitable for temporary residence of people. It is allowed to place showers, build a gym or a kitchen, but permanent residence people in the basement is now unacceptable.
How to transfer an apartment to a non-residential fund for a hostel
Everything is pretty simple here. Initially, the apartment must meet the requirements for non-residential premises and not have technical limitations for a separate entrance device (see above). To transfer an apartment to a non-residential fund, it is enough to apply on your behalf to the local government, indicating the planned redevelopment (if required) and, in fact, a petition for transferring the area to non-residential fund. There is no single standard for such a statement, so it is written in free form. You will be required to attach a document certifying your right to property, or a notarized copy of it.
If you decide to re-plan the premises for a hostel, you will need to obtain a registration certificate for the premises at the technical inventory bureau at the place of residence, paying the necessary fees. Also, in the case of redevelopment, permission from the authority for the protection of history and culture is required if the building is considered part of the cultural heritage or an architectural monument.
It will not be superfluous to coordinate your event with the neighbors. Formally, the law does not oblige you to do this, but regular dissatisfaction from neighbors, collection of signatures and protests can significantly delay the process, and the attitude of local government to your application will become picky and meticulous.
If you do not want to get involved with the bureaucratic machine and drown in complex legal formulations and amendments, collect information and communicate with BTI representatives, you can turn to professional lawyers. For a relatively small fee, they will help you with the transfer of your apartment to a non-residential fund. Along with the advent of hostels, offers of this kind appeared on the Internet at the same time. However, the procedure is not as complicated as it seems, and this is a matter of taste and your personal approach to business.
If everything is in order with your papers, the neighbors do not mind, and the cultural protection authority does not find your apartment in any way interesting for posterity, your application will be considered and an affirmative decision will be made after 45 days. From this moment on, you can start working.
Office space is non-residential by default, but not every office is suitable for a hostel. There are five main categories of office space. Let's look at them briefly:
- Class A: office space of the highest class. Typically, such offices are located in separate buildings, occupy several floors, are equipped to the latest standards, have their own parking lot, often an elevator. These prestigious premises are quite in demand in their class and are not considered as premises for a hostel.
- class B: the same, but a lower class. Such premises are located in new buildings or reconstructed mansions in the capital. Class A offices often fall into this category after several years of operation.
- class C: these are office premises leased industrial enterprises and, as a rule, do not meet the norms of residential premises. Such offices often do not even have ventilation, so the profitability of converting them into a hostel is a big question.
- class D: office premises in buildings requiring major repairs. These are relatively inexpensive areas, not designed for permanent residence of people. The building may not comply with a number of sanitary or fire safety standards and hostel placement in them is unacceptable.
- class E: this includes premises not originally intended for offices, but converted due to necessity. These can also be apartments transferred to the non-residential fund, basement and semi-basement floors. Except for options with basement areas, class E offices, with a good location, can be considered suitable for a hostel.
When starting work, it is important to remember that despite the fact that the apartment has been transferred to the status of non-residential premises, you still have neighbors, and their peace is partly the guarantee of the stable operation of your enterprise, which is not disturbed by inspections of regulatory authorities or the visit of a local police officer. Therefore, first of all, you should take care of good sound insulation for your guests. It is known that the target audience of hostels is young people under 30 years old, and having become friends, they can make a lot of noise. Along with the rapid growth in the number of hostels in our country, the question of how to close a hostel in non-residential premises becomes relevant in proportion to the number of citizens dissatisfied with careless hostels. On the contrary, there are cases when hostels equipped with violations on the high floors of apartment buildings continued to work successfully for a long time solely due to good relations with their neighbors.
The law obliges you to equip your hostel with the appropriate number of washbasins, toilets and showers, from a ratio of one bathroom per 10 guests. That is, having 31 places in the hostel, you will have to equip 4 latrines. GOST, which entered into force in 2015, sets standards for minimum size bed 190x80cm for a single bed and 190x140cm for a double bed. In the absence of a partition, the distance between the beds should be at least 75 cm, and, if minimum height bedroom 2.5m, the distance from the upper bunk to the ceiling should not be less than 75cm. Under the ban were three-tiered and above the bed.
Protecting the right of guests to free space, from now on, each guest has 4 square meters, including the bed. Usually, for a comfortable stay, a person requires 5-6 meters of free space, but we will leave this on the conscience of the hosteler. Here we are talking about the choice between saving usable space and the prestige of the institution.
Inexpensive short-term accommodation without "star" aplomb is gaining momentum around the world, bringing homeowners a good income. Consider the approval procedure and all the documentation that is required to open a hostel in an ordinary apartment, in a non-residential premises, as well as the risks and nuances of each option.
Hostel as a business: are there any prospects?
Hostels are not mentioned in official Russian documents. Nevertheless, in fact, in our country, as well as throughout the world, they operate quite legally, and their number is growing every year. In the tourism industry, this is a well-defined concept: an inexpensive room for short-term accommodation of guests with the provision of the minimum necessary service (bed).
The hostel is not just a low-budget hotel. This is a certain philosophy and lifestyle. Many travelers cannot afford luxury hotels. Affordable alternative ways accommodations are popular among young people, as well as those who prefer to spend money on excursions and entertainment, rather than on luxury apartments. In addition, it is fashionable, fun, expands the circle of acquaintances and new experiences.
In the context of the economic crisis, more and more people are thinking about saving money on travel, especially on accommodation. With the development of hotel service, many people today prefer not expensive hotels, but practical and inexpensive hostels, which leads to the opening of such a business project. In this article, we will present the hostel business plan in detail and tell you what main points you should focus on in order to launch a successful project.
Experienced businessmen know that the beginning of any project is preceded by a stage of careful planning. No matter how original and relevant the business idea is, without strategic planning, analysis of the competitive environment, market capacity, impossibility to launch the project.
In the absence of initial capital, it will be necessary to apply to investors or to a bank for a targeted loan, where you will need to justify the feasibility of your business idea. As for attraction and investors, it is important to understand what financial obligations this entails.
A competent and detailed business plan will become in the future step by step guide, which will allow you to achieve the goal without deviating from the main idea.
The document reflects all aspects of the activity and helps to plan the sequence of actions necessary for the successful implementation of the company's goals.
When starting to write a business plan, you need to:
- perform a justification of economic feasibility (relevance of the idea);
- make an analysis of the environment in which the business will develop;
- consider sources of funding if necessary;
- create a schedule for completing tasks.
The attractiveness of a business idea
Of course, before starting an activity, it is necessary to carefully analyze the relevance of the idea and evaluate its prospects. Despite the great competition in this area, this project is a profitable business.
A hostel is a small hotel, furnished like a hostel. A person is provided with a bed without additional amenities in the room, while one room can accommodate from 2 to 10 people.
The payback rate of the hostel will largely depend on the attractiveness of the region in terms of the tourist route, location, season.
It is also very important to correctly determine the target audience of the business. Unlike the audience of the hotel, the hostel is chosen by sociable people who, in addition to economic benefits, choose such an overnight stay from the point of view of social activity.
It’s not particularly possible to retire in a hostel, so this accommodation option is more suitable for young and active people who are looking for communication and are not averse to sharing a room with other tourists.
Hostels usually gather positive open people who, even after a hard tourist day, communicate with pleasure and share their impressions. Understanding the specifics of this direction and the target audience will allow you to create a successful project.
Hostel business plan diagram
In order to make it easier to write a business plan for opening a hostel, try to rely on standard points:
- Summary.
- General provisions.
- Market analysis.
- Product description.
- Marketing and strategic plan.
- Costs.
- Production plan.
- Organizational plan.
Evaluation of a business idea: pros and cons
Before proceeding with the preparation of the document, let's analyze the advantages and disadvantages of this project, identifying the strengths and weaknesses.
Advantages:
- High demand. In many ways, this aspect depends on the attractiveness of the region and the location of the hostel. But if you carefully analyze the tourist routes and choose the right place for such a mini-hotel, then you can quickly reach a good profitability.
- Regular customers. With a properly designed marketing strategy and a high level of service, you can find your niche in the market.
- Possibility of obtaining high income. Well organized hostel, cost-effective at 30-35% of the settlement. And already at 50% of the settlement, it begins to generate income.
Flaws:
- High competition. On the other hand, high competition is associated with high demand for this service. Therefore, if you correctly analyze the competitive market and offer customers a really high-quality service, you can take a leadership position in the market.
- Big start-up capital. This business is associated with large financial investments, without which it will not be possible to organize a hostel. Renting a room or purchasing your own property, renovation, purchase of furniture and equipment - all this will require investment.
How to open a hostel - where to start?
Before you start calculating how much it will cost you to organize a business, you need to determine what size and concept your mini hotel will be.
Target audience - tourists
There are three types of hostels:
- Small hostel. This option can be opened in a residential building by buying one or two small apartments. The hotel is designed for 10-12 people and allows you to create 3-4 separate rooms for overnight stay and a common area for recreation. This hostel is quiet, comfortable and many tourists like these accommodation options. Compared to other hotel options, you won't need much investment to open this project, but you shouldn't expect big profits either.
- The average hostel is designed for 50 guests. Usually, to organize such a mini-hotel format, the owners buy out 3-4 apartments on the same floor and combine them.
- A large hostel can accommodate up to 80 guests and already involves a significant investment. Owners, as a rule, buy out part of apartment buildings or build separate mansions, originally designed for the hotel business. This is a more convenient option for tourists, which, in addition to rooms for the night, may contain a common area for recreation, a spacious kitchen, a mini laundry room, a bathroom and showers. The disadvantage of this option is big investment, pluses - the possibility of big profits.
Business plan for opening a hostel
Paperwork
To start a business, you need to register as individual entrepreneur and obtain a Certificate that gives the right to conduct entrepreneurial activities.
Perhaps, to implement a larger project and provide a wide range of services, you will need to register another form of ownership - LLC.
When contacting the tax office, prepare the following documents:
- passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
- receipt of payment of the state fee (800 rubles).
- Application form P21001.
The next step will be to register with the Federal Tax Service and off-budget fund, where you will be prompted to select a taxation tax.
To open and conduct such a business, it is necessary to obtain a License. This document gives the right to provide services of a public nature.
For a medium-sized business, it is advisable to choose Single tax. In the future, with the development of the project, you can always switch to another form of taxation.
After registering all primary documents, you need to get a conclusion from the fire inspectorate and the sanitary and epidemiological station that the hotel complies with all legal standards.
In order to obtain such a Conclusion, the following documents must be submitted to the relevant authorities:
- passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
- IP registration certificate;
- a document confirming tax registration;
- a lease agreement for premises or a document confirming ownership;
- medical books of employees (in the event that you hire staff).
After you have realistically assessed your financial capabilities and determined the format and scale of the business, we begin to search for a suitable location.
The location of a successful hostel must meet the following criteria:
- successful transport interchange;
- attractiveness in terms of the tourist route;
- place for parking;
- quiet cozy area.
Many owners prefer to open hostels in the city center, which provides good traffic. The downside of this is only the high price of real estate, which will significantly reduce the payback period.
It is advisable to open a hostel in a prestigious area with good traffic and transport interchange.
There are certain requirements for the premises of a mini-hotel, which cannot be deviated from:
- The minimum area per guest is 5 sq. meters;
- the bed must measure at least 80 by 190 centimeters;
- the distance between the beds is not less than 75 centimeters.
For the number of guests up to 12 people, it will be enough to equip 1 toilet. On a larger scale, it is necessary to equip additional toilets. Shower - maximum for fifteen; sink can be one for 6 clients.
Design and redevelopment will also require large financial investments. You can arrange a mini-hotel in a simple minimal style or give it some thematic concept.
Of the mandatory equipment and furniture, you will need to buy:
- beds (in the number of beds) - to save space, you can take bunk beds;
- mattresses;
- towels and bed linen;
- folding extra beds;
- desk and chair for the administrator;
- chairs for a recreation area;
- furniture and utensils for the kitchen;
- sliding wardrobes for a wardrobe;
- household appliances: hair dryer, iron, washing machine, electric kettle, microwave oven.
also in without fail you need to organize a free Wi-Fi zone.
This is the minimum that must be in a modern hostel. If you want to stand out from the competition and realize an original high-quality hostel, then you can additionally equip game room for children, make a room for keeping animals traveling with their owners, install TVs and game consoles, purchase laptops, etc.
Cozy renovation and comfort of guests is the key to the success of this business.
When organizing a comfortable level of service for your customers, consider what exactly will be included in the set:
- sleeping place;
- providing a kitchen area with the necessary utensils and utensils;
- bathroom (shower, toilet);
- rest room (with TV, laptop, game console);
- WiFi;
- use washing machine, iron.
Staff
Even a small hotel will require several staff members who will serve the hotel, providing quality service.
Marketing plan
As mentioned above, the main target audience hostels are active backpackers who don't plan to spend a big budget on overnight stays. Good advertising of the hostel will ensure its round-the-clock occupancy.
Let's characterize potential client hostel:
- a person with an average level of income;
- age from 18-30 years;
- frequent traveler or business traveler.
As a rule, tourists learn information about hostels and mini-hotels from the Internet, so much attention should be paid to promoting the services of this particular industry.
Over time, when you take your place in the market, you will definitely have your own base regular customers and a "good reputation" that will help spread the word about the hotel.
But at first, you will have to spend a lot of money and put in enough effort to promote the hotel.
- Internet advertising;
- social networks;
- online booking networks;
- partnerships with educational institutions;
- cooperation with travel companies.
Don't waste your money on low-performing ads that won't get customers in your business. Focus on promoting services in in social networks, on various partner tourist online platforms etc.
You will definitely need to create your own website, which will reflect up-to-date information about the hotel, range of services, rooms and prices. With a small business scale, you can include in the list functional duties hotel administrator filling the site, control over the relevance of information. The site should have several interface languages, allowing tourists from other countries to order the service.
Production plan
To the main production costs can be attributed:
- buying real estate (or renting);
- purchase of furniture and equipment;
- room renovation.
We present only an approximate cost plan for opening a hostel, which is designed for 15 guests in a small city of 350 thousand people.
The plan is drawn up taking into account the lease of the premises. With the option of buying real estate, this amount must be added to the total costs, which, of course, will significantly change the payback period of the project.
The expenditure part of this project includes the following items:
- monthly rent of premises (150 square meters) - 30 thousand rubles;
- repair, purchase of furniture and equipment - 150 thousand rubles;
- staff salary (4 people) - 80 thousand rubles;
- advertising (monthly) - 10 thousand rubles;
- utilities- 15 thousand rubles;
- additional expenses - 5 thousand rubles;
Total: 280 thousand rubles.
We calculate the income for 15 people:
Defining pricing policy your business, you need to carefully study the market in your region and the offers of competitors. It is important to understand what competitors include in standard set services.
In some hotels, the price consists of only one bed. Other hostels in this amount include breakfast, free access to the Internet, an excursion program, etc.
The cost of living 1 person / day 500 rubles, load 80%
12 people * 500 * 30 days = 18,000 rubles
Calculate payback:
280 thousand rubles / 18 thousand rubles = 15 months.
Additionally, to increase profitability and increase profits, you can implement related services:
- laundry, ironing;
- snacks in vending machines;
- TV, game consoles;
- excursion services;
- food;
- transfer, etc.
Risks and guarantees
To determine the strengths and weaknesses of the business, we will perform a small SWOT analysis.
SWOT analysis is an analysis that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the project, external threats and ways out of them.
Strengths of the hostel:
- high quality of service;
- low cost of services;
- high demand;
- minimal financial risks, because the bulk of the costs are for the purchase of equipment and payment for real estate.
Business weaknesses include:
- large investments;
- lack of parking;
- high competition.
Threats:
- economic instability in the country;
- emergencies, accidents;
- low level of qualification of employees;
- seasonal demand.
Project features:
- increase in demand;
- increase in advertising;
- offering an additional service.
For a business to really work and generate income, it is enough to follow a few simple but effective rules:
- Carefully study the competitive landscape in your area and highlight the best and worst hostels. Determine the disadvantages and advantages of each and draw conclusions for yourself.
- Constantly personally exercise control over the condition of the rooms, cleanliness, quality of service.
- Keep track of profits and expenses. In order for the hostel to be cozy and clean, it is necessary to constantly invest in funds for cleanliness, redecorating replacement of failed equipment.
- Find your own "chips" that will favorably distinguish you from competitors.
Video. Hostel business plan
Cheap hotels are appreciated by tourists: many of them need only an overnight stay without food, comfortable apartments. The proposed business plan for opening a hostel describes in detail the procedure for starting a hotel business in St. Petersburg. How much does it cost to open a hostel? How to deal with seasonality? What can you save on? You will find answers to these questions in the business plan below with calculations.
Brief Summary
The project involves initial investment in the equipment of the rented premises to ensure a comfortable stay for tourists. An example of a hostel business plan with calculations relevant for 2018 takes into account prices at the time of writing. The most favorable opening time is spring, March-April (before the start of the tourist season).
Project characteristics:
- the amount of initial investment - 1,238,190 rubles;
- payback period - 24 months;
- monthly profit forecast - 281,200 rubles.
Following the example of one mini-hotel, it is possible to open a network of hostels near metro stations throughout the city. It is proposed to start with those where the stations are located in the immediate vicinity - Vosstaniya Square, Zvenigorodskaya, Obvodny Canal, Udelnaya.
Project description
The key point in the created business is the competent selection of premises. The business plan of a hostel from an apartment is better suited for sleeping areas, where there are more often located on the ground floor outlets, service centres. Relying on the traffic of tourists often forces you to look closely at the first floors. In this case, it may be necessary to restructure the premises, dividing it into a number of separate rooms, allocating a pantry, a bathroom, a hall for receiving guests.
Enterprise characteristics:
- Legal form - IP (individual entrepreneur);
- Taxation system - STS 6% (“Income minus expenses”);
- OKVED code - 55 "Activities of hotels and restaurants";
- Office - in the hostel;
- Hired personnel - 7 people (4 administrators, 2 day assistants);
- Working hours - around the clock, seven days a week.
You can open an IP yourself or contact outsourcing company. Some companies are willing to provide this service for free. In a similar way, you can organize the work of maintaining financial statements and filing papers with the Federal Tax Service - transfer to. Prices for such services can be found.
In this business plan, the calculation is made for opening a hostel near the metro station Vosstaniya Square. Traffic, according to official data of the metro, is up to 2 million people a month.
Niche in the market
The chosen location is attractive for the hotel business, even though there are 28 competing organizations within a radius of 500 meters. Proposed detailed business plan the hostel takes this into account. The traffic potential in this place is very high, which allows you to create a new profitable enterprise.
Taking into account competitors, you can count on indicators:
- accommodation in families of 2-3 people (good flow of visitors, no downtime in the summer);
- the minimum traffic bar is 357 people per month (assuming that 50% of the traffic is "local", the rest of the people are evenly distributed among all hostels, and the conversion is 1%);
- service to foreigners all year round(in winter, there are enough people who want to find work in St. Petersburg).
Business development is possible through the opening of a canteen that provides residents with inexpensive or "fast" food. In addition to the main direction, you can conclude a partnership agreement with services that provide travel services. This business plan calculates how much it costs to open a hostel without additional services. If the entrepreneur decides to provide them, then this will only increase the level of profit and accelerate the payback of the enterprise.
Marketing strategy
The proposed hostel construction business plan is designed for a quick start. After equipping the premises, the mini-hotel should start working as soon as possible. This is possible thanks to an aggressive advertising campaign.
Attract traffic in different ways:
- advertising banners in the metro - visitors will immediately see the address where to go, the phone number to call;
- promoters near metro stations - bright booklets will help guests of the city quickly get to the hostel;
- advertising on the Internet - is designed for the fact that the place of residence is selected in advance.
Taking into account the large one-time costs, it is profitable to start with the distribution of business cards and booklets, therefore, when calculating the payback, we will take into account the costs of ordering printed products, paying promoters. After receiving the first profit, you can move on to more costly promotion methods - renting a banner in the subway, advertising stickers in train cars, and posting ads on the Internet.
Production plan
Presented financial model The business plan of the hostel is designed for renting a room of 180 sq. meters and the creation of 16 small rooms (2 two-story beds) in each. The maximum occupancy of the mini-hotel is 64 people per day. When working seven days a week, traffic can reach up to 1920-1980 visitors per month.
Hostel equipment. Table
The energy consumption rate of such an establishment will be about 50 kW per day or 1500 kW per month. With a tariff of 4.88 rubles. for 1 kW, the costs will be 7,320 rubles. The water supply will take up to 5,000 per month (at the rate of 25.50 rubles per 1 cubic meter of water). Together with the payment for heating in the amount of 7,500 for utilities, 19,820 will need to be included in the estimate.
A decrease in the number of visitors will lead to a decrease in the cost of "communal". You can compensate for the increased consumption of water and electricity with additional services: cooking, washing clothes, etc.
organizational plan
The hostel is planned to be open 24/7. The most beneficial for this is the day-night-48 schedule. With this distribution of employees, four people will be needed. In the given example of a hostel business plan with calculations, the presence of one assistant in the day shifts is taken into account. To control and plan work, one manager will be needed.
Employee salaries are offered at the following levels:
- administrator - 30,000 rubles. (day 12 hours, night 12 hours, two days of rest);
- administrator assistant - 20,000 rubles. (2 days for 12 hours, two days of rest);
- manager - 50 thousand rubles. (schedule 5/2, from 10.00 to 18.00).
Accounting and tax accounting can be transferred to. His average price is 10 thousand rubles. per month. In addition to those listed, costs for promoters will be required. The standard payment for one employee is 15,000 rubles. At the time of the start of the mini-hostel business plan, you can schedule the work of only one promoter. As profits are made, block all flows of metro passengers entering from the station.
Financial plan
One-time costs are returned in the process of payback gradually, in equal shares. Proposed ready business plan the hostel is designed for 24 months, during which the investment should fully pay off. Variable costs count every month. AT real work trying to keep them to a minimum. Then, while maintaining the payback period, the entrepreneur receives more profit.
List of one-time costs. Table
List of fixed (monthly) costs
Calculation of the payback of the enterprise:
- One-time investment (accounts for one month from the payback period) - 51,600;
- Fixed costs - 521,820.
- The cost of servicing one visitor based on the traffic of 1900 people / month. - 302 rubles.
Calculation formula:
(51 600 + 521 820) / 1900 = 302
At average cost days of accommodation in a hostel equal to 450 rubles. expected profit will be:
(450-302) * 1900 = 281,200 rubles. per month.
Each visitor will bring from 148 rubles. net profit. The company has a "safety margin". It will work for payback, without profit, if the traffic drops to 1,274 people per month or 42 people per day.
Risk management
In addition to the likely reduction in traffic, there are a number of risks that must be taken into account in the business plan of the hostel (hotel). The profitability of the enterprise is affected by average prices for services, seasonal fluctuations in the number of visitors, and changes in tariffs.
An entrepreneur can directly influence the following factors:
- choice of location - the premises should be accessible to any visitor, without a navigator and tips from passers-by;
- courtesy of service - courteous staff will attract former customers again, the institution will be recommended to each other.
At the end of the first tourist season, it is recommended to open additional hostels near other metro stations. Then it will become easier to compensate for the risks of opening new competitors in the area of interest of an already operating mini-hotel.
Three months of accounting, personnel records and legal support IS FREE. Hurry, the offer is limited.
How to open a hostel - step by step plan: Required documents, advertising promotion methods, equipment, detailed calculations and payback periods.
Capital investment in business: from 500 000 rubles
Hostel payback period: 1-2 years
Not so long ago, few people knew about this type of budget hotels as a hostel.
The practice, so widespread in Europe, has begun to gain popularity in Russia over the past 5-7 years.
The opportunity to live in a comfortable environment with everything you need for little money has caused great demand among the population.
Therefore, many entrepreneurs began to wonder, how to open a hostel.
Some of them have used this method of budget overnight stay and appreciated its benefits.
They have determined for themselves how they want to see the hostel, they know a lot of secrets and "tricks", but they absolutely do not understand the organizational side of the issue.
While others are experienced entrepreneurs who know how to profitably invest in real estate.
But organizing a hostel requires a more soulful approach than the ability to calculate costs.
What documents are needed to open a hostel?
Paperwork to open a hostel is something that intimidates first-time owners.
Actually, you shouldn't worry.
Yes, registering a business is a long and stressful process.
However, you can delegate the collection of papers to specialists for a fee.
The only thing you definitely shouldn't do is open a hostel without permission.
Such a move is fraught with fines, problems and a complete failure of the hostel idea.
To legally open a hostel, you will need the following documents:
- or LLC;
- certificate of tax registration;
- a document confirming the ownership of the premises;
- permission to operate the hostel based on the results of the inspection of the fire inspection and SES;
- garbage collection agreement with the relevant organization.
The above list is the basis, which can be "overgrown" with additional papers, depending on the current legal requirements for business.
The relevance of the data before registering the hostel should be carefully checked.
It is better to play it safe at the start than to have problems with regulatory authorities in the future.
We analyze the market before opening a hostel
The mere fact that a hostel as a business must be in demand is not enough to organize the business.
It is important to analyze the niche in which you are going to open a hostel.
To do this, pay attention to competitors in the region and the general development trend of hostels.
Now there are more than 5,000 hostels and establishments of a similar format operating in the country.
Their number has doubled over the past 2 years, which indicates an accelerated pace of niche development and high demand clients.
It is noteworthy that half of the hostels are concentrated in two cities - St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Thus, in order to open your hostel in one of them, you will have to “fight” with competitors.
At the same time, the prospects for business development in large cities are much better.
If we analyze the hostel organization formats, the leader is rooms with an average capacity (30-50 guests).
This business option is beneficial for entrepreneurs due to relatively modest capital investments and quick payback.
What are the risks of opening a hostel?
Such an idea, how to open a hostel in Moscow or St. Petersburg, has risks not only because of high competition ...Any mini-hotel can face circumstances that can ruin a business.
Entrepreneurs need to analyze potential risks before opening a hostel, and think over ways to minimize them.
| Risk | What is dangerous for business? | How to avoid? |
|---|---|---|
| All kinds of emergency in the hostel | Emergencies can cause harm to the property of the hostel or its residents. In extreme cases, lead to a suspension of work. | Hostel property must be insured. Employees should be instructed on how to behave in emergency situations. It is important to equip the premises with fire extinguishing systems. |
| Seasonal fluctuations in demand | Decrease in income and profitability of the business. | It is important to be able to interest the client of the hostel during the recession. think over advertising campaign enter special offers. |
| Poor hostel location | Audience reach is falling. Along with it - the profitability of the hostel. | The problem needs to be “cut in the bud” even before the opening of the hostel. To pay attention preliminary analysis locations. Assess its prospects. |
| Low qualification of employees | Loss of clients, emergence of conflict situations. | You have to hire people in person. Do not save on training hostel workers. |
How to open your hostel and promote it: advertising methods
It is important to understand not only how to open your own hostel according to all the rules of the law, but also how you will promote it to the masses.
And the service sector - those areas that can not do without a marketing strategy.
You should immediately tune in that high-quality cheap advertising does not exist.
There are rare exceptions, but you should not rely on them.
Consider 3 main channels for promoting hostel services:
Website and promotion of the hostel on the Internet.
A modern business cannot do without its own website.
Do not be stingy and order its creation to specialists.
After all, the electronic page will be the face of the hostel.
The site itself does not attract customers so actively, but rather is an important image attribute.
For guests to find you, use seo-optimization, contextual and banner advertising.
This pleasure is not cheap, but the effect is noticeable.
Another important element of the marketing policy of modern business.
Most of the hostel visitors are students, young people, and budget tourists.
They are attracted not just by the opportunity to spend the night, but by the spirit that reigns in hostels.
It is worth opening the pages of the hostel on Facebook and Vkontakte.
This will allow you to share news, hold promotions, collect feedback from guests and create your own special atmosphere that you want to plunge into.
Websites for booking hotels and hostels.
Few people are unaware of the existence of online accommodation booking resources.
Hostels that are not there lose up to 90% of their potential target audience.
Just listen to this number!
But the registration process is simple and, as a rule, free.
How to choose a building to open a hostel?
To choose a location and decide, how to open a hostel in non-residential premises or apartment, first select the format.
There are three main types:
A large hostel that is ready to accept more than 100 guests.
In Russia, this format is not in demand due to the lack of demand and the high financial entry threshold.
If you are still interested in this hostel option, you will need to rent a large non-residential premises.
To ensure fullness, work should be done to conclude agreements with firms that can hold seminars or conferences.
Hostel with medium capacity (30-50 guests).
The most requested. For their organization, they usually buy out 2-3 apartments located on the floor and combine them.
This is enough to equip the hostel with a kitchen, two bathrooms, a hall and 5-6 bedrooms.
In an ordinary apartment, you can arrange a hostel for 10-15 guests.
The mini-format of the hostel is chosen by those who like to relax in a cozy home environment.
This option requires the least investment, but pays off over a long period.
The peculiarity of such hostels is that the price of a bed can be 10-15% higher than that of competitors.
And this will be justified, because the level of comfort in mini-hostels is much higher.
- advantage - the close location of the hostel to the city center;
- it’s good if there are interesting sights nearby the hostel;
- it is important for guests that there is a good transport interchange near the hostel;
- it should be easy for visitors to find the hostel, so a noticeable sign, signs are needed.
Hostel as a business: necessary equipment
Those who have already stayed in hostels more than once know perfectly well what they should be equipped with.
If knowledge is limited to your own apartment and expensive hotels, here is an indicative list of the necessary equipment:
| Equipment | Description | Price (in rubles) |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture | Usually hostels buy wooden furniture. From the base, you will need: a wardrobe in the hallway, a large shelf for shoes, beds and bedside tables in the bedrooms, a table and chairs in the kitchen, sofas and armchairs in the rest room. | 100 000 |
| Technology in the hostel | The list of necessary equipment depends on what services will be provided in the hostel. The minimum set includes: wifi router, washing machine, iron, refrigerator and microwave, plasma TV, luggage storage for valuables. | 90 000 |
| Other things for the hostel | Do not forget that you have to provide guests with textile accessories. Experience shows that for each bed in a hostel, 3 sets of bed linen are useful. You will quickly see that such a reserve justifies itself. A sign of good taste is the issuance of towels and disposable slippers to customers. | 80 000 |
| Creation of comfort | As already mentioned, a hostel is not just a "bedroom". This entourage place, which for many is associated with a special setting. A good hostel has its own distinctive style, which is created by interior details. These can be interesting pillows, panels, a rack with books, special lamps. | 30 000 |
Calendar plan how to open a hostel from scratch
To plan how to open a hostel from scratch, it is worth making a calendar plan.It will allow you to monitor whether all stages of the organization are going according to the planned schedule.
| Hostel opening stages | 1 month | 2 months | 3 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration of an individual entrepreneur or LLC | |||
| Carrying out marketing research | |||
| Conclusion of a lease agreement | |||
| Repair and redevelopment of premises | |||
| Staff search for a hostel | |||
| Obtaining permits from SES and fire inspection | |||
| Advertising campaign planning | |||
| Purchase of equipment and furniture | |||
| Internet connection | |||
| Installation of equipment in the hostel | |||
| Interior design | |||
| Start of the hostel |
It is worth noting that in the business plan of the hostel, the calendar plan should be supplied not only with deadlines, but also with an indication of performers and responsible persons.
Recruitment for the hostel
In order to open a hostel in an apartment or non-residential premises, you will need to assemble a team of professionals who will work there.
Often family members are involved.
It is important to take people "from the outside" only with work experience.
A big plus is the knowledge of foreign languages.
The number of staff depends on the size of the hostel.
Often the level of cleanliness is the weak point of hostels.
To avoid problems, sign a contract with for periodic general cleaning.
Also, do not forget about laundry, and conclude an agreement with a dry cleaner for the provision of this service.
How much does it cost to open a hostel?
"The biggest risk in business worldwide is the risk of being inefficient."
Mikhail Prokhorov
So from organizational issues, we came to the question of how much does it cost to open a hostel?
Regular investments in the work of the hostel
We must not forget that a business needs not only start-up investments.
To operate the hostel, you will need to invest a certain amount every month.
Payback periods and profitability of the hostel as a business
Due to the price advantage over expensive hotels, the hostel pays off faster and requires less investment.
Dry calculations show that 100% load of the hostel will bring about 115,000 rubles per month.
However, at the beginning of the hostel and the low season, such an indicator cannot be achieved.
It is realistic to achieve 75-85% profitability of the hostel with the active use of advertising methods.
With this indicator, it is possible to recoup the investment in 1-2 years.
How to make good money by opening your hostel, you will learn from the video:
The hostel is a place for a budget holiday, but not for the poor.
Guests should not see shabby doors, broken locks, mold, or a broken electric kettle.
Follow the details at the hostel.
Many people stay in a hostel for the sake of impressions.
Develop a special hostel style.
It could be the subject Soviet Union or psychedelic creative space.
Many guests are tourists.
Enter Additional services in the hostel: excursions, the ability to call an inexpensive taxi, free maps of the city.
thinking through how to open a hostel, it is worth managing only personal funds, not credit.
But when things go uphill, you can contact the bank or investors to get money for the development of the business.
In this case, the risks are lower, and it is easier to get consent from sponsors.
After you promote one point, you should think about opening new hostels.
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