We'd love to help you! The more quality B&Bs there are, the better it is for the whole industry, as each guest experience will determine how the B&B market grows in Canada.
As creators and moderators of Canada BB Hosts, we get many requests for guidance and we're only too happy to oblige, to help, to mentor. But our first business is our own business, and so please recognize that our Guests will always be our priority and we will happily share our expertise and advice only as time allows.
And no, we are not interested in running a reservation service and sending our overflow requests to you on a commission basis - unless you are a member of CBBHosts (see below), and then we'll do it for free.
But first, however, there are a few things YOU can do to get started. You'll have to do most of these eventually, so there really is no reason to talk to us until you have them already done.
First, you need to decide whether you really want to run a bed and breakfast. You must recognize that your home will become a public place, that you will be subject to laws that apply to all public places. For example, you cannot deny entrance to anyone for any reason that could be considered discriminatory. If you have any hangups about race, creed, colour, sexual orientation or age - find another life. You won't make it here.
Your home is your castle? Not anymore. You will have a constant stream of strangers in your life, knocking on the door of your private quarters whenever a fuse blows, a toilet plugs, or a DVD doesn't play. Your things will get broken, both from careless abuse and simply from excess wear. You bought a dining room set for family use twice a year - how long will it last 365 days a year?
Do you enjoy cleaning as much as mingling? Remember, a hair in your bathtub is not a problem ... it's your hair. But a hair in the guest bathtub? Different story. You will learn to put toothbrushes and lint rollers to use in ways you never dreamed of. You will learn to love those with bad aim, muddy feet, deaf ears and picky appetites. And you'll learn to make breakfast the night before so you can catch 20 minutes more sleep in the morning.
Social life? Cancel your theatre subscription series and your hockey tickets now. You will never be able to plan guest arrivals and departures that far in advance. Even your own menu will change, as you can't cook up a family curry in the same house that you have asked your guests not to smoke in. In fact, you'll miss dinner completely many nights, as you await your arrivals and spend an hour or two socializing with them. That is, after all, why they chose a B&B! Certainly not so you could slink off to eat your dinner!
Do you really want to run a B&B? If the joys of making new friends every day, of reading beautiful comments in your guest books, of getting hugs with every check-out - if these joys outweigh everything else, then welcome! Welcome to the most satisfying job on earth.
The best Canadian book written on this subject is by Bruce and Mary Jaffary, To B&B Or Not To B&B - and is available on line for $25 from http://www.bbbookinfo.com/
Buy it. Read it. 'Nuff said.
You can't do anything in this world now without a Web presence. A specific Web domain is essential, eventually, and that will take a few weeks at best. But for now, immediately, get onto some directories.
Directories may be a dying breed - most people will surf directly to the specific B&B Web sites that Google suggests- but directories still provide two essential elements to your overall marketing:
Don't bother with directories, even those that are free or next to free, unless they will offer you a link to your Web site. You will regret it later, when you have to find all that clutter of free listings that never bring you any business except years later when you've raised your rates (and you will) and these have your phone number, and old rate, and a cranky guest who expects you to honour your original miscalculations.
Here are our suggestions:
Which sounds more professional: http://www.myinternetsupplier.net/~homepages/my-page/B&B.htm - or www.mybandb.com ? If you are serious, look serious. Register your domain NOW.
You can do it for as little as $25/year, with free hosting, from www.DotEasy.com if you wish. Generally, you get what you pay for, but if you only want to start with a page or two and no statistics or personal support, this may be the answer.
Or you can register with hosting services from info@bbexpo.com and get support, statistics, and a real person at the other end of the line. This is our personal choice for all our domains, and we have a couple dozen.
Your decision isn't cast in stone. You can change hosting services any time. The important thing is to register your domain name now. All other references to your Web presence should point to this new address - not to the directories of your competitors.
Once you have a domain, you need a web site. Do it yourself, or hire it done. Our suggestions?
There is only one here. CanadaBBHosts.com offers more than just a referral link to your Web presence; it offers a private members-only support forum that will answer all your other questions. We promise! Cost is $25 to sign up, and $20 every January 1 to renew.
You must have a Web presence before you may apply for membership in CBBHosts, so do that first. Then go to www.CanadaBBHosts.com/add.htm for instructions on joining CBBHosts.
HOWEVER, recognizing that the greatest benefit that CBBH can offer is to prospective B&B owners even before they have a Web site, we will accept membership of prospective owners by direct nomination from current members only. Contact any current member for help here.
Nominations are NOT necessary once you have a Web domain. Just simply apply, and let us know you have applied, so we can let you in!
And here's another tip: Register and get your Web presence started NOW - even if you have a note on it that reads "Opening in October this year" (use a real year number so people realize it's not stale information). It will take 6 months AT LEAST for Google to find you and rank you, so get started now on that, adding, changing and growing your site in the meantime. There are dozens of pages you can add about the area, transportation, policies, packages, etc even before you are ready to take a single room photograph. And Google only cares about words, not photos, so ... get writing!
Once you have a Web site, you won't need a nomination to join CBBH either.
If you still have questions, you probably haven't followed our advice above.
Then call us if you still have questions. We'll be happy to help! Come join us for an evening of wine and cheese and stories of why you want to be, and why we could never be anything else but, bed and breakfast hosts!
Roger and Jim
Moderators, www.CanadaBBHosts.com
Hosts, Toronto Downtown Bed and Breakfast
info@TDBAB.com