Case study: The Yurtel

 

Tom Dawe graduated from Leeds Met in 2005 with a degree in Events Management. Tom immediately enrolled onto the Business Start-Up summer school in July 2005, an event designed to help new entrepreneurs with practical aspects of starting a business such as finance, marketing, business planning and sales.  Using the knowledge and skills gained from the summer school Tom developed his unique and promising business the ‘Yurtel’, a hotel created from yurts.

“A new concept in luxurious accommodation and special event space”

A yurt is a traditional mongolian structure made by a wooden frame, covered in canvas. Tom’s idea was to design a modern yurt to provide temporary accommodation solutions at events such as festivals, weddings, team building events, parties and conferences. The Yurts come in two different sizes 14ft and 24ft and their unique design means they can be adapted to the needs of a customer. They can be set up as individual rooms or linked together to create a unique venue for 150 people.

“To stay in the Yurtel will be dry, safe, warm…..and mud free!”

 

In October 2007, Tom was awarded the Business Start-Up Proof of Concept grant of £1000, to test the feasibility of his ideas.  The financial assistance that Tom gained through the grant was used to develop concept drawings of the yurts, covered printing costs and helped fund Corporate ID costs, including the creation of a logo and the production a website.

The business launched on the 1st of May 2008. Since then, the Yurtel has appeared at a number of festivals throughout the summer, including T in the park, The Big Chill, Latitude. V festival was the highlight for the Yurtel in 08 providing  VIP accommodation to celebrities at the  Louder Lounge. Tom planning to double the number of  yurts next year and to add in the Yurtel's own toilets and showers. Tom is optimistic about the future of the company.

“It’s been going very well. Our yurts are a modern contemporary design that comes away from the bohemian look, creating a unique kind of boutique hotel with an attention to detail that leaves you feeling special.”

To book with The Yurtel, or for more information visit

www.yurtel.co.uk

 

Updated September 2008