Inn Tuneups - Cost? Benefits?

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GoodScout

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Has anyone engaged a consultant such as B&B Team or others for a tune-up?
We'd like to get a fresh set of eyes on our place, especially our books, to give us some suggestions on how we might be able to get more dollars flowing to the bottom line. We're worried the cost may be prohibitive, or the benefits too small.
Most people never consult these people until they're ready to sell. We're at least a decade from that point, but we'd like to be well ahead of the game, and generate even more profits now.
Anyone with any experiences in this area you'd like to share?
 
We like this lady - http://creatingbookings.com/ - not pushy and not stupid price either, does a lot of business coaching. There is also http://bedandbreakfastcoach.com/ - however I don't like her style as much but that's a personal thing, definately gets results
 
ALso http://www.bandbcoach.com/ for a US perspective - its a good time to look at these things if you have a quetier time this winter coming up. Susan is super nice as well
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
.
That sounds like the most practical plan and more fun too.
I'm reminded of the consultants that provided such a service where I once worked, for a tidy sum of around 25 thousand they interviewed all the employees and wrote a fancy report of what we already knew, of course there was funding for consultants, but not for following the reccommended suggestions.
I love the idea of new eyes to look a things, but I think it would be difficult to find eyes better than those here on the forum.
 
Also I would say they don't really do much you can't do yourself
(1) go through the books, can you see any savings? energy suppliers? wi-fi, broadband, cable, card processing, is anything coming up for renewal you could try and get a better deal on? it can be very easy to just carry on with the same but can be worth a change.
I was working it out the other day if we put £1 on every booking it would be the best part of 2 mortgage payments and that's not much of a jump - or could you save 20 cents on every breakfast ? we got a good deal on cooking oil while on special and stocked up was £2.50 is now £3.99 - saved us about £40 on that one item could things be bought in bulk ? our problem here is storage or was we now have next door but meant we couldn't bulk buy items such as toilet roll so lost out there - but now we can.
We changed from Heinz beans to supermarket organic and saved 20p a can. small changes can really add up over a year.
Making sure we only take 2 nights on a weekend - means saturday is less work so cheaper on wages and we have a bit more life approx £20 a week saved on wages. held out longer for direct bookings on weekends saving £10 per room night booked direct.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
.
Morticia said:
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
thumbs_up.gif

Vicariously, that's what's done here every day.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
.
Yes!
 
As we are part of the national grading scheme we get a "secret squirrel" visit, was every 2 years but now we're 4* gold it's every year.
I find that useful, not just for a critical pair of eyes staying and looking over our business, but also someone to chat with who's so entrenched in the business.
Setting up a B&B coaching business is not a bad idea.
 
As we are part of the national grading scheme we get a "secret squirrel" visit, was every 2 years but now we're 4* gold it's every year.
I find that useful, not just for a critical pair of eyes staying and looking over our business, but also someone to chat with who's so entrenched in the business.
Setting up a B&B coaching business is not a bad idea..
See I never had much patience with AA or VB - all the inspections I dealt with were morons. Told us when we were absolutely desperate for money that we should stop letting our 2 single rooms with private bathrooms as they were too far away from the bedrooms - especially as I had them let at 100% occupancy. No basis in the real world.
 
We have at least one member here who does inspections. I sent you mail.
 
Chiming in to say that I bet you can find some innmates here who can run laps around the so-called experts.
Coming from a purchase perspective they did not provide what we needed, and from those who contact us inquiring, they have the consultants not holding up their end again.
But having said that, they are pushing the sustainable not the lifestyle B&B's, but of course they are, they will make a larger percentage of the sale. Folks comment "We are approved for $1.5-2 mil and would need staff, but we don't want that, we want to be hands on innkeepers, that is why we want to be innkeepers in the first place."
Sharing my experience, hope it helps.
 
I have done a little inn consulting since selling my B&B, and don't have the selling/buying of real estate as part of my innsitting business, so I am not serving two masters. If you're interested, send me an email.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
.
I would love that idea! If any of you are ever in the Nashville, Indiana area please stop in.
 
Not necessarily a tune up, but the new innkeeper in my town hired a marketing group to help find the right niche and get the word out.
Altho I think they cost her too much with marketing ideas that were wrong for the area, she had about 50% more bookings than the previous owner.
I think it's a great idea..
I think sometimes a fresh pair of eyes isn't a bad thing - but someone who actually does know the industry. For example I hate chairs on landings and in hallways - does anyone sit there? no they just get in the way of you struggling past with a massive pile of laundry and the fire brigade isn't keen either as they want a clear route out. just little things that could be tweeked to make things run more smoothly! Like for me it was an outside laundry hamper at a friends place - laundry service can pick up and drop off without you being there, saved me rushing back to be there 2 days a week and from being crushed under huge piles of it in the office - bag is full goes straight out into the hamper so on the tuesday I only have say 3 bags to go out instead of the 20 i had to do all at once.
.
We should all just go visit each other and make suggestions!
.
I would love that idea! If any of you are ever in the Nashville, Indiana area please stop in.
 
My problem is would we be brutal enough, too brutal or too soft? etc?
 
My problem is would we be brutal enough, too brutal or too soft? etc?.
Jcam said:
My problem is would we be brutal enough, too brutal or too soft? etc?
If asked to provide reality checks, we'd be helpfully brutal. It's when someone doesn't want to know what we so assuredly want to tell them that the problems arise. ;-)
 
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