HOME AWAY FROM HOME

I am going to bring out some information about the mushrooming paying guest accommodations for women in the Metropolitan cities. I have always felt that Paying guest accommodations are home away from home.

The paying guest accommodation is a service targeted to women who have relocated to the city to chase their dreams. This service targets mostly women, even though a handful of paying guest accommodations for men can be found too. The reason could be that men prefer to be independent and always hold a strict no to rules and regulations laid by the owners. Whereas women prefer a secure place of accommodation with all amenities and are ready to abide the rules which are framed to ensure their safety.

Retired Men / Housewives normally start this service. The location of the accommodations plays a vital role in the success of the business. The accommodations are either close to the office premises or they are located in a prominent place in the city which has access to the bus stand / shopping malls / railway station / eateries. The owners either sublet their premises for the paying guest accommodations or rent another premise.

The initial investments by the owners include advance for a rented accommodation, furniture for the living room, Television, Refrigerator, Cooking Utensils, Cots and cupboards for the inmates. They might also have to hire a cook, helper and a maid to clean the place.

The marketing strategies which the owners use are sometimes unconventional. For instance they get any of their previous inmates to publish ad regarding vacancies in the inmate’s company portal. This is one form of advertising which the owners can avail at free of cost. Women generally trust the information posted in the company portals more than any other advertising agencies. At times, the owners make use of advertising agencies such as Sulekha or weekly local news papers to publish the ads regarding vacancies. Sometimes word of mouth communication by existing inmates also brings new inmates.

The owners are required to collect the personal details of the inmates such as their address, local guardian’s address, company address and also a proof of identity. These details are required for security purposes and also the owners need to register with the nearest Women Police station about the paying guest accommodation which they are offering.

The amenities which the paying guest accommodations offer are Television / refrigerators (Common), individual cots and cupboards for each inmate, three meals a day, drinking water. Depending on the room size, three or four people share a room. The rent for the accommodations depends on the location of the accommodation and normally ranges between Rs 4000 to Rs 6000 per month.

The expenditures which the owners make every month is the rent for the place(incase the premise is a rented one), pay for the cook/helper/maid, groceries , electrical charges and other miscellaneous expenses. In the beginning, the returns might not be lucrative and also during recession times, the business faces a tough challenge. But if the owners are dedicated and offer quality service, then the returns will definitely be profitable.

This is one service, which I have personally experienced and I know its prominence in the Metropolitan cities. This service is really a boon to the working women. In last few years because of the boom in the IT sector , this business has seen a tremendous growth and I guess it will keep growing.

-        -  Abirami Muthia – FT13398.

-   (Inputs obtained from Mrs. Uma Ananthraman – Owner ‘Ur Home’ Accomodations in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai)