Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast (Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast) [Paperback]

Entrepreneur Press (Author)

Book Description

Series: Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast | Publication Date: February 2004

Have Your Coffee Cake and Earnings, Too!

Do you dream of escaping the rat race by becoming the proprietor of your own bed and breakfast inn? The lure of leaving the 9-to-5 grind behind to live, work and play in a beautiful home nestled in a resort or small town is a powerful one. When you can spend your days puttering about in the kitchen or garden, meeting new people, entertaining guests in a lavish and enviable setting, and collect an income while you're at it, who wouldn't leap at the chance?

This guide, based on the experience of scores of successful B&B operators, will tell you everything you need to know to make that dream a reality. We've interviewed lots of people out there on the front lines of the industry-all around the country- to learn the nitty-gritty, hands-on tasks, tips and tricks to successful B&B innkeeping. We reveal valuable secrets:

• Finding the right location
• Buying property
• Licensing
• Setting pricing policies
• Promoting the business
• Hiring good people

We've also packed out pages with helpful tips so that you can get up and running on your new B&B as quickly as possible.

Whether you have a spare bedroom or are looking for a small inn, this guide can help you earn a comfortable income by welcoming a steady stream of new friends into your home. You can bask in the warmth of your guest's praises and the rewards of hard work well done. You'll earn a living doing something you love- and that's priceless.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Entrepreneur Press; 1 edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891984934
• ISBN-13: 978-1891984938
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mighty fine, with one medium-sized quibble, October 1, 2007

By 

Jennifer K (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast (Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast) (Paperback)

[reposted from a comment]
Apparently, the product description does this book a disservice. The authors recognize that most folks who dream of opening a B&B don't realize how much work it's going to be, which is why they remind the reader of this on **nearly every page.** There are fairly detailed worksheets for nearly every aspect of the business, outlining all the little things a B&B owner needs to think about. The realities of what running a B&B would entail comprise the majority of the book.

Most of all, the authors recommend not jumping straight in, but apprenticing oneself to an existing B&B for a few months to a year, to learn the business and see if you've got the temperament for it.

My only problem with this book is that the authors consistently refer back to the basic Entrepreneur Press How to Start a Business manual, rather than go into detail about some of processes not specific to running a B&B. I know they did it to keep this book shorter, but it felt like they were pushing you to buy that other book, where they could have made this one richer instead. If it weren't for this, I'd have given this book 5 stars.

For all the effervescently sunny and (a bit) cheesy tone, it's actually a very practical and helpful manual. I got this first edition from my public library (to see if it's worth buying), and now I'm waiting for the second edition to arrive so I can compare the two.

5.0 out of 5 stars Bed & Breakfast Book, July 4, 2010

By 

secure4a - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast (Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast) (Paperback)

This is a great book if you are seriously thinking about starting a b&b. I highly recommend it!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast, May 17, 2009

By 

Thomas P. Lansing, Sr. (Ballston Spa, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast (Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast) (Paperback)

This book offers the reader an indepth look into opening and running a successful Bed and Breakfast. Although I have not been able to put any of the information learned through reading this book to use, I am planning on it in the not too distant future.

Much of the information is pretty straight-forward and dull, as with any textbook is read like a novel, it was interesting to find out what is acceptable in the business and what isn't. In otherwords, you just can't stick a sign out in your front yard. In many states, counties, and municipalities you have to have approval to open as a B&B, and will come under much scrutiny by your neighbors, as well as others in higher places.

This book along with "Open Your Own Bed and Breakfast" by Barbara Notarius are excellent primers and must reads for those inspiring innkeepers of the future.