Tourism Business For Sale:
The Pemberton Lavender & Berry Farm is located on 20 acres of scenic grounds and gardens, 4km from the Pemberton town centre. This well known tourist attraction has been operating for over 20 years (est. 1987) and has developed a significant following particularly within the Perth and Asian markets.
The business consists of 3 main features; The Cafe, the Gift Shop and four Chalets are all set around the centre piece of the gardens and the 5 acre lake.
THE CAFE
The Cafe located beside the main gardens
The Cafe serves farm style home cooked food and for many years the Famous Berry Pancake has been a major attraction to tourists and locals and leads to a great number of referrals.
Offering an alternative to “winery dining” with a more affordable menu it is a unique alternative for tourists in the area.
All food is home made on the premises in keeping with “fresh farm‐style” concept. Supplies come from various companies and are delivered fresh to the door up to 3 times a week.
Seating is for approximately 40 people.
THE GIFT SHOPPE
The gift shop with home made lavender and food products
The Gift Shoppe features home‐made lavender and berry products. There is currently a range of 10 more than 15 lavender products made in‐house with room to increase the product range. These products represent exceptional profit margin.
There is also a variety of berry jams, sauces and home made pickles, also made in‐house and with no preservatives or artificial additives. These products are all sold exclusively on the premises. Soaps, candles and a selection of other items are also sold in the Gift Shoppe.
THE CHALETS
Four chalets overlook the lake
Opposite the Gift Shoppe and Cafe on the other side of the lake are four fully self‐contained rammed earth chalets. The chalets are rated 3 stars and range in price from $145 to $230 per night.
Each chalet has two bedrooms; one chalet with a queen bed and a double bed, and the other three chalets with a queen bed in one room and three singles in the second room (plus a fold out bed if required).
A wood fire is in the living area of each chalet, and the chalets all have outstanding views of the lake. Chalet bookings receive repeat and referred clients.
Over 2011 the occupancy was 64% average. Online bookings are working well for the business and the website gets an average of 1500 unique visitors a month. This volume is increasing constantly by implementing internet marketing techniques.
OWNER/MANAGER’S RESIDENCE
4 x 2 timber cottage overlooking the lake
Alongside the Gloucester National Park boundary, in a private area of the grounds is a rustic 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom timber homestead in sound condition. It is a tranquil setting with beautiful views of the lake. The master bedroom is situated above the verandah. A jetty structure gives access to the lake and the marron and trout within.
THE ATTRACTION:
Hand feeding the alpacas is very popular with the tourists
Along with shop, cafe and chalets, tourists also visit the farm to;
- Enjoy the gardens and the bird life
- Feed the alpacas
- See the miniature horses
- Feed the ducks on the lake
- Pick fresh berries in season
- Relax in picturesque surroundings
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING OVERVIEW -
MEMBERSHIPS
- Australia’s South West (silver membership)
- Pemberton Visitor Centre (gold membership)
- Pemberton Accommodation Association
- Northcliffe Visitor Centre
Memberships offer various levels of business support and benefits including advertising discounts, brochure racking and accommodation booking services.
MAJOR ADVERTISING
One of the publications that we're involved in
- South West Holiday Planner
- Pemberton Visitor’s Guide
- Northcliffe Visitor’s Guide
- Stay WA publication and website
- Website: www.lavenderberryfarm.com.au
- Full colour A4 folded to DL size brochure
- TripAdvisor.com business listing
- Stayz.com enhanced web listing
- Selected accommodation wholesale sites online
- MuddaBiddi Trail – cycle friendly business (pending)
KEY FACTORS:
- The business has a well established reputation with repeat clientele
- The popular Pemberton Region (recently called the new Margaret River)
- Unique attraction
- Well established Lavender & Berry Farm brand name (and as such is primed for future expansion)
- Cash sales – no bad debts
- Minimal stock on hand
- 3 facets of the business work in support of each other
- Easily run business
- Complete operation manual prepared for the business
IDEAS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH & PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT:
- Develop off‐premise sales of lavender and berry products – marketing the Lavender & Berry Farm products to various locations in Perth and the South West. This would allow the business to increase its income, and not be reliant on Tourism traffic.
- Add e-commerce functionality to the website so visitors to the site can order online using their credit cards, PayPal etc, rather than having to send an email or phone. This can be further promoted to reach a market outside of tourism (hand made lavender products).
- Promote products on other websites e.g. www.mysouthwest.com.au, ebay.
- Become members of more accommodation wholesalers to gain prominence on their websites and in their marketing materials.
- Upgrade the chalets to provide additional value for money or to provide an option to increase tariffs. (upsells).
- Construct additional chalets or add caravan/camping sites (requires approval from the relevant authorities).
- Expand Cafe menu and provide more high end options.
- Attract bus and tour groups for meals in the café. There is considerable potential to increase this market.
- Utilise the picturesque grounds for weddings and photographs.
A new owner can work in with local restaurants, external caterers etc creating a profitable partnering arrangement. - Chalets – offer meal packs/platters for evening meals.
- Build a kids lavender maze and expand the playground to encourage children to visit and bring their parents.
- Expand the size of the garden and introduce additional berry plants.
- Introduce additional farm animals – Animals are a big attraction with all ages and would allow the business to tap into the lucrative Farm Stay market which is hugely popular with the Perth and Asian markets. It could justify charging an entry fee, which would increase revenue.
- Develop a kids “train” around the lake and through the forest.
- Build a gazebo and jetty on the chalet side of lake. This facility could serve chalet guests and attract the profitable and high paying wedding market.
- Add trout fishing in the lake for chalet guests and general public.
