Welcome to an exhilarating episode of The Fit Investor Podcast! In this edition, we are excited to introduce our distinguished guest, Mark Simpson, a visionary entrepreneur with deep roots in the heart of Scarborough, near the bustling tourism of the Yorkshire coast.
Mark's journey into the world of hospitality began at a remarkably young age, as he was intimately involved in the operations of his family's enchanting farm, The Grainary, which offered distinctive tourist accommodation. This early immersion in the world of hospitality ignited his passion for providing exceptional experiences to travelers.
However, Mark's journey took a few unexpected turns. A childhood love for football, particularly Liverpool FC, led him towards a career as a soccer coach in the United States. His international experiences fostered a spirit of exploration, leading him to traverse the globe before diving headfirst into the marketing realm.
Mark's marketing journey began at Qype, a pioneering web 2.0 firm in London focused on social networking and local reviews, which was later acquired by Yelp. In 2012, he saw the opportunity to modernize The Grainary by digitizing its traditional offline operations. Over five transformational years, he bolstered the farm stay's web visibility, ranking it among TripAdvisor's top properties in the competitive region and earning the title of the 'most followed' independent business on Facebook in Scarborough. His innovative efforts earned The Grainary numerous accolades and facilitated growth, resulting in additional rooms, a tea room, and a restaurant.
Unyielding in his pursuit of growth and innovation, Mark ventured into small businesses in 2016, exploring their strategies for direct bookings. He found that many depended solely on online travel agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb and Booking.com, despite the high commissions and costs associated with such platforms. Mark believed there had to be a more lucrative method of attracting guests.
He launched the Hospitality Community Facebook Group, which began as a local initiative but grew into one of the world's most engaged groups on the platform, boasting over 6,600 members and an impressive 89% engagement rate.
Mark's firsthand experiences and insights led to the founding of Boostly in 2017, an online academy committed to empowering hosts with the tools, tactics, and training needed to optimize their profits through direct bookings. With Boostly, hosts can significantly reduce commission costs, avoid outdated strategies, establish profitable hospitality businesses, and seize control of their destinies.
Mark's unwavering commitment to helping hosts reduce their dependence on OTAs has propelled thousands of short-stay accommodation owners to increase their direct bookings. He has been recognized as one of the "Top 20 Most Influential People in the Vacation Rental Industry Globally" and aims to assist one million hosts in enhancing their direct bookings, thereby creating an industry where hosts can establish bookings on their terms without intermediary intervention.
Join us in this episode of The Fit Investor Podcast as Mark Simpson shares his incredible journey, insights into the world of hospitality, marketing, and entrepreneurship, and his vision for reshaping the way hosts attract guests in the digital age. Mark's story is a testament to the power of innovation, determination, and unwavering commitment to delivering remarkable guest experiences in the hospitality industry.
Connect with Mark:
https://linktr.ee/boostlyuk
https://www.facebook.com/BoostlyUk/
https://www.instagram.com/boostlyuk
https://boostly.co.uk/
