How did Bookster come into existence? Simon introduces the podcast and his guest, Robin Morris, co-founder and CEO of Bookster. The series aims to explore running a successful SaaS company. Key takeaways Robin recounts the beginnings of the company as Tribalogic and the development and success of Caravan Site Finder, which was sold to Haymarket Publishing in 2007. Post-sale, Tribalogic expanded its software capabilities to serve various clients, including event management and holiday rentals, leading to the initial steps toward what would become Bookster. Around 2009, the company developed a b
Robin and Simon talk about Caravan Sitefinder and the four pillars on which Bookster was founded. Welcome to the Bookster podcast hosted by Simon, talking with CEO Robin Morris. In episode two of their podcast, Robin and Simon delve into the journey of Bookster, a software company. Key takeaways They reflect on the sale and repurchase of Caravan Sitefinder, highlighting decisions around business focus and economic viability. Robin outlines Bookster’s evolution from a simple booking tool to a comprehensive platform for vacation rentals, emphasizing principles like low entry barriers, high-quali
Simon, Robin and Adam discuss one of Bookster's key pillars - a low barrier to entry. In this episode of the Bookster podcast, Simon hosts Robin Morris, CEO and Co-founder, and Adam Aaron, Bookster's support lead. Key takeaways They delve into Bookster's ethos of maintaining a low barrier to entry for their holiday rental software. This approach aims to simplify the client onboarding process, allowing users to swiftly set up and start using Bookster without traditional obstacles like setup fees or lengthy contracts. Adam highlights the evolution of his role from managing a caravan site finder
High quality support is at the heart of how Bookster provides it's service In the Bookster podcast with host Simon Beattie, CEO Robin Morris and support lead Adam Aaron discuss the company's approach to onboarding and supporting clients. Key takeaways They emphasize a personalized onboarding process tailored to each client's needs, aiming for simplicity and effectiveness. While Bookster offers self-guided initial setup, they highlight the importance of hands-on support to ensure clients effectively utilize the software. Their approach includes using emails and direct interactions to guide clie
Another of Bookster's key pillars - Ease of Use In this episode of the Bookster podcast, host Simon and CEO Robin Morris delve into the third foundational pillar of the company: ease of use. Key takeaways They highlight Bookster's commitment to reducing barriers for users by making their holiday rental software intuitive and straightforward. Some of Bookster's clients are not tech-savvy and are more focused on managing their properties and ensuring guest satisfaction. Therefore, the software is designed to be coherent, consistent, and easy to navigate with minimal technical knowledge. The conv
Reaching out to prospective Bookster clients In this episode of the Bookster podcast, Simon hosts CEO and co-founder Robin Morris along with account manager Johnny Brannan. Key takeaways They delve into the company's journey, operations, and client interactions. Johnny discusses his role as the first point of contact for prospective clients, emphasizing Bookster's shift from cold calling to handling primarily inbound leads. He contrasts his previous experience at a caravan listing directory with Bookster's focus on inbound business-to-business clients seeking comprehensive property management
There are bad people on the internet. As Bookster is an online application it is exposed to bad people who try to do bad things. Here's our thoughts and how we cope with them. Welcome back to the Bookster podcast, hosted by Simon from inside the SaaS holiday rental software company Bookster, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. In this insightful episode, we are joined by CEO and Co-founder Robin Morris, as well as Technical Director Colin Guthrie, to delve into the crucial topic of cybersecurity. As Bookster grows, so do the cybersecurity threats it faces. Learn how the team tackles these challenges
How does Bookster ship software and work on projects? What are some alternative ways to work, and why do we do it like we do? Welcome to the Bookster podcast hosted by Simon, featuring discussions about the SaaS holiday rental software company Bookster, based in Edinburgh. In this episode, Simon is joined by CEO Robin Morris and Technical Director Colin Guthrie, co-founders of Bookster. They discuss their roles, the company's agile approach, and the importance of customer feedback. The important bits ● [00:00] - Intro to Colin and the podcast ● [02:55] - What do we mean by Agile? Key takeaways
How did we move from being a general software company to one servicing a specific niche? Welcome to the Bookster podcast hosted by Simon, featuring discussions about the SaaS holiday rental software company Bookster, based in Edinburgh. In this episode, the hosts delve into the journey of transitioning from a general software company to a specialized niche, specifically in SaaS holiday rental software. They discuss the balance between being generalists and specialists, how this shift impacts business growth, and the importance of adaptability. The important bits ● [03.35] The importance of foc
How does Bookster market itself with a small budget? Simon introduces the episode and his guests, Robin Morris, co-founder and CEO of Bookster., and Kelly Odor, Marketing Director. The series aims to explore running a successful SaaS company. In the Bookster Podcast, we take you behind the scenes of Bookster, a SaaS company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing software solutions for the holiday rental industry. Join us as we explore the company's journey, its inner workings, and discuss strategies for growth and innovation in the rental market. Key Points: Introduction to Bookster (00:05 -
How did Bookster create its' software product? Episode Overview: Welcome to the Bookster podcast, where we dive into the journey of building a successful SaaS company for holiday rental management. In this episode, Simon sits down with Robin Morris, CEO and Co-founder of Bookster, a SaaS holiday rental software company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Join them as they discuss the origins of Bookster, its challenges and successes, and the inner workings of managing a tech-driven rental business. If you're interested in the intersection of software development, property management, and entrepreneu
How does Bookster organise its working practices? Has Bookster always offered flexible working and remote working, and how does it work in practice? Welcome to the Bookster Podcast hosted by Simon, discussing the behind-the-scenes operations of the SaaS holiday rental software company Bookster, based in Edinburgh. In this episode, Simon is joined by Robin Morris, CEO, and Adam Aaron, support lead. Together, they explore the topic of remote working at Bookster, how it has evolved over the years, and the shift caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The important bits [00:00] - Introduction to the epis
Host Simon Beattie chats with CEO and Co-founder Robin Morris and Jonny Brannen from our sales team about finding the right customer for Bookster, and Bookster's experience with ensuring the right customers join Bookster. How has Bookster structured its client support and adapted practices over time? What methods and strategies have they implemented to handle customer inquiries effectively? Welcome to the Bookster Podcast, hosted by Simon, offering a deep dive into the operations of Bookster, the SaaS holiday rental software company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. In this episode, Simon
What does Robin mean by 'Vertical Integration'?
Working with third party service providers as a SaaS product. The Bookster podcast, hosted by Simon and featuring CEO Robin Morris and guest Adam Aaron, discusses the importance and challenges of third-party integrations in their holiday rental software. They explore the benefits of using trusted third-party services like Booking.com and Stripe for payment processing, emphasising the need for strong relationships with these providers to ensure reliability and support. The conversation highlights both positive experiences and challenges faced with various third-party providers, including issues
The team explains the difference between customer success (proactive support) and traditional support (reactive help), highlighting their efforts to engage clients regularly to ensure they utilize all features effectively. We discuss the challenges of reaching clients, especially those who prefer minimal contact, and the significance of maintaining relationships to enhance client satisfaction and retention. We also touch on the onboarding process, the importance of understanding client needs, and the value of referrals. Overall, the conversation underscores Bookster's commitment to customer su
The visitor levy is a Scotland-wide tourist tax implemented first in Edinburgh, charged as a percentage-based fee on short-term rentals for visitors, including tourists and temporary workers. How does the visitor levy work? The Scottish Government created a flexible framework allowing councils to charge the levy in different ways, including a percentage-based model limited to the first five nights of a stay. Challenges Bookster faces with the visitor levy implementation Calculating the levy accurately due to complex pricing structures, handling bookings with multiple guests over different peri
Discover how probing questions transform a standard software walkthrough into a mission-critical solution for a holiday rental business. In this episode of the Bookster podcast, hosts Simon and Robin are joined by Account Manager Jonny to pull back the curtain on the demo: a pivotal moment in the holiday rental software journey. Moving beyond simple feature walkthroughs, the team discusses how demonstrations serve as a mission-critical bridge between a prospect’s problems and a software’s solutions. Key Insights from the Episode: - The Evolution of the Demo: Jonny shares his transition from "f
From missing photo descriptions to abandoning channels after one bad review, Robin and Adam reveal the habits that hold property managers back - and what to do instead. In this episode, Bookster co-founder Robin Morris is joined by Adam Arran, Bookster's support lead, to discuss something a little different: the common mistakes they see holiday letting clients make - and why those mistakes tend to get in the way of more bookings. From incomplete property listings and unlabelled photos to knee-jerk reactions after a bad guest review, Robin and Adam draw on their day-to-day experience of onboard
What it means when holiday rental clients start building their own tools on top of Bookster's API, and how that's quietly shifting the team's product priorities Simon Beattie is joined by Robin Morris, co-founder of Bookster, and Adam Aaron, support lead, to talk about something that's started showing up in their client conversations: vibe coding. That's the practice of building software using AI tools — Gemini, Claude, and others — by typing instructions in plain English rather than writing code directly. No programming background required. The three discuss how Bookster clients are already d
