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Inn-cluding Your Passion

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

I have the opportunity to see a lot of inns in Maryland. I am the (friendly) inspector for the Maryland Bed & Breakfast Association (MBBA). The Association strengthens its commitment to the full guest experience by ensuring that certain standards (usually focused on housekeeping and safety), are met by ALL of its members.

On my visit to the other side of the Chesapeake (I live on the Eastern Shore), I visited Butterfly Fields, a remote inn, serene and away from the noise of the highway. Dan and Lynda Ells have built (literally…by hand) their inn around their hobbies and interests. With their commitment to a life of self-sufficiency, the inn is energy efficient, with incredible insulation and solar features (Dan’s expertise). Lynda is a massage therapist and, together, they have built and operate “Goose at the Door Pottery”, a shop where they hand throw gifts and keepsakes for use and sale in the inn.

Guests are invited to the workshop (which, literally, has chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys just outside the door!) to enjoy the crafts, perhaps take a class at the wheel, and have a story and a keepsake to take back home with them. What a great addition to the total guest experience!

And what a great way to put your non-innkeeping skills to good use at the inn. Scott

Posted in Aspiring Innkeepers, Financial Health of an Inn, Going Green, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Marketing | No Comments »

Managing Your Business with Less

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

I received a thoughtful note from Alice Erlandson (Thank You, Alice!) owner, with husband Tom, of The Oliver Inn in South Bend, IN.  Like many inns (and nearly ALL businesses!), innkeepers across the country are seeking out cost-cutting approaches to running the inn without sacrificing the quality of service to guests.  Here is her letter in its entirety:

Managing Your Business with Less

So…this has been a challenging year for us.  Sales have been down.  ADR is down.  Cash flow is negative  We still have guests to take care of and a large Victorian Mansion to restore and an acre of gardens to care for…how are we going to make it?

We needed to take a serious look at every penny we spend and see how we can make changes without changing our level of service to our guests.  Here are some things we are doing to make it through in this soft economy,

Employees: We’ve had to cut back our help and increase own own workload.

  • This is a great way to keep in shape, but it does take more of your time and energy.
  • Use this time, if you are cleaning rooms yourself for the first time in awhile to really look at what your guest rooms might need in the way of deep cleaning or sprucing up!

Utilities and Fixed Costs: You can’t do much about some of these.

  • We searched around and found a phone company that saved us $100 a month!
  • We’ve switched our light bulbs out to Compact Fluorescent and have seen our utilities stay even or go down!
  • Turn lights off when the inn is not occupied.
  • Be sure to turn lights on at night to give the inn that “lived in” look.  Make certain that all lights that are “always” on are energy savers, ie. compact fluorescent or LED.
  • Turn down water heaters during slower periods.
  • If you do your own laundry, try to wash more linens in lower temperatures.
  • All new purchases of equipment should carry an energy star rating
  • We also manage our heating and cooling very closely, especially when guests are not in the Inn.

Gardening Service: We kept them on for part of the year, but then we told our service that we hoped to have them back in the spring.  More of our time, less of our money, and we already owned a riding mower and other gardening equipment.  Cheaper than a tanning salon!

Menus for Breakfast: You can prepare gourmet breakfasts while watching your pennies!

  • Read the weekly food ads to see what is on sale and plan your menus around those seasonal items or store specials to help control your costs.
  • Look for in-store deals so that you can stock up on super sales!
  • Check out the local farmers market for deals on produce.

Marketing: Analyze your marketing efforts and be certain that your marketing investment is working for you.  One thing you cannot cut is marketing, but be certain that you are getting the best “bang for your buck”.

Maintenance: Now is the time to do some inexpensive maintenance to your guest rooms.

  • Make small repairs and keep things in good order, instead of replacing them.  Repair that leaky faucet rather than replace it.
  • Paint is an inexpensive way to spruce things up.
  • Big hotels are doing some remodels, and upgrades.  We need to keep up our Inns’ appearance and make sure our guests are having a great experience!

I’m sure you have ideas about what you can do to make it through these challenging times.  Things will turn around and we all can make it if we are careful and don’t forget to keep Marketing!

Alice Erlandsen,  The Oliver Inn

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Marketing, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Cancellation Fees ARE Hurting Your Business…I Guarantee it!

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Have you seen the Expedia commercials that have aired the last couple of days touting NO fees for changes or cancellations? It’s almost true…from Expedia’s point of view.  If you hit their website, (“dot-coooommm”…they have built their brand to include a little jingle), you will note

  • “…unlike other travel sites, we won’t charge you a penalty.  There are NO Expedia change or cancel fees on hotels, cruises, cars, and virtually all flights and packages.”     [BUT:]
  • “Please bear in mind that while we [Expedia] won’t charge change or cancel fees, some suppliers [e.g. hotels] may impose non-refundable rate plans or fees that Expedia is required to pass along.  Such fees are highest when cancellations occur within 48 hours of your scheduled travel dates.”

Even though the hotels still have their cancellation fees, they have, historically, been quite liberal with their policies.  Usually a call before 6 pm on the day of arrival is sufficient to avoid a charge.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE!

The expectation is being set in the consumer’s mind by Expedia that change and cancellation fees are flexible and do not have to be tolerated by the traveler.  Their caveat is on their website, but the commercials reflect NO fees for changes or cancellations…and that is what the travel market hears.

We innkeepers have been using cancellation policies and fees since the beginning of time.  We use such language as “we are a small property and changes and cancellations affect our business greatly”.   True…but the potential guest doesn’t care about you.  Here are some actual quotes from inn websites here in the Mid-Atlantic area…my comments are in BLUE:

  • “Written notice of cancellation seven or more days prior to arrival, a $25 service fee will be charged.  No shows or cancellations within seven days will result in a full night charge or a 50% charge of a stay which is 3 days or longer”.  Written notice? Who does that?  and what if the inn can re-book the room?  Double dipping?
  • “A 50% deposit, or the cost of one night, whichever is higher, is required to confirm your reservation.  Deposits for stays of 5 or more days are non-refundable“.  If a guest booked for 5 days, then changes plans, this guest could be penalized $600!  Why would I book there?  Any cancellation will cost the guest at least a  full night fee.  Ouch!
  • “If you cancel less than 21 days in advance of reserved date, deposit [50%] minus $25 fee if room rebooked.  If not rebooked, you are 100% responsible”.  21 days?  WOW!  No wonder people are waiting till the last minute to book…nobody can plan that far our with certainty…and 100% responsibility is too high a cost (and scarey!) for long term planners.

SO WHAT’S AN INNKEEPER TO DO?

It’s time to reconsider what YOUR policies are doing to you.  I GUARANTEE YOU ARE MISSING RESERVATIONS WITH STRICT POLICIES that penalize guests.  If they see these kinds of statements on-line (and they are almost ALWAYS on-line),  they will click into a different direction.  You won’t even know you missed them.  Here are some thoughts for consideration:

  • Do you even have to have a cancellation policy at all? Inns with strong corporate travel know that they cannot have penalties at all, except, maybe, for a no-show.  When a corporate traveler cancels at the last minute (their plans OFTEN change on short notice), these inns, holding back their disappointment at the lost sale, say with a smile in their voice “Sure, Dan…we’ll see you next time!”.  The goodwill reaps repeat rewards in the long run.  So why damage your leisure travel relationships with punishing policies?  Don’t you want them back someday too?
  • Are you using your cancellation policy as a profit center? The “if we can rebook the room” caveat is a hoax.  If you can’t rebook the room, it’s NOT because of the guest’s cancellation.  It is because of travel demand in your area.  And, if you intend to NOT relinquish the hoax,  I hope that you make more of an effort to rebook the room than to sit by the phone to wait for it to ring.  You will lose that guest as a repeater…is it worth it?
  • Is there a competitive advantage to being the ONLY inn in your association or region that does not have a strict cancellation policy? Guests shop around and will stop searching when they hit a site that meets their needs.
  • Is your cancellation date WAY TOO LONG?  Is 21 days too much?  (maybe NOT for a special event such as a college graduation or a wedding booking?).  Can you be selective on WHICH events or weekends are critical to have a strict cancellation policy and identify the rest of the year with a punishment-free policy?
  • If a guest cancels, is the $25 or $50 “service fee” really that important to you?  Is it really worth putting a sour taste in your guest’s mouth about your inn?  Do you really need behavior deterants?  Are they really worth it?
  • If you are thinking out of the box enough to relax your policies…promote it!  Put it on your website…in your next newsletter…in your next email blast to past guests…on the directories on-line.  Let people KNOW you are guest friendly! Expedia is.

The expectation is out there.  Expedia is reinforcing the mindset that change and cancel fees are for the convenience of the lodging facility…not the guest.  This is NOT the kind of economy that will tolerate financial punishments for every-day travel decisions.  We innkeepers know the importance of relationship-building and the value repeat guests bring us.  Don’t send the mixed message of financially punishing guests with a hospitable smile on your face.

Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Financial Health of an Inn, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Market Trends, Marketing, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Viable Inn vs. Lifestyle Inn…a tough question

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Is a VIABLE Inn or a LIFESTYLE Inn Best for you?

As an aspiring innkeeper, one of the more difficult decisions to be made is viability vs. lifestyle.  A viable inn, usually an inn with 8 or 9 guest rooms or more, is one that has enough cash flow to pay not only the operating expenses, but the debt service (mortgage) as well.  A lifestyle inn is usually a smaller inn, perhaps even very busy and popular, but does not have enough cash flow to pay the mortgage.

One Choice is Not BETTER than the other!  They BOTH can offer the Rewards of Inn Ownership!
The BIG QUESTION becomes “Do You Need to Make Money?”

If the answer is YES, then viability of an inn becomes a priority for your search and part of your inn profile.
If the answer is NO, then a lifestyle inn may be just the ticket…the joys of inn ownership at a smaller inn.
Financial considerations for a lifestyle inn include the size of the down payment and whether there is outside resources to help pay the bills.  A smaller inn typically does not require much staffing which helps keep expenses down, and, if someone is working outside of the inn, the need to pay for health insurance and other corporate benefits may not pose a expense burden.  And the rewards can be very satisfying!  The inn may even make enough to pay the usual household bills (utilities, phone, food, insurance, etc.) and ease the pain of the mortgage.

A good example of a lifestyle inn  is The Limestone Inn, currently for sale at $595,000.
Located in The Limestone InnState College, PA., only 4 miles from Penn State, the inn enjoys the privacy of being out in the country, but close enough to corporate businesses and the campus to do a strong business.  But the inn only has 5 rooms which limits its ability to make enough to pay the full mortgage.  But with over $50,000 of revenue for each of the last 3 years, the inn can easily pay its bills with a good size chunk of cash flow left over to take a dent out of the mortgage payment…an ideal lifestyle inn in a great marketing area.

Grape ArborAn example of an affordable viable inn is Grape Arbor B & B located in North East, PA.   This inn, currently for sale for only $845,000, with 8 rooms, all with private baths, with its 33% occupancy, is large enough to be able to pay the bills AND the mortgage.  It is ideally located in the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail region within easy reach of the Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh marketing areas.  Compared with The Limestone Inn, the additional 3 rooms helps bring in the extra revenue to be viable.

Both of these inns offer the rewarding experience of inn ownership.  Both are not necessarily huge inns, and may be managed by a single person, with perhaps some part-time staff help, or by a couple.  Size of the inn is typically the primary determining factor when considering viability vs. a lifestyle inn, and, when coupled with the marketing location and potential to attract guests to the area attractions, either inn can offer the enjoyable experience of owning your own B & B.       Scott

Posted in Aspiring Innkeepers, Inns and Innkeepers, Uncategorized, Viability of an Inn | No Comments »

What is the Highest and Best Use of YOUR Property?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
The title phrase above about the highest and best use describes a real estate appraising term often applied to the B & B Valuation process as well.  Use is the operative word.  Using Wikipedia’s definition, the concept states that the “value of a property is directly related to the use of that property; the highest and best use is the reasonably probable use that produces the highest property value. This use, the Highest and Best Use, may or may not be the current use of the property.” (my emphasis applied)

This affects a LOT of inns.  Some inn properties may have a higher property value as an alternate use.  A smaller property may have a higher value as a residential property…and many small inns have sold recently as homes.
Some inns are restricted by codes (typically zoning and special use permitting) to provide all of the services they would like to offer…thus restricting revenue and profitability growth.  These inns may have higher property value as another use…perhaps an office building or assisted living facility.

Many inns are currently enjoying the highest and best use of the property. It is reasonably likely that these viable inns have the highest property value as currenlty being used as an inn.  Their value, therefore, can be established by a properly detailed valuation as a going concern as an inn.

Most innkeepers do not want to hear that their “baby” is worth more with an alternate use.  But these economic times are clearing the air about value, and what level of loan to value (LTV) the lenders will support, and a clearer understanding of highest and best use.      Scott

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Innkeeping Consulting, Uncategorized, Viability of an Inn | No Comments »

Bicyclers Adds Room-Nights during Mid-Week

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

On a quick visit to St. Michaels, Maryland, today, I had the opportunity to visit the Old Brick Inn, a 12 room inn, which, if you count the Kemp House they own across the street, makes a total of 20 rooms.  As I was leaving, Bryn mentioned she had to prepare for 15 rooms checking in soon.  Fifteen rooms on a Wednesday night? I had to know more!

The inn is on the route of a bicycle tour group called Carolina Tailwinds, a company that pulls together several-day bike trips around the Mid-Atlantic area.  Delmarva (a consolidation of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) is the tourist

Bicyclers are great mid-week business

Bicyclers are great mid-week business

rich Eastern Shore of Maryland…flat as a crepe and easy for biking.  But as you can see from the links below, they are in every state.  When asking for more details of the IMPACT of this bicycle business, Bryn stunned me that each visit is for two nights, about 15 rooms, and they come 5 times a year…three times in the spring and twice in the fall.

Let me do the math for you…5 times a year, 15 rooms, 2 nights each trip…that’s 150 room nights!  Times $165 average ADR…that’s…er…a LOT of money! And they come mid-week!

Dave and Donna Reusing, owners of the Town Hill B & B, in Little Orleans, Maryland, have taken it even further.  They are located at mile marker 140.9 on the C & O Canal and offer a special pickup service to shuttle bikers back and forth from path to inn.  They have achieved status as the best place to stay in the National Geographic Map Guide to Appalachia.  This shuttle service, as well as the excellent care at the inn, have brought significant business to the Inn.

Another site to check out is www.bicycletour.com, a site to check out all the trips in any state.

Google it yourself…find the trips that might work in your area…get on the phone and find out how YOUR INN can be one of the stops on the route.  This can be an opportunity for those, probably larger, inns for strong mid-week business. Happy biking!   Scott

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Inns and Innkeepers, Marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Location, Location, Location…the 3 Ingredients to a Successful Inn

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

When you ask a realtor what the 3 most important factors are when buying a house, the whimsical, but meaningful, response is “Location, Location, Location”.  The intent, obviously, of repeating the same word 3 times implies that Location is the ONLY factor when buying a home.

But when searching for an inn, or developing or strengthening an inn’s

marketing plan, the repetition has 3 distinct implications:


Location #1: Think of the inn’s macro-location first.  Is the inn located within easy reach (2-3 hours) of major directions-pheasant-field2metropolitan areas?  Having major population meccas from which to attract guests is a major asset of any inn.  A great example includes Pheasant Field B & Bin Carlisle, PA.  Within 3 hours of the inn includes such metro-megacenters as the NYC metro area, Philly, Baltimore, DC,, Pittsburgh, and only a few miles away, the capital of PA, Harrisburg.  That’s gotta be about 16 bazillion potential “one-tankers”  (guests that only want to spend one tank of gas for their mini-vacation).

For aspiring innkeepers, keeping Location #1 in mind when building a profile will ensure an advantage from the get-go.  For a current innkeeper, analyzing Location #1 in your SWOT  (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is an important step to strengthening your marketing plan.

Location # 2 is the immediate region around the inn.  What will bring the 16 bazillion people to your area?  It is NOT just to visit you, as much as we innkeepers would like to believe!  Having a variety of area attractions that appeal to longwood-gardens1multiple interests, great restaurants, and soft adventures will offer a one-stop shopping itinerary for any guest looking to get away.  Take the Pennsbury Inn, for example, in Chadds Ford, PA.  Within a few short miles of the inn is something for everyone:  Longwood Gardens and its world-reknown topiary gardens, Winterthur (the DuPont country house) for the antiquers and hortoculturists, Simon Pearce glassworks, the River Museum and its Andrew Wyeth Gallery, the Brandywine Revolutionary War battlefield for history buffs, and, of course, the Wine Trail and great restaurants of the region.

This vast array of attractions appeals to most any interest…with plenty to do for any visitor to the region.  For the aspiring innkeeper, what will bring guests to the area around YOUR future inn?  For the current innkeeper, which of these attractions can I package with, and build relationships with, to capitalize on THEIR popularity?

Location # 3 is an easy one, and the one most innkeepers, aspiring and current, focus.  This is the inn itself, its curb appeal, and the attractiveness of the surrounding neighborhood.  When a guest rounds the corner and sees the inn for the first time, we hope their eyes widen and they mutter the “ooooooh!” that we work so hard to achieve.  Many inns know how to achieve this look.  The example here, Brampton Bed & Breakfast Inn near Chestertown, MD., is brampton-inn-picnic1noteworthy for its curb appeal.

For the aspiring innkeeper, does your candidate inn have curb appeal, or can you give it great curb appeal?  Is it in an attractive and safe-looking neighborhood?  For the current innkeeper, taking a look from the road to ensure a great first impression should be a part of every capital expenditure plan.

Three separate interpretations for the same word…Location.  But each having distinct meaning

to ensure the success of an inn.

Consultant’s Advice: Aspiring innkeepers, ensure the profile of your candidate inn has ALL 3 location criteria met.  For current innkeepers, look at all three definitions, assess and take advantage of the strengths of your location, and develop plans to strengthen those weaknesses or take actions for those opportunities that your location offers.

What are the strengths and weaknesses with YOUR location, location, location?

Posted in Aspiring Innkeepers, Financial Health of an Inn, Innkeeping Consulting, Inns and Innkeepers, Market Trends, Marketing, Uncategorized, Websites | No Comments »

HOT DOG! 10-15 Room-nights PER MONTH!

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

I enjoy (stealing, and then) passing on ideas to other innkeepers that might be useful to grow their own businesses.  Not a new idea…allowing pets at your inn…but I never had a real appreciation for how strong this segment of the market can be. 

 

A short visit to Pheasant Field B & B in Carlisle, PA., enlightened me.  Dee Fagan and her husband Chuck own a great 8 guest room inn that also boards pets of all kinds…including horses.  But the dog market is the one that kept my attention when Dee, answering about a 1000 questions I had for her, indicated that she estimates between 10-15 room-nights PER MONTH are guests looking for inns that accept dogs.  HOT DOG!  I never realized it was so significant!

 

Bubba doing room checks

Bubba doing room checks

Among all the inns in the association around the Carlisle area, only two accept pets.  So when ANY of those inns have a request for a room with dog privileges, referrals start pouring in to Pheasant Field.  10-15 room-nights PER MONTH!  It bears repeating…I can’t get over the magnitude of the business!  That would raise an 8 room inn with 40% average occupancy up to over 46% occupancy.  At $153 ADR (the 2006 PAII Survey statistic), that’s almost $28,000 per year, not counting any fee for the doggies’ visits.  At almost 20% NOI/Sales (another PAII stat), that kind of Cash Flow improvement can add up to $56 thousand buckaroos to the value of your inn when you go to sell someday.  HOT DOG!  The numbers just keep on growing!

Dogwood (get it?!) next to the pet walking area at Pheasant Field

Is that a dogwood (get it?!) next to the pet walking area at Pheasant Field

 

I feel so foolish that when we had The Lafayette Inn in Easton, PA., we were reluctant to take pets.  When I asked Dee about any damage or problems over the years, she said once a dog scratched a door when the owner failed to put the dog in the crate upon departure as required.  And once a barking dog, (whose owner claims Fido never barks), embarrassed its owners when they came home and Dee invited them to listen at the door.  Again, had the dog been in its crate, there would have been no problems. 

 

It takes some special preparations and processes to make it work.  Here are a few ideas the Pheasant Field takes to ensure a problem-free pet visit:

  • Requiring a pet to be in its crate while the owners are away precludes problems.
  • Having a properly equipped and identified place to visit when nature calls is important…and requires occasional policing by the innkeeper to ensure all land-mines are picked up.
  • Fees for pet visits are acceptable to guests.  Dee charges only $10.  That certainly will not discourage the thrifty guest from booking.
  • Private entrances to guest rooms is a real plus.  Not having to drag a dog through the inn to get outside is a convenience to ALL guests…even the ones there without dogs.
  • Requiring proper vaccinations is OK, if desired, and some inns limit the size of the dog…but too many restrictions may discourage bookings.
  • Providing a scooper, baggies, a spare leash, trash can, availability to water, and doggie treats make pup and owner feel welcome.

And once the process is set up…Market it, Market it, Market it.  On your website, in your keywords and Adwords, in your newsletters, in your rack card, in your personal notes and emails to your database…let the world know.

 

Perhaps it is time for other inns to rethink their no-pet policy.  I certainly wish I had when we had our inn…HOT DOG!…10-15 room-nights PER MONTH!  I can’t get over it.     Scott

 

Please reply and let us all know of other ideas you have to make a doggie visit a real boost to YOUR economy…And how are you marketing it?  

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Inns and Innkeepers, Market Trends, PAII, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Invest in Personal Development during Recession Times

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

2009 PAII Innkeeper’s Convention-Atlanta

I have heard a number of innkeepers these past two months that insist they cannot afford to go to the upcoming PAII Convention in Atlanta.  This is usually an inn’s slower time of the year anyway, so it is difficult to ascertain whether a dip in occupancy is due to the seasonality of the inn, or as a repercussion of the traveling public’s plans due to the current economic woes.

At the Mid-Atlantic Innkeeper’s Conference at The Homestead, in Warm Springs, VA., Jay Karen, president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers, presented some survey data of 218 inns from the fall of 2008.  About half (50.2%) reported business was stronger, or as strong as, the same period the previous year.  The remaining 49.8% reported business down from last year.  But that is not the interesting part…the reasons the inns gave as the reasons for the strong business are very interesting:

  • New or revamped website
  • New (professional) photography on their website
  • Strong packaging agreements with local attractions
  • Strong investment in the internet directories that send guests to their inns.

The innkeepers who had decreased business blamed:

  • Bad weather in their area
  • The economic conditions of this recession
  • Increasing gas prices
  • Decreased number of visitors to their region

Notice how the inns with increased business cite actions they have taken as the reasons for continued or stronger growth.  Notice how the inns with decreased business blame uncontrollable factors (I call this the Woe is Me syndrome).  Now is the time to take action to keep your business strong during the recession.  Failure to take these steps, and continued plummet of occupancy and resulting revenues will only hasten the decline of the inn on its Life Cycle (March 18 posting).

And there is NO BETTER place to pick up new ideas (at the Great Idea Fair), meet up with a website vendor (or 2!…at the Trade Show), go to the “How to” Workshops, network with others who are DOING the actions, and be energized with the General Sessions, than at the 2009 PAII convention.atlanta-paii-logo

It’s an Investment, not a cost.

Marilyn and I will be there…for those who cannot make it, take a look at the PAII Schedule of Workshops, select a couple that are of particular interest to you, and Marilyn and I will try to pick up the handouts.  There will also be a video/audio recording of ALL the sessions available through the after the convention.

We will be reporting our learnings at the convention, so stay tuned for additional feedback!

See you there!  Scott

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The Bed & Breakfast Inn Life Cycle-A Primary Care Consultant’s View

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Vitamins and Medications for an Inn’s

Age-Related Conditions

An Inn, like any retail product or industry, goes through a Life Cycle from infancy to death. It starts as a glimmer in its parents’ eyes, a dream of a lifestyle healthy and productive. It grows with careful nurturing, education, and aspirations, matures into a productive adult, capable of self-sufficiency and satisfaction. Physical and financial ailments will emerge someday, some sooner than later, but eminently all will experience the pain and, without exception, a slow (or sometimes cancerous) downhill slide (or plummet) to demise.

Doctor: “Which do you want to hear first…

the good news or the bad news?”

How cold and ugly a picture…how uncaring to express such a prognosis without apparent feelings or emotions! But without a continued regimen of properly prescribed vitamins, medications, and regular health check-ups, an inn’s health WILL decline. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that there are fountain-of-youth-like medications that can extend an inn’s life expectancy well into the future…perhaps to immortality!

Let’s examine each stage of the Life Cycle to see where YOUR INN resides…

Bed & Breakfast Inn Consulting, Life Cycle (more…)

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Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Inn Operations, Innkeeping Consulting, Marketing, PAII, Viability of an Inn, Websites | 1 Comment »

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