Hi!
I am in the (very) early stages of opening a Bed & Breakfast slash niche wedding venue (geared toward micro weddings ~under 50 guests). A little background on myself, I've worked in event planning/PR in NYC for 12 years, and while it would be a departure from the 9-5, I do have the skill set/passion to make this happen and my husband would help manage the business end.
We would want to purchase a historic Victorian home, and renovate it for the venue (we would be extremely mindful of the integrity/history/charm of the home). TBD if it would function as a bed and breakfast outside of weddings or if the guest rooms would only be for the events.
We will spend the next few years doing research, building a business plan, etc. but I don't foresee any major headway on this happening for the next 2-3 years, however, what would be the next steps when we're ready to move forward? Here are some questions that I have:
Thank you!
I am in the (very) early stages of opening a Bed & Breakfast slash niche wedding venue (geared toward micro weddings ~under 50 guests). A little background on myself, I've worked in event planning/PR in NYC for 12 years, and while it would be a departure from the 9-5, I do have the skill set/passion to make this happen and my husband would help manage the business end.
We would want to purchase a historic Victorian home, and renovate it for the venue (we would be extremely mindful of the integrity/history/charm of the home). TBD if it would function as a bed and breakfast outside of weddings or if the guest rooms would only be for the events.
We will spend the next few years doing research, building a business plan, etc. but I don't foresee any major headway on this happening for the next 2-3 years, however, what would be the next steps when we're ready to move forward? Here are some questions that I have:
- What would come first if we were to purchase the home (not already a B&B): purchasing the home or making sure that it would be possible to get it either zoned commercial/approved to host events/etc.?? We'll be looking at real estate in a certain areas, but wouldn't know the specific town laws until we know where the home will be and we certainly would not purchase a home first without confirming that the business would be possible. Wondering how that timeline would sync up...would hate for another seller to come along on our dream location while we wait for a town's decision!
- Must the home already be zoned commercial prior to buying it? If not, is that a difficult process?
- Would it be easier to purchase an already established bed and breakfast vs. a home that we would then turn into one?
- Is it a challenge to get approval/permits/licensing to establish a venue with a newly formed B&B?
- How easy it for a bed and breakfast to receive permits/licenses to host small weddings?
Thank you!