vouchers for local businesses

[Samster]

I'm just churning ideas but for example a friend of mine has a small cafe near by us and I was thinking of asking her for say to do 5% off for our customers if they show one of our coupons (they do fab home baked cakes fresh every day and other beautiful things) and I am friends with a jewlery shop same thing and various hairdressers and beauty therapy places as a place to start. As regards attractions I know a chap who does outdoor activities and stuff hadn't thought of him but could be a welcome addition as an activity. Was thinking of working with him to put together a package ie stay with me and do rope climing and team building during the day etc. I agree with copperhead and would try to work with places that are owner operated so less likely to have problems with recognising coupons and new staff etc..

I think it's a great idea to try to package with a restaurant near you. We have a B&B here that actually has a restaurant that now serves dinner. If I was the owner, I would offer my guests a package that included a discount to my own restaurant. It is not cheap and right now they don't have many of their guests eating there other then for breakfast, which is included in their stay. Their rooms start at $175/night.
I think that people are looking for value for their $$$, no matter where a place is located. Just my 2 cents....

 

[EmptyNest]

I'm just churning ideas but for example a friend of mine has a small cafe near by us and I was thinking of asking her for say to do 5% off for our customers if they show one of our coupons (they do fab home baked cakes fresh every day and other beautiful things) and I am friends with a jewlery shop same thing and various hairdressers and beauty therapy places as a place to start. As regards attractions I know a chap who does outdoor activities and stuff hadn't thought of him but could be a welcome addition as an activity. Was thinking of working with him to put together a package ie stay with me and do rope climing and team building during the day etc. I agree with copperhead and would try to work with places that are owner operated so less likely to have problems with recognising coupons and new staff etc..

I think it's a great idea to try to package with a restaurant near you. We have a B&B here that actually has a restaurant that now serves dinner. If I was the owner, I would offer my guests a package that included a discount to my own restaurant. It is not cheap and right now they don't have many of their guests eating there other then for breakfast, which is included in their stay. Their rooms start at $175/night.
I think that people are looking for value for their $$$, no matter where a place is located. Just my 2 cents....
.

A family is leasing to buy...and they serve a prix fixe dinner Wed - Sat. They offer it to their guests as well. I don't think they are not charging nearly enough. They get good turnout for dinners..but guess the heads in the beds aren't that great. They have a bad reputation to fix. I hope they can...but I think they are learning quickly that this is not making them what they thought it would. We'll see by this time next year.

 

[Samster]

I'm just churning ideas but for example a friend of mine has a small cafe near by us and I was thinking of asking her for say to do 5% off for our customers if they show one of our coupons (they do fab home baked cakes fresh every day and other beautiful things) and I am friends with a jewlery shop same thing and various hairdressers and beauty therapy places as a place to start. As regards attractions I know a chap who does outdoor activities and stuff hadn't thought of him but could be a welcome addition as an activity. Was thinking of working with him to put together a package ie stay with me and do rope climing and team building during the day etc. I agree with copperhead and would try to work with places that are owner operated so less likely to have problems with recognising coupons and new staff etc..

I think it's a great idea to try to package with a restaurant near you. We have a B&B here that actually has a restaurant that now serves dinner. If I was the owner, I would offer my guests a package that included a discount to my own restaurant. It is not cheap and right now they don't have many of their guests eating there other then for breakfast, which is included in their stay. Their rooms start at $175/night.
I think that people are looking for value for their $$$, no matter where a place is located. Just my 2 cents....
.

A family is leasing to buy...and they serve a prix fixe dinner Wed - Sat. They offer it to their guests as well. I don't think they are not charging nearly enough. They get good turnout for dinners..but guess the heads in the beds aren't that great. They have a bad reputation to fix. I hope they can...but I think they are learning quickly that this is not making them what they thought it would. We'll see by this time next year.
.

The place here has work to do to mend the B&B part of their business as well. Soon, they will be the only B&B left here. They should have a lot more business than they do, but are not very organized with the B&B and are lacking in the service department for the price of their rooms. It continually shows up in their reviews. They've been in business for quite awhile and have staff. I don't understand why they don't get this essential element of the business. It's sad, really.....

 

[JBloggs]

On the flip side of the coin I GIVE DISCOUNTS to everyone. Local businesses get a business rate here. So perhaps I am not being true to my own statements.

But then I have this thing about people being so chintzy and it really irritates me, how much does it cost to put ONE MORE EGG into the breakfast, or a little more potatoes to the plate...not much.

 

[domsmom]

On the flip side of the coin I GIVE DISCOUNTS to everyone. Local businesses get a business rate here. So perhaps I am not being true to my own statements.

But then I have this thing about people being so chintzy and it really irritates me, how much does it cost to put ONE MORE EGG into the breakfast, or a little more potatoes to the plate...not much..

It does not cost much more to add a little extra. The cost becomes waste when the guest/customer does not eat it and it goes in the trash. A 2 egg omellette, may be just the right size, a 3 egg omellette, more than the appetite. You can always offer another.

 

[Country Girl]

I have found that word of mouth is the best recommendation. We don't do coupons but we do recommend certain businesses and they recommend us. It's a very tasteful reciprocity.

 

[Blenderboy]

Sounds like Coupon is not the right "word" but a local business newsletter that carry your B&B signature product.
Say :
a restaurant with "Your B&B" chicken piccata.
Winery with "Your B&B" label
Fresh ice cream parlor with "Your B&B" flavor
That might provide some value to your guests and create a relationship with local businesses

 

[hawley]

I already give discounts for multi nights or weekly for all my guests. The only other thing I do is the Kansas City Public Television contacted me about being on their card. No cost to me unless someone uses it. It is a bogo offer for people at certain levels get the card from the KCPT for the level of support. This year, NPTV (Nebraska Public TV) which is also a bogo. When they check in, show the card and you mark it off the card so it can be only used once the way it is designed for the B&B's and restaurants. But I have opted to not mark it off the card and let people use it more than once if they want to come back. I am a big supporter of public TV and it only costs me the meals and heating or ac for the second free day. Good word of mouth advertising for me.

 

[egoodell]

Sounds like Coupon is not the right "word" but a local business newsletter that carry your B&B signature product.
Say :
a restaurant with "Your B&B" chicken piccata.
Winery with "Your B&B" label
Fresh ice cream parlor with "Your B&B" flavor
That might provide some value to your guests and create a relationship with local businesses.

Sounds like Coupon is not the right "word" but a local business newsletter that carry your B&B signature product.
Say :
a restaurant with "Your B&B" chicken piccata.
Winery with "Your B&B" label
Fresh ice cream parlor with "Your B&B" flavor
That might provide some value to your guests and create a relationship with local businesses

I believe that to have your B&B label on a local winery's wine would require committing to a number of cases which may be costly - something a larger inn could afford. All wine lablel have to be run by the feds in DC for approval. Not a fun thing. It's easy to do out of California with wineries that put out huge amounts of cheap wine though. But nothing I would probably serve with my business name on it.
Riki