Raising Money for Your Glamping Business? Here's My Advice

It’s going to be hard.

That’s the one thing you need to understand if you’re raising capital for a glamping business.

Whether you’re seeking private investment, bank loans or crowdfunding, you should expect a ton of rejection, a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and every kind of obstacle you can imagine.

Take it from me. I’ve been in capital-raising mode for Posh Outdoors for six months now. I’d estimate I’ve sent several thousand emails, made hundreds of calls, and been given every version of “no”, from “this will never work” to “I’d love to invest but I have to fund my dog’s funeral”. 

Most entrepreneurs, when looking back at their journey, say they thought about giving up countless times. Truthfully, I’ve never once considered quitting. Making Posh Outdoors a success is just too damn important to me. 

But that doesn’t mean the last six months haven’t been bloody hard.

Posh is still in raise mode, and I expect a ton of twists and turns to come, but we’re nearly there. I’ve learned some vital lessons along the way, and I’d like to share them with you now.

Here are my three pieces of advice for anyone looking to raise money for their glamping project:

Tip 1 - Don’t Get Too High or Too Low

Early in the journey, I’d be crushed by the nos and get high on the wins. This is a bad idea. Experiencing a constant rollercoaster of emotions really saps your energy. If you let that rollercoaster take you for a ride, you’ll be burnt out before you know it.

The key is to remain stoic throughout.

Just got rejected by a huge investment prospect? That’s fine. Onto the next one.

Just been handed your first big check? That’s great. Onto the next one.

Never take your eyes off the prize. The celebrations can come later.

Tip 2 - Be Prepared to Pivot

At Posh, we started our capital raise with the intention of launching with 10 units. Given a cold, hard dose of reality by the market, we adjusted our first-phase plans to 5 units. For permitting reasons, we also had to change the type of unit we launched with.

While investors might have been perturbed by these adjustments, we explained the reasons clearly, and it’s had no effect on our fundraising efforts. This ability to roll with the punches allowed us to place our first unit order a few weeks ago, and construction on Location #1 is well underway. 

Things will go wrong in your capital raise, I guarantee it. Sometimes to the extent that you’ll need to change plans. It’s normal, and it shouldn’t derail your efforts as long as you’re flexible enough to pivot.

Tip 3 - You’ll Need Grit. A Lot of It.

Often, the difference between success and failure when raising capital is simply refusing to give in.

So many of the best operators in the business, such as Bygnal from Open Sky and Ben Wolff from Onera, have had the rug pulled from under their feet at some point in their capital-raising journey. The kind of rug pull that would make most people quit. And yet, out of sheer courage, determination, and probably a sizable dose of craziness, they got back on their feet and found a way forward.

Are you courageous, determined and crazy enough to keep pushing when it’s easier to call it a day?

The good news is, once you reach the other side, the rewards are glorious. Or so I’ve been told. Posh Outdoors isn’t quite there yet, but it will be. I’ll make sure of it. 

How’s that for grit?

💡Idea of the Week - Give Your Staff Free Stays, Regularly

This week’s IotW comes from Bolt Farm Treehouse, one of the most successful independent glamping businesses in the US. 

Whenever there’s a last-minute opening at Bolt Farm (which is rare thanks to their popularity), they let one of their employees fill the empty spot.

Why?

Not only is this a good thing to do, it makes the staff better at their jobs by engaging them with the business. More importantly, it allows the staff to see things through the guest lens. This small change in perspective can be enough to spark a game-changing idea for the business.

💰️ Free Glamping Course

I want to tell you about a free online course that’s must-do for anyone thinking of starting a glamping business. It’s called Easy Entry to a Glamping Business, and it’s run by Chris Jeub, also known as The Glamping Guy. He has his own beautiful glamping site in Colorado, and he’s now helping others start their own safe, legal and profitable glamping businesses.

I’ve known Chris for a while now, and he’s a brilliant teacher (it was literally his job before glamping). For the princely sum of $0, he breaks down everything it takes to get a glamping business off the ground, from conception to completion.

If you’re serious about getting started in glamping, I can’t recommend this course highly enough. You can sign up now, for FREE, here.

📰 The Posh Report

One of the reasons I’m so passionate about Posh Outdoors is that our first location is breathtakingly beautiful. 

This week, I visited the property to check up on construction progress. I’ve seen the mountain view several times now, but it never fails to give me goosebumps. This visit was particularly special, as it was the first time I’ve seen the property in fall. The golden leaves were spectacular.

If you’d like to learn more about joining me for the ride as an investor in Posh Outdoors, check out our crowdfunding page here, and either reply to this email or schedule a call. 

🎧️ On the Pod

Continuing the theme of glamping capital, this week’s guest on the pod was Bryan Auchterlonie from Destination Capital. He’s super-sophisticated, and he gave some great takes on finding the right form of capital for your glamping business, as well as providing his thoughts on the future of the industry.

Check it out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube.

Found this edition of The Glamping Insider useful? I’d be grateful if you could forward it to a friend and sign them up here.