Simon Tolson reflects on letting Rumsey Holiday Homes go, his next project and why he will never retire.
You’ve made yourself the face of Rumsey for a long time so many people were surprised to hear you had sold the business. What led to that decision?
It was a very long and gradual process – when I bought Rumsey in 2017 the business was on its knees so the first few years were a blur of non stop activity changing just about everything.
Just as we were making good progress Covid came along and we were shut down which was terrifying. Ultimately the pandemic gave a huge boost to the UK holiday sector and many more people wanted to buy second homes in Sandbanks so we ended up growing very rapidly.
As things returned to normal in 2022 it became apparent that we had outgrown our systems and the business needed to become more disciplined and efficient – this is not my area of expertise!
After a very expensive and painful experience with a new booking and CRM system that ultimately failed it became clear to me that the best way forward was to become part of a larger organisation bringing economies of scale and expertise whilst retaining the local independent service.
Time to put your feet up and enjoy retirement?
To be honest I cannot imagine anything worse! I might be 60 this year but I’m convinced that my best work is ahead of me – all those years of making mistakes, getting knocked down and getting up again mean I have bags of experience to put to good use. I did contemplate the path that many people take after an exit – working for a charity, helping young people in business etc but ultimately I know I’d just end up working flat out so I may as well apply that energy to a new business.
So what’s next if you’re not going to tend to your roses and go on a cruise?
I’ve had an idea developing in my mind for years for a new concept in hospitality. Think of a ski lodge without the skiing or a yoga retreat without the yoga. A small guest house accommodating a dozen people or so, rooms rented individually but everyone eats family style dinner together.
The target market is not holidaymakers but people who just need a bit of looking after and support – think of patients discharged from hospital but not quite ready to manage on their own, families visiting the hospice for the last few weeks of their mum’s life, parent’s with a child in the hospital or someone here for the week to clear out the house after a bereavement.
Over the years we have looked after guests like this at Rumsey but a self catering holiday home, however nice, is not quite the same experience
What is appealing to me is that I really don’t know where the market is. We will evolve to meet demand and build the business accordingly. Creating something from scratch really gets me up in the morning and growing sales is my skill set – managing a steady business and reducing costs is definitely not.
Back to working flat out then?
Not quite, I must confess. For the first time in my life I won’t be doing everything myself and employing staff only when I’m overwhelmed. Harry’s House will have management and staff in place from day one so I will be concentrating on the marketing although anyone who knows me will be rolling their eyes at the moment in the certain knowledge that I won’t be able to resist interfering from time to time!
So where does the name come from?
Harry is my dad and the idea first came to me 15 years ago when he suffered a serious heart attack. He was transferred to London for a life or death operation and I had to find somewhere for my mum to stay for a fortnight. Now he lives in a nursing home but there have been many times over the years when it would have been great for him to stay somewhere for a week and give my mum a break or the chance to go on a holiday.
Harry’s House will open mid May.
See www.harry-houses.co.uk for updates and to join the mailing list.
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