How to open a bed and breakfast business in the 21st century digital age is a million miles away from how it used to be before the internet and this is where many people fall down.
They often think it’s about the property, the location, the pretty bedrooms.
Well it is
And it isn’t
You could have the very best beds, the most amazing decor, the most stunning accessories in a great location, but if there is nothing much to choose between you and the others in the your area, you’re going to find yourself competing on price, and that’s a very bad place to be.
Those things are all really important, but the most important thing to know about how to open a bed and breakfast business now, is your ability to attract the guests you want at the price you want, whenever you want.
If you don’t learn how to do that, you will not last long
Yes you can use the big online travel agents like expedia or booking dot com and you will pay a hefty commission for the privilege. That may or may not be OK with you
But here’s the thing, if you hand over your business to them to do the marketing job for you, you don’t own your business. You become an extension of THEIR business.
They consider the guests, as THEIR customers because they control the database.
They won’t give you access to the guests details so you are completely at the mercy of what they dictate
And that may or may not be OK with you
This is the big difference from how it used to be before the internet
The single biggest thing you can do for yourself if you want to open a bed and breakfast business, is to learn how to market yourself online.
Everything else is just fluff
Yvonne x
