How to Improve Your BedandBreakfast.com Listing

The appearance of your BedandBreakfast.com listing can make or break a potential reservation. It’s important to spend some time maximizing your listing so it’s attractive to travelers. We also encourage you to keep search engine optimization (SEO) best practices in mind as you create or edit your listing.

Here are some of our top tips for improving your listing and maximizing your SEO:

• Make your inn’s description as unique and personalized as possible. Your SEO can be penalized for using identical content on multiple websites, so please do not copy and paste a description from your website or listing on another site.

• When writing your listing, include detailed information about your property, such as your B&B’s unique features. You should also describe your location and attractions near you.

• Take advantage of all of your photo slots. Our surveys show that photos are extremely important to travelers in the booking process, so please use all of the slots that come with your membership.  Bronze members get one photo, Silver get 10, Gold get 15, and Platinum and BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection™ get 25. Ensure that they are high-quality and high-resolution; blurry, small, outdated, or poorly-lit photos are a major turn-off to potential guests. Please note that we can only feature B&Bs with excellent, high-resolution photos in our PR and marketing. For more info, read our list of 10 photo mistakes to avoid.

• Add unique captions to each of your photos so potential guests know what they are seeing. This can also help your listing’s SEO.

• Use keywords sparingly. We already optimize property pages for terms such as “{name of city} + bed and breakfast.”  Keyword stuffing is only going to hurt your property page, so please do not add many extra keywords like this to your listing.

• Post a Hot Deal, which is a free feature for Silver members and higher. This gives you the opportunity to list a weekly last-minute deal, which travelers can search on our site or subscribe to via email.

• Update your listing from time to time. Do you have any new seasonal photos to add? Have you added any new amenities? Did you win any awards or special recognition? Don’t forget to keep your listing updated.
 

By Emily Starbuck Crone

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

Which Type of Aspiring Bed and Breakfast Owner Are You?

The following guest post is by Susan Poole, B&B coach and innkeeper of 40 Bay Street Bed and Breakfast, an Ontario B&B.

Over the years of working with many bed and breakfast owners, I have found that most owners fall under one of two categories. The first are the owners who run their bed and breakfast like a hobby; the others are people who want to own a bed and breakfast business.

Neither type is wrong, and typically, the reason both want to own a bed and breakfast tends to be the same--they love to meet new people, cook, and entertain. A guest staying at one or the other would not know the difference. It’s the outcomes at the end of the year that reveals the difference. A hobbyist owns a bed and breakfast because they love what they do; the other in order to make money doing something they love. 

To determine which type you want to be, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Have I/am I planning to discuss this idea with my financial adviser?
2. Have I/am I planning to make inquiries about accountants and the income tax implications of owning a business?
3. Have I/am I planning to speak to a lawyer about the options for setting up my business?
4. Do/will I have a business plan?

If you answered no and have no intentions of following up on those tasks, then I would respectfully suggest that you fall into the hobbyist category. You will reap the benefits of your bed and breakfast by the wonderful people that come your way, and may or may not break even financially at the end of the day, depending on the amount of money you choose to invest into marketing your B&B.

If you have answered yes to the majority of those questions, then you are definitely not a hobbyist. However, a word of warning: a business plan is essential for every business owner, whether you plan on seeking financing or not. A business plan is essentially a road map for how you will start and run your bed and breakfast for the first couple of years. It is also a marker for you to compare your original ideas with the reality of the marketplace, such as who your customer is and what that customer is looking for.

There are specific topics a bed and breakfast business plan contains:

•  Description of the bed and breakfast business, including a physical description of the property, number of rooms and long- and short-term goals for the business.
•  Products and services you will be offering. For instance, will you only be offering bed and breakfast? Are you planning to work with local partners to provide other services, such as a spa? Gift shop? Restaurant? Etc.
•  An overview of the industry. What are the trends for the bed and breakfast industry?  Try to create an understanding not just from the B&B point of view, but also who typically stays at B&Bs. What are travel trends that influence where and how people stay? Think national, state and regionally when collecting your data. BedandBreakfast.com conducts traveler surveys twice a year, and The Professional Association of Innkeepers International often has great data on trends.
•  The competition. Don’t limit yourself to just other B&Bs. Anywhere people can stay is potential competition for you. (As an example, the region where my B&B is located recently released a study that said 52% of visitors to the area stayed in campgrounds and/or RVs).
•  A marketing plan. This will not only help in getting the word out about your bed and breakfast, but it will help you create your budget, provide an understanding of how technology will impact on how you market your business, and serve as a tool to monitor where your investments in marketing pay off the most in the future.
•  Information about the owners/management. Figure out all the skills, talents and expertise you have to offer your business. Are there things you’re lacking?  Is it something you can learn? Is it something you will have to hire someone to do for you? Again, not only will it help you plan your budget, but help you determine how vulnerable your bed and breakfast might be from a business point of view.
•  What are the issues that could impact the business? Think not only internally, i.e. if you get sick or if something breaks, but also externally. There are always things that you can prepare for, but may not be able to influence, like the weather, gas prices, or the economy.
•  A risk analysis. The most common analysis is called a SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses tend to reflect the internal workings of the business, while opportunities and threats are from the outside of the business.  This exercise is great in helping you identify the issues that may impact on your business.
•  The implementation plan, which is commonly overlooked.  However, having your implementation plan in writing helps you to stay on track and keep to your timeline. It is also a great tool to use when planning your budget, as it identifies what expenditures you will be making and when.
•  The financial plan is the most crucial component of your bed and breakfast business plan.  It typically contains a balance sheet (your net worth), a projected annualized profit and loss statement, and three years worth of monthly cash flow statements.  Cash flow statements show when monies are coming in and being spent. Since most B&Bs have cyclical income, cash flows are the key to making sure your business stays afloat in the first few years.  

Creating a business is a lot of work, but will pay off in the long run.  It increases you chances of success by:
•  Identifying potential risks that may occur
•  Organizing budgets and timelines to keep you on track
•  Getting an excellent understanding of how to manage your money

About the author: Susan Poole, The B&B Coach is the owner of the award winning 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast. Her three-step system has been created to help people figure out if owning a bed and breakfast can produce the income and fulfillment they envision. After completing the "How to turn your passions into a thriving bed and breakfast business" system, people will know how much income they can create, how much work it will be and what the risks are for them.

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

Three Fundamental Factors Aspiring Innkeepers Need to Consider when Choosing a Property

The following guest post is by Susan Poole, B&B coach and innkeeper of an Ontario B&B.

It took me three years to find the right property for my bed and breakfast.  Why so long? Not only did I need to find right property in the right location for the right price, but it also had to meet my business criteria. 

Here are three fundamental factors I strongly recommend you consider when viewing properties.

1.  Is the property large enough to meet all your needs? 

In their excitement, many people overlook the fact that the property they are considering is expected to be both their home and their business. It is essential to not only have a dedicated space for yourself, but one that you enjoy and are comfortable in.  To determine space you need for your own living quarters, ask yourself:

• How many people will be living in the owner’s quarters on a regular basis?
• Will you need additional space to be able to accommodate visiting family or friends, or will you give up revenue from the B&B portion to accommodate them?
• How many bedrooms do you need?
• How many bathrooms do you need?
• Where will you eat your meals?
• How much “family” living space do you require? (Think indoors and out.)
• What renovations/re-configurations, sound-proofing etc. will be required to this property to meet your personal and business needs?

Once you eliminate your personal space, does it leave you enough space to have the number of bed and breakfast bedrooms you budgeted for?

2.  Is the property zoned in such a way that it can be used as a bed and breakfast?

Zoning varies depending on your location and the type of establishment you wish to run.  Zoning typically covers anything that pertains to land use; it is a by-law and in some cases can be amended or changed.  For example, on the street I am located on (in a seasonal tourist town) there are a variety of zoning types:

• commercial use
• residential use only
• home-based business (requires the owner to live on the property)
• seasonal business usage (may or may not require the owner to live on the property)

Needless to say, the type of zoning will also affect your tax rate.

 Don’t take anyone’s word that the property is zoned for a B&B – insist on proof.  If you wish to make changes in order to use the property as a B&B, find out what the requirements are ahead of time.  The process to change the zoning can be a lengthy and expensive one – in the small town where I am located, if everything goes smoothly it can take a minimum of three months for a zoning by-law amendment, and there is no guarantee that you will get the amendment you need.

3.  What else is required to make your bed and breakfast “legal”?

As with zoning, depending on where you are located, there may be requirements at the federal/national, provincial/state, regional/county and local levels.  These can include permits, licenses, certificates and other regulations.

Typical requirements can include:

• Business registration and licensing
• Permits (signs, serving and selling alcohol, building if you are making changes to the property)
• Taxation numbers
• Training and certification (smart serve, food handling)
• Inspections (fire, health & safety, B&B standards)

The list can be fairly lengthy, or it may not be an issue at all! My recommendation is to speak with local bed and breakfast owners – someone who has been through it and knows the local situation – to be able to determine what it can be like trying to own a bed and breakfast in the area you are considering.  Listen to their stories and advice and weigh all that information against your dreams and desires.

Then, in order to make sure you have everything covered and positioned properly to meet your goals for owning a bed and breakfast, both long and short term, it is well worth the money to speak with a knowledgeable lawyer and accountant.

While making sure that the appropriate amount of space and compliance that is required for zoning, permits, and regulations may not seem fun, these factors will ensure that once you open for business you won’t have any sudden surprises that can close your bed and breakfast down. 

About the author:
Susan Poole, The B&B Coach is the owner of the award-winning 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast. Her 3 step system has been created to help people figure out if owning a bed and breakfast can produce the income and fulfillment then envision. After completing the "How to turn your passions into a thriving bed and breakfast business" system, people will know how much income they can create, how much work it will be and what the risks are for them.

Pictured: Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast in Seattle, WA

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

How to Cook Efficiently for a Large Group

The following guest post is by Andrea Hundley, a B&B owner and blogger at bedandbreakfastbusiness.org.

If you are like me, there are several weekends a year that I know I’m going to have a big crowd for breakfast.  The trick on these days is to make something that is:  1) delicious, 2) easy, 3) can be prepared mostly ahead of time and 4) inexpensive.

Inexpensive
I’m going to start with the last criteria first: inexpensive.  Unlike a lot of B&Bs, I almost never serve a continental breakfast.  I have found that when I do, people ALWAYS put more on their plate than they will eat, and I end up having to prepare twice as much food.  I also find that more is wasted because you don’t want your serving table to look empty.  I serve a plated breakfast.  I always offer seconds, but I have found over the years that there is much less food thrown in the trash with a plated meal. 

I’ve also found that the more choices people have on a continental breakfast, the more people I get who ask, “Do you have any of this?” which is always something that I don’t have. For example, I serve a continental breakfast with four choices including scones, yogurt, homemade granola, fresh fruit.  Inevitably when I do this I have someone ask for something they don’t see, like bagels. They are much less likely to ask this if they see you passing out plates of french toast, bacon, and fresh fruit where everyone is getting the same thing.   

Easy
For large groups, it is even more important to make something that is pretty easy to prepare, because you will almost always have an audience (unless your kitchen is off limits).  You will want to make it something that you can prepare without thinking and something that is well-tested in your kitchen. Have you ever made something that turned out just so-so?  You don’t want this to happen when you have ten potential reviewers sitting at the table. 

Can Be Made Ahead
I like to prepare main dishes that can be made ahead of time. This gives me time to spend the morning of setting up the coffee, cutting fresh fruit, and cooking the meat. I normally use one of my go-to stratas or baked French toast recipes. I have four to five that I have made countless times, and I know they are good because people have asked for the recipe. These can be made the night before and baked in the morning. This takes a lot of the pressure off of cooking for a large group and gives you time to visit with guests without feeling the stress of getting the food out. 

Delicious
Last but not least, it has to be something delicious enough that it has mass appeal.  This is a matter of opinion, BUT these are the breakfasts that have worked for me:

•    Crème Brulee French toast, bacon, broiled grape fruit (which is a surprising hit every time).
•    Mexican strata with roasted turkey, corn, green chili and cheese.  I serve this with cinnamon rolls and fruit
•    Stuffed french toast (stuffed with cream cheese and marmalade), sausage and fruit
•    Quiche. I like caramelized onions and cheese. I usually serve this with a sweet bread like pumpkin or lemon bread and a meat.  Quiche is nice because it can be held well in a warm oven.

I have not had as much luck with serving pancakes to large groups, but a baked French toast is ideal. 

If you have ideas about how to serve a big group, we would love to hear them!

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin 5 Comments

Seven Vital Questions to Ask if You Want to Turn Your Home into a B&B

The following guest post is by Susan Poole, B&B coach and innkeeper of an Ontario B&B.

This summer I was contacted by Martha Stewart Living Radio Morning Show to discuss what people needed to do in order to turn their home into a bed and breakfast.  Here are the questions I recommended that people ask themselves before they even start their journey.

1. Why do you want to own a bed and breakfast? 
If you are just seeking personal fulfillment, your approach is going to be very different than someone who is hoping to create a revenue stream using their home.

2. What the requirements are for legally using your property as a bed and breakfast?
There is no one-stop shop for finding out what the requirements are where you live, and there may be federal, state and local regulations that will apply – all the way from tax implications to health and safety (e.g. food handling) to zoning, sign permits, and parking issues.

3. What is going to attract people to your bed and breakfast? 
The bad news is that people don’t decide to go to stay at a B&B (unless it is a destination in and of itself) and then look for things to do; they find something they want to do, decide they want stay over and require accommodation, and then look for somewhere to stay. 

4. Who is your competition? 
If you want to be financially rewarded for your efforts, you need to find out if there is a need for another bed and breakfast in your area.  In addition, you need to look at the other accommodations; studies show that 80% of hotel guests say they never even considered the idea of staying in a B&B as an option.

5. Who do you want as your guest?
In May 2012, BedandBreakfast.com did a survey on travel trends impacting on B&Bs, and found that three quarters of guests are couples between the ages of 35 and 65.  Are these the people you pictured yourself serving in your bed and breakfast?

6.  Will you be able to offer the amenities that potential guests want?
From a summer 2012 traveler survey by BedandBreakfast.com*, B&B guests said the following amenities were either very important to them or they wouldn't book without them:
• 91% want private bathrooms and 71% free, on-site parking.  Do you have the space to be able to put in extra bathrooms and parking spaces?
• 60% expect free breakfast – are you prepared to deal with special diets?  Do you have consistent access to high quality foods and beverages?  Where and how are you going to seat your guests for breakfast?
• 38% demand free cable or satellite TV and WiFi a must-have these days.  The good news is that technology is constantly progressing, making it easier to provide these types of services at a lower cost.
• 57% want flexible check-ins. You need to qualify what a “late check-in" is, how much disruption it might cause to your personal life and schedule, as well as how it might disturb other guests.

7.  What are the financial implications of owning a bed and breakfast?
One of the key benefits of owning a bed and breakfast is the potential for tax write-offs and the ability to improve your property. However, you need to weigh that against the additional costs you will incur through investing in upgrades, increased utility and food bills, and property tax increases.

Making the decision to use your home as a bed and breakfast requires thought and research. Here are my recommendations for getting started:
• Visit your local municipal government to discuss what might be required
• Be realistic about your current property and its ability to provide the services and amenities bed and breakfast guests are looking for
• Talk to an experienced bed and breakfast owner who can give you insights on  additional things you need to consider, provide valuable contacts, and give you some ideas about your potential guests
• Do some rough math to figure out whether you can make enough money to make your feel adequately compensated for your efforts
• Find some courses put on by actual bed and breakfast owners to continue your exploration

Running a bed and breakfast in your home is a great lifestyle if you are prepared for the reality!

About the author:
Susan Poole, The B&B Coach is the owner of the award-winning 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast. Her 3 step system has been created to help people figure out if owning a bed and breakfast can produce the income and fulfillment then envision. After completing the "How to turn your passions into a thriving bed and breakfast business" system, people will know how much income they can create, how much work it will be and what the risks are for them.

*Survey in summer 2012 consisted of 992 traveler responses

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin 4 Comments

Facebook Marketing Basics for Your B&B

The following guest post is by Andrea Hundley, a B&B owner and blogger at bedandbreakfastbusiness.org.

You can’t turn around these days without someone talking about “social marketing.”  This can mean lots of different things, but without a doubt one of those is Facebook.  If you are going to use social media to market your B&B, you need to build a fan page for your business.  A fan page is a Facebook identity that is not linked to your personal information. You want your business to be separate from yourself because that way when you post personal information, you don’t need to worry about all of your customers seeing it. 

When I was doing my research for this post, I found several different resources that I list at the end of this post for more information. The page itself is pretty easy to create. You go to this location to start.  Make sure to put in photos, contact information and videos if you have them.

The tricky thing is that you can spend a lot of time building your fan page, but unless you have followers, no one will see it.  You need people to become fans in order to be able to communicate with them, which is your primary goal.  Getting people to follow your fan page is all about spreading the word.  I like to do this when I send a review request. You can ask people to write a review and in the same email ask them to follow you on Facebook to see special offers.  It is also critical to put a Facebook “like” button on your web site so it will make it easy for your customers to like you without sending them an email. 

For help on how to make a successful fan page, let’s take a look at a few B&Bs that have done just that.  I find this helpful myself because it seems like a daunting task but if you have an example to follow it makes the idea easier:

• http://www.facebook.com/HeadlandsInn
• http://www.facebook.com/NesselrodBedAndBreakfast

These B&Bs post pictures about what is happening in their area and about events that are coming up.  Another idea is to post deals that only your fans can see, which gives them an incentive to keep following you and spread the word to their friends.  You can also generate videos and post those to your wall.  Too much communication and your fans will stop following you, so I believe it is a good idea to post in moderation.   

You’ll need to make Facebook a regular commitment to be successful.  Set aside time once a week to post something and try to generate fans.

You might notice when you look at other fan pages that they don’t look like the one you created.  That’s because you can customize the page within Facebook.  There are people who can do this for you or resources you can use to do this yourself if you are unhappy with the way your page looks. 
 
Facebook advertising is another aspect that I haven’t touched on.  Facebook has click ads that appear on the right side of the screen.  I had a firm that contacted me to build my fan page and run click ads.  I tried this out for two months and I didn’t get a single reservation.  My initial reaction is that people don’t like to see ads on Facebook and that while it takes longer and is more painful, it is better to build a fan page slowly and with real fans than to try and do it with ads.  If you have had other experience please post a comment to this blog, I’d love to hear from B&Bs who have had more success. 

Resources to check into:

• http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/customize-facebook-fan-page/
• http://mashable.com/2009/09/22/facebook-pages-guide
• http://www.adventuresininternetmarketing.net/how-to-get-more-fans-on-facebook-7-ways-to-increase-facebook-fans/
• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/top-10-facebook-apps-for-building-custom-pages-tabs/

If you are looking for other marketing ideas please visit our website, or if you have more questions about Facebook marketing, email me at info@bedandbreakfastbusiness.org.

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin 2 Comments

Guest Post: The First Step Every Aspiring Bed and Breakfast Owner Needs to Take

The following guest post is by Susan Poole, a B&B coach and innkeeper of 40 Bay Street Bed and Breakfast in Parry Sound, Ontario.

As a bed and breakfast owner for over seven years now, I have had a lot of guests sit around my breakfast table and tell me that they think they would like to own a bed and breakfast. 

As the discussions progress, one of the biggest things I’ve realized is that most people have no idea of what’s involved in owning a bed and breakfast.All they see are the fun parts – like getting to meet new people and having an appreciative audience to enjoy the cooking and decorating.  However, there is a lot more to owning a bed and breakfast than that!

To really understand what the pros and cons for you as an aspiring bed and breakfast owner might be, consider the following questions:

Do you have the personality to be a good bed and breakfast owner?

Having the right personality is one of the biggest success factors any bed and breakfast owner can have.If you read online reviews on sites like TripAdvisor or BedandBreakfast.com, you will see that a lot of reviews contain feedback about the B&B owners.Therefore, besides the usual cooking, decorating and meeting new people, you need to:

• Be flexible. Most people choose a bed and breakfast because they like the personal connections they make with the owner and other guests.Therefore, being able to provide that personalized attention in a timely and meaningful way to each guest is really important.

• Know and be able to maintain your boundaries.Personal boundaries are important as they protect you from allowing your guests to take advantage of you and your business.

• Learn new things.The world is constantly changing, which means bed and breakfast guests are, too.Different cultures, languages and foods, special diets and environmental sensitivities are all things that keep bed and breakfast owners on their toes.

Are you prepared to run your own business?

Successful bed and breakfast owners are also successful business owners.Like most new businesses, you need to understand:

• What is the marketplace like?Is there a need for another B&B in this area?

• It will take a while to build your brand and reputation.Are you willing to invest time and money to do that?

• Are you prepared to give up weekends and holidays to run your business?These are the most popular times for people to travel.

Are you prepared for the amount of work required?

When I started my bed and breakfast, everyone warned me how much work it would be.While attitude plays a big role in how you approach all the work that is required (for the first time in my life, someone is paying me to cook, clean and do laundry!) what I hadn’t realized was that most people don’t stay for that long. 

In order to stay on top of everything, I have a daily to-do list that includes 15 daily tasks that take 15 minutes or more to complete.  The tasks I spend the most time on are:

• Breakfast takes three hours from starting to prepare to finishing the clean-up
• Each bedroom and bathroom plus laundry takes one hour
• Ensuring that my rooms are booked requires takes up a lot of time (and must be done when the requests come in – not when I want to deal with them)

 In addition, I have a list of seven things that have to be done on a weekly basis that take me a minimum of two hours each.Tired yet?

Do you have the support you need to be able to run a bed and breakfast?

There is nothing a like owning a bed and breakfast that entwines your personal and business life together.If there are other people living in your house:

• What impacts will running a business in your home have on your family?

• How supportive are they of the idea of having a bed and breakfast?

• If you get sick, are they willing and/or able to pick up the workload?

Understanding what the pros and cons are while you are still at the aspiring bed and breakfast owner stage means that you will be aware of areas that you need to explore further.This information is also vital when planning your B&B – right from budgeting through to the layout of your property and the type of guests you want to attract.Doing your homework can save you a lot of money and heartache.

About the author: Susan Poole, The B&B Coach is the owner of the award winning 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast. Her three-step system has been created to help people figure out if owning a bed and breakfast can produce the income and fulfillment they envision. After completing the "How to turn your passions into a thriving bed and breakfast business" system, people will know how much income they can create, how much work it will be and what the risks are for them.

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

How Do You Know if a Travel Writer is Legitimate?

Many inns are approached by travel writers and bloggers who want a free stay in exchange for writing about the property. But how can you know if the person is a serious writer or someone just wants to score a free trip?

Here are a number of steps you can take to determine if a travel writer is legit:

1. Check on the writer's credentials via a Google search. Your CVB or chamber of commerce may be members of a travel writer's association and can check to see if a writer is credentialed. If possible, sign up to provide lodging for visiting writers whose credentials have been established.
2. Ask the writer for a letter of assignment from the publication they claim to represent.
3. Ask for copies of previous articles or clips.
4. Ask when the story will be published.
5. Most importantly, ask if your property will be included in the story and how. Be sure to mention that your phone number and/or website should be included.

Other important things to know:

Stuff happens: Sometimes a writer will research and write a story, it’s accepted for publication, and then it gets canceled or postponed due to breaking news or budgetary concerns. Even to the writer, this is a huge disappointment. Please understand that there is no guarantee that if you host a writer the story will definitely appear. Circumstances out of the control of the writer can occur to preclude the story from appearing.

Media policy: Establish a media policy that you can fall back on when questionable requests are received. For example, decide that a writer may bring only one guest and rooms will not be available to travel writers during peak times. You can always make exceptions, but it will give you a baseline to work from.

Comps: We encourage you to offer free rooms to legitimate travel writers on a space available basis. Although paying guests are always the top priority, putting a travel writer in a room that would otherwise go unsold is a risk-free way to get publicity. Only a tiny number of writers are prohibited from accepting comps, and they won’t be insulted by your invitation. Professional travel writers will never ask for the whole inn, and will usually be flexible about staying when you have openings. Only a handful of writers have expense accounts that enable them to travel anonymously – they are prohibited by company policy from accepting free or discounted rooms. Best to remember this advice from Monty Turner (Run of the River, Leavenworth, WA): “Treat all guests like travel writers; treat all travel writers like guests.” If you can't take the financial hit, consider offering a discounted media rate instead.

Rule of thumb: If you have an available room that you’re unlikely to sell, host a travel writer. While nothing may come of it, many times a story will eventually appear that will feature your inn.

Updated by Emily Starbuck Crone

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

How to Accommodate Business Travelers

Jetting here and there on business may sound glamorous to those with jobs that don't involve travel, but weary road warriors often disagree. Motel and hotel rooms can be so much like the other that it’s hard to tell if you're in Atlanta or Albuquerque, Boston or Boise, Charlotte or Chicago.

Business travel extends far beyond the major cities; innkeepers in hundreds of small towns go out of their way to host the sales people, engineers, government workers and others whose jobs take them across the America, combining welcoming hospitality and the comforts of home with the modern conveniences travelers require.

How can you cater to business travelers seeking accommodations with more personality? Offer the following amenities:

1. Flexible cancellation policy
2. Acceptance of all major credit cards
3. Special midweek rates for business travelers
4. Free Wi-Fi
5. In-room telephone with free local calls/data port with fax machine availability
6. Well-lit, in-room table or desk with appropriate seating
7. Well-lit private bathroom with hair dryer
8. Flexibility on late check-ins
9. Early and/or healthy breakfast options; private table if preferred
10. In-room television
11. Real-time online reservations or availability calendars

Another way to add value is to offer concierge services such as laundry, errands, weekend luggage storage, and gift certificates to return on pleasure trips.

Additionally, a past study commissioned by Travelocity revealed that comfortable bedding tops the list of amenities that matter most to business travelers.

If you offer these amenities, be sure to write about them on your BedandBreakfast.com listing and personal website and emphasize that your inn is great for business travelers.

Updated by Emily Starbuck Crone

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin No Comments

Marketing Tips: How to Get More Reservations

Here are some key steps that can easily, affordably, and effectively increase your reservations. Best of all, they are free or don’t cost you anything unless they put heads in your beds.

Online reservations: If you don’t have online reservations on your own website and don’t use BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations, you are losing out on approximately half of your potential reservations. If you’ve been thinking about adding the RezOvation Booking Engine to your website, and/or signing up for BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations, there’s no better time than right now. You don't pay anything unless we get you a reservation.

Reviews: When dollars are tight, travelers want to be sure that they are picking an inn they’ll love. Study after study demonstrates that the way they do this is through reviews, and traffic patterns on BedandBreakfast.com confirm it. Email past guests to thank them for staying with you, then encourage them to return and to post a review. Be sure to give them the link to your review page on BedandBreakfast.com, and to distribute the review reminder business cards and postcards; contact us if you need more at Support@BedandBreakfast.com or 800-GO-B-AND-B.

Gift cards: BedandBreakfast.com gift cards are an incredibly popular present for weddings, anniversaries, and so much more. You get great extra exposure, and you pay a commission only when you get a reservation, and only on the amount of the gift card. If you don’t already accept them, log in to your Home Base and hover over Cards/Certificates in the top menu.

Photos: If you can afford to hire a pro who’s an expert at shooting B&Bs, we strongly encourage you to do so. Our surveys show that photos are extremely important to travelers, and you will see the ROI almost as soon as the photos go live on your website and on your BedandBreakfast.com listing. Can’t afford that right now? Read our photography article for great advice on improving your own shots, then add them to your website and your BedandBreakfast.com listing ASAP. Don’t forget that your membership includes 10 photos at the Silver level, 15 at Gold, and 25 at Platinum, plus a free video!

Recession-proof your marketing: Incorporate these themes into “affordable luxury” messaging on your website, in your emails, and in your publicity:

* Isn’t it time you were spoiled rotten? No beds to make, no dishes to wash, no laundry to fold, just kick back on a porch rocker, and we’ll bring you homemade iced tea.

* Isn’t it time you had a personal concierge? Want dinner and/or theater reservations? Advice on the best boutiques, antique shops, flea markets? Need help planning a bike ride, picnic hike, float trip, or a tour of local wineries/cheese makers/micro-breweries? Just ask your innkeeper!

* Isn’t it time you spent your limited vacation days on vacation instead of in transit? A great B&B getaway may be just a one-tank trip away, so you can measure your travel time in hours, not days, and save money on airfare and car rental to boot! Use the money you save on transportation to splurge on a gorgeous guest room with a double whirlpool tub, fireplace, and more.

* Isn’t it time you spent a night, not a fortune? B&Bs offer affordable luxury, where you’re not nickel-and-dimed for every little thing, and extras like soft drinks, snacks, and Wi-Fi are included in the reasonable rates.

Updated by Emily Starbuck Crone

Continue Reading »

An article by Admin 1 Comment