Project Creation

Essentials

• There are no good or bad projects! Sometimes a great idea for a project turns out to be unsuccessful. It is important to figure out why a project was successful or not.
• Test your ideas! Check a few sources and find some leads before submitting the project. It is not uncommon to cancel at least 50% – 75% of project ideas before even submitting them. Trial and error is key.
• Higher tier projects often produce a lower number of leads, but not always! For example, a project that produces 13 tier 3s and 1 tier 4 is a very successful project.
• Think outside the box! When FareHarbor releases a new product feature or you find a potential new type, try out some ideas. Aim to load 15-20 leads and check back later with Sales to see how successful the leads were. Review the BD – Tags for new types to see how many leads were assigned, tiered higher, etc.
• Submit projects here.

Project ideas

Ideas for projects come from a number of sources. The key to creating successful projects is to constantly try out new ideas, keep an open mind, and question everything (AAQ – Always Ask Questions!). Below are primary sources for project ideas but do not restrict yourself to just these ideas – creativity is king!

• BD TV: This is one of the best sources for project ideas that is posted weekly in #bizdev. Keep an eye out for any patterns emerging or new types that have not been scraped. Look at the best performing companies per region or the top 30 global companies to identify types or locations to focus on.

• Current tier 3s, 4s and 5s: Similar to the BD TV, using the data from Live companies is one of the biggest advantages we have at FareHarbor. When we identify a project based on Live, high tier companies, we know that it will produce high tier results. AAQ! What makes these leads high tier companies? Do they have a lot of resources (boats, planes, etc.) or availabilities? Do they have high ticket prices? Is it seasonal? Is it a specific location or a specific type that is performing well? How many of this type (zoos, zip lines, etc.) do we already have in Close and how many are Live? Are there new companies of the specific type opening frequently (i.e. axe throwing, boat tours) or is there a clear limit (i.e. trains, aquariums)? Be creative!

  Check the annual revenue of the company for the past year. Is it actually ripping? Did Covid have an effect on the revenue? Is the company in a related group? If it is actually a tier 1 company related to a tier 4 company, it is going to look like a tier 4 in Close but actually only make tier 1 revenue a year. It is important to understand Dashboard revenue for the company itself before creating projects.

• Google Maps: This is a great place to test out new project ideas. Target your search for places that are known for certain activities (i.e. marinas in California) or target areas that might not be as obvious but could still produce results (i.e. marinas in South Dakota). Try out your idea in a few different locations before submitting a project.

• Google Alerts: When going through the alerts you have set up, check out articles titled, “10 things to do in Dallas this weekend” or “Upcoming events in NY”, as well as lists like “The best axe throwing in California”. An article might bring you in a new direction, which will sometimes lead to a project completely unrelated to the original alert. Don’t be afraid to go down some rabbit holes!
• Google News: This is very similar to Google Alerts but the difference is that Google News is best used to test new ideas, whereas Google Alerts works the best with proven keywords. Have a new idea for a project but want to test it out first? Search Google News! If you find a good string of leads, create a project!
• Instagram: This has huge potential! Instagram is where you find companies before they even open. The key is frequency, timing and creativity. Checking at the right time will produce the best results (i.e. at least 3 months before the season starts). If you have an idea for a new hashtag that has not been done before, try it out! If it is successful, add it to the tracking sheet and create a project. Search the keywords without the hashtag as well. This will produce companies/accounts with the keywords you are looking for in their name.
• Organic Competitors: Even if this is not the source of your project, Organic Competitors should always be used on every scrape! Many successful projects start by finding just one good company. When you find a company that is a great fit for FareHarbor or find a company with very high organic search or Tripadvisor reviews that is not in Close, ask yourself: Why was this company not in Close? Checking the Organic Competitors is almost always successful in these cases. It is likely that the type has already been scraped for, but the keywords used produce different results. Don’t focus on just one type. For example, Organic Competitors of water parks tend to produce amusement parks, ropes courses and other attractions that are also great fits.
• #cannonball_americas: This Slack channel not only shows companies going Live in the Americas region, but also companies that FareHarbor is landing demos with. Check for patterns! Is there a certain type that keeps showing up? Is there a specific competitor that is not doing well? Are there new types that we have not scraped for? Is there a certain seasonal type that we are having a lot of success with? Research the leads you are interested in by checking them out in Close as well as reviewing their website. Then, create a project.
• Everywhere! Keep your eyes open! What did you do on your last vacation? Who ran the tour? Did you see any interesting types you have not heard of before? As a team we have found leads from every possible place, including but not limited to: the news, vacations, magazines, competitor scrapes, podcasts, ads, going out with friends, TV, etc! Have fun with it!

Advanced – Tableau reports

Please consult the BD Report Help Documentation, which explains how to use the reports and what can be accessed through them. It also gives goals and project ideas based on which report you are using.