Start & Run a Bed & Breakfast. Richard Taylor

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СКАЧАТЬ hotels or motels. Generally speaking, these commercial establishments do not present a serious competitive threat to a B&B. The service provided and the overall atmosphere of these types of commercial businesses is quite different.

      However, larger commercial establishments will present some competition if they are within sight of your B&B. A closely situated inn, hotel, or motel may distract passing customers who are seeking overnight accommodation.

      You can overcome this difficulty by cultivating a customer base that is not dependent on the “passing trade.” You can also make yourself known to the management of these commercial businesses and offer to take overflow guests.

      5.4 The competitor survey

      Now you need to collect information on existing B&Bs, small inns, and those commercial establishments in your immediate area that will compete with you.

      Do your own competitor surveys

      To simplify the survey procedure, you should follow these guidelines:

      (a) Confine your surveys to establishments in your local area.

      (b) Limit your research to about ten surveys.

      (c) Survey no more than two commercial establishments.

      (d) Survey no more than three small inns.

      (e) Survey at least five B&Bs.

      If there are more than five B&Bs in your area, classify them into similar groups: for example, all historic homes or all homes with swimming pools, etc. Then survey the best example from each group.

      Following are some notes on completing your surveys:

      (a) Establishment and Host/Manager: Name the establishment and indicate what type it is. It is also helpful to include the name, address, and phone number of the hosts or managers. “Style” indicates the general character: historic, quaint, modern, motel, hotel, etc.

      (b) Facilities and services: Check off those services offered by the competitor.

      (c) Bedrooms and Bathrooms: Note the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location of those rooms, the type of beds available, and convenience factors such as number of stairs.

      (d) Breakfast: Indicate the variety of menu offered, the food services provided, and the location where the breakfast is served.

      (e) Other foods available: Note any other foods and refreshments made available.

      (f) Operating rules: Describe the operating rules and restrictions of the establishment.

      (g) Room tariffs: List the room rates and the methods of payment accepted. Everybody accepts cash, so this method of payment is not shown. Room rates are quoted in dollars per day and they imply that the cost of breakfast is included. Single occupancy means one person per room. Double occupancy means two people in one room. Extra person means the charge for accommodating a third person in a room. Discount rates are listed under Group, Weekly, or Off Season.

      Keep all completed survey worksheets for future reference.

      Once you have looked closely at your competitors, you probably have some additional ideas on the facilities and services needed by your customers. You should look again at your customer surveys (Worksheet D) and update them with any new ideas.

      6. Document Your Market Research Costs

      Document all the costs that you might have encountered during your market research. Make sure that you make all relevant entries onto your cost sheet before you proceed to the next chapter. Memories tend to fade with time, and loose receipts tend to get lost. It is important to cultivate the habit of recording expenses as they occur and keeping all receipts. You don’t need to worry about a sophisticated bookkeeping system at this point; it is enough to sort your receipts and store them in envelopes labeled with the month and year.

      “Apple Cart” Apple Butter

      • 10 lbs. apples

      • 6 quarts apple cider

      • 2 tablespoons allspice

      • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

      • 4 lbs. brown sugar

      • 2 tablespoons ground cloves

      Core and quarter apples, but do not peel. Boil apples in the cider until soft.

      Remove apples and force through a sieve back into the cider.

      Add spices and brown sugar. Stir constantly and continue to cook until the mixture reaches a thick consistency.

      Bottle, store, and serve like jam.

      4

      Using Your Market Research

      By now you have conducted a number of surveys in the name of market research. Now you need to analyze this information to effectively establish the start-up parameters for your B&B. In the process, you will make your final customer selections and then visit an established B&B home that caters to the same types of customers.

      Before you begin, assemble all the surveys that you have completed in the previous chapter. Spread them out in front of you, and make sure you have the following:

      (a) Tourist attraction surveys

      (b) Customer surveys

      (c) Competitor surveys

      1. Summarize Your Market Research Surveys

      1.1 Choose your start-up customers

      Prior to conducting the customer surveys in Chapter 3, you had looked at the total range of visitors to your area, and had carefully weeded out any types of visitors that could be deemed unlikely to want to stay at a B&B. Therefore, your customer surveys represent only those visitors considered to be potential customers.

      Now it is time to reexamine these potential customers and to select a suitable range of start-up customers for your business. When you select your clientele, it is important not to restrict your choices to only one or two types, otherwise you may not have enough customers to make your business viable. On the other hand, you should avoid selecting all customer types because some of them may be incompatible. Guests that have good reason to complain about your other customers will not recommend or return to your establishment.

      1.1a Expense

      You have already listed the facilities and the services required by each customer on the customer survey forms. If you compare their requirements to the facilities you already have in place, you can get a rough idea of the cost involved in servicing that particular customer. You may decide that some of these СКАЧАТЬ