It’s only when I was looking for somewhere nice to stay for our own break away that I realised how terrible some people’s websites are! I wanted a nice little B&B like ours really – reasonably priced, nice breakfast, good reviews, personally run, in an area with plenty to...
Andy's Blog
Financing a Bed and Breakfast
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Finance is a big subject and a difficult one to go into in too much detail in a blog. I cover finance in more detail in my course, including how to go about writing a detailed business plan so that you have the most chance of success.
I thought instead, to get you thinking about how...
5 Ways Your Bed And Breakfast Can Survive Lockdown
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It was late in March 2020 when it became apparent that a lockdown was coming which would mean the closure of our bed and breakfast. This is an unprecedented time but should be seen as an opportunity for you and your business. Here’s my top five tips on surviving a shutdown period of your...
Can I run a B&B on my own?
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I often get asked if you need to be a couple to run a B&B. The quick answer would be no, there doesn’t need to be two of you, and plenty of people run B&Bs on their own either because they’re single or perhaps their partner has a separate job and has nothing to do with the...
Demise of the OTA
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The online travel agents (OTAs) seem to have not changed any of their practices and I fear the latest bad publicity is another nail in their coffin.
Like other...
How much should I pay for a B&B?
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Bed and breakfasts are even more difficult to value than domestic houses and there are a complex number of considerations when you are looking to buy.
For simplicity, I'm going to discuss some of the main points around buying a currently running B&B - not a closed one which has its...
Why it pays to Book Direct
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I've talked before about online travel agents (OTAs) and their cunning ways to try and get you to book via them rather than going direct to the accommodation provider. They are nothing but a booking platform – a means to search and book accommodation, therefore your booking, the terms and...
Eight considerations when designing your B&B bedrooms
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Your bedrooms can be a big part of making or breaking the success of your hotel or B&B – after all, your guests will spend most of their time there.
I’ve created a handy guide to help you get started when you refurbish or re-design your bedrooms. I hope you find it...
Proof it pays to book direct
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Back in February 2019, the Competition and Markets Authority finally decided to act against so called third party websites also known as online travel agents (OTAs).
It’s a subject I’ve talked about before and whilst they asked for some movement on the practices they use,...
Should I be licensed to sell alcohol?
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The 25 Boutique B&B is licensed to sell alcohol. You’ll find a lot of smaller B&Bs, guest houses and hotels which are not. However, some may be illegally selling or giving away alcohol.
There are costs involved in us being licensed, and these costs may be the reason why...
Don't make a mistake
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I'm going to tell you a story based on real facts.
Let's call our couple Mr & Mrs Smith. They both worked far too long hours for little or no thanks in the local city. After barely seeing each other for a month, enough was enough and they decided to jack their careers in and buy a...
The fall of the Department Store
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It was more sad news for the high street when Debenhams, and others like House of Fraser announced they were closing shops resulting in huge job losses and yet another empty unit in many town centres.
In Torquay we’ve had some losses – British Home Stores and Woolworths to...
