Open Your Own Bed & Breakfast, 4th Edition

Rating:
Summary: Wanna make a living with a B&B - this book is not for you
Review: Author gives good advice on what to expect in the process of starting a B&B .

Rating:
Summary: Excellent source for the person considering opening a B&B
Review: Author gives good advice on what to expect in the process of starting a B&B .

Rating:
Summary: Excellent advice before you start
Review: If you are interested in running a B&B or are investigating the possibilities of converting your home into one (or buying a property, etc.), I would recommend this book - its value is in its witty, human, and occasionally quite cynical look at the trials and tribulations of having guests in your home. They are the object of your business, they pay your bills, they are your customers, and they can be vermin!

Barbara Notarius begins her description of 'our Dream House' with, "when my ex-husband and I bought our house". Does running a B&B propel you towards the divorce courts? The answer is ... possibly. Running a B&B is very demanding psychologically, emotionally, and physically. It can also impart a major financial strain as you try to ready your home to pass inspection by fire officers, environmental health officers, tourist board representatives, the bank manager, etc., etc.

Notarius & Brewer explore how to start a B&B business. The point they get across is that you must start by seeing it as a business. It's not just a way to earn some pin money - you are handing over your house to strangers who will be unforgiving about the quality of service you provide. This is a business, you are providing a service, and your own home is part of the product you are selling! It's a business, first and foremost.

Notarius & Brewer provide a well-paced, highly readable, very human but very professional introduction to the challenge of opening a B&B. They provide much practical information which applies equally inside and outside the USA - checklists, how-to advice, ideas, marketing advice, and a perspective on the human interaction which will take place within the walls of your business.

They are, indeed, particularly good on customer relations and marketing. Relate your product to the area in which you live! Who comes here? What are they looking for? Tie your business into the needs of walkers, or surfers, or climbers, or sales reps, or whatever. Your customers are your business - you want them to come back, you want them to recommend you to their friends ... and you'd love to be in a position to choose which ones you allow back through your front door.

Excellent advice, but you will need to supplement it with specific local information from your Tourist Board, Council, etc. If you're wanting to start in the B&B business, read as widely on the subject as you can (do a search on Amazon), absorb the business aspect as thoroughly as you can, but do look at Notarius & Brewer for their human understanding.


Rating:
Summary: A good starter-kit for those who are interested
Review: Ignore the crabby reviews of this book. I really doubt such people ought to go into a public-contact home-based business!

My copy arrived from a thrift store, the original (1987) edition; I bought it mostly out of curiosity. I consult for entrepreneurs, & Barbara Notarius has come up with a book that manages to be brief yet thorough. As it was written almost 20 years ago, I am pleasantly surprised how useful it could be in answering the questions of someone who hasn't made the leap but is giving it serious thought.

Sure, it's not a turnkey guide!! You still have to enjoy people, especially strangers; you still have to have some grain of business sense (or be ready to hire someone who does); you still have to have a nice residence with some reason for guests to come looking for you; you still ought to retain an attorney to go over all the local licensing, inspection, & tax considerations.

This book is something you can read in a few evenings. It walks you through serious considerations, everything from your emotional temperament & your cleaning habits, to how well you know your own community & what you should make for breakfast -- I'll probably never have a B&B or inn, but I've swiped some of the recipes.

Of course, you ought to get the newest edition you can (it's up to its 4th) if your dead-set on opening a B&B in the near future. But if you find an older copy for a few pennies, it's a very good way to start examining everything from your furnishings to your motivations before you put too much effort or cash into something you aren't suited for.

Rating:
Summary: Wanna make a living with a B&B - this book is not for you
Review: We are looking to open a B&B that will support our family. This does not fit the author's defintion of a B&B, and this book is definitely geared toward a smaller operation. If you are looking to open a few rooms in your home to earn some extra income, this book would probably be useful.