There are so many good reasons to start running a Bed and Breakfast – all the convenience of working from home, utilising the space you have in a large house, offsetting some of household running costs against your business… the list goes on. Whatever your reason for opening up your home or annexe to guests, it is often difficult to get over the initial hurdle of where to start and how to attract those first year customers and launch your business with conviction and economic sense.
A number of legislative issues need to be addressed before you start – fire safety risk assessments, 3rd party insurance, PRS music licence, compliance with Environmental Health, and access statements for your website amongst others however this kind of administration does not have to be stressful or overwhelming. Marketing your business can feel, on the face of it, relatively easy because there seems to be an endless number of useful websites and publications offering you tremendous opportunities but which one to choose? Which websites or which marketing opportunities will suit the way you would like your business to grow?
Having guests to stay in your home gives you an unprecedented opportunity to meet a huge range of interesting people. However, experience will tell you that not all guests behave exactly according to your imagined rules and priorities, but if you intend to run a welcoming and relaxed Bed & Breakfast, take my advice there are no easy, or indeed, hard and fast, rules. Nevertheless, there is a great deal that you can do to influence guest behaviour in order to create an atmosphere and clientele that does not clash with the way you wish to run both your business and your home and ensure that they run successfully in parallel .
always try to exceed their expectations
There are great differences between accommodation providers in towns to those in the country. City B&Bs will attract business as well as tourist visitors while those in the country tend to attract customers looking for quiet breaks away or guests wanting to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities which your locality affords. In order to make things work, you will need to know your local area and tourist facilities like the back of your hand and have information on tap to help your guests enjoy their stay – always try to exceed their expectations. I have learnt that it is so often an alertness to the small details, thoughtfully proffered information or the use of local knowledge that changes a standard stay to a memorable one. This brings back business.
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