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How to Run a Caravan Park

If you're looking for the ideal lifestyle business, read more about running a caravan park!

As people in the UK are increasingly opting for staycations, caravan parks become big business! While this is a great business to invest in, there are some things that you will need to keep in mind. 

When it comes to running a caravan park, there may be more things to consider than you think. Read on to find out how you can run a booming caravan park!

Licencing 

No matter what you do, always make sure that your licences are up to date. You will need to get a caravan park licence from your local council before you open your ‘doors’ to your customers. 

There will usually be conditions put on your licence that you will have to adhere to. These conditions will be along the lines of the amenities that you provide, the layout of your property and the type of caravans that are on the land. 

Getting the right licences and making sure that they are continually up to date is vital! Failure to do so

can result in large fines.

If you are planning to play music on your caravan park site, you should look into the particular licences that this will require. It’s always best to keep yourself covered. 

Expanding

There has been an increase in the demand by holidaymakers for caravan parks. This means you could soon be looking to expand! If you ever want to expand your caravan park or add additional caravans on the land, remember that you will need to get planning permission!

There is also a wide range of caravan parks that exist- anything from basic to glamorous. You may start off basic and upgrade as you see there is a market for it. It can also be wise to offer customers a choice of accommodation with a range of process to accompany it.

Before you invest in a caravan park, research the market and the competition in the area. What is it that visitors to that area are looking for? Match this with what it is that you are passionate about providing and you will have a formula for success.

 

Extra costs

While owning a caravan park is not a high-cost venture, there are some aspects to it that can end up causing you to spend a great deal of money. Before you buy, do your due diligence and be aware of whether these are going to be a problem for you in the future.

Consider things like roads and infrastructure. Repairing these can prove expensive especially if you have not prepared for the cost. If the caravan park that you are buying doesn’t have basics like electrical hook-ups, these will also be things that you will have to install. 

What you will need to provide

As the caravan industry has grown, what caravaners expect has also changed. Customers are expecting for more than the very basic and this is what your site will have to provide if you want to keep visitors coming back.

You should be giving your customers access to clean ablutions, electricity and, often, entertainment of some sorts. There are a lot of holidaymakers that are drawn to caravan parks that have bars, laundries and small shops on site.

You will need to be on top of your game if you want to run a busy caravan park. Make sure that it is easy for customers to book online and get your business to appear on well-known booking sites.

If you are thinking of buying a caravan park, make sure it is the right business for you. You will need to be self-motivated and you will need to like people from all different backgrounds and cultures.

Don’t forget that you will have to be able to keep your business’s books and market it. A basic knowledge of business tasks such as these will be beneficial.

Finally, though, this business will suit someone who is looking for a lifestyle business that will allow them to spend plenty of time outdoors, meeting new people!



Anthea Taylor

About the author

Anthea Taylor is Content Producer at Dynamis and writes for all titles in the Dynamis stable including BusinessesForSale.com, FranchiseSales.com and PropertySales.com as well as other industry publications.