Hi all!
We're a couple who has run a B&B for 2 years now - we currently have 4 rooms, but will get 5 rooms shortly. In the off-season, we get maybe 40-60% full, while in the in-season, we tend to be 99% full - for example, this week we are fully booked apart from 1 room on one day.
My wife is the main person at the B&B - she does the daily tasks, while I support her as needed, and do the DIY/repairs/finance/bookings. I also have a part-time job working 3 days a week. We have someone in every day to help us clean the B&B for 4 hours. As my wife is heavily pregnant - nearly 7 months, we have asked the cleaners to help us with breakfast as well. We do the washing, but we outsource the ironing. We find the work quite overwhelming, starting at 8am, and finishing at 9pm, while I stay up until 10-11 doing the paperwork & waiting for late guests (Would love to be able to turn away guests who check in after our last check-in time, but customer service eh!). We both rarely have time together and rarely go out. We've now closed the B&B for one day in the week to try and reduce the workload a little. However I'm worried with the upcoming baby, things will get hellish. We've mooted ideas such as getting someone in 4pm to 10pm to do paperwork, welcome guests, ensure the cleaner has done their jobs etc, so we can get the occasional weekend away together. We'd like to try and avoid this idea and am hoping you experienced people would have some wisdom to share to us.
So my questions are:
1) How do we ensure we get some personal time together? We can't simply go out at nights because we have to welcome guests.
2) How can we manage both the B&B when the baby comes? We have some help for breakfasts and cleaning, but nothing after 4pm, especially when I'm away at work.
3) My wife feels "trapped" here which is what I'm worried about.
Some advice would be greatly appreciated!
We're a couple who has run a B&B for 2 years now - we currently have 4 rooms, but will get 5 rooms shortly. In the off-season, we get maybe 40-60% full, while in the in-season, we tend to be 99% full - for example, this week we are fully booked apart from 1 room on one day.
My wife is the main person at the B&B - she does the daily tasks, while I support her as needed, and do the DIY/repairs/finance/bookings. I also have a part-time job working 3 days a week. We have someone in every day to help us clean the B&B for 4 hours. As my wife is heavily pregnant - nearly 7 months, we have asked the cleaners to help us with breakfast as well. We do the washing, but we outsource the ironing. We find the work quite overwhelming, starting at 8am, and finishing at 9pm, while I stay up until 10-11 doing the paperwork & waiting for late guests (Would love to be able to turn away guests who check in after our last check-in time, but customer service eh!). We both rarely have time together and rarely go out. We've now closed the B&B for one day in the week to try and reduce the workload a little. However I'm worried with the upcoming baby, things will get hellish. We've mooted ideas such as getting someone in 4pm to 10pm to do paperwork, welcome guests, ensure the cleaner has done their jobs etc, so we can get the occasional weekend away together. We'd like to try and avoid this idea and am hoping you experienced people would have some wisdom to share to us.
So my questions are:
1) How do we ensure we get some personal time together? We can't simply go out at nights because we have to welcome guests.
2) How can we manage both the B&B when the baby comes? We have some help for breakfasts and cleaning, but nothing after 4pm, especially when I'm away at work.
3) My wife feels "trapped" here which is what I'm worried about.
Some advice would be greatly appreciated!