Carla Edwards’ Journey of Growing Her Beach Hut Hire Business in Essex’s Sunshine Coast
If you were looking for a story that perfectly encapsulates the saying:
“What is meant for you, won't pass you by”
Then this is one you won’t want to miss.
Join my conversation with Carla Edwards, where she shares how she went from freelance graphic designer and mum of two, to the unexpected owner of a thriving beach hut hire business based along Essex’s Sunshine Coast.
Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you were older? And what is it that you do now?
A: When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. Today, I am a freelance graphic designer and the owner of a beach hut hire business.
Q: How do you find the time to freelance as a graphic designer and run a rapidly growing beach hut hire business?
A: I work 9am to 3pm most days and spilt my time between beach huts and design work. I also do a lot of admin and social media work before and after the school run and sometimes work evenings.
We open the beach huts from April to October so I have to be extremely organised with my time in peak season… Having two kids has helped me become a great multitasker!
Q: What led you to buy your first ever beach hut and when was this?
A: We bought the Stripey Hut in 2018, after spending the summer at Holland-on-Sea with friends who owned a hut. Phil, my financée, came up to me saying there was a hut for sale and we should buy it. Immediately I said “no, that's such a stupid idea”. Little did I know he had already phoned the owners and had arranged a viewing. We bought it the following week on the condition that we'd rent it out a few weekends of the year to pay for the ground rent and other costs.
One reason why we went ahead with the purchase of our first beach hut is because of how perfect Holland-on-Sea is for families with young children (like mine). We loved that at high tide you can still use the beach..
Q: How did covid-19 impact your business?
A: When restrictions were lifted we were so busy. Everyone was having staycations in the UK and we saw a huge surge in bookings for our huts, which led us to grow our beach hut rental empire from just one hut to more —click here to discover the huts.
Ever since, we have had returning guests who bring their family and friends for days out. Many travel hours to get here for a day by the beach. We also have a lot of visitors to the area who stay in nearby holiday lets and hotels, and enjoy visiting the local attractions (such as Clacton Pier) and the surrounding areas.
Q: How did you go about attracting your first guests? Has your strategy changed since then?
A: The interior design of our huts has always helped us stand out. Phil is in charge of the interior layouts, all the huts have the same layout because it works so well. He designed a fantastic changing room area, which enables guests to change in privacy and its a great place for all those beach bags. Phil has also built a seating area in each hut which overlooks the beautiful views. Which is just perfect if you don't want to sit outside if its raining.
When we had finished the Stripey Hut, I set up a Facebook group and invited friends and family. It soon grew with word of mouth and now has over 2000 members. I initially opted for a Facebook Group because I didn't have a clue how to use Instagram, but I’m so glad I did because it is now one of my highest converting social channels. You’ll notice that I am now active on Instagram, which is all thanks to the training courses I did with the amazing Jules Prichard.
While I feel like I’m forever learning with social media, it has been my main marketing strategy since launching. It is only very recently that I have introduced a mailing list where I share things like booking cancellations.
Q: What's the furthest guests have travelled from to hire your beach huts in Holland-on-Sea?
A: Guests have travelled to rent my beach huts in Holland-on-Sea from an array of different locations, including Los Angeles (LA), Seattle, Scotland and Manchester. It amazes me how many people love Holland-on-Sea’s beautiful coastline — located between Clacton-on-Sea and Frinton-on-Sea.
Q: In your opinion, is buying a beach hut a good investment? Would you recommend other people invest their time and money into building a beach hut business?
A: The prices of beach huts in Holland-on-Sea have dropped by around £30,000 recently and are now around £40,000 (January 2023). They are great if you are going to use it regularly but with council fees, insurances and maintenance, the costs do add up.
Q: And finally, what are your next steps?
A: To continue providing days out for families and friends who love visiting Holland-on-Sea and the surrounding areas. Hiring a beach hut is a fantastic experience and everyone should try it. Visit beachhuthirehollandonsea.co.uk to book or go and support Carla on Instagram @beachhuthirehollandonsea.
