Need a volunteer for an information interview

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
?

..--..___...--..___

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
I am starting a B&B/Boarding House in Hoquiam and am attending school for a degree in Business Managemnet and Accounting. One of my assignments this week is to conduct an informational interview. I have been attempting to get a response since suday with establishments close to here, with no luck. I finally got a live person on the phone with K. from Twin Gables in Washington. She told he about this site and recommend I try here.
My Questions are:
Candidate Name_______ (first name or nickname is fine)
Organization Name__________
Interview Date - 12/16/2015 (I hope)
1. What title do you feel most comfortable with? Both professionally and with guests.
2. What does you typical day entail?
3. Do you hire out for any maintenence? If so what should I expect?
4. What type of technology or education do you find to be the most beneficial?
5. When did you start your bed and breakfast
6. Would you feel comfortable explaining why you started the bed and breakfast?
7. What do you find to be the most satisfying aspect of running a bed and breakfast?
8. If I want to become well known to a focused group of domestic and/or international sector of people, do you have any recommendations?
9. How should I expect the annual ebb and flow of guests to be?
10. Do you have any tidbits or advice for an industry newcomer?
 
I apologize for not being clear. If there is only one or a few questions above you have time to answer, or give an idea for, I would appreciate it.
I really want to thank everyone for your help in this.
 
There is someone (a blog) who interviews innkeepers with much of your desired info, here is the link.
As an FYI we don't take kindly to... (sorry that was my best John Wayne speak) people thinking they can rent out a spare room and call it a B&B, like on AirBnB. If you want to share that info for your interview. And as for the business management side.
B&B's are closing up left and right, and losing their shirts due to non tax paying, un-inspected and un- approved lodging calling themselves a B&B, as in AirBNB. You can call me a hostile witness, but YOU TOO may find after all you put into this whole dream that someone comes along and rents out spare rooms and it costs you your livelihood, and whole lot more. Just some food for thought, for you to pass on to the instructor. :)
 
JoeyBloggs said:
There is someone (a blog) who interviews innkeepers with much of your desired info, here is the link.
As an FYI we don't take kindly to... (sorry that was my best John Wayne speak) people thinking they can rent out a spare room and call it a B&B, like on AirBnB. If you want to share that info for your interview. And as for the business management side.
B&B's are closing up left and right, and losing their shirts due to non tax paying, un-inspected and un- approved lodging calling themselves a B&B, as in AirBNB. You can call me a hostile witness, but YOU TOO may find after all you put into this whole dream that someone comes along and rents out spare rooms and it costs you your livelihood, and whole lot more. Just some food for thought, for you to pass on to the instructor. :).
Click to expand...
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
 
GHNana said:
JoeyBloggs said:
There is someone (a blog) who interviews innkeepers with much of your desired info, here is the link.
As an FYI we don't take kindly to... (sorry that was my best John Wayne speak) people thinking they can rent out a spare room and call it a B&B, like on AirBnB. If you want to share that info for your interview. And as for the business management side.
B&B's are closing up left and right, and losing their shirts due to non tax paying, un-inspected and un- approved lodging calling themselves a B&B, as in AirBNB. You can call me a hostile witness, but YOU TOO may find after all you put into this whole dream that someone comes along and rents out spare rooms and it costs you your livelihood, and whole lot more. Just some food for thought, for you to pass on to the instructor. :).
Click to expand...
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
.
Click to expand...
GHNana said:
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
Click to expand...
The state gets the sales tax but if you're a legit B&B you also have to comply with state, local and federal regulations which the air host does not.
I could rent out 7 rooms in my house with absolutely no oversight at all. I don't even have to claim income if I think I can get away with it. But once I say I'm a business, every town department and the state have the rule books open and hands out for license fees. Plus the state inspector stops by, the AAA lady comes in to look around, the Mobil guide people stop in, etc.
Rules mean I have to have a $25,000 sprinkler system installed that gets inspected every year and I pay for the inspection. With a well water samples are required. And I pay for that. I'm required to have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and all of those get inspected and i pay for that. The air host does none of this.
I guess the point is - don't become a legit business - it costs too much!
 
GHNana said:
JoeyBloggs said:
There is someone (a blog) who interviews innkeepers with much of your desired info, here is the link.
As an FYI we don't take kindly to... (sorry that was my best John Wayne speak) people thinking they can rent out a spare room and call it a B&B, like on AirBnB. If you want to share that info for your interview. And as for the business management side.
B&B's are closing up left and right, and losing their shirts due to non tax paying, un-inspected and un- approved lodging calling themselves a B&B, as in AirBNB. You can call me a hostile witness, but YOU TOO may find after all you put into this whole dream that someone comes along and rents out spare rooms and it costs you your livelihood, and whole lot more. Just some food for thought, for you to pass on to the instructor. :).
Click to expand...
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
.
Click to expand...
And whoopty-doo in Washington. In New York City the asinine politicians in their rush to close down Airb, enacted legislation that literally, not figuratively, shut down all the legal B & Bs in the City. People who had jumped through the hoops, paid the fees for license, inspections, insurance, etc, were suddenly out of business due to the new law for short term rental.
THAT is why I do not like Air. I did sign on for a while thinking of it a another directory, but when they sent me e-mails - you could get more business if your rates were $79. So I looked at what was in my area - and now I know why my business was down this year. There are a lot of places that are NOT paying the taxes, insurance, and getting the inspections and licensing in my area because with the rates they are posting - they cannot be. I know what insurance costs and how hard it is to get if you are a legit B & B. You touched a raw nerve with Air.
 
Morticia said:
GHNana said:
JoeyBloggs said:
There is someone (a blog) who interviews innkeepers with much of your desired info, here is the link.
As an FYI we don't take kindly to... (sorry that was my best John Wayne speak) people thinking they can rent out a spare room and call it a B&B, like on AirBnB. If you want to share that info for your interview. And as for the business management side.
B&B's are closing up left and right, and losing their shirts due to non tax paying, un-inspected and un- approved lodging calling themselves a B&B, as in AirBNB. You can call me a hostile witness, but YOU TOO may find after all you put into this whole dream that someone comes along and rents out spare rooms and it costs you your livelihood, and whole lot more. Just some food for thought, for you to pass on to the instructor. :).
Click to expand...
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
.
Click to expand...
GHNana said:
I understand your concerm, AIRBNB does take taxes from guests in the State off Washington.
Click to expand...
The state gets the sales tax but if you're a legit B&B you also have to comply with state, local and federal regulations which the air host does not.
I could rent out 7 rooms in my house with absolutely no oversight at all. I don't even have to claim income if I think I can get away with it. But once I say I'm a business, every town department and the state have the rule books open and hands out for license fees. Plus the state inspector stops by, the AAA lady comes in to look around, the Mobil guide people stop in, etc.
Rules mean I have to have a $25,000 sprinkler system installed that gets inspected every year and I pay for the inspection. With a well water samples are required. And I pay for that. I'm required to have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and all of those get inspected and i pay for that. The air host does none of this.
I guess the point is - don't become a legit business - it costs too much!
.
Click to expand...
I agree wholeheartedly that Air and others (HomeAway/VRBO, FlipKey, etc...) tend to encourage scofflaws and the ignorant, intentionally or not. These sites do give (scant) lip service to compliance issues, but they could be much more proactive in ensuring that those who are listing properties on the sites are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and/or they could be much more cooperative with authorities trying to enforce the laws and regs. At the same time, these sites are quick to enforce their own terms of service and create barriers against users circumventing their systems (i.e. to avoid having to pay commission or service fees). Rather hypocritical!
 
I suggest you take an aspiring innkeeper course, or volunteer at a B & B. Or just start reading all of the threads here. All of these questions have been answered at one time or another. good luck,.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top