Aspiring Inn Sitter

[karilyn]

Karilyn, perhaps there is a barter found there in providing some cooking classes at an inn and in turn some innkeeping training/experience? Cooking classes for the public or the innkeeper themselves. Plating, presentation, etc
Not all innkeepers are trained or have experience in cooking. This might be something they would consider?.

I appreciate your advice and any other's I get on this website. That's a good idea! Thanks

 

[JBloggs]

P, I think the comments are put out there to warn (but really it never works, the warning, so really there is no point). Once you buy an inn you cannot just trade it in or walk away. The commitment is huge. Like any job, there are highlights and low lights, most people have many misconceptions about running an inn, I think that is what experienced innkeepers like to sort out upfront.
I feel sorry for those who miss the blessing of innkeeping, the people. That is what it is really all about. The rest is the rest...we do what we do, we do more of what we like or enjoy. Scrubbing toilets is not a highlight, but it needs to be done, by ourselves or someone we hire to do it. A facts a fact.
All of us have our own reasons for doing what we do and how we do it. Some were tossed into the industry without asking any questions first and had to learn the hard way. I appreciate anyone asking honest questions and getting a variety of feedback.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
I had been a catering manager for the University of Ne for 8 years.....before that, I owned my own catering business, before that, worked in a catering firm.
What I bring to the table is 20 years of Catering experience and managing and thinking on my feet. Catering is often times making the best situation in the worst venue: Taking crews and trucks someplace and making the event magic. Staff calls in sick, trucks break down, storms knock out power, desserts get accidentally dumped, rental companies don't show up, you've been on your feet 15 hours and still have to be warm and friendly to the University president and his wife. Should I go on? Snow storms, cranky employees, hurting yourself (cuts, burns, slips) even before the long day gets started......And the bottom line is you still LOVE it. And get up and do it again tomorrow.
I want to take what I've learned and use it to effectively and succussfully run a different kind of business, but much of the same. I have been through boot camp.
.

Everyone comes to the door with some kind of experience. How does your catering experience help me? I've already put on a breakfast for 20 with no power. Meaning no showers for the guests, no heat, no lights, no stove, no coffee machine. I've turned the entire inn every day with staff calling in sick. Serving creamed eggs and open the carton of cream and it is bad. Guests pour themselves curdled milk and point it out to me. Soda bottles burst in fridge because guest left door open all night and fridge ran for 12 hours trying to keep the kitchen cool.
You need a hook. Not to run your own business, but to get in the door with an innkeeper who has enough experience to teach you what you need to know. I've already had my emergencies. Not all of them I'm sure.
Hair dryers + A/C + 96 degrees outside equals breakers tripping while I'm trying to make breakfast. Crawl into dirty basement, figure out which of the FIVE breaker boxes houses the correct switches, flip switches, crawl back out, dust self off, continue breakfast service. Water all over guest room floor because pipe broke off INSIDE wall. Find emergency off valve (again in dirty crawlspace), turn off water, find guest another room to shower in, back to breakfast.
We've all done the emergencies. Bring me something new. Can you teach me how to make a breakfast for 20 that will hot hold for 3 hours because no one shows up until you're ready to throw it all out? A breakfast that still looks and tastes as good as it did when you took it out of the oven at 7:30? Can you teach me how to bring in more business in a down economy?
Lots of people will tell you to take tons of classes to get experience, but you don't really need them. One class with a strong overview will do it. And a lot of research on your own. But, truly, if you can be pleasant under pressure, make a decent breakfast, clean a house thoroughly and have some business experience, you can do this. Reading through these pages is an education in itself. I bought books I never opened. Everything I know is hands-on and from my friends on this forum. I took one class. And I knew most of the material already from being on forums like this one.
If you are opening an inn from scratch you need more in-depth business knowledge to understand how and why you have or do not have the proper location. You need to build momentum from 0. That takes a lot more effort than to buy something that is running and slowly make it your own. We bought our place at the end of the peak season. We were still very busy but there was some downtime coming up soon enough that we could catch our breath. The first breakfast we ever made for a crowd was for 17 strangers. Was it a success? Probably not. Only one of those couples has ever been back!
You should have a list of what you think you need to learn. You'll want to match up your skill deficiencies with an innkeeper who can do those things in her sleep. No sense in spending your time somewhere that doesn't help you grow your skill set.
Visiting as a guest is also a good way to see inside a lot of different B&B's. Especially B&B's in the area you want to open yours. What do the other inns do? Could you do it better? Differently? Then outside your area because a lot of B&B's in an area tend to do things exactly the same. Bring in some fresh ideas from faraway locations!

 

[Penelope]

P, I think the comments are put out there to warn (but really it never works, the warning, so really there is no point). Once you buy an inn you cannot just trade it in or walk away. The commitment is huge. Like any job, there are highlights and low lights, most people have many misconceptions about running an inn, I think that is what experienced innkeepers like to sort out upfront.
I feel sorry for those who miss the blessing of innkeeping, the people. That is what it is really all about. The rest is the rest...we do what we do, we do more of what we like or enjoy. Scrubbing toilets is not a highlight, but it needs to be done, by ourselves or someone we hire to do it. A facts a fact.
All of us have our own reasons for doing what we do and how we do it. Some were tossed into the industry without asking any questions first and had to learn the hard way. I appreciate anyone asking honest questions and getting a variety of feedback..

I feel sorry for those who miss the blessing of innkeeping, the people. That is what it is really all about. The rest is the rest...we do what we do, we do more of what we like or enjoy. Scrubbing toilets is not a highlight, but it needs to be done, by ourselves or someone we hire to do it. A facts a fact.

And I agree with the asking of questions and the variety of answers. I see the people as the blessing of innkeeping, too. It is IN ME to serve others. Cleaning toilets and cold coffee are a by-product or a sidebar to the serving of others. But, again, that's just me and my opinion.

 

[karilyn]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
I had been a catering manager for the University of Ne for 8 years.....before that, I owned my own catering business, before that, worked in a catering firm.
What I bring to the table is 20 years of Catering experience and managing and thinking on my feet. Catering is often times making the best situation in the worst venue: Taking crews and trucks someplace and making the event magic. Staff calls in sick, trucks break down, storms knock out power, desserts get accidentally dumped, rental companies don't show up, you've been on your feet 15 hours and still have to be warm and friendly to the University president and his wife. Should I go on? Snow storms, cranky employees, hurting yourself (cuts, burns, slips) even before the long day gets started......And the bottom line is you still LOVE it. And get up and do it again tomorrow.
I want to take what I've learned and use it to effectively and succussfully run a different kind of business, but much of the same. I have been through boot camp.
.

Everyone comes to the door with some kind of experience. How does your catering experience help me? I've already put on a breakfast for 20 with no power. Meaning no showers for the guests, no heat, no lights, no stove, no coffee machine. I've turned the entire inn every day with staff calling in sick. Serving creamed eggs and open the carton of cream and it is bad. Guests pour themselves curdled milk and point it out to me. Soda bottles burst in fridge because guest left door open all night and fridge ran for 12 hours trying to keep the kitchen cool.
You need a hook. Not to run your own business, but to get in the door with an innkeeper who has enough experience to teach you what you need to know. I've already had my emergencies. Not all of them I'm sure.
Hair dryers + A/C + 96 degrees outside equals breakers tripping while I'm trying to make breakfast. Crawl into dirty basement, figure out which of the FIVE breaker boxes houses the correct switches, flip switches, crawl back out, dust self off, continue breakfast service. Water all over guest room floor because pipe broke off INSIDE wall. Find emergency off valve (again in dirty crawlspace), turn off water, find guest another room to shower in, back to breakfast.
We've all done the emergencies. Bring me something new. Can you teach me how to make a breakfast for 20 that will hot hold for 3 hours because no one shows up until you're ready to throw it all out? A breakfast that still looks and tastes as good as it did when you took it out of the oven at 7:30? Can you teach me how to bring in more business in a down economy?
Lots of people will tell you to take tons of classes to get experience, but you don't really need them. One class with a strong overview will do it. And a lot of research on your own. But, truly, if you can be pleasant under pressure, make a decent breakfast, clean a house thoroughly and have some business experience, you can do this. Reading through these pages is an education in itself. I bought books I never opened. Everything I know is hands-on and from my friends on this forum. I took one class. And I knew most of the material already from being on forums like this one.
If you are opening an inn from scratch you need more in-depth business knowledge to understand how and why you have or do not have the proper location. You need to build momentum from 0. That takes a lot more effort than to buy something that is running and slowly make it your own. We bought our place at the end of the peak season. We were still very busy but there was some downtime coming up soon enough that we could catch our breath. The first breakfast we ever made for a crowd was for 17 strangers. Was it a success? Probably not. Only one of those couples has ever been back!
You should have a list of what you think you need to learn. You'll want to match up your skill deficiencies with an innkeeper who can do those things in her sleep. No sense in spending your time somewhere that doesn't help you grow your skill set.
Visiting as a guest is also a good way to see inside a lot of different B&B's. Especially B&B's in the area you want to open yours. What do the other inns do? Could you do it better? Differently? Then outside your area because a lot of B&B's in an area tend to do things exactly the same. Bring in some fresh ideas from faraway locations!
.

Thank you, Ike, for the time you've taken to write some pretty passionate comments. I appreciate that!

 

[karilyn]

P, I think the comments are put out there to warn (but really it never works, the warning, so really there is no point). Once you buy an inn you cannot just trade it in or walk away. The commitment is huge. Like any job, there are highlights and low lights, most people have many misconceptions about running an inn, I think that is what experienced innkeepers like to sort out upfront.
I feel sorry for those who miss the blessing of innkeeping, the people. That is what it is really all about. The rest is the rest...we do what we do, we do more of what we like or enjoy. Scrubbing toilets is not a highlight, but it needs to be done, by ourselves or someone we hire to do it. A facts a fact.
All of us have our own reasons for doing what we do and how we do it. Some were tossed into the industry without asking any questions first and had to learn the hard way. I appreciate anyone asking honest questions and getting a variety of feedback..

I feel sorry for those who miss the blessing of innkeeping, the people. That is what it is really all about. The rest is the rest...we do what we do, we do more of what we like or enjoy. Scrubbing toilets is not a highlight, but it needs to be done, by ourselves or someone we hire to do it. A facts a fact.

And I agree with the asking of questions and the variety of answers. I see the people as the blessing of innkeeping, too. It is IN ME to serve others. Cleaning toilets and cold coffee are a by-product or a sidebar to the serving of others. But, again, that's just me and my opinion.
.

I have always felt like the 'server' of people. Catering was surely that - and I loved it. And I see innkeeping as just another extension of my desire and drive to 'serve people.' It's what I do and who I am. It's what energizes me.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?

I REALLY don't mean to sound snarky about this, but is this your passion? Was that why you started your B&B?
It sounds to me like a passion to provide hospitality and run a biz from your home will entail all of these things, but this is NOT why you got into it, either. Does she need to know that this side of the coin exists? Abosultely. Is this a fair thing to ask her about her passion? Maybe not so much.
Rose-colored glasses need to be taken off- yes. In their place does not need to be a negative "you'll never be able to do this without a passion for the seedier side of the job" type of attitude.
I came onto this forum over a year ago as an aspiring. I am still, but you'd never know it. I couldn't handle all the "you'll never be able to get a full night's sleep or drink a hot cup of coffee all in one sitting if you become an innkeeper" type of pep talks from the forum members. So, I stopped asking questions.
I will be an innkeeper one day. It will happen. Yes, I have the passion for cooking and making guests happy. Which is why I am sure a lot of innkeepers opened their doors. Yes, I understand that cleaning toilets, making beds, answering the same questions over and over again, and taking the bad with the good are all part of it, too. And YES, she needs to see that, too. But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"
.

But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"

I started doing this because I was out of work, out of time and almost out of money. Please everyone pardon me for saying this because you all know I know better now, but I did this because it was 'easy'. I could work from home. I knew how to clean and had a partner who could cook. I did not, absolutely did not, get into this because I 'like people', because I want to 'serve people' or anything remotely 'helpful to people'.
There were no plans at all to be a social butterfly. Make breakfast, clean the rooms, help the guests out the door. Period. No social hour. No chatting up the guests other than the absolute necessity. Cook, clean, take the money.
What we found was that we both have an aptitude for what we're doing. It was a crapshoot at the start. What I have seen in my years doing this is that the people who go into it thinking it's all about the socializing, the expert cooking, playing Lord & Lady Bountiful are the folks who sell up very quickly when all of the crap stuff I mentioned happens day in and day out and they lose their graciousness in the face of reality. Really, it is hard, very hard, to continue to be gracious when guests behave like boors. And if you don't have the buffer of a housekeeper preventing you from seeing how nasty guests can be about their rooms it takes its toll. When 8 out of 10 phone calls start with, 'What kind of discounts do you have?' it takes its toll. Should I just leave all of that out when I talk about my experience here? My partner says yes. My partner wouldn't tell you a single bad thing, it would all be rosy and gay.
We went into this only thinking about how much work there was to do everyday. Could we handle the workload? Could we handle it for months on end without a day off? Could we handle the down time when we could get on each other's nerves? My partner is a workaholic. I'm a lazy bitch. We acknowledged that we are not family-oriented to the point that missing weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and all of that would matter a whole lot to us. It still doesn't. A couple of family emergencies in the past two years has strained that a bit.
So, yes, we thought first about the workload and could we handle it. We bought a place that can be run with only two of us. It's nice when we have help, but we don't always. We did it because we could do it, not because it was our first choice of occupation. We like where we live. We enjoy our neighbors and our friends. But I still wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what the heck kind of person lets complete strangers sleep in their house?

 

[egoodell]

We love our innsitter. You have to get a business license and insurance first. We use them as we cannot afford employees. I would not take someone who offeres to "work for free for the experience" as I will get just what I pay for.
RIki

 

[Alibi Ike]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
I had been a catering manager for the University of Ne for 8 years.....before that, I owned my own catering business, before that, worked in a catering firm.
What I bring to the table is 20 years of Catering experience and managing and thinking on my feet. Catering is often times making the best situation in the worst venue: Taking crews and trucks someplace and making the event magic. Staff calls in sick, trucks break down, storms knock out power, desserts get accidentally dumped, rental companies don't show up, you've been on your feet 15 hours and still have to be warm and friendly to the University president and his wife. Should I go on? Snow storms, cranky employees, hurting yourself (cuts, burns, slips) even before the long day gets started......And the bottom line is you still LOVE it. And get up and do it again tomorrow.
I want to take what I've learned and use it to effectively and succussfully run a different kind of business, but much of the same. I have been through boot camp.
.

Everyone comes to the door with some kind of experience. How does your catering experience help me? I've already put on a breakfast for 20 with no power. Meaning no showers for the guests, no heat, no lights, no stove, no coffee machine. I've turned the entire inn every day with staff calling in sick. Serving creamed eggs and open the carton of cream and it is bad. Guests pour themselves curdled milk and point it out to me. Soda bottles burst in fridge because guest left door open all night and fridge ran for 12 hours trying to keep the kitchen cool.
You need a hook. Not to run your own business, but to get in the door with an innkeeper who has enough experience to teach you what you need to know. I've already had my emergencies. Not all of them I'm sure.
Hair dryers + A/C + 96 degrees outside equals breakers tripping while I'm trying to make breakfast. Crawl into dirty basement, figure out which of the FIVE breaker boxes houses the correct switches, flip switches, crawl back out, dust self off, continue breakfast service. Water all over guest room floor because pipe broke off INSIDE wall. Find emergency off valve (again in dirty crawlspace), turn off water, find guest another room to shower in, back to breakfast.
We've all done the emergencies. Bring me something new. Can you teach me how to make a breakfast for 20 that will hot hold for 3 hours because no one shows up until you're ready to throw it all out? A breakfast that still looks and tastes as good as it did when you took it out of the oven at 7:30? Can you teach me how to bring in more business in a down economy?
Lots of people will tell you to take tons of classes to get experience, but you don't really need them. One class with a strong overview will do it. And a lot of research on your own. But, truly, if you can be pleasant under pressure, make a decent breakfast, clean a house thoroughly and have some business experience, you can do this. Reading through these pages is an education in itself. I bought books I never opened. Everything I know is hands-on and from my friends on this forum. I took one class. And I knew most of the material already from being on forums like this one.
If you are opening an inn from scratch you need more in-depth business knowledge to understand how and why you have or do not have the proper location. You need to build momentum from 0. That takes a lot more effort than to buy something that is running and slowly make it your own. We bought our place at the end of the peak season. We were still very busy but there was some downtime coming up soon enough that we could catch our breath. The first breakfast we ever made for a crowd was for 17 strangers. Was it a success? Probably not. Only one of those couples has ever been back!
You should have a list of what you think you need to learn. You'll want to match up your skill deficiencies with an innkeeper who can do those things in her sleep. No sense in spending your time somewhere that doesn't help you grow your skill set.
Visiting as a guest is also a good way to see inside a lot of different B&B's. Especially B&B's in the area you want to open yours. What do the other inns do? Could you do it better? Differently? Then outside your area because a lot of B&B's in an area tend to do things exactly the same. Bring in some fresh ideas from faraway locations!
.

Thank you, Ike, for the time you've taken to write some pretty passionate comments. I appreciate that!
.

Thank you, Ike, for the time you've taken to write some pretty passionate comments. I appreciate that!

Passion is my middle name. I'm just not always passionate in the way other people are. I have a very self-centered way of looking at things. C'est la vie.

 

[karilyn]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?

I REALLY don't mean to sound snarky about this, but is this your passion? Was that why you started your B&B?
It sounds to me like a passion to provide hospitality and run a biz from your home will entail all of these things, but this is NOT why you got into it, either. Does she need to know that this side of the coin exists? Abosultely. Is this a fair thing to ask her about her passion? Maybe not so much.
Rose-colored glasses need to be taken off- yes. In their place does not need to be a negative "you'll never be able to do this without a passion for the seedier side of the job" type of attitude.
I came onto this forum over a year ago as an aspiring. I am still, but you'd never know it. I couldn't handle all the "you'll never be able to get a full night's sleep or drink a hot cup of coffee all in one sitting if you become an innkeeper" type of pep talks from the forum members. So, I stopped asking questions.
I will be an innkeeper one day. It will happen. Yes, I have the passion for cooking and making guests happy. Which is why I am sure a lot of innkeepers opened their doors. Yes, I understand that cleaning toilets, making beds, answering the same questions over and over again, and taking the bad with the good are all part of it, too. And YES, she needs to see that, too. But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"
.

But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"

I started doing this because I was out of work, out of time and almost out of money. Please everyone pardon me for saying this because you all know I know better now, but I did this because it was 'easy'. I could work from home. I knew how to clean and had a partner who could cook. I did not, absolutely did not, get into this because I 'like people', because I want to 'serve people' or anything remotely 'helpful to people'.
There were no plans at all to be a social butterfly. Make breakfast, clean the rooms, help the guests out the door. Period. No social hour. No chatting up the guests other than the absolute necessity. Cook, clean, take the money.
What we found was that we both have an aptitude for what we're doing. It was a crapshoot at the start. What I have seen in my years doing this is that the people who go into it thinking it's all about the socializing, the expert cooking, playing Lord & Lady Bountiful are the folks who sell up very quickly when all of the crap stuff I mentioned happens day in and day out and they lose their graciousness in the face of reality. Really, it is hard, very hard, to continue to be gracious when guests behave like boors. And if you don't have the buffer of a housekeeper preventing you from seeing how nasty guests can be about their rooms it takes its toll. When 8 out of 10 phone calls start with, 'What kind of discounts do you have?' it takes its toll. Should I just leave all of that out when I talk about my experience here? My partner says yes. My partner wouldn't tell you a single bad thing, it would all be rosy and gay.
We went into this only thinking about how much work there was to do everyday. Could we handle the workload? Could we handle it for months on end without a day off? Could we handle the down time when we could get on each other's nerves? My partner is a workaholic. I'm a lazy bitch. We acknowledged that we are not family-oriented to the point that missing weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and all of that would matter a whole lot to us. It still doesn't. A couple of family emergencies in the past two years has strained that a bit.
So, yes, we thought first about the workload and could we handle it. We bought a place that can be run with only two of us. It's nice when we have help, but we don't always. We did it because we could do it, not because it was our first choice of occupation. We like where we live. We enjoy our neighbors and our friends. But I still wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what the heck kind of person lets complete strangers sleep in their house?
.

Haha

 

[karilyn]

We love our innsitter. You have to get a business license and insurance first. We use them as we cannot afford employees. I would not take someone who offeres to "work for free for the experience" as I will get just what I pay for.
RIki.

OOOhhh good advice there!

 

[egoodell]

We love our innsitter. You have to get a business license and insurance first. We use them as we cannot afford employees. I would not take someone who offeres to "work for free for the experience" as I will get just what I pay for.
RIki.

OOOhhh good advice there!
.

OOOhhh good advice there!

Yes I'm not sure what the insurance costs are, but a business license should not be much. Then you can sell yourself as a independant contractor, which makes you responsible for your taxes. If you like I can look up the insurance company that my insitter has since I have it on file.
This way they can pay you a flat hourly fee. I guarantee my innsitters 3 hours of work or more when they come. Sometimes they flip the rooms, sometimes they just tidy up while covering us for check ins. And it gives the innsitter time to learn how the innkeeper likes things done. Some innkeepers like to train their own help so they don't develop what they consider bad habits. But if you are armed with your license and insurance they'll know you are serious about learning.
That along with reading the fourms to see how things are handled and attending some aspiring classes will help. Virginia has one coming up in February in Charlottesville.
RIki

 

[Don Draper]

Good Lord! I, Don "the snark" Draper, tried to play peacemaker on that thread???? Too too funny. Sometimes I miss that Toad...
At any rate, to the OP I would start by just asking to volunteer at Inns anywhere you can get to where you live now. Let them know you're interested in moving AWAY to be in the b&b industry so they won't feel competitive. Stay in a cheap hotel and give up a few weekends of your time to shadow, just to get some experience. If you're as hands-on and can-do as you sound then I know you would very quickly go from shadowing to really helping, and there would be no faster way to gain my trust.
I love reading these philosophical threads. Everyone's reasons are so vastly different for doing what we do. I am the anti-cutesy innkeeper, I'm really happy to help you get the most out of your time here and be friendly doing it, but honestly serving or becoming best friends with every guest had no part of the appeal for me. It was about our location, period.
I think one of the reasons I struggle so much a few years in is that I came from being a health care professional, where all I did every day was make people feel better and teach them how to help themselves. Most of the seasonal decorations I own were gifts from clients...I brought stuff home all the time, like every day with the dripping praise. I got to be real friends with them. Then I get here and seems no matter what I do it doesn't suit some people. I've never had my personal best not be good enough until I got here. It's frustrating, but after some honest soul-searching I have to chalk it up to not being able to suit everyone all the time. But it's the biggest factor contributing to our current burnout. I think I will be a hermit after this, I wouldn't be sad to never meet a new person for the rest of my life!

 

[Alibi Ike]

Good Lord! I, Don "the snark" Draper, tried to play peacemaker on that thread???? Too too funny. Sometimes I miss that Toad...
At any rate, to the OP I would start by just asking to volunteer at Inns anywhere you can get to where you live now. Let them know you're interested in moving AWAY to be in the b&b industry so they won't feel competitive. Stay in a cheap hotel and give up a few weekends of your time to shadow, just to get some experience. If you're as hands-on and can-do as you sound then I know you would very quickly go from shadowing to really helping, and there would be no faster way to gain my trust.
I love reading these philosophical threads. Everyone's reasons are so vastly different for doing what we do. I am the anti-cutesy innkeeper, I'm really happy to help you get the most out of your time here and be friendly doing it, but honestly serving or becoming best friends with every guest had no part of the appeal for me. It was about our location, period.
I think one of the reasons I struggle so much a few years in is that I came from being a health care professional, where all I did every day was make people feel better and teach them how to help themselves. Most of the seasonal decorations I own were gifts from clients...I brought stuff home all the time, like every day with the dripping praise. I got to be real friends with them. Then I get here and seems no matter what I do it doesn't suit some people. I've never had my personal best not be good enough until I got here. It's frustrating, but after some honest soul-searching I have to chalk it up to not being able to suit everyone all the time. But it's the biggest factor contributing to our current burnout. I think I will be a hermit after this, I wouldn't be sad to never meet a new person for the rest of my life!.

I think I will be a hermit after this, I wouldn't be sad to never meet a new person for the rest of my life!

Tiny house. Hermit in a tiny house. Hermit in a tiny, paid for house. That's me when we move on.

 

[Joey Camb]

In answer to an earlier question I was virtually born into it lol. My crazy godmother bought her first bed and breakfast when I was 8 (with no experience or business sense of any kind I would point out) aided and abbeted by my mum (equally as daft) while their husbands worked abroad. As The Aston as it is now is over 100 years old and I grew up with standard operating procedure being water pouring out of a wall etc. I grew up went to university (took history with international politics with subsidiaries in Computer Science and Applied Social Studies) went to work for the UK version of the IRS but worked with small businesses which was really interesting but the pay was apauling so ended up having to get a second job and frankly spending all my days being shouted at by members of the public was wearing a bit thin. Went into financial services but was downsized and got a job as Reception Manager of a 42 bedroom hotel which was run by a lady who very much resembled Meryl Streep in the devil wears Prada. It was the best training in holding calm under any type of fire! Moved to the Yorkshire hotel 80 bedrooms just been bought by a chain and they had lost all their management team 200 year old building complete nightmare with repairs as had been let go to ruin and surrounded by noise problems. Developed a hide like a rhino and put all the complaints training I had done at the IRS to good use. Decided I had had enough of this and with some help from my family bought my own place. My passion is partly for making sure people have a good time but i would point out it doesn't usually take much to do it. Also I like being my own boss.

 

[Gingerbread Latte]

Alibi Ike and Catlady,
Innsitting to me means first learning the ropes through apprenticeship/internship for awhile at an established inn/s. I understand that there are B&B owners out there who need a break and would rather not close down while they're gone.
I would be available to go anywhere anytime......and after 2-3 years of innsitting, I would possibly know for sure if I do want to acquire one of my own and where. Plus hubby will retire in that time frame, and we would do innsitting together or be inn owners...
I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue..

I live in a smaller midwest town, and there just aren't many around.......thinking about choosing a city - say Kansas City, and just emailing them on their website touting my keen interest in learning the business plus helping them out at the same time. I already have the passion; I just need the venue.

In re emailing out of the blue that you'd like to take up my time to learn my business and then open up a competing business- you need a bit more finesse than that.

First, go to the state association and ask them if they know of any innkeepers who are willing to work with you. Having someone call first and pave the way for you with an open-minded innkeeper is a much better way to go.
Second, what are you bringing to the table other than a desire to learn? What am I going to get in return? You will be taking up a lot of mental space while you are here working with me. I had better learn something, too. What can you share with me to make my business better?
'I love to cook and talk to people,' is not going to get you in the door here. (I don't remember if you said that or not, but it's what I hear all the time.) Just like any other job, what are you bringing with you to enhance my business while you are here?
Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?
It's easy to be passionate about the fun parts. But being dragged down by the unfun parts is what causes people to sell.
Is hubby on board? Gung ho? Ready to sacrifice his retirement days to doing this? Is he willing to trade 5 days/week for 7 days/week? Willing to forgo vacations in peak season?
When you take an innkeeping course, he should take it too. It's always bad when one partner can make time for the classes, but the other can't because whatever else they are doing is 'more important'. You'll put a lot of your money on the line in opening a B&B, so everyone needs to be on board. Even if hubby will only be a 'silent partner' he needs to know what you're up against every day. And how you can't just close up to go to a wedding or party.
.

Also, to yourself, define your passion. Is your passion for cleaning toilets? Unclogging toilets? Getting blood stains out of white comforters? Wine stains out of carpet? Knocking on doors in the middle of the night when there is a fight going on? Is it bookkeeping? Scaring off telemarketers? Designing and maintaining a website? Managing staff? Getting up at 5 AM to make breakfast after your last guest rang the bell at 2 AM?

I REALLY don't mean to sound snarky about this, but is this your passion? Was that why you started your B&B?
It sounds to me like a passion to provide hospitality and run a biz from your home will entail all of these things, but this is NOT why you got into it, either. Does she need to know that this side of the coin exists? Abosultely. Is this a fair thing to ask her about her passion? Maybe not so much.
Rose-colored glasses need to be taken off- yes. In their place does not need to be a negative "you'll never be able to do this without a passion for the seedier side of the job" type of attitude.
I came onto this forum over a year ago as an aspiring. I am still, but you'd never know it. I couldn't handle all the "you'll never be able to get a full night's sleep or drink a hot cup of coffee all in one sitting if you become an innkeeper" type of pep talks from the forum members. So, I stopped asking questions.
I will be an innkeeper one day. It will happen. Yes, I have the passion for cooking and making guests happy. Which is why I am sure a lot of innkeepers opened their doors. Yes, I understand that cleaning toilets, making beds, answering the same questions over and over again, and taking the bad with the good are all part of it, too. And YES, she needs to see that, too. But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"
.

But...why did YOU open your doors? And Ike, this is not directed at you, personally. But why does any innkeeper open their doors? Did you know about cleaning toilets, blood stains, puke stains, thread counts, or cold coffee when you started? Again, Ike, not directed at you.
Just an observation from an outsider who likes to "people watch"

I started doing this because I was out of work, out of time and almost out of money. Please everyone pardon me for saying this because you all know I know better now, but I did this because it was 'easy'. I could work from home. I knew how to clean and had a partner who could cook. I did not, absolutely did not, get into this because I 'like people', because I want to 'serve people' or anything remotely 'helpful to people'.
There were no plans at all to be a social butterfly. Make breakfast, clean the rooms, help the guests out the door. Period. No social hour. No chatting up the guests other than the absolute necessity. Cook, clean, take the money.
What we found was that we both have an aptitude for what we're doing. It was a crapshoot at the start. What I have seen in my years doing this is that the people who go into it thinking it's all about the socializing, the expert cooking, playing Lord & Lady Bountiful are the folks who sell up very quickly when all of the crap stuff I mentioned happens day in and day out and they lose their graciousness in the face of reality. Really, it is hard, very hard, to continue to be gracious when guests behave like boors. And if you don't have the buffer of a housekeeper preventing you from seeing how nasty guests can be about their rooms it takes its toll. When 8 out of 10 phone calls start with, 'What kind of discounts do you have?' it takes its toll. Should I just leave all of that out when I talk about my experience here? My partner says yes. My partner wouldn't tell you a single bad thing, it would all be rosy and gay.
We went into this only thinking about how much work there was to do everyday. Could we handle the workload? Could we handle it for months on end without a day off? Could we handle the down time when we could get on each other's nerves? My partner is a workaholic. I'm a lazy bitch. We acknowledged that we are not family-oriented to the point that missing weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and all of that would matter a whole lot to us. It still doesn't. A couple of family emergencies in the past two years has strained that a bit.
So, yes, we thought first about the workload and could we handle it. We bought a place that can be run with only two of us. It's nice when we have help, but we don't always. We did it because we could do it, not because it was our first choice of occupation. We like where we live. We enjoy our neighbors and our friends. But I still wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what the heck kind of person lets complete strangers sleep in their house?
.

Thank you! That's just what I needed to hear. I know all the social graces (I am Southern, after all) but I am in negotiations for a B&B because it's an awesome house that I want to own, killer location, a good business and has great tax advantages.
Is it my life long dream? Not really, but the opportunity presented itself, so I am considering it and trying to get up to speed as much as I can. Will I screw it up? Probably at first, but hopefully my innkeeping friends can advise me & keep me from going totally under.
Am I nervous? Yep! Have I ever fed 20 people at once? Only at back yard BBQs, so this should be very interesting.

 

[karilyn]

I can see there are just soooo many clever and interesting innkeepers out there........B&B conventions must be a gas!!

 

[karilyn]

....Not that any of you could attend said convention without an innsitter

 

[InnCaring]

Believe it or not, there actually are classes given to learn about the Inn Sitting profession (we really like to call it Interim Innkeeping). If you go to our national website you can get more information. http://interiminnkeepers.net/info/training

 

[Don Draper]

Believe it or not, there actually are classes given to learn about the Inn Sitting profession (we really like to call it Interim Innkeeping). If you go to our national website you can get more information. http://interiminnkeepers.net/info/training.

(we really like to call it Interim Innkeeping).

This just made me smile..."interim innkeeping" definitely has a more dignified ring, but when describing the actual job to someone I don't think you can do better than "innsitting"...this is the noisiest, whiniest, NEEDIEST baby you'll ever sit!