Eager to start a homestay but unsure where to begin? The Better India spoke to five successful owners and compiled essential tips and lessons to help you take the first step.

1.  Believe in Yourself Heena Mahant, who runs the Afsana Homestay in Manali, points out that being a woman, especially from a small town, comes with its own set of challenges. “No one has ever been in business in my family… I still remember my dad’s scepticism,” she says.

Heena's determination and self-belief helped her build a mud homestay. She believes that confidence and passion in what you do are the keys to success.

2. Be a Part of The Community For the mother-daughter duo, Prachi Chapekand and Alka Shesha, constructing a homestay in Panchgani was not easy as they faced resistance from the local community. “Remember that you are an outsider going into their land, trying to buy what’s theirs,” Alka points out.

The duo advises trying to become a part of the community. One way to do this is by hiring locals to work with you.

3. Make The ‘Home’ In Homestay Pushpa, a 65-year-old woman who runs ‘The Mudhouse Marayoor’, ensures that her guests feel at home when they visit her homestay.

As a family-run homestay, they do everything to make their guests happy and at ease. Pushpa achieves this by cooking delicious, homely, and organically grown food for them!

4. Hire The Right People Heena of Afsana Homestay points out that hiring the right people is crucial for a successful business. “When I started with my homestay, Ludhramani Bhaiya, who is now our cook, became my backbone. He helped me every step of the way,” says Heena.

5. Always Be Eager To Learn While 89-year-old Laxmi Ammal studied only until Class 3, and 71-year-old Kasthuri Sivaraman completed Class 7 in a Tamil-medium school, it was their enthusiasm for learning something new that led to a flourishing homestay.

Despite their fears, with a zeal for learning and some help from their sons, they started Pico Farmstay.

6. Inspiring responsible tourism As far as travelling responsibly is concerned, homestay owners Anuradha and Kartik Budhraja, who run Saroga Woods, say that it is their duty to practise responsible tourism.

Running a fully sustainable homestay, the couple has prepared written material with contacts and information on setting up rainwater harvesting and solar energy at a homestay.