The Best Things About Running Your Own Small Hotel or B&B


by Celia Carruthers - Date: 2006-12-17 - Word Count: 747 Share This!

1. You don't have to take orders from anyone else!

Well, except your guests of course and perhaps your spouse or other business partners. You may also be answerable to your bank manager or other investors, but on a daily basis you are your own boss. If you're currently stuck in a job with a miserable or unreasonable boss, then I'm sure the freedom offered by working for yourself is very appealing. Just think of your manager's face when you tell him that you're going to resign!

2. You can do things in the way you want to.

You probably have some idea of what you think the perfect B&B or hotel should offer. If so, then you will get great satisfaction from putting those ideas into practice. Apart from the obvious constraints, there is no standard format to the way hotels should run. Think laterally and perhaps you can create something different and really stand out from the competition.

3. You will be rewarded for your efforts.

Well... usually! Unlike some jobs, where you can can put in overtime and still feel unfulfilled or appreciated, when you work for yourself you will normally see a benefit from your labours. You might have to work longer hours than in the past but you will gain in terms of money and job satisfaction.

4. You can choose who you work with.

If you employ staff, you will have a say in who is hired and fired. No more irritating Pauline from accounts, for instance!

5. You can see more of your family

This can of course become a negative but most people want to spend more time with their spouse or children. I surveyed nearly 3000 people who registered with my website for prospective hoteliers, over the summer of 2006 and 65% of them said that they would like to buy a hotel because they want to spend more time with their family. If you currently only see your kids at the weekends or late in the evening when you finally get in from work, then this might be top of your reasons for becoming self-employed.

6. You can take time off when you want to

Not always as easy as it sounds when running a hotel, especially the bigger ones. But smaller B&Bs often close for a few months of the year and this does of course mean that you get extended holiday periods in which to do as you please. If you are really organised, and budgets allow, you might of course be able to employ staff to look after your establishment whilst you take time off at any time of the season.

7. You can live somewhere better

If you move to run a rural or seaside guesthouse then you may be relocating to somewhere nicer than where you are now. Many people find that running a business such as a hotel is the only way that they can move to live in a better part of the country.

8. No more commuting to work.

Even if you currently drive only 10 minutes to work, you will save time living and working in the same place. No more traffic queues, early-morning breakdowns or fights on to get a seat on a train to work. You would merely have to step out of your own quarters and into the guest area and you would be at work.

9. There is no ceiling to what you can earn in a year

Whilst you must realise that you will never become a millionaire by just running a small hotel, your earning potential is no longer fixed whilst you are self-employed. In a salaried job you can not enjoy the hope of much more than a bonus to top up your wages at the end of any particular year. When you work for yourself you will never know how much each year will bring in (which can of course be both daunting and very exciting). People suited to self-employment get a buzz from this uncertainty because they are ever-hopeful of a record-breaking profit and it's a very motivating feeling.

10. You get to meet some very interesting people

You may meet many hundreds of people a year, through your accommodation business. Whilst you must remain professional and it is rare that any of these guests will become real friends, you will certainly meet many very interesting and nice people. People you will learn from and whose company you will enjoy. Some will return on a regular basis and you will look forward to seeing them again.


Related Tags: hotel, running, buying, b&b, guesthouse, lodging

Celia Carruthers runs the largest online resource in the UK for those looking to buy and run a small hotel or guesthouse. With a directory of properties for sale, http://www.hotelstobuy.co.uk also offers lots of help and advice for those new to the business.

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