Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Any successful business revolves around people and this is never more
true than in the accommodation industry. The host must enjoy engaging with
people as they are in the people industry and bed and breakfast is very much
a people industry.
There are many skills required to be a successful bed and breakfast oper-
ator. The aim of this topic is not to advise on how to set up and operate a bed
and breakfast facility. There are plenty of topics already available, one we
would recommend is 'Become a Bed & Breakfast Owner'. 4 The information
in this topic will provide you with the knowledge needed to develop skills
to build the business.
Like any other business, one of the keys to success is marketing. A survey
carried out in the USA as far back as 2001 by CNN Money 5 asked people how
they found out about bed and breakfast accommodation and the response
was 49% via the Internet, 18% via word of mouth and 6% via printed mar-
keting. This was over 12 years ago, before Booking.com and similar services
were established. It indicates that if you are operating in this market sector,
you had better be Internet savvy. This also includes having complimentary
Wi-Fi for your guests.
Bed and breakfast is often preferred by guests who are empty nesters, young
couples and parents having a break from the children. In other words this
style of accommodation is often not suitable for young families.
The target guest is looking for privacy and pampering. They select
accommodation that is located in an attractive location often with an attractive
garden and house and look forward to home-style cooking either at the
accommodation or at a local restaurant.
The following checklist may sound like common sense, but can make the
difference between a memorable bed and breakfast and just another forget-
table night's accommodation:
When guests arrive, welcome then with a local food dish or drink. First
impressions are so important and can influence how the whole stay will
be measured in the eyes of the guest;
Make sure the breakfast is made up of local foods and explain the source
of the ingredients on the menu. This is a great opportunity to network
with local producers and promote that the breakfast is made up of food
that was grown and raised within a set mileage from the accommoda-
tion. Why not call it a '20 mile breakfast' and promote this as a key reason
to stay at your location?
Recommend restaurants that use local food for the evening meal. This is
all about networking within the local culinary region;
Have a notice board in the accommodation that promotes local culin-
ary activities in the community. Plus, make sure there is literature in
the room on local culinary activities that the guest can read at their
leisure;
In the bedroom provide a history of the area and recommend local walks
that the guests can do in an evening and provide a map with highlights
along the way. Promote local farmers and foods;
 
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