Hello Folks,
Thank you for your responses. I will answer each as I am able.
Although I am disabled (please do not be as prejudicial and presumptuous as to think a disabled person is not fit for hard work). Many are not physically able but most that I know have been discouraged by such attitudes of prejudice. I will state that my disability allows me to be a high-functioning, creative, resourceful and practical person; I maintain both my dignity and self discipline.
My Role will be as The Primary Innkeeper. I will develop the SOP, help set the tone of the environment, do the marketing, train housekeepers, cook the breakfast, dinners and some catering when needed. I will be the liaison between the Inn, employees and the owners. My percentage will be enough to keep me motivated and enjoy the work. Later, as per contract, the percentage will increase as the Inn's revenues increase.
The second lady's role is as a Relief Innkeeper, trainer, housekeeper and PT office management.
The third lady is the office manager. She will set up and maintain all office need; reservations, requests and do all the book keeping except the taxes and stand in where needed.. Someone else is already paid to do the accounting.
Each one of us will learn each others jobs so that all bases are covered, no matter what. The other 2 ladies will be on salaries that will meet the need of the Inn for the first year and those said salaries will be re-negotiated every 3 to 6 months, based on increasing or decreasing revenues.
The owner will receive the lions share because they are willing to put up the financing (the building, running costs, inventory labor costs, etc), for the next 3 to 5 years.
I, myself, have a very diverse list of skills. I recently retired from the vocation as an Executive Housekeeper and Manager for estates, ran a rather large B&B alone for 2 years, trained in carpentry, stone work, sous chef and performed post and pre-construction cleaning over the last 20 years. My Vocation as a Professional Domestic spans 44 years. I am married 25 years and until recently, we grew and processed 90% of out own food. LOL So, yes, I am well aware of the hard work of running an Inn and making it profitable.
This said, I am not an arrogant person. I KNOW that I still have a great deal to learn and continue to do so. I seek it out tenaciously and refuse to be dissuaded by negative or malicious advice.
People are often very mean-spirited these days. I let them have that. I have dreams to explore, a wonderful friend/husband and work to do. I am 58 years old (sometimes going on 80 and other times 30). IF I feel angry over someone's comment, I ask myself why first, observe and then craft an answer or response that hopefully brings forth clarification. It usually leads to understanding and always seems to provide me with information I can use.
As a Black woman, I have never had the luxury of people sugar coating anything they say or do when it concerns myself.
So, there you have it.
I appreciate the questions and I will continue to seek out any counsel in the forum that will propel me forward. The rest will vanish in the ether.
My mother says, "Even fools and the hate-filled have kernels of truth hidden within their statements. Put it on their coat for what warmth it will provide you and hand it back."
Thank you for the welcome!
Mama Bea.
She didn't mean it like that - we have had many many people through this forum who were burnt out by the work required to run a B&B - they like many others believed it was flitting about doing a bit of breakfast and then the rest of the time being the gracious host.
My question would be what's the average room rental where you are? and how many rooms? its just I myself am 11 bedrooms and have myself, husband and 1 chamber maid who easily do everything - 3 staff plus paying the owner seems a little staff heavy - but it depends on size and other extras ie could you do weddings etc = which would require extra staff - our biggest expense is our chamber maid despite the fact she has 8 weeks of holiday a year (4 unpaid)!
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I am not sure what she meant but I stated what I meant and what often occurs. None of what was written did I interpret as hateful; I answered honestly and to the point.
As I stated: 3 staff...(.the owners carry the financials and they actually will not be running the place
at all. (The owners will get the lions share of the profit because they put up the capital for ALL of it.) They have 2 other properties they want developed if this one is profitable in 6 months. By that, they mean a 25% profit over what they have made on the house just renting it out as a family home. The previous tenants trashed it so badly it cost them 2 months rent to barely get it clean. That is why they are entertaining the B&b idea.
4 Rooms and a Casita under construction. The services we offer, render the need for what you call a heavy staff. Executives, government reps and corporations demand labor intensive service as do honeymooners, visiting entertainers and bridezillas. LOL.
Wedding staff will be sub-contracted as will catering for over 20 people. We have very talented small businesses here and I want to keep the resources as locally produced as possible.
The average hotel here is 100 to 189 per night. None offer the services we will.
The market study and return letters of interest show that the room rates are attractive to our target markets.
We have one B&B which does not offer high end services but fixes unholy-great breakfasts' and they have a small bakery we will use for specialty breads.
We will also have a Macro Spa for the guests by reservation, using independents in the area and will be booked for locals on other days.
It's a lot of work and we haven't even started spending money. The upside is that the house and land is free and clear as is the other properties.
The numbers will tell the whole story though which then the owners will have to decide if they really want to put up or shush up. They may even decide to use a professional agency specializing in this kind of development (I gave them a list of reputable companies).
Either way, I benefit from the process and the effort I have put into writing out the plan and SOP. I'm excited, amazed, happy, driven, intimidated and tenacious...all at the same time. No one loses; even if the numbers scare the heck out of them.
We have stayed in a lot of B& B's over the years. All of them had different personalities and specialties and we loved every one of them. I can only hope this one (if it manifests) is nearly as wonderful.
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