Community Highlights: Meet Jessica Moreno of Next Guest KC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Moreno

Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as a business owner began in 2019. After working corporate jobs for many years, I decided to take a year off and travel around the world which made me realize that working a traditional 9 to 5 job was never going to make me happy. I craved the freedom that I had as a traveler and very much wanted to continue feeling a sense of freedom in my professional life that only running your own business can provide. After staying in Airbnbs in 33 countries, I became interested in the short term rental industry. So the day I returned home, I started an Airbnb cleaning company. That was 5 years ago and since then Next Guest KC has transitioned to a management company, has grown from 2 employees to 12 and currently cleans and manages 45 properties in the Kansas City metro. In April 2024 I purchased my first personal Airbnb and plan to continue adding properties to my portfolio in the near future.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any path to success is ever smooth when it comes to running a business! There have been countless challenges and setbacks along the way but I have been able to use them as learning experiences. Managing the balance between scaling up while staffing adequately as well as recruiting and retaining a strong team will always be a challenge to any business owner and this has proven difficult for me as well. Also, navigating a startup business during COVID was exceptionally challenging.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Next Guest KC?
As a short term rental management company, Next Guest KC specializes in providing a customized service to our clients, allowing them to have whatever level of involvement in running their property that they desire. This is very different than all other management companies who operate on an all-or-nothing model. At NGKC, we believe that there is not a one size fits all approach and we prefer to cater to each individuals’ needs. We offer turnover cleans, laundry, supply stocking, lawn care, snow removal, maintenance, guest communication, marketing and review management in any combination that the owner wishes. This unique flexibility is what sets us apart from others and what has given us an advantage over our competition. We also believe that our team is second to none and we are so grateful for the staff that have gotten us to where we are today. We are very proud of the name and reputation we have created for ourselves in Kansas City. Most of our clients come from referrals and we currently have 25 five-star reviews on Google. Our principle goal is to operate with honesty and integrity with each and every client and employee and we have stood by that from day one.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have been a risk taker my whole life, doing things that many would not (traveling to 40 countries, skydiving, becoming a first generation Masters graduate). And I strongly believe that starting a business is all about risk taking. Starting something completely on your own when you have no idea if it will succeed or not, oftentimes with very little knowledge or capital feels very unnatural and counterintuitive. There is usually no security net and a ton of doubt and fear and obstacles to overcome. But with high risk comes high reward and I truly believe that creating a brand that you are passionate about and believe in can be one of the most fulfilling career paths that one can take.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nextguestkc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextguestkc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nextguestkc/