Sunday, July 6, 2008

Just Play Nice


I recently surfed the 'net about How to Operate a Successful Bed and Breakfast. We are now well into our 3rd season and, consequently, I thought it was a good idea to see what the ''experts" say about running a B&B. Maybe I should have done this sleuthing a few years ago?

There are loads of how-to-books, seminars and conferences offered throughout America and Europe about the B&B business. For a cost ranging from hundreds to thousands, you can attend a B&B conference and learn Everything You Need To Know, or, buy books starting at $19.95. Dare I confess I have spent ZERO on any of the aforementioned?

I did spend time taking a B&B quiz: Will Your Bed and Breakfast Be Successful? I happen to think our B&B is successful so naturally I took the bait. 8 Questions. Easy! I zipped through that quiz with a big grin and complete confidence. But all that confidence quickly deflated as I clicked on Check Answers and, one by one, each box I had ticked, was wrong. Wrong! What?!
After I scraped my self-esteem off the floor, I agreed to receive the correct answers via email, one per day. I never actually got an answer. What I did get was a response stating why each choice in this multiple choice quiz was incorrect. And, for $12.95, The Experts will send me The Correct Answers. On the 9th day, The Experts asked why I had not ordered their $12.95 book. (Can we all say s-c-a-m?)
So. I figure we are going to carry on as always. Hospitality Plus and Just Play Nice. That's us. That's what we do. We also, occasionally, help the guests with the household chores and the washing up. They like that. And I think they like us. Now if I could just pass that Quiz...

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