on our way (an introduction)

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chinaruralinn

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Sep 20, 2011
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Just wanted to post an introduction as I've been lurking and even joined but haven't yet posted... I'm just soaking up all there is to learn that's already posted.
My husband and I are planning to open an Inn in the next year or two. We live in a rural, mountainous area of China where "ecotourism" is a growing business and we've been researching various ideas and are settled on this one (an inn with perhaps 12 rooms -- we would hire staff to help with room cleaning, grounds, and food preparation). We have one daughter (18 months old).
We travel frequently around China and stay in all sorts of accommodations, but when we lived in the U.S. we frequently stayed in bed & breakfasts and would like our inn to be more of a Bed and Breakfast in its personality (friendly staff, us as innkeepers living on site, unique rooms, personalized "thinking of the little things" service, breakfast included in room price, none of that "box hotel" feel, etc.). Our plan is on the large size (12 rooms) because it would allow us to host the small-scale trainings, workshops, and conferences we expect to be a large percentage of our income due to our market. We expect other customers to be families who're either expats here or travellers, so we will have children as guests also.
We're currently going through a bed & breakfast business plan, waiting to receive the relevant book we ordered, and composing a market research survey. And reading everything on here! I know our situation is some different than many on here but I have found the majority of what I've already read to be useful or adaptable to be useful and more relevant than general "hotel" information.
So, I don't have questions for you all yet (have found everything I've been looking for by searching existing threads) but know those will come soon, so wanted to send out a “你好” (nihao if the characters don't show up; "Hello!") to let you know who I am.
 
WELCOME!
You are wise to read and study all you can. You are right in that things will be very different there I am sure. I guess you know to check on the govn't rules and regulations first before you do anything. I am assuming you already have the property or not??? And that you have the necessary capital to take on this venture???
Good luck to you.
 
chinaruralinn said:
-- we would hire staff to help with room cleaning, grounds, and food preparation...
I'm guessing labor costs there will be lower than in many parts of the world. That should be a big help in making a success in your efforts. I got to spend 2 weeks in China in the '90s on a college alumni association tour, and the main thing I was impressed with was the hotel laundry service. For what seemed like very low prices, your clothes came back crisp and pressed, pinned to cardboard forms and wrapped in plastic just like new clothes from the department store! Just amazing.
Good luck! What an exciting situation!
 
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How wonderful! This is a forum that is the best in telling you the nitty gritty with the not so nitty gritty and we try to be honest.
 
chinaruralinn said:
-- we would hire staff to help with room cleaning, grounds, and food preparation...
I'm guessing labor costs there will be lower than in many parts of the world. That should be a big help in making a success in your efforts. I got to spend 2 weeks in China in the '90s on a college alumni association tour, and the main thing I was impressed with was the hotel laundry service. For what seemed like very low prices, your clothes came back crisp and pressed, pinned to cardboard forms and wrapped in plastic just like new clothes from the department store! Just amazing.
Good luck! What an exciting situation!.
Arkansawyer said:
chinaruralinn said:
-- we would hire staff to help with room cleaning, grounds, and food preparation...
I'm guessing labor costs there will be lower than in many parts of the world. That should be a big help in making a success in your efforts. I got to spend 2 weeks in China in the '90s on a college alumni association tour, and the main thing I was impressed with was the hotel laundry service. For what seemed like very low prices, your clothes came back crisp and pressed, pinned to cardboard forms and wrapped in plastic just like new clothes from the department store! Just amazing.
Good luck! What an exciting situation!
When I moved from Illinois back to West Virginia, my Illinois money went a long way here BUT WV money would not be a "spit in the bucket" in Illinois. Cost of doing business is relative to the cost of living (and amount of ready cash) wherever you are. MY big advantage here is that my SS is based on my Illinois wages, not WV wages.
 
welcome.gif
to you in the Far East! We're really becoming more and more international on this forum!
Best of luck in your endeavors in China. I imagine that you will have different governmental issues to contend with than most of the members of the forum. Hope we can help you out even a little.
 
WELCOME!
You are wise to read and study all you can. You are right in that things will be very different there I am sure. I guess you know to check on the govn't rules and regulations first before you do anything. I am assuming you already have the property or not??? And that you have the necessary capital to take on this venture???
Good luck to you..
Wow, I woke up to 15 welcomes -- thank you everyone!!
catlady said:
WELCOME!
I guess you know to check on the govn't rules and regulations first before you do anything. I am assuming you already have the property or not??? And that you have the necessary capital to take on this venture???
Yes, my husband (the businessman... I'm the people person
regular_smile.gif
) is in the midst of all the official government stuff.
We do not yet have the property as we need the approval first; we're in the process of gathering the capital as well which is a tad confusing due to being residents of a different country but we're learning and getting there!
Arkansawyer said:
chinaruralinn said:
-- we would hire staff to help with room cleaning, grounds, and food preparation...
I'm guessing labor costs there will be lower than in many parts of the world. That should be a big help in making a success in your efforts. I got to spend 2 weeks in China in the '90s on a college alumni association tour, and the main thing I was impressed with was the hotel laundry service. For what seemed like very low prices, your clothes came back crisp and pressed, pinned to cardboard forms and wrapped in plastic just like new clothes from the department store! Just amazing.
Yes, labor costs are especially low in the rural area where I live. Probably too low, but we have done cost calculations and even with an initially low occupation rate we can afford to give a salary that is both fair and competitive. The main difference is that employers are expected to feed and house staff, but that won't be terribly difficult since we'll be eating and serving all meals there as well, and can have the staff housed onsite just like we will be (probably in dorms, which is the norm).
I love the hotel laundry example you gave -- sounds just like China!!
gillumhouse said:
When I moved from Illinois back to West Virginia, my Illinois money went a long way here BUT WV money would not be a "spit in the bucket" in Illinois. Cost of doing business is relative to the cost of living (and amount of ready cash) wherever you are. MY big advantage here is that my SS is based on my Illinois wages, not WV wages.
It helps us too that our own cost of living is so low. Actually we've been wanting to run a b&b since we were married but it was always a "one day, when we're retired..." dream... only here could that dream come true already!
Thanks again all!
 
I may have said welcome earlier but if not hello! from what I understand China is waking up to the tourist possibilities both internal and external so I think you are going into it at just the right time. fingers crossed for you.
welcome.gif
 
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