Management

What you need to know before you open your B&B

It’s always been a dream of yours to open a bed and breakfast in town.

You imagine yourself playing the role of the innkeeper, chatting with your guests from across the globe as you serve them homemade cookies and afternoon tea.

It’s an idyllic lifestyle, and now the time has come to make your dreams come true. But opening your B&B is a life-changing decision, so make sure you look before you leap.

• You are going to be scared, and this is normal. It’s especially normal if you are quitting your full-time job or sacrificing your career in order to become a small accommodation provider.

• You need to love people, because you’re going to meet all different types of people on a daily basis.

• You need to enjoy the seemingly mundane chores of cooking and cleaning. Your meals are part of your presentation, and your cleanliness will become your reputation.

• You are going to need your privacy. Designate your own, restricted area of the bed and breakfast that will be your own living quarters and space.

• You need to know every little nook and cranny of your town. People are going to come to you for advice on the best places to shop, dine and enjoy themselves.

• You need to be an expert on the local laws and ordinances in order to make sure you are in compliance.

• You need to invest in public liability insurance. It’s a must-do to protect yourself and your business.

In a previous post, guest blogger Susan Poole of 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast discussed what questions to ask yourself before you decide that running a bed and breakfast is right for you:

Why do you want to own a bed and breakfast?
Is it because you love to cook, decorate, and meet people? Or do you want to make money while running the B&B?
Your answer will determine how you will judge whether your B&B is successful.

What will success look like for you?
Will you count success by the number of people you have stay with you? The number of nice guest reviews you receive?

Having a clear idea on how you will measure success will help you figure out what you need to do, focus on and quantify so you will know for sure.

How much money do you need to make?
A number of new bed and breakfast owners start out by saying that if they re-coup their costs of running the B&B and have fun while doing it, it will be worthwhile.

You will face increased costs for things like advertising, insurance, and utilities.

Also, you are guaranteed to have to work weekends and holidays. Is the amount of money you need to make worth that time of time commitment?

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