We recently surveyed hotel and B&B owners to find out what is the ONE thing you need to know before entering the independent accommodation sector!
And the majority of people said that they wish they knew how time consuming the job is! In fact a massive 24% of property owners would have liked to have been more prepared for just how many hours went into running their own business. Heather Bray-Moran from Sportsmans Lodge said “I wish I knew how long the hours can be and the hard work that is involved to maintain the standards required by us.”
While Judy from The Huddersfield Hotel told us that “being the owner/general manager is 24 hour job. You have to prepare to be responsible for resolving an issue at any hour every day without exceptions.”
What else did we learn?
- 14% of people surveyed said that they wish they knew how difficult guests can be sometimes, and how influential their TripAdvisor reviews would be. Marga Collins from Le Papillon told us “If you have a hundred guests, then you have a hundred different opinions about the same thing. It is very hard to please all the people.”
- 10% wished they had been prepared by doing extensive research, like the importance of having high quality photos.
- While 8% felt that being financially prepared was the most important thing. And making sure you have enough savings to cover those unexpected finances that pop up.
- 6% said that they wish they knew just how much they would need to constantly adapt and learn in this ever-changing industry.
- 6% also said they’d like to have been prepared for just much hard work it would be and a small percentage highlighted the importance of being organised.
- But 6% of people still said they wish they knew how rewarding it would be and how enjoyable the lifestyle is when you get it right. David Brown from Bryn Melyn Guest House said “I wish I knew that I was so suited to it – I’d have done it years ago if I’d have known.”
Reading through all the responses from these B&B and small hotel owners really confirm something we already knew: The hours are long, so you need all the help you can get to save every precious second! We also see that, even though the hours are long, and you never know what guests you’re going to be faced with you still do it, because it’s more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle. And you’re good at it! So even though the days are long, they are also so rewarding.
But this is where we can help. Whilst our booking suite, eviivo suite can’t help fry the eggs or make the beds for you, it can take the pressure off by helping you to generate more bookings and saving you time on your admin; with just one-click to manage your rates, policies and content. Find out more about how eviivo can help your business and share your story with the world here.