It’s part of what pundits have dubbed the Tech Wreck and the Dot.Com Bomb - hard times for businesses on the Internet. Over the past year a number of my friends and colleagues have been “downsized” through website failures as the young industry continues to suffer through its first reverses since it burst onto the scene in the ‘90s.
Several lessons, many painful, are being learned. One of them is that bigger isn’t better - nothing levels the playing field as effectively as the Internet. A mom and pop operation with an outstanding concept and a healthy effort can stand toe-to-toe with a multinational conglomerate employing thousands.
Another finding is that “niche” or special interest sites have the best chance to succeed. By bringing like-minded people together on a focussed topic, you build a community with growth potential and staying power. Word of mouth is critical, branding is key. But in any enterprise, innovation and dedication pays off.
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Craig and I reflected on this when we got together at this spring’s CottageLife Show in Toronto, our annual opportunity to meet the people who have made this site a small business success story and introduce others to the advantages of advertising their cottages online or finding the perfect rental here.
“It’s always great to talk to customers about their experiences with their listings,” Craig says. “It’s three solid days of feedback and we learn a lot.”
A feature that’s getting a lot of positive response is CalendarLink, which lets potential renters know up-to-the-minute property availability with the click of a mouse, a time-saving bonus for both the cottage owner and holiday seeker.
“As Internet penetration is now well beyond what it was when we started out - we figure about 85-90% of our new customers now have ready Web access - they’re using that feature to quickly locate their ideal cottage,” Craig says.
Traffic is up and the latest hit parade shows over 10,000 people a week from over 30 countries are perusing listings on the CottageLink site.
The current real estate boom in cottage country (which we discuss elsewhere in this issue) has had a strong impact on this year’s business in two ways. First, sales listings are up - a lot of people sitting on the fence have decided current low interest rates, threatening to go higher, are too good to pass up and are looking to buy. But with the price of a piece of paradise on the way up, more new owners have decided on a sensible solution to offset some of those costs - renting their new properties out during select periods.
“More people are realizing their investment potential of their cottages and, frankly, that’s been good for business,” Craig says.
The cottage boom has seen growth in areas outside of the two to three-hour arc of the Greater Toronto Area. “As prices climb out of sight for places like Muskoka, Torontonians are venturing further to cottages north of Lake Nippissing and to eastern Ontario, and we’re noticing some growth in those areas,” Craig says.
I left the show heartened and re-energized about the potential of this relatively new medium - and we thank you for your support.
Glenn Garnett/Editor, CottageLink Magazine
When meal time rolls around at the cottage, it can only mean one thing - Flame On! But before you fire-up your grill for the first time this year, there’s a few things you should know about BBQ preparation and food preparation. Food writer Rita Demontis talk to the folks at Weber-Stephen Products Co. for the latest advice on modern equipment. suggest the following to get your barbecue ready for the grill season. Get cooking with story 1.
But if a spankin’ new grill isn’t in your budget this spring, there could be more life in the old barbie you’ve got on the deck. Our own cottage handyman Scot Magnish offers up some easy-to-follow tips in story 2.
The haunting call of the Common Loon in part of everyone’s image of life at the cottage. But pollution and habitat encroachment is threatening this magnificent bird - find out what you can do to protect the loon in story 3.
You’ve got questions - and we’ve got the answers. If the first of what we hope will be a regular series of Q&A’s we talk to the experts about hot cottage real estate, water reservoirs, and why you can’t take CottageLink magazine to the outhouse - see story 4.
You’ll meet Oscar the owl, who was presented to a wildlife centre 30 years after two boys learned the hard way that the bird isn’t a cool pet. Not only that - Oscar’s a she! And we’ll talk about the Canadian flag - you’ll see them flapping in the breeze at many cottages, but a lot of people are unaware of the protocol to fully respect this national symbol. This and more in our summer issue.
If you have any comments or suggestions on articles you’d like to see in CottageLink Magazine, just drop me a line at cggarnett@telus.net. Remember - this is your magazine!
Cover illustration by Tim Peckham
