Accessing Capital in the Outdoor Lodging Space

Raising capital is a challenging process, no matter what stage of development you’re in. On this episode of The Glamping Podcast, AGA founder Ruben Martinez speaks to Beat Blaser, David Smith and Bryan Auchterlonie, who help us demystify the process of acquiring capital in the glamping space.

“Consumer interest has been piqued by Covid, and if it maintains its trajectory— eventually the capital will follow”

Glamping and camping are not new concepts, but the surge on the consumer side is new, and the rulebook is very much still being developed. And with the global Glamping industry set to expand $2 billion over the next three years, there’s no better time to get involved. The entire subsector of the industry is somewhat uncharted, which means there’s a lot to consider when creating a business plan— like zoning, permitting, and seasonal occupancy fluctuations.

In addition to logistics, it’s clear that two things are most important when putting a business plan together— professionalism and scalability. Proof of concept is also a critical aspect of raising capital— and funding this process requires creativity. Every project will have a different path towards acquiring funding, and this path will likely include multiple sources of capital and periods of trial and error.

So what do successful projects have in common? What is the common thread?

“People. Investors invest in people, not just concepts.”

Construct a narrative that investors can connect with emotionally, and a business plan with the data to back it up. With creativity, persistence, and planning, you’ll be on the right path towards crossing the financial finish like for your project.

To listen to the full podcast, click here