Would You Recommend I Go Into Competition With You?

[Arks]

Just got a message through Air from someone who has 7 acres near my town and was just asking how business is and whether it would be worth their while to open an Air accommodation on their property, asking how demand is, here, for something like that.

I answered honestly, saying business really dropped off when COVID hit, and I don't know if it will ever return to normal, but that I have too much money invested in it to give up now!

 

[gillumhouse]

UGH! To explain, they call you to ask about opening something to cut into your business. IF It was a real ( - licenses, inspected, insured) I would help without thinking about it but AIR? No.

 

[GoodScout]

I have found the obliviousness of amateur innkeepers astounding. They'll ask me for business advice. They'll ask if there's any properties in the area I'd recommend. They constantly (and insultingly) act like they're in the same business that I'm in. ("Hey, we're innkeepers just like you! We own an AirBnB!") They will tell their guests to come to my place if they want breakfast. (We don't take outsiders). In fact, we opened a day spa that does take outside guests just to glom some cash from all these people staying with the amateurs.

The AirBnB model has one thing going for it: Up until now, you'd didn't have to be any good at business to make money - the economic advantages of not having to pay for health inspections, licensing, fire inspections, adhering to code, process credit cards, pay taxes, all gave them enough of an advantage that you could be a moron and still hang right there with professional innkeepers.

Well, customers have tired of it. The #AirBnBust is very real, and I for one am enjoying the schadenfreude. When I read of one man in Arizona losing his shirt because the 75(!) houses he leveraged and bought didn't rent for the Super Bowl and he may lose it all, I make a special cocktail and raised a glass.

They cheated the system and hurt professional innkeepers. Karma has racked up quite a bill, and it's coming due.

 

[Generic]

I haven't had anyone with the audacity to ask me. I would like to tell them that the average burn-out for AirBnB is less than 6 months. That's why they are always looking for new properties. And of course, their business will end on the day that AirBnB decides, because they control the listing. It's like living under the sword of Damocles. Am I assuming too much in expecting to know who Damocles is?

 

[GoodScout]

I haven't had anyone with the audacity to ask me. I would like to tell them that the average burn-out for AirBnB is less than 6 months. That's why they are always looking for new properties. And of course, their business will end on the day that AirBnB decides, because they control the listing. It's like living under the sword of Damocles. Am I assuming too much in expecting to know who Damocles is?

From Innspiring members? No.
From AirBnNoB owners? Their greek God is Koalemos. (super-obscure).

 

[Arks]

After I responded that business has not fully come back from the pandemic, she wrote this to me:

Do you rent it out enough to cover costs? I've been told by several people that there are not enough airb&bs and when they need one there is no availability. Normally, is there enough tourism in town?

I did not comment on the idiotic question about covering costs, but did tell her that there's almost no tourism here, that most of our business comes from funerals, reunions, weddings, etc., and that's mostly seasonal (nobody has reunions in the winter, for instance.)

I mentioned that it's maybe twice/year that there's no availability in town, and if we put in enough lodging to cover those rare times, most rooms would sit empty 95% of the year.

So clueless. I should have encouraged her to go for it and learn things the hard way, like I always do it!

 

[GoodScout]

I prefer your choices.
She foolishly asked a competitor for information. She didn't specify that it had to be accurate information.

 

[JimBoone]

I mentioned that it's maybe twice/year that there's no availability in town, and if we put in enough lodging to cover those rare times, most rooms would sit empty 95% of the year.

Folks visit at peak times and conclude that an area needs more rooms as they never see the slow times.