Hello everyone mentioned that I was trying out a new printing company and am happy to report they are excellent. When Royal mail lost all the brochures I had ordered they have replaced them all for free and got them out to me in 5 days. I have also claimed back the money from the Royal Mail so may have had them for free which is even better. I have also ordered 2 mugs from them and have been pleased (i.e. picture of the hotel and the phone number) Also advertising postcards, more business cards, linen bags, tee-shirts, pens with the phone number on, gift vouchers and have been happy with them all. I would point out that this company regularly does special offers so if you are wanting something specific I would wait till it pops up. They seem to email me once or twice a week so I just wait.

Another top tip is if you don't want to use the little sachets of butter you can get from the wholesaler and wish to be more artistic at the Yorkshire Hotel where I used to work they slice up blocks of butter first into rectangles then cut the rectange into two triangles and arrange them in an artistic manner on the plate. This is up to you but what I would recomend if you fancy this style is get a jug of boiling water and put the knife you intend to use into it to get the blade really hot (keep this jug next to you) then cut the butter till the blade stops sliding through. Then dip again in the water. This makes the job so much easier and stops the butter looking like a donkey's hind leg. bye for now

Just started decorating the new flat I have just built. Thought of another tip if you want to seal new plaster board for any reason PVA Glue is the thing to use. We were put onto this by a builder friend (yes the stuff we used in play group!) you buy it from builders merchants in a big bottle and paint it on like paint. We are doing the walls and ceilings and you can put it on with a roller and do the edges with a brush. It drys really quickly and then you can get right on and paint.

Just finished Running a B&B a Landlady's Guide by Christabel Milner. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book it is of a size that fits in your handbag and I finished it in 3 days. Christable writes in a no nonsence style that I approve of and is full of handy hints. However her book is more aimed at people who are aiming to keep their opperation below 6 rooms so be aware of this if you are thinking larger. However I think this book is a good place for anyone wanting to get into the trade to start. I like the way she seems to think of things and pop them in at random and the short list of tips at the end of each chapter is also useful. I strongly agree with her advice to get a good accountant as I used to work the for Inland Revenue and I found that the reason most small businesses fail is due to bad record keeping and accounting. Make sure you are getting all the benefits and tax breaks you are entitled to! Keep Every Receipt! This is her advice and she is spot on.

Sorry havn't had time to keep you up to date. Am now running my own place full time as well as being up to my eyebrows in builders. Grappling with the previous owners booking system which is going to make me grey! bye for now

Just finished Start your Own Bed and Breakfast by Adams. Would also mention has a good section on advertising which I have found useful even as an experienced hotelier. Would recomend this as a bit of light reading full of useful tips and is easily fitted in between customers!
bye for now Kimberley

Entrepreneur magazine's book Start your own Bed and Breakfast by Terry and Rob Adams this is a light harted look at starting up in the trade though the section on questionaring customers is useful in its suggestions for you to include.

There are also good tips on how to go about choosing a property which would be useful for anyone looking for an ideal property to get started in.

Another good section of tips is what to look for if you are buying an operating business occupancy figures etc.

How to open and operate a Bed and Breakfast by Jan Stankus 8th edition. I am not sure if I have already reviewed this book but I have just re-read it and it is full of great suggestions and ideas written in an easy to ready format. It also includes a lot of useful forms and plans for example for marketing. To be fair it is aimed squarly at the American Market and at least a couple of chapters arn't relevant but in the main it is a good relevant read. In some areas she goes a bit far as I am not hand making my own bread and picking out table centre pieces every day but it could be fun for Hallowene for example depending on your clientel (ie business executive might not be amused) The book is aimed at the small B&B person who may be only having 3 rooms or so but there are still some nuggets for the larger operators amongst us. My only reservation would be that it was quite an expensive book comparatively I think I paid about £15.00 plus postage but you could always re-sell it. For myself I am keeping it for future reference. I would also point out there is very little reference to the internet which we all know is a huge part of our marketing strategy.

Hello there I have now received my first batch of business cards, address lables and postcards from vistaprint. They came a week earlier than the estimated delivery date and I am pleased with the quality. Also when I ordered the postcards I got 140 address lables for free which is a great bargain. They quite often do tasters of products for free for a low quantity so far I have had a free linen bag with our hotel logo and details on, 100 free postcards, 140 free lables and a free pen ( you do have to pay for postage and tax) so all in all a good deal.

As well another tip if people are telling you they have had a really nice time ask them to put a review on trip advisor for you. Its free advertising and nothing is lost.

Well I have just discovered a useful company called Vista Print they do business cards for £8.99 for 250 (plus VAT and postage) so about £14.00 they also do co-ordinated, stationary, headed paper, Pads, folders, pens, hats, mugs, postcards, calendars, gift tags, and address stickers and compliament slips. You have a large range of patterns and things to choose from to provide your company with a co-ordinated look. I have ordered address lables with our VAT number which we can now use on the top of all of our bills and well as a multitude of uses. Its a useful company but I will have to see what the quality is like before I fully recomend them but I am hopefull. This is a really good price as I have gone to a few printers and they were trying to charge me £84.00 for 250 which is a considerable difference.

An average day where I work

15/5/09 (Bold is the guest)

When people check into the hotel this is what we have to tell them:-

Checking in?

Please fill this in we need your full address and postcode and would you sign here and here.

Lovely could I please have your credit or debit card so we can do a pre authorisation.

What is a Pre-authorisation?

A preauthorisation is where we do a credit check for your room rate per night plus £25.00 per person per night on top this means that you have credit around the hotel should you wish to charge things to your room. This money is held on your account waiting for us to do a completion on your departure. This money never leaves your account but you cannot spend it.

Or that is not my room rate what is this?

So the difference will be refunded if we don’t spend it?

No the money never leaves your account but it will be released so you can spend it. ( I have had to explain this to people three times before they get it)

(at this point you just want to scream at the guest JUST DO AS I TELL YOU!!!!)

Then its now the lights operate with the key fob you have to put it in the plastic slot on the wall push right down and then tug towards you. This operates the lights (this only operated the lights half the time so you will get phone calls all the time my lights don’t work) Therefore when they ring you must say have you put the key fob in the plastic slot and have you tried tugging it towards you. Etc. Sometimes you will have to send someone to show them.

You must the offer the guest help with their luggage some people get quite offended by this but we do have to offer. People also think that you are looking for a tip and can actually be quite rude.

Then you have to ask if they would like the make a booking for the restaurant.

Then would you like a code for the wi-fi and explain that it is free even though it prints with a price on. However when we have chance we black out the price on the print out so that reduces that problem.

Now we have to say if you need a second set of towels they are in the wardrobe. This is an energy saving idea as then if a room is single occupancy they do not use them all however then the guest can’t find them so will ring down for them.

Breakfast is 7 till 9.30 and it is in the bistro to your left and no we do not have a cocktail bar on the top floor despite what the signs say though we do served cocktails in the main bar which is through the restaurant to your left.

Then as we ticket in the car park you must ask the guest if they are parked in the car park and inform them that they need a permit and they must display it on the dash. They will then ask you where do we put it and you must explain again that they must put it on the dash.

We were told there was parking at the hotel
Yes there is but it is full so you have to park on the street.

What kind of hotel is this that doesn't have a car park?
Well unless I am halucinating what is that on the front of the hotel?

We are parked in the car park is that ok?

Yes anything with a number belongs to the hotel

We are in number 9 is that ok?
(What did I just say is number 9 not a number?)

Should anyone want a paper or a morning call then they must write it on their registration card. We do not encourage this as if someone books a morning call and doesn’t get it and misses a flight or something they can sue us.

Now do you actually think anyone will take all of that in? Well neither do I. Oh well!

Hi another top tip whether you are looking to buy a B&B, a house to convert to the above or to expanding your own operation. Take a good look at your boiler! will it take the extra load? We are going to put in another 3 rooms and build a flat so we are going to have to put in a second boiler to run this extra capacity. The one we have is right up to the limit so as we want to put in another couple of radiators and put in some larger ones we are going to have to change that as well therefore my advice is check that what you have will provide enough hot water. We have a lot of electric showers which produce their own hot water which is very useful when we have 11 showers on the go at once. Also it is important to think about when you do things for example we don't use the dishwasher or washing machines at the same time as peak showering time so be prepared to amend your schedule.

Just finished reading Owning and Managing a Bed and Breakfast by Lisa Angowski Rogak this is the first book I have read which addresses the psycological aspects of running a B&B she also speaks to travel writers about what it is they are looking for and recomend which is also a first. This is however quite an old volume and is mainly set in 1994. However all the advice that is given would be applicable to now however she doesn't really cover the internet at all except to say in the future people will probably do all their booking by email. I would say this is a good place to start as it also includes advice on how to write a business plan but be aware it is dated and is mainly aimed at the American market. All in all well written and worth reading.

Some advice if you are having a bad day Watch Legally Blond Two it will imediately perk you up. And regard my previous post but one.

Don't fight the fabric change it! No one will help you but you! And people often say to me oh but I don't have the time for that kind of thing. Well if you don't pull your finger out you will have entirely too much time on your hands!

Another tip is to take advantage of every opportunity to promote your business. I myself am delivering yellow pages and with every one they get a flyer about my Guest House so in effect Yellow Pages are paying me to do my advertising. This can also be done with Polling cards so if you have any kids or friends delivering anything you can bribe them to help you!

Went on a marketing course the other day and many of the other people were from rural areas out in the Yorkshire Dales. They were all complaining to the teacher of the class that the Tourism Parknership's brochures and website were rubbish and mainly focused on Harrogate ( I kept quite that I was from there!) and that they had complained in writing about it and many had withdrawn from it.

I felt like saying and I probably should well why dont' you do something about it! If it was me I would say right A I am going to form the rural dales B&B, Guest House and Selfcatering Accomodation association and get everyone I can think of to join. Then I would say to all the members you bring in anyone you can think of. This would be free. You would have to elect a chairperson to speak for you but then you could say to the Tourism network TIC or whoever I represent 10,000 bed spaces in Yorkshire YOU WILL LISTEN TO WHAT WE WANT!

I would also get our own web site set upand if everyone put in £10.00 it would be paid for and I would put it in sections i.e. Leyburn - Accomodation in Leyburn, Things to do in and arround Leyburn, Places to eat in Leyburn and so on.

Susan Briggs is right people are lazy so if you give them the whole package then they are more likely to come.

If you don't like what people are doing for you and charging you a lot for then do something else!

We used to advertise with the TIC every year and did not decern any bonus so one year we decided not to bother and see how it went we have not lost out and have saved quite a bit of money.

Also if enough people withdraw then it is likeley the TIC, TOurism Partnership etc will notice and pull their socks up as they want the money. This is called voting with your feet!

There are other benefits to being organised the first is it is easier to make referals or advertise vacancies for example with the Harrogate organisation if you have a late cancellation for a buisy time then you send off an email and if anyone in the group has someone ringing up for those dates but is full then they know where to send someone.

The second benefit is that you can get bulk discounts for example if you say to a printer I want 30 sets of brochures printing, 30 sets of business cards and stationary what deal are you going to do for me?

You also can club together to get deals on things like toiletries as in rural areas you have to have them delivered and if you order more than so much then you get a discount. So if you have any close neighbours then you could club together any order in bulk and then get it for a better price.

So top tip from me get organised people and don't be too British! I wrote them a letter about it doesn't get it done.

ten tips from Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide by James Stephenson

1. Don't enlarge your logo so it's the main focus of the page. People are interested in what you're selling, not who you are. In fact, the smaller your logo, the more established your company will appear. Check out ads by pros like Nike or Hewlett-Packard.

2. Don't place your logo in the text of your piece. Of course it's fine to use the name of your company in the text of any of your marketing materials, but inserting your actual logo into a headline or body copy is design suicide.

3. Don't use every font at your disposal. Choose one or two fonts for all your materials to build brand equity. Your font choices should be consistent with your image and your industry. For example, a conservative industry = conservative font.

4. Don't use colour indiscriminately. More colour doesn't necessarily make something more appealing. Often it just makes it loud and off-putting. Most, if not all, your text should be the same colour, preferably black for readability. For a unique look, try duotone photographs or print in two colours.

5. Don't be redundant. Don't repeat the name of your industry or product in your company name and your tagline and your headline. Potential customers know your inductry. Restating it implies you don't.

6. Don't choose loq-quality or low resolution photography. A photo may look great in an album, but unless it features balanced lighting and good composition, it's not print worthy. Photos need to be at least 300dpi. And yes, people can tell the difference.

7. Don't fill up every inch of white space on the page. White space, or negative space, brings focus to what's important and gives the eye a rest. You may have a lot to say, but cramming it all in creates chaos and minimizes impact. Your piece will end up visually over-whelming. Think less, now more.

8. Don't focus on the details of your product or service; instead focus on how it benefits your audience. Unless your product is extremely technical, make your offering relvant to your audience by emphasizing its benefits not its features.

9. Don't do exactly what your competitors are doing. When you're positioning your product, it's good to know your competition. But don't copy them. Find out what your customers want and are attracted to. Stand out without sticking out.

10. Don't change design styles with every marketing piece you create. Strive for a consistent look and feel, keeping the same fonts and logo placement. If you use photos in one ad, don't use illustrations in another. If you place your logo in the middle of one brochure, don't place it at the top-right corner in another.

Another tip is don't be coy about booking or showing people how to book. Get it right out there not at the back of your website where you have to trail through pages and pages to find it. Get your contact details and book now information on the very first page of your site. Its a bit british I know this reticance but if you want to get some business then GET OVER IT!

What I am also thinking of doing is putting a list in the guests bedrooms saying what facilities would you like to see here and what would enhance your stay and seeing what people actualy want rather than assuming as I have a feeling I may be surprised.
1. Wi-Fi
2. Take away quality Bath products
3. Mini Business centre
4. Acquiring a premisis Liscence
5. Providing Dinners
6. Mini Bars in every room
7. Fresh Milk provided in rooms
8. Further range of complimentary products ie shoe shine kits
9. Further options at breakfast
and then a line on the bottom to say any suggestions I havn't thought of

This is one of the most important rules of the hospitality trade never assume you know what the public wants be sure of it and then make sure they get it. However quite often they don't know what they want till you tell them.

I have just started reading Ultimate Small business Marketing Guide By James Stephenson I'll let you all know if it is any good!

Went to a marketing in a downturn seminar to be honest it was not as helpful as I had hoped but one thing was comming through loud and clear don't complete on price alone as there will always be someone who will go cheaper what you want to compete on is value for money. Also make sure if you are doing something cool make sure you promote it. For example do you use your own eggs to make breakfast then you can promote this as you can meet the chickens that make your eggs, you can help collect eggs, you could give away a free box on departure as a free gift and so on these suggestions are free or virtually free and are special. Another suggestion is one that was mentioned to me buy a friend who does training courses all over the country she stayed at a posh hotel and they provided large bottles of quality branded bath products and were displayed saying please feel free to take these with you which left her warm and fuzzy the feeling was destruyed however by the £10.00 a glass of wine so make sure things balance out.

Just remembered if you or your guests get wax on anything there is a quick and easy way to get it out put your iron on the top setting and then put a piece of kitchen paper over where the wax is then iron it ( the paper) and the wax melts and goes into the paper. I have used this countless times as my boyfriend works with candles all the time and one time he sliped in it and it was all over his trousers and now you would never know.

Please also be aware that the AA or whoever comes to inspect your place depending who you sign up with are a bit odd. The things they require seem a bit pointless to me but we play along because it is necessary. One of their latest requirements is that bathrooms be tiled up to the height of the sink in the bathroom which was a painful job for my father doing round the sinks. However take their suggestions such as have you thought about a selection of dried nuts with breakfast with a pinch of salt be polite and carry on as you wish to. We took the suggestion of having prunes and grapefruit on the menu and now simply have a few tins of each in to show her every time she comes they are very rarely asked for and my mum usually eats them! But it is required so we carry on.

Be aware that there may be a guest house and or B&B association in your area this is worth joining as they can often be involved in joint marketing events and can negotiate bulk discounts in certain cases. It may well be that you make friends with other owners this way and you may club together with them we tend to work with the people in our street to get bulk discounts.
I cannot stress this enough if you are just starting out as being your own boss have a good business plan. A few notes on the back of an envelope is not going to cut it! Shop around and ask a ton of questions for example:-

1. What is the interest rate and what will you have to make from the business to pay for it every month does this seem manageable as the bank will always want their money.

2. Never plan to be full all the time this is madness and your bank will think so to and write you off right away. If you can pay all the bills on 30% occupancy then this is more reasonable. By occupancy I mean if you only let rooms 30% of the time ie one third of the year would you make enough money to break even.

3. Look at figures for Gas, Electric and Water if you have a three bed house now then at least triple what you are paying now.

4. Marketing costs – ring printers and ask they will be happy to tell you how much 1000 business cards costs, brochures etc.

5. List everything and anything you can think of and then add a bit more. If it can go wrong then it will.

6. Specialist insurance costs ask a broker.

7. Soaps, shampoo, mending kits and so on they are all on the internet have a look.

8. Cleaning products

9. Renovations and be realistic about what needs doing and then double it.

10. Have a really good look at the property I would go to see at least three times before purchasing and make sure you look at everything from the basement to the loft!

11. If you are going to buy in an area that you don’t know the advice in a book I am currently reading is go to the local tea room and ask what the reputation is like. This may be useful but what is more to the point is get on trip adviser and speak to the local TIC I find they are terrible gossips and you are more likely to get a good picture of the real state of affairs.

12. If you are going to do your own laundry then get down to the shops and see what the prices of pillowcases etc really are not what you think they are. Something to consider is using catalogue that allow you to spread the costs of things. It does mean more cost in the end but it does spread your initial costs. On the other side of this if you are buying a going concern make sure whether they are leaving the linen or not as if not you have to have enough sets ready to go from day one. The same goes for duvets and pillows never assume what people are going to leave make sure of everything! Also Joanne says make sure they are leaving the linen they showed you not the scruffy rags left over and taking the good stuff with them!

13. A good point is to look at what the previous sellers are spending money on Joanne Muller in her book points out if they are spending no money or very little on advertising but say they are nearly always full then where are the people coming from?

14. Also if you have fallen in love with a place in a remote location check things like is the place on mains sewers, gas, water etc as these can be very expensive and tricky to run if you have always lived in a city and have no experience of them. If you are experienced in this area you’ll probably be fine but if the property was previously only domestic it may be worth reassessing capacity as you will have a lot more turnover than previously. (especially the septic tank!)

15. Joanne also mentions how they were taken in as the owners told the surveyor that a guest was in a particular room so he could not see it but it was fine. When they completed and went in the room it stank of damp there was water pouring down the back of the wardrobe and it turned out the roof was leaking and a costly repair. Now you can sue them for this but it doesn’t get your roof mended right away.

16. Try to avoid a place with little or no off street parking whatever you think about the quietness of the street and ability of your guests to get parked also you will not be popular with your neighbours if they can’t get parked either.

You may also wish to advertise in your local paper which may seem odd but if you offer for example afternoon tea or the equivalent then it may be worth it. When I worked in a larger hotel 42 Beds we advertised our restaurant with a free wine coupon every week which produced good results but unless you are of an equivalent size I think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

If you are buying a going concern you may be tied into a few of the previous owners advertising commitments but be vary wary of this is what they do so I’ll do it to unless you are very sure that what they are doing is producing results. What we do if we are trying a new idea when people call we ask them how they heard about us and if the new advertisement is mentioned then we know it is working.

Be very wary of anyone who wants you to pay a fee upfront for the hundreds of bookings they say they will bring you this is RUBBISH! I only deal with agencies who work on a commission only basis i.e. they get a percentage of any rooms they sell for you. This way they have an incentive to work for you and get you lots of bookings and get them for a good price. My father asked me what I thought about Infotel they were asking for an upfront fee and promising a large number of bookings I warned him against them on the basis that once they had his money they had no incentive to drive business his way. In a year we had one booking from them as they only wanted rooms when we were full anyway he complained and finally got his money back for breach of promise but it was a long and drawn out process.

People from many and various local papers will ring to persuade you to advertise with them. My advice here is to pick and choose carefully. My parents when in conversation with a guest he recommended we advertise in the magazine which related to the show he was attending to do with small animals this cost £15.00 and generated a full house of guests who returned up to date three years running in a very quiet time of year. These special interest magazines can be useful if you have for example good fishing etc near to you and sometimes newspapers can generate good results but don’t spend too much money if you have never heard of a particular paper as it is unlikely to have a very large circulation.

Remember to take advantage of any points or savings schemes from your supermarkets. You will be buying ten times the amount of stuff you buy now so they soon mount up. The main schemes are Tesco Points and Sainsburys Points, if you have an ASDA Store card you get good cash back but make sure you pay it off in full every month because they have a very high rate of interest. Also shop around for your credit card you can do as my parents do collect a great number of air miles if you are careful. This is especially the case if you have to buy a lot of big things like washing machines and beds. Also it can be economical from the point of view that the bank charges you to put money into your current account and to take it out. They do not however charge you to use your credit card and the transaction to pay it off is classed as one transaction so this may be cheaper to manage your money this way. Also you have the second advantage of the itemised receipt from the credit card and if anything goes wrong with your purchase you have a secondary guarantee. Only do this though if you have the discipline to pay it off every month!

Another point is that if you open for example a tin of beans and you only use half you must put what is left over in a proper container not just put cling film over the tin as this can lead to a type of mettle poisoning as most tins are not made entirely of tin only tin coated so once you open them the tin seal is broken and you don’t want your guests poisoned.

Try to make your breakfast room as much self service as you can. Some people start out pouring juice and coffee etc but believe me you are going to have enough to do without adding to it. We leave all the juice, cereal and toast ready for the customers to sort out themselves and concentrate on the cooked breakfast. Tea and Coffee can be self service to but we do it on a pot by pot basis. It is however easy to get a coffee percolator where the guests can help themselves which makes a nice coffee smell for the guests to come down to.

Top Tips from this book on the area of food are:
1. If you have any food delivered to you, check the state of the delivery vans. Contamination of food can begin long before it reaches you.

2. Refuse bins should be maintained in good condition and cleaned frequently.

3. Don’t scatter food for birds near the guest house. This can encourage vermin, or the formation of a pigeon colony.

4. Always buy good quality food, check it on arrival, and separate damaged fruit and vegetables for quick use.

5. Watch for damaged food packets and containers, and check surfaces of packets for farinaceous (starchy type stuff I had to look this up) material for possible insect infestation. (i.e. check your flour etc doesn’t have bugs in it.)

6. Ensure that your food stores are well ventilated, and fly proof.

7. Rotate your food supplies to avoid stale bread, old packs and smells which may affect sound food.

8. Check your food stores regularly (floor and shelves) for spillages which may attract vermin.

9. Always allow sufficient time for freezer-stored food to defrost. I know you can perform defrosting miracles with modern microwaves, but you can be in real trouble if you cook certain foods, particularly meats, which have not defrosted right through.

10. Make sure all your kitchen work surfaces are thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis, and keep a close check on that surface, or board, on which you do most of your meat and vegetable cutting. If it’s cracked or has deep indentations, it’s time it was replaced. A quick wipe over with a damp cloth will only encourage the breeding of germs, not remove them. (also I would not be happy using boards that come with a place I myself have the Pyrex kind as they don’t mark, double up as a heat resistant surface if you have one on the side next to the hob and can be put in the dishwasher for extra cleanness.) Do not however prepare food on ones that you have just put mucky pots on I have three one by the hob, one for meat and one for veg.

11. Don’t use fly sprays and other aerosols while there’s open food around. The fly which is buzzing around your sink while you peel the potatoes may be very annoying, but don’t start chasing it with a spray.

12. If you employ part-time staff – perhaps a morning waitress or washer up, or vegetable peeler – check their appearance and state of cleanliness regularly. Dirty clothes, finger nails, unkempt hair, open cuts, hair scratching and smoking are not conductive to kitchen hygiene.

13. Always use the proper lids, containers or other items to cover food which is in preparation – not the tea towel which has been used for dish drying.

Top tips from the book I am reading Called Running Your Own Guest House By Stanley Wright, this is an older volume but well written and interesting. He gives some good advice on room lay out and I am just making note of his pointers about Guest House naming. He says that the name should reflect what you really are for example the Woodlands is no good in the middle of a housing estate and be wary of using joke names as many may not have the same sense of humour as you and there is no point putting people off before they even get in. Make sure you don’t put too much info on your sign as guests can be easily confused and can’t take it all in as they wiz past in a car. It is also important to make sure that you can see the sign clearly from a car as too small is worse than useless.

A few thoughts on furniture one Lamps should have large bases anything too spindly will get knocked over and I also would not recommend the ones which have a ceramic vase on the bottom as they seem to get smashed on a regular basis. As regards wardrobes you will only need small ones people will be staying with you only a short time so it is necessary to have at most enough hanging space for about a week. Don’t try and compete with your own wardrobe which is bulging at the seams they won’t need the space and it takes over the whole room.

Also a thought when you are buying your property is that from the tax point of view any mortgage you may have can be offset against tax so it may be that this is something to take into account when you are deciding how much to borrow and what you can afford. There is also to consider when you are deciding how much to borrow the consideration of how much you will need to spend to get things up to scratch as quite often when people are preparing to sell they let things slide and for any start up costs such as new brochures etc. Make sure your sums add up! This is why it is so important to do a thorough business plan as this is where most people go bankrupt.

Be aware that unless you are a big operation you will qualify for small business rate relief take a look on your local council and make sure you fill out your application straight away. This can mean a reduction in your business rates of 50% which as I am sure you can appreciate is worth having. When I worked at the Inland Revenue I was always astonished how many people just pay up and ask no questions when all it takes is a phone call to dramatically reduce your bills. Make sure that you are getting everything that you are entitled to. Also if you have not been applying for small business rate relief they will back date it.

“You need, as you do in every branch of public service, a fixed smile, the hide of a rhinoceros, and the ability to laugh in adversity – preferably genuinely.”
Be realistic about how much work you can really do. I know so many people who nearly flog themselves to death at the outset trying to do everything yourself. I am not suggesting that you farm everything out or you won’t make a profit but look very carefully at how much there is to do and decide accordingly. If the people you are taking over from have a girl Friday then there is probably a good reason for this so don’t just assume that you can manage without. You can do all your rooms without help on your own but I guarantee that you won’t have time to do anything else. If there is a partner make sure that they pull their weight. I often find that one partner does the rooms and one the paperwork which is often the best arrangement but some days when you have a full change they have to be willing to jump into the fray.

Speak to your local shops and try and get a good deal for your guests. I myself have been lucky and have just got vouchers for free facials from Molton Brown I haven’t yet decided what to do with them as I could send them out with confirmations or pop them in rooms for guests to use. Its free advertising for them and a nice treat for my guests a good job all round. Be careful not to clutter up the rooms with too many things though as you can get bombarded with coupons from restaurants. We keep the coupons in a box and when someone is discussing where to go for dinner we give them out then. However if you promise to send your guests to certain salons you can get a good discount so at least you are benefiting. When I worked at a large hotel we used to get a 50% off coupon for Peter Gothard on a regular basis for our referrals. There are few perks in this business make sure you get the ones you are entitled to.

I find that the best marketing ideas pop out at you all the time look at what other people are doing and don’t do the same but do similar and with a twist or be completely different. I often find that the best ideas come to me as I am puttering about doing something else. The trick is to be thinking about the problem and about other things and sometimes you just get illumination. Also it pays to always keep your eye out for opportunities. I free cycled a book and two chaps wanted it and I noticed that the second chap had just started a new business running courses as he used the signature technique to advertise so I sent him an email saying was he looking for space to hold the classes. So keep your eyes peeled for opportunities like these. Also he is doing health and safety courses and basic food hygiene which I now get a discount on. I would also recommend getting out and meeting people as well as doing activities such as Facebook they spread the word like nothing else. I would also recommend that you have a signature which includes the details of your premises i.e. name, address, phone number, email and Website and have this put on the bottom of any emails you send about anything. This is also a really cheap way to advertise as it means that anyone you respond to gets an advertisement for your place. This is really easy to set up if you use Yahoo or Outlook Express and I am sure Hotmail does a similar thing though I have not used it myself.

Useful tip as regards marketing is when they are staying with you make notes I use the back of their registration card i.e. why they are here and what they particularly enjoyed. If they are here for shopping or say things like we must come back for shopping though we are here for fill in the blank make a note and you can send them a postcard, email or Christmas card in a few months time. I keep a special file for these people as November and December in Harrogate are very quiet and send them Christmas cards at the beginning of November. I also have been super organised this year as I got all my Christmas cards in the January sales for a bargain so I am now prepped for Christmas. I would also recommend doing these cards etc on the afternoon of the day they leave as then you will remember the person and can put a personal message and it will save you trying to do them all at once and if you put stamps on them then it spreads the cost over the year as well. I have a box that I do the card of likely repeat customers and I pop it in and when November comes I take the full box to the post office and my work is done. One book I read suggests that you have your own cards done with a picture of your premises on it for these occasions. This is up to you and if you do it is a useful marketing tool you can use all year round. However I find things like this can be very expensive for the actual revenue you generate from them so be careful. Postcards on a similar theme are a lot cheaper and have the same effect. We are considering having postcards done because then you can leave a few in each guests room and if they send them to relatives then it is free advertising for you, you don’t even have to pay for the stamp yourself.

I am currently reading How to own and operate a Bed and Breakfast by Jan Stankus I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of starting a B&B. I was a bit wary myself as this is a new edition and therefore I had to buy a new copy from America where it was a bit more expensive. However so far it has been worth paying a bit more for. The only drawback is that it is aimed at American B&B’s so has a large section on American regulations which is less relevant but has an exceptionally useful section on how to deal with pets should you allow them in your premises that I am reading currently. It has a good section on accounts which I would recommend anyone who is currently building their business plan to read and though is full of facts is not a hard read. All in all full of useful subject matter but I would recommend reading it twice to take it all in as it is quite a thick volume. I also like the worksheets of setting up expenses and how to record your figures for marketing which are in the back. I would also say as a warning this seems to be aimed at small home stay operations who don’t rely on the B&B income as their sole source of money. There is advice on how to juggle things with your job and how to make it homelike for your guests in a way that implies you would be unlikely to have more than two couples staying at once. So if you are thinking of taking on something larger such as a guest house it would be less relevant.

Not sure if I put this in the section about brochures but when you have them done whatever you do, do not put your prices on it. Design your brochure in such a way that a tariff can be slotted into it or put them on a separate sheet which you include with your brochure or I guarantee that your rates will change before you run out of brochures.

Tip I have just picked up from the B&B book I am currently reading buy an accordion file with at least twelve pockets and label them per month i.e. Jan and put any receipts for that month in each section to save work for your accountant and money for you.

As regards taking pets I myself don’t but I wouldn’t jump to a knee jerk reaction to animals. A lot of people like to travel with their dogs especially and with the cost of kennels being prohibitive they can’t afford to go away and do so. Where I live there is only one place I know that takes them in the entire town so I would look at the competition and decide if it would put you ahead of the pack buy taking them. It is up to you but as long as you clean thoroughly I see no problem with it.

If you are going to use your own sheets make sure you wash any new ones before you put them on the beds. This is because they often spray them with chemicals to keep the shape in the packaging and make them more fire retardant while they are stored and I myself and many others are allergic to this. Also they look a bit odd straight out of the package. This may seem like pointing out the blindingly obvious but my mum ran out of sheets once so dashed to ASDA and bought some and put them straight on the bed we got away with it but we might have had some very ichy people at breakfast the next day.

Coat hangers are an essential for every wardrobe. I would not advocate spending a lot of money on these as they will walk faster than anything else. We get the plastic ones from Morrisons for a pack of 10 it’s about three pounds. Do not be tempted to use the wire ones you get free from the cleaners or anything of this type as they are awful, there is a reason they are so cheap. What happens is people lift the clothes they have brought straight out of the closet and take them away I can see that it is easily done.

Non-slip bath and shower mats. I would strongly recommend these as people will find ways to have an accident. One chap where I was working in a large hotel was started by the temperature of the shower as he had gotten straight in without testing it leapt out slipped and fell banged his head, leg and back. Now this is an extreme example and the customer thought it was hilarious and so did all his mates but it could have been really serious. These mats are very cheap and you can buy them from Asda for about £2.00 for really basic ones of I have seen really nice ones in Morrisons for about £3.00. You don’t have to spend a lot of money and you can put them in gradually but the safety aspect is quite important. I have also found that older guests are red hot about having them. We had a saga tour in and every guest wanted one! Needless to say we didn’t have enough and we had to nip to the shop and buy some.

101 ways to grow your business by Hugh Williams may possibly be the most useless book I have ever read there was nothing about marketing at all and it was mainly aimed at people who produce an actual physical product despite his being an accountant who works in a service industry. I was hoping for some low cost marketing ideas to bring my business forward but was sadly disappointed. It is going on freecyle today.

Hi another tip when buying plates run a knife on them like cutting as if you buy really cheap ones then it will leave a black mark. I bought some really cheap plates from Dunelm and thought that I was getting a bargain but they marked in about five minutes and looked awful. So I advise you to learn from my mistakes.

I have read a lot of books on this subject as I am always looking for new ideas and so I am taking the liberty of doing a brief review of them.

The Complete Idiot's guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast by Park Davis and Susannah Craig.

this is by far the most useful book that I have read so far which is why I am including it first.
this is a clear and concise book which is easy to read as some of these books as a bit to figures orientated.

It is full of useful tips on marketing and sales and even if you have the right personality for the job. The only downside is that it is written for the american market and there is a large chapter on regualtions which is not relevant. All in all a good read.

Another valuable tool that you will learn to rely on is internet shopping, if for example your partner goes out into the world to work leaving you to run the business it is a lot easier to order your groceries and so on and have them delivered.

Something people don’t often realise is you can have your phone set up so that you can divert it to your mobile which is invaluable if you have to be out and about. Just make sure you have your booking book on you at all times. Ladies this means an excuse for having a massive handbag!

There is also a side benefit to this in that you may have spaces in your premises that would be suitable for small meetings which don’t require much work for example book clubs and so on. We do teas and biscuits for these groups and we charge on a per head basis so that people are not penalised if only a few turn up. Also if you can gain meetings and groups in this way during the day it is a further spread of free publicity and means a second use for your breakfast room. It also requires no special equipment as you already have tea, coffee, biscuits and tables at the ready.

Another thing to consider for your breakfast room when you are buying tables or replacing them is to buy square ones are they fit together into various grouping so much easier. If you have groups of four i.e. two couples staying together then you can organise your breakfast room accordingly.

We use in our guest house four types of business card which may seem excessive but is very handy. Type one is standard business card name and contact details, two is the same but with an offer on i.e. produce this card for 10% off and the third just has a request for name and email address which we leave in rooms to encourage people to fill it out and leave us their details. You will find people are very lazy about giving you contact details you must have an address from them on check in on their registration form this is a legal requirement but if you can gather email addresses then you can advertise to all your repeat customers for free hopefully gaining further business.

I always say to people about marketing think outside the box doing what everyone else does simply makes you part of the pack not ahead of it. A big area that many people neglect is local people and your first thought in reaction to this will be “if they live here then they won’t be staying with us!” Yes this is true but their friends, relatives and business colleagues might if you can make your establishment the first name that springs to mind. It is more and more the case I have found in recent years that friends and relatives when visiting do not wish to stay with the people they are visiting but would rather stay nearby and be able to come and go as they wish. This seems to be for two main reasons 1 if you stay with someone they seem to want to be with you all the time and organise everything and second quite often people don’t have the room. Therefore there is gap in the market we are happy to fill.

It can be tempting to mock up these kinds of things and they can be done well with the appropriate software but I myself am a bit wary of this as sometimes it can be more expensive. When we first started doing business cards we printed them ourselves but we soon realised that it was a lot cheaper to buy them from the printer and considerably less hassle as they have economies of scale. These things can be assessed on a case by case basis. I would consider consulting with a few printers and see what they come up with and pick the best price and style for you.
Things you will need are:
Business cards
Headed Paper
Brochures
Things that may be useful
Compliment slips
Postcards with a picture of the place on it especially if it looks picturesque.
Depending on size wedding and meeting packs

Marketing – this is one of the two most important things to get right in your business the first is housekeeping you can never be too clean the second is your marketing. This covers a whole number of things your brochure, your business cards, your web site and so on. The easiest way to think of marketing is any way that you or your business touches the public. When designing your brochures and literature have other people look at them and give you their opinion and listen to it. What you might love might look awful to others so ask around and be prepared to be criticized. Also be careful how you design it as if you are a sleek boutique style hotel your brochure should reflect this. If however you are a country homey type of place and you have a boutique style brochure when the people turn up they are going to say now this is nothing like the brochure and be disappointed. Your literature should reflect who you are and then you will get the customers who want what you are.

Top Tip – Be very careful if you choose to change the name of the establishment make sure it is not too similar to any other establishments nearby as this can cause endless confusion. I have personally had this problem as my place is called the Camberley and just up the road is a very large hotel called the Kimberley. Further confusion is also caused by the fact that my name is Kimberley so I try not to say my name when answering the phone as you have reached Kimberley at the Camberley would be rather like a tongue twister. Many people choose names that begin with an A as this means that you are at the top of any alphabetical list but the choice is yours. I would also recommend that the name is not too long as it increases your printing costs and makes it difficult to spell. Keep it short and catchy and easy to say and spell. Some people also like to use descriptive words such as Acorn Lodge and then you can use an acorn theme in your stationary and signs etc but again this is personal choice.

Top Tip – The same rules apply to your brochure and stationary you won’t want to have loads left and you have changed your layout. If you buy in bulk from a printers then you will get a very good discount but there is a balance to be struck as too many and you will be stuck with them. My mother and father bought a guest house with a good supply of brochures included in the price and they are still giving them away four years later. I would have a reasonable number of business cards done as some things never change such as your name and address but don’t go mad as you still have to store them. Though I do guarantee that you will give away far more cards than you ever thought possible.

Top Tip – Another area to be careful of is people with rental cars as I have had people leave them for the car company to pick up and they haven’t put enough money in the meter to last until the car company comes to collect. Then the person who rented the car is then charged for the ticket. We are happy for people to leave their rental cars with us for collection but make sure you have the number of the company so should they not collect promptly you can chase them up as they are taking up your parking.
Top Tip – Be very careful when having your signage made as if you put descriptions of your rooms or ratings in visible places. This is because if they change for example if you do a lot of refurbishment then they will be incorrect and you will not be promoting yourself as well as you could. We have just put the name and the phone number on ours to keep it simple. Also as regards signs make sure you put the area code on as people passing by won’t know it and it is a popular choice to ring up from outside and ask if you have vacancies.

TOP TIP – make sure you have a good map of how to get to your place. This is handy to send out with confirmations. However what we have just started to do is we have scanned it into the computer and we can then email it out to people. We are in a position where the car park is at the back of the Guest House and you actually get into it from another street which runs along the back of the hotel so we send a small map that shows how to get round to the car park. As I am sure you can appreciate it is not helpful to arrive at the destination and then not be able to get parked. So if you have a bit of a funny parking arrangement I would recommend sending details with the confirmation for example you must park on the street, you have to park round the back etc as people are easily confused. If you are required to have permits or things of that nature you will have to check with every person who comes into your place what they have done about parking and act accordingly as nothing puts a sour taste in the mouth of one of your guests like receiving a parking ticket. Where I live we have three types of parking residents parking for which you are allowed special permits which guest houses are allowed to buy at 10p each, disk parking which is free but you need a disk, pay and display parking further out of the town centre which is free. As you can imagine this is not a simple system for outsiders to understand so make sure that the weird and wonderful restrictions that we take for granted in our home towns are baffling for outsiders and especially foreign guests.

Top Tip – If people do come for Valentines day make sure that they make restaurant reservations well in advance (that is if you don’t serve them) as people seem to have no idea that all the restaurants will be booked up well in advance. I would keep a list of restaurants that you can recommend near your phone or offer to send a list including phone numbers to them with their confirmation. We do a list of restaurants with addresses, whether they are within walking distance, the phone number and a brief description of the type of food that they serve this has proven very useful. We have also put this information in our guest information folders so the guests can make their own arrangements at their leisure should they wish to. We keep a copy of this on the computer so we can email it out to prospective guests with their confirmation or post it if they prefer.

TOP Tip – We have put together a short sightseeing guide for the same purpose and it is popular with families as we put in what places are free and what are good to go to on a rainy day. We found it useful to include in your guide the postcode as this is important for Sat Navs and people often ask us to look them up. These can be sent or emailed as appropriate and we have included a copy in our guest information. It is a cheap and easy thing to do and shows that you are thinking of your customer who obviously does not know the area. We also provide directions through Route planner and so on for people who do not have Sat Nav.

TOP TIP – It is also important to build a good relationship with a local florist who delivers. This is because I have lost count of the number of times I have been approached by men staying who want to get flowers or something for their wives at the last minute either on the day or even when they arrive. They will be very grateful that you can get it organised for them at the last minute and this is especially the case during what I call Hallmark Holidays for example Valentines Day.
Top Tip – you will grow to hate Hallmark Holidays especially Valentines Day and Christmas I am sorry if this seems cynical but it is very high pressure. This is because all the guests who stay with you want top flight rooms for single prices. This means that the men involved are determined to get value for money and are cross at having to spend so much money. The women involved want a romantic time and whatever he has organised is never right so be prepared for complaints. Some places buy special equipment for such holidays such as heart shaped egg cooking moulds. These kinds of touches are nice and can usually be picked up at bargain prices just after the holiday i.e. the 15th of February as the shops don’t want to store them for another year. These can be saved and used year after year so can be a good investment. Another piece of advice to gain some extra income is to offer around this time to organise flowers, chocolates etc for guests as often they don’t think of it and if you charge a percentage extra you can make a nice profit. However do be careful about making sure of what they want to pay i.e. so that is £20.00 for flowers £10.00 for chocolates then sir? Also make sure that they know flowers are twice as expensive on these days as most people have no idea what things cost. I have had chaps want a grand gesture like roses and when I tell them the price they nearly have an aneurism. Sometimes gentlemen want special things set up like petals on the bed I tend to humour people as my sheets go to the laundry so what they get on them doesn’t matter. However if you do your own laundry then rose petals do not come out easily!

TOP TIP – Be careful of hoaxers you will get calls from pranksters as you are now in a prominent position with your phone number clearly advertised. These are usually kids or sometimes people who are a bit drunk walking home after a night out. I myself have been caught out on Valentine’s day by a chap who rang saying he was coming later with his girlfriend called Mr Chance could we order some flowers for him. We did and then we realised that it was missed chance and ended up £20.00 out of pocket. Another popular choice is P Staker and so on. Some people do genuinely have weird and wonderful names so don’t be too quick to judge but be aware that there are people who don’t have anything better to do and they will waste your time and money without a second thought. To cover yourself take credit card numbers at the time of ordering anything special for example flowers and then charge the card at the time that way you are never out of pocket and the client is more likely to come as a result.

You will also get what are commonly called walk ins. This is where people turn up at the door wanting a room when they haven’t booked. Always and this is a golden rule get payment in advance for these people I am sure the vast majority are honest and have been stranded due to no fault of their own but for the small minority its best to have a back up. I usually do a cheap deal for people who turn up at the door as it gets the bed filled but don’t go any lower than you are happy with. If you don’t like the look of them you can quote a high price and that almost always puts them off. If you don’t have any rooms for walk-ins i.e. you are full then I always try and find somewhere for them as they will then get a good impression of you and hopefully either book and stay with you next time or at the very least recommend you to other people. You can never have enough people saying nice things about you. The other advantage to this is that you will get in good with your neighbours and then hopefully they will send you people in the same situation.

Some people will not haggle at all but when they come to the hotel make sure they don’t know what the other people are paying. For some reason people always assume that all people are paying the same for that particular night and that you charge the same every day. This may be the case in your establishment if you choose to go that way but for the vast majority it is not. I have never understood this as when you fly you don’t assume that everyone on the plane paid the same as you. Do your best to make bookings that you take over the phone are not done in earshot of the other guests as this can cause mayhem. In a particular hotel I worked at the first offer for a twin room was one hundred and twenty pounds but we were allowed to go as low as one hundred if necessary. A lady was sat in reception directly opposite me and was clearly listening while I was on the phone this can be a problem when taking credit card numbers so be careful. The lady on the phone wanted a twin and haggled me down to one hundred and ten pounds which was fine but then the other lady insisted on knowing why she had got it cheaper. I explained that the lady on the phone was coming midweek when it was a quiet time which it was and that she had haggled with me over the price. I said to the lady did you haggle when you booked over the price she said no with a look of complete horror on her face. Some people see it as shameful to haggle as if you are saying you don’t have any money but being a Yorkshire lass myself I feel it is more important to get a bargain. Some people will also say can I have it cheaper if we have room only. I say yes as you then get the booking and you don’t have to cook them breakfast but it is entirely up to you.

One book I read on guest houses said a room is like cream you can only sell it that day or the opportunity is gone and you cannot sell it for that night again. Now I am not sure about the cream analogy but he is right you only have one night to sell that room so be prepared to bargain. There is a fine balance between taking your first offer and making sure that the room is full and waiting for a bit and seeing if you can’t get a better price later on. Some people will take the first price you say and some will haggle be prepared for this. I myself always say as my first offer at least ten pounds more than I would go as a minimum so I can say oh well twist my arm and I’ll go down to sixty from seventy for example.

Top Tip – buy a personal safe and put it somewhere that you can lock the room as well for an extra layer of security. Nowadays people don’t really pay cash very often so there is less about but make sure you don’t leave any lying about as opportunity makes the thief. Also check your insurance as you may only be covered to have a certain amount of cash on the premises make sure you know what that is.

TOP TIP use an insurance broker for your insurance. Hotel and guest house insurance is very specialised and if you get it wrong they will not pay out. This is not worth it if it! Using a broker insures two things one you get it right and two that you get the best price. These can be found in your local telephone directory and yellow pages. It is also important to check this every year to make sure you have the best deal.

Top Tip – when you do a rooms turn on all the lights and lamps at least once to make sure all of the bulbs are good. It does not look very good when a guest comes to you bulb in hand to say they would like a new one.

TOP TIP – be very careful where you leave your handbag and chaps the same for you as regards your wallet it is very tempting when you live in a place to leave your stuff about but always lock things up securely. My mother many years ago had her handbag in the kitchen where you would think it would be safe but someone got into the front of the hotel let themselves into the private area took her bag with the car keys in pressed the fob to see which car and took the car as well. The simple solution is get a sturdy cupboard with a lock on and keep things like that in it and keep the key on you.

Top Tip – I would use the receipt books that are a carbon as then you write one for the customer and the one for you is the second copy which saves writing everything out twice. These can be bought easily on the high street but you can get them cheaper from the big stationers that operate mainly through catalogues or through the internet. There is also usually a discount for buying in bulk believe me you will use a lot of them so it is worth getting the discount. Also people will ask you to put certain amounts which are not what they are actually paying don’t do it as it is fraud and it is your head on the line if they get caught diddling their expenses. You also won’t be very popular with the tax man.

TOP Tip – leave the lights on in the hallways as people will find ways to fall down the stairs. If you don’t want to leave the full light on then you should consider night lights and emergency lighting. I would however make sure you have energy saving light bulbs as otherwise it will cost you a fortune. These are more expensive but they last for up to eight years so they will save you in the long run and it is one less maintenance job.

TOP TIP – The most important things to keep are your registrations cards you need one for every adult (i.e. over 16) that stays with you, confirmation details and any financial records i.e. receipt books credit card slips etc. But check with your accountant if you are unsure of what to keep and for how long as something’s can go quicker than others and the rules change all the time.

TOP TIP – be very careful where you leave your receipt books. I would keep any that are full locked up at all times and the one you are currently using on you at all times. This is because at one time where I live there was a scam where this lad asked to see a room and then went to consult supposedly with his mother but was really scoping the place out. He then snuck back in and pinched receipt books full of credit card numbers and when they caught him he had spent over 100,000 thousand pounds over the internet.

Top Tip – You have to keep all your records for what seems like forever! Make sure you have somewhere to put them all. You will find in a lot of Guest Houses there will be cupboards bulging with stuff everywhere you go. The previous owners should take any stuff up to the date of completion with them as the tax man can ask for it. So build in any stores or closets you can as after seven years you will have an awful lot of files that need a home.

Top Tip – make sure that the people you are buying from have all their bills paid up to date as you don’t want to be lumped with their Gas, Electric and butchers bills. It can be very unpleasant if you have tradesmen turning up at your door wanting money.

TOP TIP – The method I use us have a handbag with a few compartment in it and use one exclusively for receipts so when you buy something you keep them all together. You will think you will remember what you bought and how much and I guarantee that you won’t! Then put a spike (the kind they have in restaurants) next to your computer so when you get back transfer them all to the spike. This way they are always in date order and it means whoever turns on the computer next can input them onto a spread sheet with what for and how paid for. If you speak to your accountant ask them how they want things split up ie maintenance, miscellaneous etc. This way it will all be in the easiest set up for him and therefore the cheapest for you. We have a spreadsheet per month and then we print it out and put all the receipts for that month and the print out in a big A4 envelope and it keeps us straight with the tax man.

Top Tip – Look on the Business Link and Learn Direct Web Sites they provide all sorts of courses for either free or very reasonably priced on all sorts of things such as accounting where you can do it online or in a class. These if you take them before you start out especially accounting look very good to your bank manager and show that you are serious. Also from experience the vast majority of people who get themselves in a mess do so because they haven’t accounted properly.

Our accountant nearly cries at the end of the tax year as so many of his client’s just turn up with carrier bags of receipts and expect him to sort them out. This is a false economy as accountants are paid by the hour and the more complicated you make it the more it is costing you.

Top Tip – When you first start be prepared to waste food as you will find it hard to judge how much to buy and put out etc but believe me this will dramatically reduce as you go along as you will get a feel for how much and how many.

Top Tip – keep on good terms with your tourist information as they will send people to places they trust the owners of and they know that the people won’t come back with complaints. I know people who get no trade from the TIC because they can’t be trusted not to leave the guests unhappy. The TIC are only people and they will go with who they know so make sure that when they phone you are polite and efficient however harried you feel. Some people even go so far as bringing gifts at Christmas etc to their TIC but it is up to you.

Top Tip – apply for membership of your local cash and carry they tend to stock all the weird things that you cannot get anywhere else such as catering size bottles of ketchup, mini portions of jam and so on. You need proof that you are a business usually but if you have appropriate bills and stationary you shouldn’t have a problem. If in doubt pop in and ask what they require. However be aware that although they are a wholesaler they are not necessarily the best price and they are not always the best quality. I have often found for things like toilet roll Asda is cheaper and better quality so know your retailers.

Top Tip – sometimes if you only have one or two in for breakfast it is better to just buy a small pack of bacon and leave the big whole sale ones in the freezer as you save money on wastage.

Top Tip – shop around for your current account as you can often get a better deal I myself keep an eye on MoneySupermarket.com for this purpose. There is enough people trying to get money out of you without giving it to the bank for the privilege of banking with them. The only thing to watch is if you have a mortgage they often insist that you have your current account with them to so be careful you don’t contravene the conditions of your mortgage. At date of posting the most competitive is the Abbey.

Top Tip – Make sure you are getting the best deal for your gas and electric as you will use a great deal more than you ever considered. You can use special agents who find the best deals for businesses and it is a free service or you can use the internet. It is worth checking these deals about every 6 months. I would also keep an eye on the phone bill as shopping around generates a number of savings.

TOP TIP – If people ring up asking all sorts of odd questions then be very wary as there was a couple round where we are ringing up asking if there were DVD players in the rooms we said no as at that time we didn’t. However they found another guest house that did and walked out during the night (as they hadn’t been asked to pay on arrival ) with the DVD player. They aren’t very expensive nowadays but having things taken like this leaves a nasty taste in your mouth.

TOP TIP – Most banks charge you for putting cash in and out of your business current account which personally I think is a cheek they tell me that it is because cash is time and labour and time intensive. However to reduce this fee as it is usually about 1% of every amount you put in save your cash for any expenditure for example eggs, food, cleaning products and then you won’t be charged twice. Just make sure that you account for every penny and keep every receipt this is vital for tax purposes.

TOP TIP – Try to keep your prices around number for example £65.00 as you will spend your life sorting out change. Plus I don’t care what the supermarkets say I don’t think that £64.99 sounds particularly cheaper than £65. I would also try to keep a selection of five pound notes and pound coins on the premises for these occasions as hunting round for change during a busy check out and breakfast is a nightmare.

I myself believe in making people pay on arrival as trying to take payments and do breakfast at the same time is really difficult. Some people can be a bit funny about this but if you explain about the clash with breakfast they are usually fine they just don’t think. This also has the advantage of if they pay by card you now have that on file if they try and run off or steal things. One couple staying with my parents took the pictures off the wall. Luckily they were very inexpensive but this is just one example. It is always a good plan to have a back up. In the last four years we have only ever had 2 lots of things taken the aforementioned pictures and a set of towels which belonged to the laundry so incidents of theft are rare.

Top Tip – The format I use is – 1 double room arriving Wednesday 13th January 2009 for 3 nights at the rate of £65.00 per night to include accommodation, full English breakfast and VAT.

If you are going to serve dinners you can use 1 double room arriving Tuesday 14th February 2009 for 4 nights at the rate of £75.00 per night to include dinner, bed, full English breakfast and VAT.

We live in a modern age and people live and work fast they expect that their accommodation provider will do the same. If you cannot keep up then they will go somewhere else. Also if you confirm and send out straight away then it is one less thing to think about. Save copies of everything you send as people will insist that you said a different rate, dates, times and all sorts and in the heat of the moment if you have nothing to back it up it is easy to be taken for a ride.

Top Tip – I would also strongly recommend confirming every booking either by email, fax or letter. If you can push people for email addresses then this can have 3 main benefits. 1 You have a contract with the customer in which you can state your cancellation policy clearly, I also find that people who receive confirmations are more likely to turn up as sometimes if they don’t receive one they make other plans as they worry that they don’t have a booking. 2 You have their email address for marketing purposes to use later on. 3 To email is free which over a year can save you a fortune as to send a letter is money for a stamp, money for ink, money for paper and money for an envelope which all adds up. An email also has the advantage of being almost instantaneous which not only looks efficient but ties the booking in and makes sure that they have got their dates right and what they want. You will marvel again and again at the number of people who ring up after you confirm and say they wanted the Tuesday to the Saturday isn’t that what they booked? The answer is no.

Top Tip – These machines can be hired very quickly and used straight away and then with some hairdryers you can get spills and stains out ready for the next guest. The only thing is make sure the carpet is completely dry as there is nothing worse than taking off your shoes and putting them on wet carpet. They can also be used on rugs but be careful near to the edges as tassels can be sucked in. Also it can be tempting to put in electric heaters to dry carpet but be very careful as you could have a fire and electric and water don’t mix if in doubt don’t risk it. To give you an estimate if you carpet clean a room it will probably take a good two days to get that carpet dry.

TOP TIP – Most of the books recommend that you steam clean your carpets at least once a year. I agree with that but you have two options of how you carry this out. Option one is if you have a slow season such as in Harrogate February is dead so that would be the time to blitz the housework or you can do one room at a time crossing them off as you go. This way is probably the easiest as you have to move all of the furniture out of the room and then back in again. This means that you have to have somewhere to put it so in reality you will have two rooms out of service for at least 1 day. You can have the carpets done by a professional which can be expensive or you can hire equipment and do it yourself which is the cheapest option. The rug doctor machines or similar can be hired locally for a reasonable fee and you can do as much as you want to in the time you rent it for. I myself did a three bed house in a day but you will find the stairs a lot harder.

TOP TIP – On the program the hotel inspector one of the inspectors uses the phrase the room should be so clean that it would appear that no one has ever used that room before. I’m not quite sure if that is achievable every day as I am a realist but the key areas such as the bathroom especially the toilet should be immaculate. Clean sheets for every customer are a basic minimum as well as vacuum the carpet for every customer. Most customers do not expect the carpet to be vacuumed every day but for longer staying guests it should be done as a minimum every third day as they will wear their shoes in the room and therefore will track more dirt. This also has the advantage of making your carpets last longer as the dirt will wear them out faster. Vacuum as often as you can but be realistic about time.

Also making friends is a good way to find good workmen get them to recommend their plumbers and electricians. If they say that a particular person is excellent then get their number equally if they say someone was appalling then remember not to use them!

TOP TIP – you can also often find a cheaper plumber, electrician, laundry service, painter and decorator from your neighbours it is the quickest and easiest way to shop around and you get the benefit of their mistakes as well as their experience.

TOP TIP – if you are looking about you to buy a Bed and Breakfast or Guest House or even to convert your current house start looking for the right kind of furniture, lamps, pictures etc from today that way the expenditure is spread and you have a better chance of remembering everything.

TOP TIP – if say your grown up children have left home etc and you are thinking of doing some B&B be realistic you have to redecorate and upgrade the customer will not expect anything less than that.

In many of the big hotels it is the policy to overbook so if you have one nearby keep on good terms with them as sometimes you can pick up the overflow. My parents live opposite to a Holliday Inn and they are rung on a daily basis for their availability in case they need the rooms. It may be worth ringing your local big hotels and making contact so you can have the benefit of their emergencies. Also there are the emergencies that other places have that are no fault of their own for example a large hotel nearby to where I worked at the time their boiler packed up in January we were happy to help and picked up quite a few rooms. Something people forget is that although you are in competition with other accommodation providers you can quite often help each other out so never make the mistake of upsetting your competition with rudeness as they will never send you their overflow or help you out again.

Also be very careful putting rooms onto many and various web sites you could end up double booked. If you are going to take this approach then I would recommend two things 1 make very good friends with people with guest houses or B&B’s of a high quality nearby so that if it comes to it you can book people out. If this occurs some people like to wait and see if they get a cancellation and it all works out. I myself don’t like this approach as more often than not you end up in a mess. Ring the customer right away that you discover the mistake and provide them with alternative accommodation at another venue for the same price. You will probably lose the customer but at least you do not have them arriving cold and tired to be told there is no room at the inn. I have been in this situation and having irate customers shouting at you at full volume is not a pleasant experience. Second I would have broadband and leave your computer on at all times and make sure you check your email and fax at least once an hour to take off any rooms before they sell twice. Remember if you put one room on and sell it you can always put another one on. This also depends on the number of rooms you have and your cancellation policy as if you have 20 there is a fair chance you will get a cancellation if you have four it is a different story.

If the previous owner is using any of the booking sights you will have to find out from them which ones and what availability they have put on as you do not want to get double booked. You will also need to have new contracts with these sights as the account numbers will be different. If you can ask the previous owners to close out this means take off the internet any rooms they have on at the moment ready for you to start a new contract.

As regards brochures these in my opinion can wait your most important ambassador is your web site as a good 60% of bookings come through the internet. At the very least you should look into using sites such as Booking.com and Laterooms if you haven’t got your own site up and running. If you are buying a going concern it should in this day and age have all of this already set up but make sure that you have all the details of their web site designer, who maintains it and that you now have the rights to the domain name.

The web site is great because all it takes is a phone call to your web master to get things changed and up to date the same day. Some obvious details such as the change of ownership can be put on the same day as you complete. I myself however would wait as in that first week I guarantee that you will have enough on and frankly of all the things that are important that can wait. You can put your own individual stamp on the web site two or three months down the line when you have found your feet. This is however only the case if the site is half decent if it is appalling get onto it right away as this is your billboard to the world if it is rubbish you aren’t putting out a very good sign.

As regards your advertising my best advice is to shop around your best price may not be local but it can save you on postage if you can pick things up yourself. Also it may just be a Yorkshire thing but I like to see the people I am dealing with and speak to them face to face and make sure they understand what I want. I would recommend getting your business cards done right away as they are relatively inexpensive and you will need ones with your name on as the new owner. You can even have these done before you take over and have at least a box ready to go. It is also important to have a stack on you at all times. I often find as I am a gregarious person that I am in conversation with people i.e. in the queue at the post office and you get into the subject of your B&B and it is very handy just to be able to give them a card. The conversation may not generate any business but they may have friends or relatives they need putting up when they visit so be friendly with everyone you meet.

TOP TIP – Also if you are going to do your own ironing you may want to consider buying an industrial press for ironing you simply fold the sheet and put it in and press closed leaving the sheet ironed. This is great for doing a number of sheets and or pillow cases at once. My mum and her best friend used to sit in the kitchen pressing the sheets when I was little I even did a few myself. That was before they gave it up as a bad lot and went over to sending the sheets out.

Another area you can gain furniture and all sorts is the society of Freecycle where people give away any old furniture and unwanted possessions and all you have to do is collect them. It is definitely something to consider if you are on a shoestring budget.

TOP TIP- If you decide as many people do that it is not financially viable to have a premise licence then make it clear that you allow bottles on the premises and be willing to provide appropriate glasses and bottle openers. If you don’t you will loose a lot of business as people like to have a drink before going out.

TOP TIP – If your decide to do your ironing yourself I would recommend the sheets you have are not 100% cotton or your life will not be worth living. Many see nylon as evil but it does reduce that work load.

Shop around for furniture carefully solid wood lasts a lot better than chipboard and looks a lot better though it is more expensive. I would recommend for those on a budget looking in second hand furniture shops, auctions and the charity furniture shops you can find them in your yellow pages. Another top place it to look is car boot sales but decide in advance how much you want to pay and don’t be lured any higher than you intended.

If you are on a budget and let’s be realistic most of us are, sometimes what is best is to buy furniture for a room one piece at a time. What I mean is to decide on the theme and slowly build up pieces that tie in with that. The alternative is to do up a whole room at a time and really blitz it which does mean that you have a room out of commission while it is done. I on one occasion was painting a room in the morning and letting it in the evening but I wouldn’t recommend it.

TOP TIP – If you take on a place where the carpets are a little ropy but you don’t have the money to do them all at once then get them all professionally steam cleaned it’s a lot cheaper and will make a dramatic improvement. Then you can get the rooms done one at a time as you save up for them. Also shop around in the sales January is a good time and you can also buy the carpet in advance before you are able to fit it. Another tip is whoever comes to fit the carpet get their card as they are usually independent contractors so if you buy any carpet in the sales etc then you have someone ready to fit it.

TOP TIP – always have in at least two cans of carpet stain remover at the ready accidents will happen but they have to be fixed before the next guest comes.

STANDARD KIT FOR ROOMS
One Hairdryer – try to fasten this to the drawer it lives in, in some way as they do go missing. Usually this is husbands they have no idea what their wives have packed and just put it in the bag as well, I have had more than a few posted back for this reason.

Two mugs or three if it is a triple room – Have a second set on standby for quick a change.

Top Tip – some establishments don’t do a tea tray but do it as room service as an extra charge. This is up to you but it has three main disadvantages 1 people don’t like making a fuss so won’t order it and are then cross, 2 they want it at all hours of the day and night do you fancy making cups of tea at 2am? And 3 its very cheap and people expect it and just want to have their drink when they want it. My mum puts out biscuits every day and people love it.

Various tea, coffee, sugar, NutraSweet and Decaf -coffee – I wouldn’t put out special teas as people just take them. I would buy a selection and keep them in the kitchen and then only the people who are serious about having them will ask and you can give them out.

2 Tea Spoons – Keep them clean there is nothing worse than a dirty spoon.

Kettle - try and put it and the tray near to the relevant plug socket as there is nothing worse than having to hunt about for a socket. At a large 3 star hotel I will mention no names the only free socket was one on the floor which was very odd.

Have two bedside lamps this is one of the things the rating people look for by the way and they should be easy to use and give enough light to read by.

1 bed pick your size but it must be standard as this is another thing the ratings people look for. My parents have had trouble with them because they have bought Zip and Link beds which are a good investment as they can be a double or a single increasing you flexibility. However the ones they bought are non standard when in the single form so the AA do not like it. Therefore watch out when buying you get ones which when unzipped they are a standard single size.

Some kind of desk or dressing table for working or writing. This is important for the business traveller or even to write a postcard so think of what the customer might do.

Clean carpet – I would recommend something with a bit of a pattern and a darker shade as there will be a lot more traffic on it than a domestic one. I would also recommend if you can get it carpet with some kind of stain retardant in it as though you will pay more for it in the long run it will save you money. The AA are very particular about the fit of carpet so make sure it is right and they also mark higher for high wool content. They do however mark a new nylon carpet higher than an old wool one if you are making choices.

TOP TIP – Buy at least one extra kettle and keep it in the cupboard this is both a stand by for the bedrooms and for the kitchen. The ones in the bedrooms will get a hard time. Just get cheap ones and replace them as you can never have them mended properly and they have to pass electrical inspection. Also unless one of you is an electrician do not even attempt to mend electrical appliances. I would also keep in a spare hair dryer for the same reason plus occasionally they walk.

TOP TIP – Keep in a small supply of toiletries for example Toothpaste, Toothbrushes and Combs are top choices. You can just get the kind that you buy on the high street or if you want you can order them from hotel supply stores in sets. The only trouble with those is you usually have to order about 100 at least to start but you will be surprised how quickly you sell them I can tell you. You can expand your range as far as you want to buy be aware you have to store it. We buy asda's own toothpaste 50P and sell for a pound it is a good profit margin.

TOP TIP – Know your emergency shops where is open on a Sunday night for example Tesco Express or Sainsbury’s at Jacksons you have to know if you do suddenly run out of something where you can go to. It is also important to have a good local knowledge as your guests will ask you for all sorts. I myself have been asked where they can buy shoes at 10pm on a Sunday.

As regards cleaning products shop around, my mum likes flash for her guest house as it has a distinctive smell which has two advantages one it has a pleasant smell and two that smell shows the guest that the bathroom has definitely been cleaned. I recommend that you try a few different brands and decide what you like best you will always use them up. I would also recommend for things like this joining a whole saler and buying in bulk as you cannot be running out so have at least 8 bottles of everything in. I also guarantee that you will use a lot more than you ever thought you would. The only thing I would caution you against is using pine I find that it smells a bit clinical and that is the last thing you want.

The same goes for toilet roll they will use far more than you ever thought possible what they do with it all I will never know but buy in bulk and buy at the least middle to high quality as your guests will notice. Also if you buy the cheapest you will usually find that there are less sheets per roll so you will not be any better off in the long run.

Something you will also need if you decide to do your own laundry is a good and reasonable laundrette which seems contrary to my previous advice. However there will be days when there will be all changes and all arrivals sometimes for several days straight and you just need a break. Therefore to have a back up you know you can send at least a few sets to and forget about them is a great relief. The best way to find one is to ask around other owners as they always know the best and cheapest services. You will also need this information should you decide to have throws as they will get all sorts on them, a top choice is take away so you have to be able to get them washed. There is also the important issue of storage. I myself favour the type of duvet cover with the buttons that fasten rather than the popper kind as the poppers tend to melt and you cannot get them fastened again where as you don’t have that problem with buttons.

On the other hand if you are an operation of more than six rooms I would recommend that you use a linen service where they bring you the sheets and things and you send them back when they are done. This dramatically reduces your start up costs as all the linen belongs to the laundry and you pay as you go. I would recommend if you do this you shop around as many services are better or worse than others. Be very strict with them about the quality of linen you require and any that are dirty, not ironed property or have holes in send back or they may just tell you to chuck them away. This can be quite a common occurrence as they use extra strong bleach and cleaning products destroy fabrics quickly so they are used to a high turnover. You do pay more for this service so the economics are something to consider but it does free you up for other tasks such as marketing that you may consider more important.

As regards making beds you have two main choices to make, one to do all your laundry yourself or to send out. If you intend to do it all yourself I would recommend at least three sets of sheets per bed. If you can manage it I would buy all white with a high thread count. This is because if you were really up against it you can swop sheets and duvets round. For example if you had serviced your least attractive room and then a walk in came you could quickly swop the duvets over and get the room ready quicker. Also white has the advantage of always looking clean and you can always use bleach for all those miscellaneous stains that I guarantee will turn up. Some guest house owners prefer to have sheets that go with each room which does look nice but you can always have particular throws to brighten up each room and then you only need one.

Some people believe in matching sets for rooms and some people don’t it is entirely up to you. You can opt for identical mugs etc as they are them completely interchangeable or you can have a variety of different ones to give character to your rooms. A top tip is to get them really clean as we all know what coffee does to the bottom of mugs fill them with water and then put in about a dessert spoon of Arial in each and leave as long as you can and it will take off all the brown.

There are certain areas which need attention more than others I would recommend that you buy two sets of glasses and mugs for each room so you can simply switch them over and put the dirty ones in the dishwasher leaving you free for other tasks. It also means that in a situation where people turn up early and want to check in right away it is one less thing to do.

When breakfast is done it is very tempting to slow down but this is where the real work starts. My next piece of advice is to get an answering machine and have it on during breakfast. Some people juggle phone and frying pan but I am not an advocate of it as it is a bit dangerous and you cannot pay full attention to both. Second get your kitchen cleaned as fast as you can because this is when the fun really starts.

If you are doing all of the work yourself or you and your partner are tackling it then there is hopefully a whole house full of beds to make. So get round and do it. Most people I have spoken to find a system to follow the most helpful. At least to start make a list for each room what needs doing you will remember after a while and it is always useful for as a training aid should you be able to take on a cleaner when you get established.

It is also important to know your margins on accommodation for example if you pay a cleaner £6.00 per hour and it takes them half an hour to clean a room, plus £1.00 worth of cleaning products and cost of shampoo and shower gel etc it will cost you about £10.00 per room before you make a profit on that room. Therefore make sure you know your costs.

I also find that a lot of people are a bit vague as to even if they are making a profit you have to keep on top of how much you are paying out in bills and how much you have coming in. This is also vital for those of you who are in seasonal areas as you have to be aware that certain months will be lean and you will have to have money saved ready as the gas must still be paid for.

Another point to remember is quality of breakfast produce. Make sure that you taste everything you serve prior to making it onto guests tables. I don’t mean sample their breakfasts but make sure you cook a full breakfast for yourself and then eat it. Guests will expect fresh orange juice, good quality sausages, fresh bread both white and brown, bacon of a reasonable quality, beans and a variety of eggs. Sausages are an area where people are tempted to go very cheap and think the customer won’t notice this is a false economy they won’t say anything but they won’t come again. A lot of people struggle with costings but if you intend on doing room only or breakfast you have to know how much it is costing you to make it. Ie if there are 12 rashers of bacon in a pack and it costs a pound then it is 8.3p per rasher and so on plus oil. It is also important to remember that if they only have a rasher and an egg then it is saving you money. What you can do if you are trying something new is to try it on a few guests and say you are trying it out what do they think? People love to be consulted and have their opinion valued so feel free to experiment. I.e. We are thinking of changing sausages what do you think of this one as opposed to the old one?