It is difficult to establish a set routine, as each day is different, influenced by the weather, guest arrivals and occupancy, absenteeism, emergency maintenance etc.

Normally I am down at the farm in the morning, giving a hand to the workforce in the vegetable garden, or cutting wood for making wood chips, compost, etc…which we sell through a local chain of garden shops. We also have to look after 6 horses, clean their stables, saddle them up if horse rides have been booked, feed the 3 goats, the ducks and chickens.

After a healthy breakfast, I spend time with the 2 office ladies and my daughter (who does the marketing and quality control – she’s an Interior Architect who has chosen farm life!) planning guest departures and arrivals, meeting the in-house guests, and overseeing the maintenance work of the 6 chalets, reception area, farm buildings, gardens, driveways etc.

After lunch, I normally tackle the accounting and bookkeeping, (it was previously outsourced but not to my satisfaction), and every Monday afternoon we have a management meeting (admin ladies, my daughter, the agricultural manager and myself) to assess the past week, plan the coming week, monitor sales, forward bookings, expenses and cash situation.

The main problems we face are technical: breakdown of essential agricultural machines, maintenance problems in the guest chalets (always seem to happen when no maintenance staff available!).
We also have to deal with low occupancy periods and decide whether to review our rates or launch special promotions.

Pros

• Sharing our farm and its facilities with our guests, especially those who identify fully with the atmosphere and spirit we have created.
• Monitoring guest feedback and our ranking on TripAdvisor & OTAs, and seeing the positive results of our marketing and hospitality initiatives.
• Applying sustainable and “Green” policies and protecting our environment.
• The outdoor life and the green environment with a small passionate and motivated team. We also really appreciate the direct contact with clients.

Cons

• Dealing with difficult clients (very seldom) and the technical breakdowns in the middle of the night.

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