The 'Darling Buds of May' are in full splendour following the hottest April since records began, so I'm looking forward to the busy summer ahead, planning and preparing for the best season ever for my bed and breakfast business.
I'm going to achieve that by learning from past mistakes, building up a support network via our bed and breakfast owners site, listening to my colleagues in the hospitality industry and most of all listening to my customers.
Marketing tip: I use my guest book to collect feedback and use the testimonials as part of my marketing campaign.
Nobody can advertise on your behalf better than a satisfied bed and breakfast guest.
Use them on your website, display cards and thank-you letters in a suitable place, one of the guest loos on the ground floor works for me.
Kick Start: To keep myself focussed and well motivated I regularly ask myself the following three questions.
1.
Do you like people? This is the first, and most important, question because the one quality all successful bed and breakfast owners share is that they like people.
Running a bed and breakfast establishment is unique in that you choose to invite people who are not your family, your friends, or your co-workers into your home.
Meeting interesting people from around the world is part of what makes the job so interesting and so rewarding - but it starts with a true enjoyment of meeting new people.
2.
Does providing service appeal to you? Running a bed and breakfast is first and foremost a service business in which you must do more than simply provide a good bed and a nice breakfast.
What makes bed-and-breakfasts stand apart in the hospitality industry is the owner's ability to be an attentive listener, to be knowledgeable about local attractions and events, to make a restaurant reservation for a guest, and to do it all with a smile.
3.
Do you want to be your own boss? Most of us own our properties and are responsible for running the business.
The joy is being able to be in charge of your own destiny, to make your own decisions, and to set your own priorities.
But with that comes the risk and responsibility of being a business owner.
So it's important to ask yourself if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur.
A good friend who had been running a bed and breakfast for many years asked me these questions before I made the decision to give up a safe job with a pension to start my own bed and breakfast business.
Until I can put my hand on my heart and say 'No' to all three questions I figure I made the right decision.