Jason Duffield of The Haus Group has been a key player in putting Hahndorf on the map. The Haus Group has over 200 employees and five businesses, including the Haus restaurant, a variety of lodging options and wedding and event facilities.
“I think we’re unique in the hospitality industry because we’re still family-owned, really hands on, and we’ve been huge contributors to the local community through sport and as head of the business association for 7 years,” he says.
Of course, the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID crisis, and The Haus Group was no exception. Fortunately, the company was financially stable, but Jason took immediate action by making some organisational and staffing changes, putting in more contingency plans, turning to takeaways, offering mid-week specials and more. He’d just spent $1m on a new event and conference centre, so he worked closely with the South Australian Tourism Commission to target SA visitors.
Even before COVID, burnout was notorious in the industry due to long hours and late nights, and Jason learned about that the hard way. Now he focuses on getting more rest and better nutrition, doing yoga and PT, and taking swims in the ocean. He’s even introduced yoga classes for his management team.
“One of the things that makes a great business is focusing on wellness in the workplace – having a positive attitude, looking after yourself personally, and incorporating wellbeing into the rest of your team and business. People feed off your energy,” he says.
He also emphasises the importance of having had good people around him during the COVID crisis, both inside the business and through partnerships with companies like Accru Harris Orchard.
“The good thing that I’ve found about working with this company is that you can go to them with a range of different subjects that you’d like to discuss, and you get not only sound financial advice, but business advice,” he says.
To learn more about The Haus Group and their business journey, check out their video below:
