- Joined
- May 22, 2008
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Absolutely that is true. The answer you will get when you ask, where are you staying - the local big name hotel - and why not in town? Oh I never thought. Uh-huh. That is what donating to local charities will bring you. IF I buy an ad in the football program - and that has only been when the kids actually come here to ask (rare) I look at it as community relations and not advertising because it will not bring me a dime. I am starting to get some funeral business - not from the funeral home across the street, but from an old guy with an e-mail list that I somehow got on.When we first bought our inn, we soon found out the the POs didn't have the word "no" in their vocabulary. We were overwhelmed with GC calls, letters, e-mails. I turned everyone down the first year. The second year I started giving donated room nights. What a waste. We do care about our local community and there are many deserving groups. We've decided that we will not give room nights and we will donate money to those causes near and dear to us, but as individuals and that money can be deductible.
We live in a small community also, and they don't "get us". We don't market to locals. I also tried donating $50 certificates to charities...no one has ever redeemed one, and I've even had them refused because it wasn't a full night donation. Go figure!.We said just the other day as a coworker sends all their out of town relatives to the local chain hotels for a wedding today and we have only two rooms booked in here - so much for spending your money locally. What about us? That does not include us and every penny we earn goes back into this community. You are on your own! They think people drive down the streets and stay with us, they have no clue. Local referrals are not there. Don't waste your time. Be involved all you want, keep YOUR business separate.Breakfast Diva said:When we first bought our inn, we soon found out the the POs didn't have the word "no" in their vocabulary. We were overwhelmed with GC calls, letters, e-mails. I turned everyone down the first year. The second year I started giving donated room nights. What a waste. We do care about our local community and there are many deserving groups. We've decided that we will not give room nights and we will donate money to those causes near and dear to us, but as individuals and that money can be deductible.
We live in a small community also, and they don't "get us". We don't market to locals. I also tried donating $50 certificates to charities...no one has ever redeemed one, and I've even had them refused because it wasn't a full night donation. Go figure!
I would like to say something that will make a few here angry - YOUR identity is NOT your business.
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My family (several cousins too) have visited - but probably because no hotel will let them stay for $1 per night (IRS says we must charge, not how much). It is cheaper than me traveling to them.