My guests from Saturday (1 night) asked for ALL my Covered Bridge tour routes as they were leaving. I will probably "forget" to send them. They were descendants of the log house and I took them there (spent an hour there) and I do believe that is enough for a one night stay. I look at that as proprietary information. They can always look at a map and do it - mine is turn-by-turn, using my paper and my ink but even if I e-mail it, it was done on MY time and gas..
Imagine all the knowledge that I have on restaurants in this city. I can name hundreds and know which ones suit people and which ones don't. I can name stores, neighbourhoods and even give them a list of places to go. I'm not giving that away.... I'm not even blogging about it, because that would give away the proprietary information that is in my head.
Just to give an idea, the restaurant with the best world ranking isn't even in the top 50 on TA. And restaurant 3 on their list is a restaurant that is more about the show than about the food. But how are you going to learn that from TA? Number 27 on the list... a restaurant for people who think we are Paris from the 1950s. Number 54 makes a variation on a local dish that is so filling, the last guests we sent there ordered a sandwich, couldn't eat it and brought it back to give to us to say thanks.
And when people go to see the number 1 attraction in the city, I send them across the street to peek in at number 139 which most people just walk right by, because how often do you get to see a 168 year old building based on a building in Scotland that still functioning in it's original purpose.
It's what is in our heads that people pay for... we need to remember that's part of the proprietary nature of what we sell.
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All very true. That is why I had no interest in relocating when several people here wanted me to buy their inn. I know eastern PA - why would I relocate and lose many years of knowledge and contacts?
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undersea said:
All very true. That is why I had no interest in relocating when several people here wanted me to buy their inn. I know eastern PA - why would I relocate and lose many years of knowledge and contacts?
We thought the same thing. Then we found a place 275 miles and 3 states away and we were up and running 2 days after the closing without even knowing where the grocery store was. It can be done. It's very stressful, but it can be done. And now, 10 years later, guests ask if I'm from here because I know a fair amount about the area. (I do not SOUND like I'm from here, but not everyone is good at accents.)
We figured if we stayed in the state we'd lived in for 25 years we'd be that much further ahead in knowledge of the area. Our kids grew up there, we went on all the field trips, we KNEW the touristy stuff. But, looking at the touristy stuff from the hospitality side was an eye opener. (And it still is. Looking at the websites of some of the properties we looked at TWELVE years ago they are still charging the same rates. Ouch.)
What you want to find is a place where the other properties are doing well and are welcoming to other new innkeepers. Kind of like us here on the forum. ;-) If you can find a community like that near where you want to be you'll be golden.
Not to say you shouldn't stick with a place you know, because it's a lot easier that way especially when you want to do more than the B&B part. You've got all your licensing in your home state, your other businesses, etc. There are some folks on here in your state who do very nicely for themselves. But your area, if you're saying the Poconos is where you are looking, is a tough area. It's known far and wide as a 'cheap & cheesy' 'romantic' getaway. You've got a lot of bad publicity to get over. But a HUGE market is within a short drive to there so keep looking.
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