Accommodation Companies
Partnership
Pre-Launch
The Homecare Board decided that we will implement a support plan within a shorter period to help "Key Partners". It would have been better to first complete the software and then manage a National Launch.
After carefully considering all the challenges "Key Partners" may face, we decided to use the Pre-Launch Software and source business with almost immediate effect (1 February 2020).
We do not want companies to contribute to this important project without reaping rewards. Even if a company only R100 to become a "Key Partner", that money must be well invested.
We can only do the Pre-Launch after we concluded partnerships in the major towns across South Africa with approximately 282 accommodation companies.
In the “Registration Page” we explain how business owners can quickly assist us to prepare for the Pre-Launch.
With the Pre-Launch, we should reach about 1 million South Africans within a short period. This 1 million will be more in line with the population we want to target to help accommodation companies.
When we launch the software, we will reach the entire population, including large number of wage-earners who can anyway not support accommodation companies.
Our Pre-launch campaign will be implemented by using estate agents nationally, plus social media and newsletters.
We will focus our energy around the Bucket List competition and we will use social media and “word of mouth” marketing to entice South Africans so that they should book accommodation during the development period via our “booking agents”.
It is a difficult decision. We know hat when we do the Pre-Launch, that numerous accommodation companies nationally will approach as and ask to join. We will then have to notify them that we will take them in after completion of the important software.
We have talked about “relationships” in the Intro page, and how relationships will be influenced. The project will put constraints on relationships that “Other Accommodation Companies” have with their regulars, and it will enhance the relationships that our "Key Partners" will have with their existing client base.
We need our "Key Partners" to win this battle! Internet bookings is only one part of the company’s success. Referrals and repeat business plays the largest role in managing a successful accommodation company.
To succeed in this Battle Plan, we must allow and support the "Key Partners" with News Letters that we implement during the Pre-Launch period.
We have to inform the 1 million South Africans that certain businesses are relied on to restore our economy.
The plan is simple:
-
The Homecare Board invite partners strategically (detail on Registration page)
-
The Homecare board focus our energy on getting the property teams in place before 1 February 2020
-
The estate agents receive their “Ambassador Badges” so that they can be ready for the “Pre-Launch”
-
The estate agents will be asked to inform clients who they work with about this important project. Clients will ask about the “Ambassador badges”, and agents will ask clients permission to mail them a short newsletter from their phones. Pre-Launch software will support agents to do that.
-
The public, who can afford accommodation, will be asked to please allow the Homecare booking team an hour to help them search for accommodation amongst our "Key Partners". We do this and we negotiate 10% discount from accommodation companies willing to help the South Africans who team up to help the Homecare Project. (The 10% discount is a better deal than to pay Booking.com 27,2%)
-
We will explain that South Africans receive a point for every R1 spend on accommodation via the support team. They are entered into our Pre-Launch Bucket List competition.
-
The "Key Partners" receive two web-based platforms where they can upload data.
-
The first is to upload data of guests who has just completed a visit. The software will then send out a newsletter where we include branding of the guest house to the client. This newsletter will be from the Homecare Board where we inform the guest that he received entries into the Bucket List competition and we thank him/her for supporting the accommodation company. The newsletter will also describe in short how we rely on the small number of companies to test important software that we work on. The software will have a positive impact on the growth of tourism.
-
The second page will allow "Key Partners" to upload data, or we can import data, of clients who already supported the company in the past. We will then send out a Newsletter informing the person about the important partnership that the Company went into with the Homecare Foundation. We will also tell the person that we will appreciate support if the person might need accommodation anywhere in South Africa, and we will discuss the Bucket List Competition.
We will reach more than 40% of people who use accommodation companies for business or leisure when 282 Accommodation Companies Nationally (who do not compete directly with one another) share the one platform.
The newsletters will strengthen the relationship with clients. It will attack the relationships that other guest house owners have with their clients. There will be a percentage of people who do not have that strong bond with accommodation companies that will support the Homecare Foundation.
They will do this as it is important to all that we unite as a nation, we all work towards a better South Africa.
We will with the Pre-Launch start with media postings in well-positioned social media pages.
One example is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/361681004771293/members/
I Am Staying is a Facebook group who all decided to support positive campaigns that will benefit South Africa. They already have more than 879 008 members. With one posting where we inform South Africans that we work towards a better South Africa, and we need their support, please register on our Pre-launch page to win the Bucket List competition, the momentum shift towards the “Key Partners” will be huge!
The Pre-Launch Competition page will be updated just before we launch in February. The page will then inform participants that they earn points for the competition when they book holiday of business accommodation via the support tam. It will not take us long to reach our 1 million target!