James set up his first business aged 20, hiring out mobile
discos. He went on to found a club and event promotions business,
which he ran in the 90s. Building on that success, he set up an
events and party planning company in London, and in 2000 he
co-founded a bar, restaurant and members' club in London. Following
a miserable romantic weekend in the Lake District, James Lohan
began working on Mr & Mrs Smith with his partner Tamara
Heber-Percy in 2003, and the boutique hotel directory escalated
from there.
In this video interview James Lohan talks about gaining capital
to fund his business idea from friends and family, and the benefits
and problems that could arise. He also suggests ways on how to give
a good pitch and the importance of "smart money".
Lohan also gives expert advice on marketing strategy and how
brand is everything. The personality of the name Mr & Mrs Smith
has helped the business grow rapidly and James suggests that PR is
the best way of spreading the word about your company. Standing out
from competition is also crucial as people tend to adopt
brands.
Having stayed at over 700 hotels in 5 years, James Lohan has a
wealth of knowledge on the characteristics of what makes a good
boutique hotel and is hoping to use this understanding to create
the companies own hotel.