Over the last few years, the demand
for Bed and Breakfast operations has
been increasing significantly. People
are seeking places to relax and feel
at home or get outside and be adventurous.
They are ready to pay you to provide
a safe, quiet space in which they
can relax and feel at home, without
interruptions and without an agenda.
The first thing you need is a business
plan. With a startup guide and your
Bed and Breakfast Business Plan
The following books will also help
you make the leap.
Running A Successful Bed
And Breakfast Venture
By
Jo Withey
The only true business that can be
run from your ‘home’ is
a Bed and Breakfast Venture.
Taking a decision to run a Bed and
Breakfast establishment involves much
careful consideration, planning and
financial calculations. Not only will
it take up a large part of your life
– although with careful planning
this can be kept under control, but
such a venture also holds out the
prospect of making a very good income
for you.
Location, location, location. This
is the prime consideration in any
business venture, more so in the Bed
and Breakfast industry. A location
can vary enormously from being right
in the heart of a busy town to being
a remote farmhouse. There is a demand
for both.
Your location will probably define
the type of clientele you will attract
and the level of your operation, the
amount you may charge per room, the
number of bookings you are likely
to receive etc.
Planning means - do you already have
a house that can be easily adapted
to cope with a business of this nature?
Perhaps you have an extension, barn,
old stables even an ex-granny flat
or other buildings that would lend
themselves to conversion. Into this
consideration will creep financial
calculations. The cost of conversion
etc. If these are extensive, it may
be that during the life of the operation
of your business you may well not
fully recoup these costs. Do not despair,
when you eventually decide to sell
and retire on your profits, you will
be able to take the cost of conversion,
plus the fact that you have a flourishing,
going concern for sale, which will
inflate the sale price considerably.
If you are in or near to a busy town
then you will be more likely to attract
business people and workers. Here
it is necessary to think carefully
– Business people and manual
workers to not mix well, requiring
different standards of accommodation,
working different hours and have greatly
differing habits and life-styles.
If your property is in a remote location
it has advantages. You can try to
attract people who are seeking to
‘withdraw’ from the rat
race for a few days. If you are within
striking distance of a local natural
attraction, i.e., a well-known walk
skiing country etc. then holiday makers
are more likely to be your main source
of income. One set of guests may be
quiet and contemplative whilst the
others will probably be enjoying their
adventure in the great outdoors.
A remote property it is more likely
to be of the farm-house type. Here
you can capitalise on this fact. Do
not go overboard in modernising your
furnishings, people will expect to
see the rural effect, but not worn
out and dejected! However quaint the
farmhouse effect may be, guests will
still expect the wonders of civilisation
to be readily available, i.e., good
bathing and toilet facilities. So
whether a bucket and chuck it at the
end of the garden would be acceptable
in the 21st century is a debatable
point.
To all of these different types of
accommodation and the types of guests
you are likely to attract, you can
add people who have relatives nearby
who cannot accommodate them when they
come to visit, wedding guests, people
who are house-hunting in the area,
etc. Also consider the possibility
that you may attract a totally different
clientele during the week to that
which you attract at the weekend.
You will see from the above four
categories that you will need to reflect
and consider which course of business
you will be operating.
Returning to the subject of careful
consideration this means assessing
whether you have the right personality
to cope with such a venture. It Is
essential for you to be of an out-going
disposition, that you like people
and are prepared to help them when
necessary. You will also need to be
able to ‘stand-up’ to
the odd awkward customer, and will
need the ability to do so in a polite,
firm, fair and friendly manner. No
fisticuffs at dawn! Remember a smile
works wonders – but not a smirk.
For all of these variations on which
type of operation you will eventually
be operating, you will also need to
be a good cook, keep a clean and tidy
establishment and not resent people
living in ‘your’ house.
This last point can be overcome if
you have an out-building that can
be converted into accommodation, and
then quite frankly, 50% of your problems
should disappear. You will be in your
own domain and the guests will have
theirs. You will not be constantly
at their beck and call and will have
more time on your own to relax. You
will not constantly have to wear your
‘Bed and Breakfast’ smile.
Your door will be locked and your
time is your own.
However, if you do not have this
extra building, do not despair. All
that is needed is for you to make
sure that your own accommodation really
is yours. Can you arrange it so that
you have your own shower-room, your
own sitting room, or at least some
part of the house that you can use
for your own relaxation?
A full description on ‘Running
a Successful Bed and Breakfast Venture’
can be found at http://www.beyondbumbles.com/bedandbreakfast.htm
Jo Withey trades on eBay under the
user name nowyoucantoo and has an
eBay store at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-Money-go-round
Her web can be found at http://www.beyondbumbles.com
Article
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