Whether you’re a young professional venturing into their first business or you’re on the brink of retirement preparing to start your second career, you may find yourself dreaming of opening a bed and breakfast.

But are you prepared? Here’s what you need to successfully launch your new business venture:

1) Personality

According to BedandBreakfast.com, this is the single biggest factor in determining your overall success as an innkeeper. After all, guests are booking a room at your property for a specific type of experience that is far different than can be found at the nearest chain hotel.

At a bed and breakfast, your guests will expect you to be:

  • Approachable, informative and accommodating.
  • Flexible, so you can adapt to each situation swiftly and effectively.
  • Friendly, kind and open to new ideas.

Guests should open up to you – whether it’s with good or bad feedback. Whatever it is, use it to improve your bed and breakfast.

2) Drive

It takes a lot of drive to run a bed and breakfast, and that can only come from within.

Think about it:

  • You have to be motivated to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
  • You need to do the research necessary about your local destination to see if a new bed and breakfast is in demand in the area.
  • You have to be focused on investing time, money and additional resources into a marketing campaign that will generate buzz about your brand.
  • You need to be willing to dedicate both your personal and professional life to your bed and breakfast — that often means sacrificing your weekends and holidays.

On top of that, you need to have lots of positive energy left over to service guests and keep your property in the best shape! Which brings us to our next point…

3) A Good Work Ethic

As an innkeeper, you’re going to be faced with a wide variety of responsibilities and you’ll be forced to wear a lot of hats throughout the day.

For the first few hours each day, you’ll be the head chef as you prepare breakfast.

You’ll also have to spend time managing your business, monitoring your bookings and communicating with past, present and future guests.

You also need to become the housekeeping service for your property, as you tidy up the rooms each day.

There’s always something to do, and you’ll want to be able to do it all with a smile on your face!

If you let this aspect of your business drag, you can expect your good reviews and loyal guests to dwindle away.

4) Active Support System

Your loved ones will need to be your best and biggest supporters on your new venture, particularly if they are living in the space that you are going to transform into a bed and breakfast.

You’ll want to assemble a team of supporters who will help you out with various aspects of running the bed and breakfast, as well as those who can fill in for you when you are unable to work.

Speaking of support, you need to think about the technology solutions that will enhance your bed and breakfast operations.

Little Hotelier is the only all-in-one business solution that is designed specifically for small hotels, such as bed and breakfasts. Boasting a front desk management system, channel manager and online booking engine, Little Hotelier has everything you need to get your business started on the right foot. For more information about Little Hotelier, see how it works:

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).