Business Content // The Essentials Of A Homely B&B Business*

In the world of entrepreneurship, more and more businesses seem to start directly at home. After all, why should you need an office when some business concepts can work perfectly from the comfort of your own home? This is especially relevant if you have a big house and love being a host. The hospitality industry, and more exactly the Bed & Breakfast approach, is a booming sector that has the potential to attract customers all year long – assuming you live in the right area. Needless to say that a B&B in London will always be more popular than a B&B in the Lake District, but it’s primarily because cities are open to tourism throughout the year while rural locations can feel dead and empty between holiday peaks. Nevertheless, if you live in the right area, and if you love making your guests feel welcome, then you will enjoy holding a bed and breakfast business and sharing your local knowledge with your customers. Besides the administrative planning and management, here are the three essentials of your daily operations:

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Get Your Bed And Bathroom Standards
You’ll be surprised to know that B7B guests have higher expectations than most hotel guests. Why so? Because they know that you are independent. Consequently, they expect to see tasteful and original bedroom and bathroom arrangements, that have nothing to do with what they could get at the local Premier Inn. What this means is that your customers are likely to be looking forward to lying down under fresh Richard Haworth bedsheets with a vase of flowers on the table and some kooky cushions on a chair by the window. Naturally, they’ll be checking your bathroom toiletry facilities. A little hint if you are considering this business: A well-furnished B&B with plenty of charm and personality can easily offer rooms for £200 or more per night, even outside of London. So don’t hesitate to get only the best facilities and style standards!

A Freshly Cooked Breakfast
If you are not aware of the requirements of a food business, you need to be aware of the essentials when you open a B&B. Indeed, you need to be able to trace the food, and food substances that you are using to prepare the breakfast for your guests, and to list suppliers should your guests ask you to. Additionally, if you have never cooked in a professional environment, you can relax as B&B breakfasts don’t need professional skills. But they require care and attention, especially to cross-contamination scenarios, food hygiene, and allergies. But you don’t need to worry: Simply offer a cold breakfast buffet and a cooked menu where guests can pick their ingredients.

Get Your B&B Marketing Strategy
Your marketing strategy is straightforward: Get your B&B business noticed. To do this, you will need a website

where guests can make their reservation, either online or by phone. Additionally, you’ll get a lot more attention if you place your business on a professional booking platforms, such as Trivago or Booking.com. Be aware though that these platforms take a percentage of the room price. Finally, get in touch with the local tourist information centre to inform them about your B&B offer.