WARNING this Inn the news will get your blood pressure going...WARNING 10.03.08

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Bed and Breakfast, one of the Easier Home-Based Businesses
Emailwire - USA
It is possible that you are suited for a career as a professional innkeeper -- there are thousands of home-based bed and breakfast inn (EMAILWIRE. ...
If this press release is from this author, I would sure like to invite her to the forum. I have seen her book on amazon ads to the right on this page. Completely leading aspiring innkeepers and the public ASTRAY. TOTALLY OFF THE MARK.
Excerpt: If you have an extra bedroom, a large home, or extra space in your farm house, you have the necessary beginnings to start making extra income as a Bed and Breakfast. One of the beautiful aspects of this idea is that so long as you're hosting "overnight visitors" on a small scale few to no licenses will be required, depending on the city, the county and the state regulations. A quick phone call to your local authorities will give you a good idea of the legal requirements.
What about the health dept? What about state taxes? What about...oh brother I don't think I can bear this thread today...JBJ

 

[hawley]

Consider the source.

 

[Morticia]

The best bet is to log onto Amazon and post a review of the book.

 

[gillumhouse]

IF it is a start-up AND the legals have been totally checked (I do not agree with the "wave-off" of rules and regs as a minor problem - we ALL know that is false) I do agree it is the easiest and least expensive home-based business to start provided you do not mind working your butt off - sorry to say mine (butt) is still there as wide as ever. This is IF you already own a nice house and the prevailing laws permit it.
Most of what she said was hogwash. Was she ever an innkeeper? What she seems to overlook in her commentary is that although it is commute free for the innkeeper with rising gas prices - those coming as guests will be the ones PAYING those gas prices to come pay the innkeeper. This in addition of course to making it sound as if there is not a lot of work to be done in addition to the cooking you love to do.

 

[Morticia]

I did notice she has 5 star reviews from other innkeepers saying every innkeeper should own this book. No one touches on the regs part but they do commend the SEO section. Could be none of them thought of any of that or it really was a good section. Maybe the library has it and I can take a look...

 

[Copperhead]

The article has both a phone # and "email me" link to the author. I Googled the author and found her site. She is a staff writer for Bed and Breakfast America Magazine and has a link to at least some of her articles in this as well as other publications.
These types of articles only entice people to work around the systems set in place and can and will cause harm to the industry in the long run. Over the past few years I have uncovered several of these - I call "fly by night B&Bs" around here. I did see in her article where she encourages them to go to their local autorities for laws and guidelines but the way the article is written really places the reader in a different direction. Not only do they do harm to the industry they really are placing themselves at risk. If someone is hurt on their property and files a claim / lawsuit, their insurance will NOT pay and they are at risk of loosing everything they own.
Speaking of these fly by nights.. got a call 2 days ago "hi I am trying to find out if ABC B&B is still open, they didn't answer their phone." My first thought was to respond that I was not their answering service but then had never heard of the name. After a couple of questions I determined that they were a fly by night so told the caller "never heard of them but since I know all of the legit B&B's in the area, they most likely are not!"

 

[Morticia]

The article has both a phone # and "email me" link to the author. I Googled the author and found her site. She is a staff writer for Bed and Breakfast America Magazine and has a link to at least some of her articles in this as well as other publications.
These types of articles only entice people to work around the systems set in place and can and will cause harm to the industry in the long run. Over the past few years I have uncovered several of these - I call "fly by night B&Bs" around here. I did see in her article where she encourages them to go to their local autorities for laws and guidelines but the way the article is written really places the reader in a different direction. Not only do they do harm to the industry they really are placing themselves at risk. If someone is hurt on their property and files a claim / lawsuit, their insurance will NOT pay and they are at risk of loosing everything they own.
Speaking of these fly by nights.. got a call 2 days ago "hi I am trying to find out if ABC B&B is still open, they didn't answer their phone." My first thought was to respond that I was not their answering service but then had never heard of the name. After a couple of questions I determined that they were a fly by night so told the caller "never heard of them but since I know all of the legit B&B's in the area, they most likely are not!".

I got a call the other day asking me where another B&B was located? The caller had been referred to the other place but didn't know where it was. Hmmm. Why not call THEM instead of ME to find out where THEY are located? She didn't say they didn't answer, she just wanted toknow where they were. I've also gotten the 'is such and such still open they don't answer their phone' calls. When I say they are, they ask if I will go knock on the door and find out why they don't pick up the phone.
I tell them to leave a message. Or, if they need to book NOW, I have rooms open.

 

[sandynn]

This did make my blood pressure go up. You were so right.

This gives the idea to people that have nevered stayed that we are probably mom and pop places. I never want to be seen as a mom and pop. We need to be seen as professionals. This is what our assosciation is striving for.
A few people already think we well make them sit and talk to us and we sleep in the room next door. This is crazy. This kind of thinking is what we need to dispell. I am finding that travelers are becoming much more savy and only a few really think this now. Thank goodness!!!!

 

[EmptyNest]

This came out of the emailwire thing which Iowa was putting out those releases. She is from Iowa as well...so maybe the association had something to do with this??? I sure hope not though:-(