Monthly Archives: September 2011

Shoestring Marketing

28 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Marketing

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The business world seems to be moving fast-forward at a frenetic pace. Even those on top of their corporate A-game tend to find themselves a step behind from time to time. And therein lies the deviousness of the trade industry. How can one perpetually beat the odds and come out on top?

Starting a bed and breakfast may seem overwhelming for a variety of reasons. For some, it may be the daunting idea that they will be forced into preparing lavish breakfasts several times a week for picky guests. For others, it might be the continual upkeep and renovating of an immaculate accommodation. However, one contributing factor bound to cause some stress (that is all too often entirely overlooked) is marketing. This oft disregarded and forgotten aspect is nonetheless  a crucial one. Keep it in mind when starting up your bed and breakfast. It doesn’t matter how well you can whip up a Quiche Lorraine for breakfast if you don’t have any guests to serve it to.

Somehow, you’ve got to entice people to check out your inn. What will draw them in? What will bring about repeat guests? How is your inn better than the one down the street? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. The dilemma, therein, lies with seeking valid answers.

It’s probably a fair assumption that the vast majority of burgeoning bed and breakfast owners don’t have ample funding to slapdashingly throw down on advertising. So instead, clever, frugal marketing becomes vital.

Even if you have a shoestring budget of say, $100, you can definitely go places in getting your inn recognized. While you don’t have the luxury of shelling out money on expensive ad campaigns, phonebook advertisements, and expensive mailings, you can still market wisely. You’ll have to be smarter and cleverer than the competition, but for the resolute, that’s not really even a problem. While other inns may hide behind their stiff marketing plans, you have the adaptability and capability to make yours specifically your own. That means, however, that you have no choice but to find resourceful, economical, impactful ways of becoming visible and attracting guests.

Your marketing plan should be simple, but efficient.

For starters, you need to identify a target audience. A target audience is a specified group of people at whom you will market your key message—an idea that will reverberate with your audience. Include with this message a simple, powerful hook that should be succinct but memorable. From there, create a piece of marketing collateral that will attract prospects and thereby distinguish you from the competition. Get visible in the market—the old fashioned way. Go out and around. Show up to city council meetings, church gatherings, and community festivities. Introduce yourself to others and, more importantly, associate yourself and your cheerful demeanor with your bed and breakfast. This will stick with those whom you meet. Lastly, become one with the concept of “follow-ups.” Follow-ups are an oft-detested, yet crucial piece of marketing.

Introduce yourself to others and, more importantly, associate yourself and your cheerful demeanor with your bed and breakfast.

It’s normal for people to forget about what you tell them. Many will disregard it (even if they find it interesting) because of hectic schedules. Eventually, if you aren’t willing to follow-up, the work you did in garnering attention to your inn will be put on the back burner of most people’s minds. Your job is to bring it to the front. Follow up calls, cards, and emails can go a long way in victorious marketing.

Go Ahead…Judge This Book by Its Cover

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in Operations

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Even though most of us are taught from a young age not to “judge a book by its cover,” the unfortunate fact of the matter is that we do. We make rash assumptions about not only books, but people, situations, and locations simply by their outward appearances. Especially in the hospitality industry, one that focuses so intensely on looks there is an intrinsic value in ensuring that outward manifestation of your bed and breakfast matches the comfortable ambience within.

It’s quite obvious that nobody intends on driving up to a bed and breakfast anticipating a relaxing weekend getaway and instead being met with a yellowing lawn, cracked driveway overrun with weeds, and doorstep littered with debris and dead leaves. Grounds keeping is an absolutely essential facet of a successful bed and breakfast.

The state of landscaping on your property will reflect a significant message to guests. To them, the exterior is a reflection of the interior. In order to maintain your property’s curb appeal, you must readily involve yourself in consistent run-throughs of your inn’s external appearance.

In fact, head outside right this very moment. Take a brisk walk around your property and observe it from a variety of angles, taking special consideration in analyzing the bed and breakfast’s appearance from the road. Remove any hypothetical blinders you may be wearing. View your inn as a brand new guest might. Anything that catches your eye will most likely catch theirs, as well.

Ready? Go do it.

…..

Okay, so assuming you’ve just returned from a preliminary examination of your property’s exterior, we’ll proceed. Here are a few ideas that you now should mull over, considering you’ve just better acquainted yourself with the outer surface of the bed and breakfast.

Dispose of anything that is broken and irreparable. Fix anything that is broken but salvageable – and until it’s fixed, keep it out of sight in a shed or similar “hiding place.” Confirm that porch light bulbs and other outdoor light fixtures are properly working. Add a splash of paint to recoat faded shutters for a fresh, welcoming look.

Make certain that bushes, trees, and lawns are precisely trimmed. Overgrown shrubs can give your landscape a deserted, neglected look. If your inn uses a sprinkler system, ensure that it’s properly installed to distribute water equally to all parts of the lawn so that there aren’t any unsightly yellowed patches of grass interspersed with the green stuff.

Invest in a good weed killer and use it regularly to keep fast-growing weeds at bay. Having a professional service come to spray pesticides throughout your lawn is a good idea, as well.

Enhance your outdoor space by providing al fresco options for your guests: a patio table and chairs for dining, a swing set in a strategic spot perfect for watching sunsets, a tire swing for children, a manicured garden path for romantic strolls, a Jacuzzi for soaking, etc. The outside of your bed and breakfast should provide as many experiences for the guest as the inside.

There’s no need to have a green thumb to add zest to the property. Rather, a determination to bring overall aesthetics to your inn is all that’s required. Act upon your determination and before long, you will have immaculate curb appeal perfectly suited to match the rest of your bed and breakfast!

Top of the Mornin’ to your Guests!

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in Recipes

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The concept of coalescing beds and breakfasts together into one relaxing, rejuvenating, revivifying getaway has existed for centuries. As the bed and breakfast trade expands and flourishes, such inns are becoming more and more experience-oriented. That is to say, guests are opting to stay at a bed and breakfast not just to have a place to sleep and eat, but rather to experience a whole-new way of travel and lodging. More and more travelers are discovering the delights associated with staying at a small, quaint inn rather than generic hotel chains. And as more travelers choose to follow this less-worn path, innkeepers are discovering they must work ever harder and smarter to create an experience that will leave a memorable, positive impact on their clientele.

One of the most promising ways of ensuring such success is through the breakfast you choose to serve guests. This is how you can run a bed and breakfast with confidence and achievement.

Concocting a tantalizing, appetizing, and oh-so scrumptious array of breakfast items doesn’t necessarily have to be a daunting chore you are forced to face each morning. As you familiarize yourself with the process and become ever more adept at whipping up your own special morning meal creations, in no time you will gain a reputation for serving a bang-up breakfast!

Here a few cues to keep in mind when planning what you want to serve to your guests that they’ll find unforgettable.

Bed and breakfast frequenters care a lot about the quality of their meals. In fact, a survey conducted by the Tourism Board of Australia discovered that one of the most appealing attributes of a bed and breakfast is that its meals are served and prepared in a home style manner. This can be both daunting and reassuring. In some regards, it can be worrisome to realize guests want something home cooked, meaning you can’t serve up frozen waffles, instant oatmeal, and store-bought hash browns. Discerning travelers will be quick to catch on if you insist on taking such shortcuts. In other regards though, it’s a relief to know that guests won’t be expecting lavish dishes worthy of a five-star Parisian restaurant.

Stick with tried-and-true family recipes. Or, if you’re just starting a bed and breakfast, call up your Great Aunt Peggy or the guy down the street who is known for making a certain specialty. Ask for the recipe. People are generally more than willing to divulge such secrets. Also, watch them a time or two as they prepare said dish. Take notes.

Fresh ingredients are a huge perk for guests. Utilize them. Gather ingredients native to your region. If you’re in Hawaii, a freshly picked pineapple from your backyard will definitely impress a guest. If you’re in Alaska, a slice of fresh smoked salmon with a dollop of Dijon mustard on top would be stunning (and a great source of protein), Idaho innkeepers could use a couple sturdy russets to fry up some smoky hash browns, the list goes on and on. Remember, keep it fresh, keep it local, and keep it simple.

Variety is also a key ingredient to hosting a successful breakfast. Just because one person may love eggs benedict and hollandaise sauce doesn’t mean everyone will. There’s no need to go overboard, but make sure there are multiple options to appease all taste palates. Furthermore, allow yourself the flexibility to work with various food allergies and dietary restrictions. Have a stockpile of alternate recipes that are vegan, kosher, or gluten-free friendly.

Lastly, don’t forget the little things. Don’t allow yourself to get so wrapped up in what you’ve got going on in the kitchen that you forget about presentation. The success of a meal stretches beyond just the food served. Include ambience. Have an appropriate table setting to match the theme of the meal. Fresh flowers, a clean tablecloth, salt and pepper, cream and sugar, a morning newspaper, etc. all combine together to give guests a memorable breakfast experience. Make sure the area is suitable for conversing and socializing so guests can mingle with one another over a hearty breakfast. And be sure they have options. Some might opt to eat in the dining room, others may want to take their breakfast out on the patio and enjoy the crisp morning air, others might not be “morning people” and would rather have their meal delivered to their room for a languid breakfast-in-bed.

Following such steps will not only save you time and stress, but it will satisfy and satiate your guests. It’s a win/win situation for all parties involved!

Beyond the Fence

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in Marketing, Operations

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People each have their own reasons for opting to stay at a bed and breakfast. While such reasoning can vary significantly from person to person, there are usually a few standard assumptions that can be made about the bed and breakfast crowd. They like to travel off the beaten path. They like smaller, more intimate accommodations. They want more than just a bed to sleep on and a breakfast to wake up to. They are usually in it for the total experience. They want to have a memorable getaway.

A bed and breakfast, in and of itself, can only offer so much. Sure, you can give your guest a California King bed with a down comforter and a five-course breakfast in the morning. However, that’s not always enough. There has to be appeal beyond the confines of your bed and breakfast. A great way of bringing in potential guests is through publicizing and popularizing some of the nearby attractions.

For those still in the early stages of starting a bed and breakfast, keep in mind that the allure of your inn must extend past your own property. A bed and breakfast is much more apt to thrive in a location boasting attention-grabbing and distinctive sites. This doesn’t necessarily mean you must relocate to a popular tourist trap. However, there must be something special about the place that you can use to draw in visitors.

If your location is in a rural setting, do some checking around. Ask locals what they do for leisure nearby. In addition to their suggestions, do some exploratory scouting of your own. Check out the lakes and rivers for winning fishing spots. Take a trek or two along nearby trails. Don’t stop there. Go beyond this simple research to personally craft your findings into activities with a distinctly unique flavor that guests can’t provide for themselves. Think of small, inimitable things: scoping out a picturesque spot to watch a sunset, organizing a horseback ride through a scenic expanse of countryside, providing binoculars and a guidebook for amateur birdwatchers, etc. Such initiatives will likely result in the building of priceless memories for guests – something they’ll never forget and will always associate with your inn. These types of small (but unforgettable) experiences distinguish your bed and breakfast from others.

Now, if you are thinking of going with a location that’s a bit more cosmopolitan and a bit less rustic in nature, the basic concept of finding things to do will stay the same. Talk with those who’ve been around for a while. Get their input. Do your own exploring. If you’re in a big city, pay special attention to learning the finer nuances of public transportation and then share your acquired knowledge with your guests when they arrive. Pick up some city maps with bus and train routes. You might also consider including a bus pass or metro card with their stay. Travel around to sites of interest in the city and pick up brochures that you can leave at the inn for guests’ perusal.

Consider taking this sort of opportunity to collaborate with some other businesses in providing guests with a package deal. Make inquiries with golf courses, spas, flower shops, and other potential businesses as to their willingness to join forces. Not only will this be beneficial to you and whoever you choose to collaborate with, but it will also assist in providing one-of-a-kind experiences to your guests. In that regard, everybody comes off on top!

Rudder Jessup Bed and Breakfast

01 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by in Hot Topics

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We at Suite Exchange would like to extend a shout out to Rudder Jessup Bed and Breakfast in College Station, Texas. In keeping with Suite Exchange’s theme of innovation in the marketplace, this forward-thinking guesthouse has concocted two very clever and effective campaigns in marketing to specific audiences of consumers. And its efforts are bringing forth substantial results.

Located in the historic Southside District of College Station, the Rudder Jessup Inn is a lavishly restored mansion located just steps away from Texas A&M University. Due to its strategic proximity to the university, the inn has collaborated with Texas A&M to provide visitors to College Station who are visiting family or friends at the school, as well as those touring the campus, with a comfortable, hospitable, appeasable alternative to the standard issue four walls and a bed hotel room.

The owners of the Rudder Jessup B&B recently launched a marketing initiative in which they send out postcards to the parents of all incoming freshmen to the school. The postcard informs parents of Rudder Jessup’s ties with Texas A&M. That way, parents have a place to stay when they travel to College Station to drop off their children. This provides parents with a boost of comfort and ease knowing they will already have accommodation secured near the campus when they arrive. The hassle of finding lodging is relinquished and they can, instead, plan out the rest of the duties and responsibilities related to sending children off to their first year of school away from home.

Additionally, the bed and breakfast owners have arranged to provide tours to those visiting the campus on work-related business. Rudder Jessup coffee mugs have been distributed to various departments at Texas A&M to be given away to visiting professors and other colleagues. Many of these individuals have taken the innkeepers up on their offer to tour the property and have resulted in future guest bookings.

Again, kudos to the Rudder Jessup Bed and Breakfast for thinking outside the box and developing these resourceful, practical methods of offering services to groups of people who will definitely appreciate it. Go Aggies!

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