Have You Ever Had Thoughts of Setting Up a Bed and Breakfast?
Some people like to look at their career as being separate from their personal life. The two worlds might cross over, but they try to keep their work and family or recreational lives in separate boxes. But when you run a business, your career and your personal life often intermingle and become one and the same. For some businesses, that’s even truer than in other industries. One of these is running a bed and breakfast or guesthouse. It’s normal for the owner of the business to live among their guests, attending to their needs throughout the day. If you think owning a B&B might be for you, here’s how to get started with your new venture.
The Property
Many people live in their property before they decide to start a bed and breakfast. Of course, you can buy a property especially for the purpose too. It doesn’t have to be a large property; many B&Bs only have three or four rooms. But it is important to make sure that you can convert it into a bed and breakfast. The first issue will be your mortgage. If you have already paid it off or bought the property with a business mortgage, you’ll have no problems on this front. But if you own the house in a personal capacity, you may not be allowed to use it as a business. You’ll also need to get permission from your city or county to set up as a business.
Preparing Rooms and Facilities
As much as it would be great just to throw open your doors, if that’s what you want to do then you’re better off taking in a lodger. There’s a lot of work to do before you open, including preparing the bedrooms and communal areas. You’ll need somewhere for guests to eat breakfast, as well as an adequate kitchen to cook it in. Bedrooms need to be furnished and decorated to a professional standard. Think about the purpose of your bed and breakfast; is it for tourists, people on romantic getaways or family vacationers? Get in touch with a linen manufacturer for some samples for everything from towels and tablecloths to bedding. It’s a good idea to create mood boards to get an idea of how you will decorate everything.
As well as the design of your rooms, your B&B needs to be functional too. People might be expecting tea and coffee making facilities, television and toiletries, among other things.
Advertising
No one’s going to come to your business if you don’t let them know it’s there. There are lots of ways to advertise your presence, starting with the building itself. Put up a professional-looking sign outside that people can see from the road. You might also be able to place a signpost a mile or two down the road, to let people know they’re approaching somewhere to stay. Make good use of booking websites, as well as your own website. People can find your establishment by searching and book a room through the site too. You can also team up with other local businesses who bring in visitors, to offer accommodation and activity packages.
Photo by Golden Pixels | Shutterstock
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