In 2024, we embarked on an exciting new journey: launching a second canal boat as an additional income stream for our organisation. With a new (smaller) boat ready to hit the market, but not nearly enough hours in the day to promote it ourselves, we decided to explore a unique partnership with one of the well-known online discount voucher providers.
Getting Started
The process was surprisingly quick and seamless. Within just a few days of signing the contract, our business was listed online, and the bookings started rolling in! Despite some initial admin challenges, we were able to set up effective systems to manage our bookings efficiently. Importantly, we retained control over what we offered and when, ensuring flexibility for both our team and customers.
The Results: A Look Back at the 2024 Season
From April to September, the impact was significant:
- 68 vouchers sold
- Trips provided to approximately 500 people
- Total income: just under £7,000
- Customer rating: 4.92 out of 5 stars!
More than just financial success, this initiative fulfilled one of our core charitable aims—introducing new audiences to the canal and creating more opportunities for people to enjoy life on the water.
The Pros
- Reaching New Markets: The voucher platform brought us customers we may never have reached otherwise.
- Volunteer Enjoyment: Our volunteers found new purpose and enthusiasm in taking guests out on the boat—this role became hugely popular!
- Increased Sales: We sold five times more trips than we would have with internal marketing alone, all with minimal effort on our part.
- User-Friendly Systems: The booking and voucher redemption process through the company was straightforward and easy to manage.
The Cons
While the experience was overwhelmingly positive, there were a couple of considerations:
- Discounts and Fees: To succeed financially, we had to offer substantial discounts, and the company took a significant commission. This worked for us only because our boat trips are primarily delivered by volunteers*. Without this, the financial outcome might have been less favourable.
- Delayed Payments: Payments for redeemed vouchers came with a time lag—everything is pre-scheduled and clear in the terms, but it’s still something to factor into cash flow planning.
*volunteers are not cheap – they are priceless!! – but our volunteer support and training is grant funded, so we could support this cost from another source, not from the income earned.
The Verdict: Would We Do It Again?
Absolutely!
While the income was reasonable, the real wins were bringing in new customers and seeing our volunteers enjoy themselves and thrive in their roles. We’re already looking ahead to 2025 – gift vouchers are live and ready in time for the Christmas 🙂
What’s Changing for 2025?
We’ve learned a few lessons and are implementing improvements:
- Simplified Pricing: Instead of offering price points based on trip length, we now have two tiers: weekday cruises and weekend cruises.
- Better Availability Management: We’ve refined how we schedule trips to make the most of the boat’s availability.
Interested in Trying It Yourself?
If you’re a social enterprise or charity considering listing with a voucher platform, we’d be more than happy to share our experience. Plus, if we refer you, the company will gift us £500 worth of vouchers, which we’ll split with you! These vouchers can be a great resource for your staff, volunteers, or fundraising efforts.
Feel free to get in touch for a chat—we’d love to help you explore this opportunity!