So You Want to Own a Bed & Breakfast…

I have thought about opening a bed and breakfast, especially now that the 2010 Winter Olympics will be just a stone's throw away, north of us in Vancouver, British Columbia. And then, I started researching and interviewing people who A. are currently happy bed and breakfast owners, B. are currently happy EX bed and breakfast owners, and C. laughing at the very thought of some poor fool opening a bed and breakfast!

One continual thing that kept popping up throughout my research was from all the different types of people I interviewed: Do your homework! Before deciding to hang the Open sign from your white picket fence, consider all the angles, all the facets of what being the owner of a B&B means, to you, to your neighbors, and to your family! Even the family pooch may have a 'say' in the decision, considering that Fido may not be allowed to run free in the back yard anymore - oh, the back yard might be called 'the gardens' if you open up your own bed and breakfast.

The basic factors in deciding whether or not to open your own B&B are:

Where will it be?
If you have a house miles from anywhere, or difficult to find, you may have a completely new set of problems opening your bed and breakfast. Consider the clientele you will cater to on a regular income-producing basis. A farmhouse in the country could be the perfect place for a B&B catering to the spa crowd, or people who want to really get away from it all, but without nearby and easily accessible activities and dining, your bed and breakfast might have to become a full-fledged lodging, with all that entails. Planning your bed and breakfast with dollar signs in your eyes, when you are 2 hours from anything remotely interesting for visitors, is probably not a great idea.

Your Lifestyle, Family, Pets, Outside Jobs
If the last time you voluntarily cleaned out the refrigerator is when you couldn't fit even one more hardboiled egg in it, have you thought about scrupulously cleaning every 'public' room of the house - EVERY DAY? (I think I just made myself nauseous!)

Do you have the time to maintain the house and grounds?
It might not be a great idea to try to stretch yourself between your full time employment, running your kids all over town to their sporting events, AND running a bed and breakfast! It is the same concern for farmers, ranchers, pet breeders, and other 'otherwise' involved folks. And, let's not even think about daycare providers! You can manage a bed and breakfast while doing your 'normal' life, but the key is to think about the ramifications and to plan ahead, as best you can, for every contingency!

Facilities - Three Hots and a Cot It Ain't!

Clientele of most bed and breakfasts want 'nice', even luxury. If you are planning on setting up your B&B in the corner of your son's bedroom, forget it! A comfortable bed, overstuffed chair, a good quality television (and, perhaps a stereo), and some privacy are the minimum requirements for furnishing guest quarters in a bed and breakfast. Bathrooms are often shared, but everyone I interviewed, every book I read said that the family having their own bathroom, and even their own living quarters is desirable.

Think about the breakfast part of your bed and breakfast: Do you like serving homemade hash browns and 7-grain muffins at six in the morning? Or, is instant cocoa and Cheerios more your idea of the perfect breakfast? Think about it, before rushing headlong into B&B Ownership.

Money Matters

A lot more cash is going to outflow than inflow, at least in the beginning, and you need to be prepared for that. The "Queen Comforama Sleeper Mattress" is going to cost a lot more than you thought, and fresh flowers on the dining room table every morning isn't cheap, not to mention the last minute cancellations, extra groceries, and luxurious bed linens that get spilled on by the rude guest that smoked his cigar in his room even after you told him NO SMOKING!

Build yourself a cushion, a nest egg, before getting started on your own bed and breakfast. Even if you intend on keeping your regular job, expenses crop up that you may not have the funds to cover. With a cushion in the bank, you might not feel so panicky when your oven breaks down, and might not freak out when the 'big spender' guests from Timbuktu don't show up, or call!

Miscellaneous Thoughts

More things you need to consider are legal, zoning, banking, security, advertising, naming your B&B, and vacations - YOUR vacations! Consider having a backup B&B Manager to help you through the busy times, or when you have the flu and cannot even think about getting up to make breakfast. Some cities will not allow a B&B without clearing it with the zoning department, and some disallow certain types of advertising, such as signs on the curb in front of your B&B

With forethought, planning and a reality check, you could be the proud (and busy!) owner of your own Bed and Breakfast! Amazon.com has several books about Bed and Breakfast Operation. My favorite, "How to Open and Operate a Bed & Breakfast," by Jan Stankus, was only $15.95, and Amazon has used copies available sometimes, too. Do your homework. Make notes, draw out plans, and then make your decision!