Lengthy wordy comments from JB:
This is perfect timing as yesterday I was out with the plants and thinking, everything is supposed to be great at a B&B. The lawns manicured, the plants, the rooms, the food, the reservation process, the welcome, the sheets, the atmosphere, the amenities, the parking, the restaurants, the restaurant lists, the wifi, the marketing, the cleanliness, the towels, the website, the stuff to do pages, the beds, the check out process, the lack of dust, the light, the room darkening shades, etc etc.
I thought about how many of us can easily go over the edge as we are expected to be perfect in all areas 100% of the time. Another thread that I didn't want to bring up the "Semiannual innkeeper meltdown" as we used to call it, wherein you have strangers in your home, day in and day out, each one expecting to be treated as VIP's and special and the only guests. Some of you without a day off for weeks, and others for months.
We live under a microscope and have to still smile and tell everyone how wonderful this business is, how wonderful the guests are as we clean up vomit, urine and other. As we do laundry day in and day out - hours and hours every day without a break, turning our own underwear inside out.
Do the guests notice everything? No. But there are enough of them to each notice something, so we over achievers keep pressing on at all costs.
I am sharing all of this to say, please take days off, please take care of yourselves first. The most important things in your lives may be right there beside you. Stuff the Trip Advisor snide comments. They will come, we can guarantee if you are busting your back and sacrificing family, couple and alone time for the business, you will resent it and the guests and it will show.
Take care of you.
I don't claim to have a green thumb, I don't even like gardening, nor do I sew. I love photography, I love writing, I love hiking, I love kayaking, I love inspiration, I love interesting people. Run your business, don't let your business run you..
