What is the day to day like?

[OnTheShore]

I also like the book "Bed and Breakfast Magic" by Yvonne Halling. She supposedly has a b&b in France, and I believe they are experts in small champagne makers in their area of France. And have a following of people interested in that.
Her concept it that rather than just be a B&B, you should have a specialization or 2, and target people who are interested in your specialty. Of course, it should also fit your region and knowledge. For example, birdwatchers, kayakers, hunters, skiiers, fishers, etc.
A lot of people seem to acquire an inn, set up their website and marketing and wait for people to come in. But questionable competition (think AirBnb), regulations and other things are making this harder. Places like NYC and Raleigh are seeing their B&Bs close, for example.
I believe the future will belong to the specialist, rather than the generalist..

I was reading today's post in Jim's Marketing Blog this morning, and it relates to undersea's post here:
Stop marketing your services. Really. Stop it!
He referred back to an earlier post, which is one of my favorites:
The number 1 thing you must know, for your business to succeed
And in a way, both of these posts relate back to what HappyKeeper posted above in this thread -- are you running the business, or is the business running you?
.

We still have the, "We are a destination" sign tacked up somewhere. It went up early on in our ten years and, it is a little scary to say, we may be nearing that truth. People want the experience that only we offer. We have spent ten years developing our unique brands and I would consider this the single greatest asset for our business and it's growth.
.

 

[gillumhouse]

I also like the book "Bed and Breakfast Magic" by Yvonne Halling. She supposedly has a b&b in France, and I believe they are experts in small champagne makers in their area of France. And have a following of people interested in that.
Her concept it that rather than just be a B&B, you should have a specialization or 2, and target people who are interested in your specialty. Of course, it should also fit your region and knowledge. For example, birdwatchers, kayakers, hunters, skiiers, fishers, etc.
A lot of people seem to acquire an inn, set up their website and marketing and wait for people to come in. But questionable competition (think AirBnb), regulations and other things are making this harder. Places like NYC and Raleigh are seeing their B&Bs close, for example.
I believe the future will belong to the specialist, rather than the generalist..

Having a sideline specialty can possibly be a killer element unless it is done by one half of a pair. I con do elopements only because I have everything set and it does not take a LOT of time - wedding cake gets done night before - remember I said late nights.
what one needs to do re specialty is to ID their market and market to them with trying to get an occasional tourist as a fill in room (directory, Air). I know I get horse travelers & motorcycles & odd travelers. History & touring people too. So I market for horses, motorcycles, and elopes. I do not try to be all to all.

 

[Syberz]

Thanks for the tips and for describing your typical work days, all of it really helps.
I don't know if innkeeper courses are a thing in my area, but I'll look into it. I do have management experience and a degree in the subject so that helps a bit.
Talking it over with the wife, we have made a list of what we want for our possible business (location, activities, clientèle, etc.) so we're not going in blind and won't be buying the first available business that we stumble upon. We know that location is paramount and have a few criteria for where we'd like to be regarding amenities.

 

[JimBoone]

I'm the odd one, mom and pop motel, no employees, 8 rooms. We don't offer breakfast, but average 2 beds per room so perhaps more linen. We didn't have any experience either, just sounded like something we wanted to do, going on 24 years now and still love it. Started in our late 40's, now in our 70's, until recently Maxine did the lions share and I worked a weekday job and assisted evenings and weekends.
Similar area, Western North Carolina, ski business generally mid-December to mid-March, warm weather business from mid-May through October. I'd call us a life style business, we earn a life we enjoy. Most profit has always gone back in the business, we lived on the salary from my other job. Your success may well depend on your financial position and the cost of the property that interests you.
The work can be steady, I don't think of it as hard, but like any home there is always a job that needs doing. Much of our business centers around weekends and holidays, good mid-week business only in certain peak seasons, most time you will see a pattern and find ample time to run errands or take off for an afternoon without harming business.
Our first few years we took no holiday time, then started for many years taking long weekends at Easter and Thanksgiving when child was out of school, but in the last few years have locked up and took much of April and November for our holiday, at 72 either we take some time now or maybe miss the opportunity.
In our early years we answered the phone round the clock, soon found folks that called in the middle of the night often cancelled in the light of day, these days I answer the phone 9 to 9, but that may include returning a message from the machine if we are away from home. Folks do at times check in at late hours, ski season folks tend to be younger and many don't arrive until late.
Again we don't serve breakfast, not sure how we would fit that job in to our schedule, would have been difficult in the earlier days when I left the business to head to a day job.

 

[Iris]

Hello and welcome
Nothing to add, everyone has truthfully pointed out what it takes to welcome guests.
We started our careers as innkeepers when we were 39 and could handle this big place with its old infrastructure. Today, 20 years later, it's a lot. I had to hire help with cleaning for the high season. However, we could not afford to hire help with fixing things. If my husband were not handy, we would have to pack it in.
We love the lifestyle. 99% of the guests are wonderful. We close from November to May. If we didn't have that time to ourselves, I would be grumpy.
Make sure you like "wiping people's butts" before you get into this. Good luck
P.S. Running a Pension in Bavaria or Austria sounds wonderful to me. As a child, we spent all of our winter vacations in either Kitzbuehl or Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Bad Reichenhall and we always stayed in Pensions.

 

[Iris]

Thanks for the tips and for describing your typical work days, all of it really helps.
I don't know if innkeeper courses are a thing in my area, but I'll look into it. I do have management experience and a degree in the subject so that helps a bit.
Talking it over with the wife, we have made a list of what we want for our possible business (location, activities, clientèle, etc.) so we're not going in blind and won't be buying the first available business that we stumble upon. We know that location is paramount and have a few criteria for where we'd like to be regarding amenities..

Thanks for the tips and for describing your typical work days, all of it really helps.
I don't know if innkeeper courses are a thing in my area, but I'll look into it. I do have management experience and a degree in the subject so that helps a bit.
Talking it over with the wife, we have made a list of what we want for our possible business (location, activities, clientèle, etc.) so we're not going in blind and won't be buying the first available business that we stumble upon. We know that location is paramount and have a few criteria for where we'd like to be regarding amenities.

If not in your area, you tube can help, LOL. Is there anything not on you tube today?

 

[Syberz]

I'm the odd one, mom and pop motel, no employees, 8 rooms. We don't offer breakfast, but average 2 beds per room so perhaps more linen. We didn't have any experience either, just sounded like something we wanted to do, going on 24 years now and still love it. Started in our late 40's, now in our 70's, until recently Maxine did the lions share and I worked a weekday job and assisted evenings and weekends.
Similar area, Western North Carolina, ski business generally mid-December to mid-March, warm weather business from mid-May through October. I'd call us a life style business, we earn a life we enjoy. Most profit has always gone back in the business, we lived on the salary from my other job. Your success may well depend on your financial position and the cost of the property that interests you.
The work can be steady, I don't think of it as hard, but like any home there is always a job that needs doing. Much of our business centers around weekends and holidays, good mid-week business only in certain peak seasons, most time you will see a pattern and find ample time to run errands or take off for an afternoon without harming business.
Our first few years we took no holiday time, then started for many years taking long weekends at Easter and Thanksgiving when child was out of school, but in the last few years have locked up and took much of April and November for our holiday, at 72 either we take some time now or maybe miss the opportunity.
In our early years we answered the phone round the clock, soon found folks that called in the middle of the night often cancelled in the light of day, these days I answer the phone 9 to 9, but that may include returning a message from the machine if we are away from home. Folks do at times check in at late hours, ski season folks tend to be younger and many don't arrive until late.
Again we don't serve breakfast, not sure how we would fit that job in to our schedule, would have been difficult in the earlier days when I left the business to head to a day job..

Thank you very much for the insight!

 

[scrambled_eggs]

For 8-10 rooms I would definitely want help with housekeeping. I knew of a couple who had 10 rooms and did breakfast and dinner. They were running it themselves and were very burned out by the cleaning part of it day in and day out. They lasted 10 years.

 

[Copperhead]

Welcome.
I am in a reminiscing state of mind today. This week 20 yrs ago we placed an offer on what today is our B&B. What a time of dreaming, excitement, planning it was.
The others posting here telling you to read, read and read some more are spot on.
We each could sit here and give you a synopsis of our daily routine but truly each day is different. One day can move smoothly and we have time to rest and the next we are praying for more hours in the day to get everything done.
Wishing you the best. The best of life is yet to be.

 

[gillumhouse]

Thanks for the tips and for describing your typical work days, all of it really helps.
I don't know if innkeeper courses are a thing in my area, but I'll look into it. I do have management experience and a degree in the subject so that helps a bit.
Talking it over with the wife, we have made a list of what we want for our possible business (location, activities, clientèle, etc.) so we're not going in blind and won't be buying the first available business that we stumble upon. We know that location is paramount and have a few criteria for where we'd like to be regarding amenities..

Utmost important - be somewhere YOU want to live. Being where tourists etc. want to be is not always the place you would want to be 24/7 365. You have to like the area and like the people of the region. Are they the kind of people you can be friends with - have the same interests. You will be very lonely/ unhappy otherwise.

 

[MtnKeeper]

We have a 9 room B&B for 10 years now. First comment - you are never off and your life will revolve around your guests and your occupancy times and rates. You will only be able to take vacation in your area's off season so be sure the weather in your favorite places is good in those times. For example, we are busiest June-Oct so we have never been camping again since we opened. Sounds like a little thing, but be sure your choice to own a B&B is going to give you what you want and your pleasurable activities aren't put on the back burner.
Here's a typical day: Coffee out at 7am and start breakfast; serve breakfast until about 9:45, one of us cleans up dining room and does dishes until about 11am - other is helping guests plan day and then checking out guests; touch up rooms staying over; clean rooms leaving to be ready for 3pm checking; get some laundry in washer - typically not done until 2-3pm depending on # of rooms to clean; try to chow down a sandwich before start making cookies; guests start arriving, some earlier than checkin time and will bang on door; you might find yourselves hiding so they don't know you're there because you'll need 15 minutes to perhaps get to use the bathroom (by the way, be sure your place has a locking front door and your private space can be locked).
Depending on your checkin time, you now have to stay at B&B to wait for check-ins - almost none come when they say. One of you may have to stay to checkin guests while the other goes to the food store. Guests will want/need help with dinner plans and then may come back and expect you to be social.
during this waiting time, you will be doing laundry and perhaps getting a jump on tomorrow's breakfast if you can.
we typically aren't off until after 9pm. So that's about 14 hour days. As for money, most of us don't make a ton. Of course were building equity but you must keep putting,money back into it to keep it up. Maybe in your country it won't be an issue, but health insurance is a huge expense so be sure you have coverage.
With OTAs taking more of our profits each year, it's getting hard to make as much as the year before.
rinse, repeat, start all over again tomorrow 7 days a week. It's hard to sell a property now adays so be sure it's for you before you get into this business!

 

[Joey Camb]

Thanks for the tips and for describing your typical work days, all of it really helps.
I don't know if innkeeper courses are a thing in my area, but I'll look into it. I do have management experience and a degree in the subject so that helps a bit.
Talking it over with the wife, we have made a list of what we want for our possible business (location, activities, clientèle, etc.) so we're not going in blind and won't be buying the first available business that we stumble upon. We know that location is paramount and have a few criteria for where we'd like to be regarding amenities..

I am presuming that you are located in the EU at the moment? if so there are lots of good B&B courses in the UK which is only a cheap flight away - ill send you some links.

 

[Joey Camb]

gillumhouse, thank you for the book suggestion, we will definitely get that! You mention having to go to bed late, why is that? As Jon mentioned, he considers himself off-duty at 6pm and this is something that my wife and I were planning as well, is this reasonable for an 8-10 room inn?
Jon, we'll be doing all of the work ourselves in the beginning but we would like to hire a cleaning man/lady once the cashflow permits..

We are 11 bedrooms and have 1 chamber maid 7 days a week - unless she has a day off
A lot depends on your occupancy and what your local market can stand price wise ie we run at about 86% occupancy - we are "ON" from 6.30am to 9.30pm at night - however on an evening we rarely are disturbed for things or sometimes its a simple and quickly answered question.
Ie today I have 1 large group of cyclists taking 9 rooms and 2 rooms which are in for 4 nights for a model engineering fair - all my cyclists are coming together at 6pm - so from now to 6pm I have some free time.
Being strict with bookings and minimum nights helps both with having a life as well as costs as a service is a lot cheaper than a change. believe me when you start it is very tempting to grab any bookings you can but as you go on you will see what you can get away with!
I would recommend a book keeping course as it is one of the things most people make mistakes with.
Also you can do remote classes with Stephanie Thomas www.creatingbooking.com