The Lake House is one of Manitoba’s hottest boutique hotels. Located right in the heart of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, it is the perfect little getaway and a hot travel destination this summer.

As you know, we had the opportunity to stay at Lake House earlier this season and we couldn’t help but pick their brain with some questions on how this gorgeous place came to be along with any advice they have for new business owners. We absolutely loved our stay and our chat with them! We’ve shared this with our WE group already, but thought it would be great to share with all of you as well!

How did Lake House come to be?

Karly: To be completely honest, the decision to purchase and renovate Lake House evolved from a conversation with a client of mine (Mike Collyer) who is now also my business partner. We were chatting about the shortage of really well styled and unique accommodations in Riding Mountain National Park, and the opportunities that could be capitalized on based on that gap in the marketplace. Mike and Julie Collyer (our business partners) also own and operate Collyer Construction (they build beautiful custom homes and commercial spaces) in Onanole, and I am a graphic designer by trade, so we work really well together because we both understand that attention to detail and great design is critical when developing a great business and a great brand – I think we have the ideal ownership group for a project like Lake House.

We purchased McTavish’s Motel in late February 2015 and started renovations in mid-March. Lakehouse opened May 15th of 2015. Things have gone really well so far. We have built a solid brand, and have just renovated the property to add an exclusive lounge space, breakfast area, and group meeting space (for guests of Lakehouse and our recently acquired sister property Arrowhead Family Resort). We remained open year round this past year, and have plans to continue to build on our off season offer. The development of our lounge and meeting space is going to help us to position ourselves as an all-inclusive destination within the townsite of Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park. There hasn’t been a business open inside of RMNP for many many years so we are excited to fill this void!

What advice do you have for someone looking to start a new business in the hospitality industry?

Karly: The best advice that I can give to anyone looking to start a business in general – hospitality industry or otherwise – is, do what you love! If you love your work; the inspiration, motivation, adrenaline and all of the important ingredients and energy that you need to operate a successful business will flow naturally.

The second piece of advice I would give is do what you do best, and partner to do the rest. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, capitalize on your strengths and spend time to use them to your advantage. Hire staff and partner with other businesses that will help in the areas where you are not as strong. I think being able to recognize your own weaknesses and identify them as strengths in others is so critical to your own success.

At Lake House we try to say ‘yes’ as much as possible. What I mean by this is if a customer has a request, even if it is out of the norm we try to accommodate it if we can find a way. I really value the ability to be resourceful and to problem solve and try to encourage our staff to do that every day for every customer.

Do you have any marketing tips for all of the fellow business owners out there?

Karly: Great marketing is so important! If it is not your strength, I think it is probably the most important and critical investment you can make to hire someone who is going to brand and market your business properly. You can have a truly amazing product, but without good marketing you may never reach your full potential. The most vital piece of the puzzle in my opinion is not just creating a great logo, or great marketing pieces but developing and supporting your brand .

What I mean by this is every marketing piece you develop and put out in front of your customers should support and echo your brand values, and should emphasize the things you want people to identify with in regard to your business. Packaging, signage, print media, social media…all of it should have a consistent look and feel. I am in love with lifestyle branding, it is truly powerful and a great hook for the massive Millennial demographic.

Thank you so much Karly for taking the time to chat with us and for sharing this valuable information. What great takeaways for all business owners! We will be back in Clear Lake in a few weeks and we cannot wait to check out your new space.

For more information or to book your stay please visit their website.

A few weekends ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to enjoy a little gateway at Lake House Boutique Hotel in Clear Lake (Wasagaming Community), Manitoba. We enjoy visiting Clear Lake every summer and always jump on any chance we get to explore one of Manitoba’s greatest treasures, let alone stay at this adorable hotel.

Our stay at Lake House was nothing short of amazing! From the moment we arrived we were treated so well! We were greeted immediately and escorted to our studio room. The rooms have all been renovated and their rustic but clean and airy look make you feel right at home! All of their suites are equipped with kitchenettes, which are great for keeping your drinks cold and making a quick midnight snack.

One of my favorite features of this hotel is its location. The Lake House is conveniently located right in the heart of downtown Clear Lake, just a quick walk to the beach (you can see the water from the hotel) and seconds from all shopping and restaurants. This made our stay so enjoyable as we could easily run back to the hotel to enjoy an iced coffee on the large second level patio in between our time at the beach.

This hotel really does have it all and you will be charmed by its quaint feel and pleasant staff. Also, did I mention that there is an amazing coffee shop and ice cream parlor right in the lobby? It really doesn’t get any better than that!

Book your stay at Lake House today. We can’t wait to return again this summer!

*WE members stay tuned!* We will be featuring an interview we did with the owners of Lake House and their journey to success in the hospitality industry.

 

We hope you are all loving this e-series so far. We are sure learning a lot of valuable information and truly getting inspired to really take our business dreams to the next level.

This week’s feature is one that is ultra cool as this business venture began right here in Winnipeg and has evolved into to a corporation that is based in New York! Lia Banville, president/owner of Banville Wine Merchants imports wine from Italy and France to sell and distribute across the USA.

Lia’s journey began right here in her hometown when she opened a wine store with her sister in 1998 called Banville and Jones. Lia’s family owns a winery in Tuscany and with changes in legislation in regards to private wine stores, they felt that this would be a great business venture. After a year of working together, Lia decided to leave the retail wine business and began working more on the production side at their winery in Italy while her sister continued growing Banville and Jones, which is still a successful and developing business to this day.

The family winery in Italy (Tolaini) needed representation in North America and that’s essentially how Banville Wine Merchants was born. Today, Banville Wine Merchants has 24 employees, imports from 35 wineries and distributes for over 750 wines.

Lia has a business sense and a work ethic like no other. I’ve known Lia for quite some time and I’ve always admired her ambition, her ability to network and build connections and to truly take her passions and turn them into extremely successful business opportunities.

Thank you so much Lia for sharing your journey and for providing all of our followers with such great insight. You’re a motivation to us all!

WE: What would you consider your first big success?

Lia: My first biggest success in business was having my wines for sale at some of New York’s finest restaurants. The first time I met Julian Niccolini of the iconic Four Seasons Restaurant in NY (not the hotel, the hotel chain was established after this restaurant) and he purchased my family wines and several others in my portfolio. This made me feel like I had it the big times! It was a dream of many producers/importers to be on that wine list, it was a great moment for sure.

WE: What was the biggest hurdle you faced when launching your new business? How did you overcome it?

Lia: My biggest hurdle in launching a business in NY is the fact it is far away.  Distance and air travel is definitely the most exhausting part.  Also, balancing home, kids and husband have been the most difficult part.  As a mother there is a different connection with your family life that makes it difficult to be away and not feel some sort of guilt or remorse. To be a good parent I believe one cannot operate out of guilt, so it’s a delicate balance. Returning home and trying to parent in a weekend can be exhausting and over bearing for everyone in the house. Having texting capability has made a huge difference for me. Constant communication with your husband and kids is key. It doesn’t have to be tete a tete and actually communication can be easier, via text in certain instances. Absence can definitely take a toll on everyone.

WE: What is your favourite part about running your own business? What is the hardest part?

Lia: My favorite part of running my own business is the direct contact with “wine” people. The Julian Niccolini’s of the world, the restaurateurs, the winemakers, the sommeliers.  It’s a unique “world” full of very interesting characters and they all share a passion for wine. But wine, like any business, can be intense because it is still a business. Wine is abstract, objective and you sell it on its perceived inherent value. Its value is not clear. Just because I like it does not mean you will.

One of the negatives of this business, is that competition is fierce, as there is a lot of wine being produced with a lot of labels to choose from.  Wineries with big marketing budgets, (the more commercial wineries) take market share because they have the money to spend on marketing. Success for a winery is not always about the quality of the wine.

Another negative is that scores from a few known journalists have become more important.  Unfortunately, consumers do not always trust their own palates. This is the part of the business I don’t like.  Wine can be intimidating and “stuffy” for some people. We aren’t solving any world issues or saving lives, we promote fermented grape juice, seriously!

WE: What is your number one piece of advice for any woman looking to start her own venture?

Lia: Be careful what you wish for. Be ready to be successful and understand what that would entail. Anyone can do anything if they believe in it enough, work at it hard enough, and listen to the market.  Lastly, let the numbers do the talking; it’s all you can take to the bank. If it’s putting money in your pocket and you are determined enough, then it will work. It starts with a dream, but it needs to be a business and make money. Make sure you can differentiate when the dream ends and the business starts. Be honest about its success.

WE: How are you able to balance it all?

Lia: It’s exhausting and the guilt can be overwhelming. Missing important family events is so cliché, but it inevitably happens. Having a family who supports you and understands what you are trying to do/build and respects what you are doing is fundamental.

WE: What is your secret to staying motivated and inspired?

Lia: Money, seeing the bottom line grow and seeing that my goals are getting attained. It’s hugely satisfying.

WE: What would you say are your three top contributing factors to your success and growth?

Lia: Three factors that contributed to my success are; first, being well financed and personal determination. Secondly, seeing all obstacles as only small bumps to overcome and going through each problem. Not giving up is key. But most importantly is the third, having a family who has supported me every step of the way. They have even helped when it was time to move offices, do a special event and even spend their summers with me working at the winery. They too have made sacrifices to see my company get to where it is.

WE: What would you say is your top piece of marketing advice for Women Entrepreneurs? 

Lia: If you believe in yourself and what you are doing I think the marketing comes naturally. An entrepreneur can sell themselves or their project if they believe in it enough. Ultimately, it helps if it has some “successes” to brag about and confirm it is in fact a profitable and noteworthy. Communicating success is sometimes seen as bragging, but that is marketing. With that being said, being humble is very important and outright bragging will not work, third party endorsements are ultimately the best kind of marketing!

Thanks again Lia for sharing such great insight!

Make sure to visit Banville Wine Merchants and also stop by Banville and Jones right here in Winnipeg for some amazing wine selections and unique pairing events!