M is for….Making up your Mind!

Good Morning faithful readers!  While it is chilly here once again in North Florida, there are some signs of spring on the way.  Most notably the birds are becoming more active.  As I look out onto my patio, not much is blooming and the leaves have finally dropped off of the plumeria.  However the Camellia is coming through with beautiful deep red flowers and they stand out nicely against all the green.

As I noted at the end of my last post, M does indeed stand for Mattresses. While it is a P word, I am going to throw in Pillows here also since they really go with mattresses.  Now, more than ever, I believe good mattresses and pillows are crucial for an inn.  Guests are tending to “cocoon” more and take breaks to relax and recharge. And that isn’t going to happen if they don’t get a good nights sleep and luxurious afternoon naps.  So I appeal to you once again readers.  What type/brand of mattress gives you a good nights sleep and no aching back.  Same for pillows.  I use a buckwheat pillow because it is great for my neck.  Along with it I have a very squishy down pillow, since I love to sleep on my stomach.

M also stands for another biggie-Marketing.  I’m reading my very first Social Network Marketing book by Dan Zarella.  It is an excellent place to start.  So much has changed since my earlier innkeeping years. I spend about an hour a day just looking at inn websites and reading hospitality articles.  This is a growing edge for me, but it is exciting to learn interesting and new ways to get guests to my future inn.

Like the title of this post, M does stand for making up your mind. While I can say that I do have those butterflies in my stomach at times when I think of the new inn I am going to have, I am devoted and determined to making it happen and that makes everything else easier to some extent.  Sometimes I just can’t explain to people what is driving me.  While I have loved living in Florida-being close to the beach, the warmer weather, living in a home that is a tropical oasis-there is a part of me that isn’t satisfied.  It doesn’t feel like home to me.  I feel like I am on a mission and can’t explain it all.  While excited about  innkeeping and finding a community we love, I feel like there is something else that is going to come from all of this and I don’t know what that is yet!  I believe our lives are somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle and we keep finding pieces as we go along; sometimes we find several in a row, or a crucial corner or frame piece, and then we go for a while finding nothing that fits.  I guess maybe that has been a little of what Florida has been like for me.  While it has given me a few pieces-I surely want to own a vacation spot here in the future, and I know I need to live near water, it is time to move on and find some more pieces of the puzzle.

Thanks again for reading!  Let me know what mattresses and pillows you love and I’ll be back soon with N. Networking, Newsletters, and Niche marketing.

L is for Location, Location, Location!

Good morning faithful readers. My apologies for being away longer than expected.  We had to get the house ready for being on the market and for open house.  It looks great now, and just waiting for the right buyer to come along.  My realtor  has us on the caravan list for today, so many agents will be seeing it and I know that is important.  It is a lovely, unique home in a beautiful setting, so although I know it might take a little while, I am not too worried about the perfect person coming along.   We are out of our freezing weather here, and 70 sure did feel good the other day!  I made it to the beach with my new camera and had some fun playing with the settings.  Couple of okay shots, but mainly it just felt good out in the warmth.

Location has always been an important variable in choosing to buy or open an inn or b&b.  Being in a destination point usually means longer stays and more repeat business.  It is much more work and worry being located in an area that gets people for one night while they are on their way somewhere.  However, there is a new trend going on in the innkeeping world and that is creating the inn as the destination itself and weather-proofing the rooms.  The room becomes the destination, so no matter the weather guests or place, guests are happy .  More and more, guests are choosing to get away just to relax and be together; not to spend a lot of time playing tourist.  Being close to good restaurants, hiking, the beach, antique stores, etc..while still very nice, becomes secondary to the inn itself.  I love this idea and think it makes a lot of sense.  I’ll be writing more about this concept in the future when it is relevant to the post.

L also covers what may seem like some mundane areas like lighting.  I have stayed in many places where the lighting was so poor and inadequate.  Part of opening an inn is staying in each room for a night before opening.  This can help tweak any problems, like too little lighting or poor reading lamps, etc.  As they say, the devil is in the details and lighting is one of the important ones.

L does stand for another big-ticket item, especially today.  And that is Loans.  I know that even with previous innkeeping experience, banks are being very, very tight with their money in today’s economy.  So having all  the i’s dotted and t’s crossed is important.  I think it is going to take some persistence and work, but am going to remain optimistic that someone will believe in me and the inn I am going to buy.  I truly believe it will help that I want to buy an existing business instead of starting up a new inn.

Yesterday, I started a new total body conditioning class!  I want to remind everyone how important stretching, core strength, balance, and flexibility is for our bodies.  Along with diet I believe it is one of the key ingredients to a long and happy life.  Women especially, have a hard time with upper body strength, so I just wanted to put a word in about taking good care of ourselves as we get older.

Everyone have a great day!  Thanks for reading.  M is next-the perfect mattress anyone?

Knit one and knowing what to expect

Good Morning faithful readers!  Keep warm on you morning drive to work and be careful on those icy roads.  Here in north Florida we are a balmy 26 degrees and sunny!  I’m sure not eager to see my heating bill for the month of January.  Auxiliary heat has been on for 2 days now and is running constantly.  I think of the time I lived in Minnesota and wonder how I managed to go out and run every morning with temps way below zero.  Guess my blood has thinned quite a bit since then.

I envision making hand Knit throws for all of my guest rooms.  My mom has crocheted several afghans and throws for me, and there is nothing better to curl up with when reading, having a cup of tea, or taking a nap. I also envision hand knit scarves hanging in rooms for cold weather walks.  I knit hats and scarves and recently finished my first fingerless gloves.  I’m anxious to finish some small projects and start an easy jacket.  I love the merino wool from Morehouse farm and visit their website every day for the free pattern du jour and to look at their great patterns and yarns.  Their website is www.morehousefarm.com .  Knitting is also one of those activities that just lets you be with your thoughts as your hands are busy creating something beautiful.  Our lives are so full of noise and business, I find it very grounding to knit and let my thoughts flow where they will, work out a problem, or dream about finally having my inn.

While I do know a quite a bit about what guests expect when they visit an inn, I spend a lot of my time thinking about breakfast.  For myself, as long as it is homemade, I am happy with a good cup of coffee and a muffin or granola with yogurt.  However, I think a lot of people love the luxury of a multi-course hot breakfast served in their room or a lovely breakfast room.  I have the baked goods part down pat, but feel like I really need to get a few more hot dish recipes together and have several menus to choose from.  All this will come together I am sure.  I have never been great at omelets, and would like a few recipes for no fail egg dishes.  If anyone out there has a special breakfast dish they prepare and would like to share, I would love to have the recipe!  Or if you have a cookbook that you use frequently feel free to share the title of that also.  I am a fan of Ina Garten.  Every recipe I’ve tried of hers has come out looking good and tasting wonderful.  I plan to get some of her books, as she has many hints for entertaining that I could use.

Thanks for reading and remember to send along those recipes!  Have a great day and watch tomorrow for L.

Jumping for Joy

Good Morning faithful readers.  Is it warm anywhere?  I will definitely be Jumping for Joy when this cold snap ends in Florida.  I grew up in cold weather, and am looking at inns in colder climates, so I guess I ought to view it as a reminder of what I am going back to.  It is just the oddest feeling to see palm trees and plumerias and other tropical plants on the patio, and then walk outside and be so cold.

J is a challenge on my alphabetic journey.  Job satisfaction is important to almost everyone, including innkeepers.  I know from experience that there are days every innkeeper shakes their head and wonders what made them get into the business.  However, I believe those days are rare and 99% of the time, they are doing what they love.  It really is easy to tell when someone is doing the work they enjoy.  They converse easily, listen well and seem to have a lightness about them as they go about their days.

Do people really jump for joy anymore?  Maybe we all need to do more of that!  I say I will do it when I get my inn, but I bet something happens every day that could prompt me to do a little jig or jump.  It could be a little reminder that there is always something to be happy or thankful for.  I think I am going to try it.  Anyone else out there care to give it a try?  Let me know what happens.

Thanks again for reading.  Be well and stay tune for K-possible another challenging letter.

I -sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees!

Good Morning faithful readers!  I imagine many of you are glad for Friday and the coming weekend.  My family in Michigan is be buried in snow again as I know many of you in the midwest are.  Hopefully, warmer weather will be on the way soon, and you will be able to put those snow blowers back in the shed for a while!

To begin with, I stands for Innkeeper-something I am eagerly awaiting being again.  While most folks who have been innkeepers and moved on from the business do not re-enter it, I can truthfully say that I have missed it since I left.  While innkeepers have to deal with many of the same mundane issues that everyone does: insurance, inspections, income and the IRS to name a few, to me it is all worth it for the interesting people I get to meet, and the chance to provide a comfortable vacation  or get-a-way experience for my guests.

Keeping this journal has helped me in many ways.  As my title implies, sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees.  I get worried about serving breakfast and I don’t even have my inn.   Going through the alphabet in this way has pointed out to me the areas I can do research on and get smarter about before I have my inn. Last time I did this, it was a complete start-up.  Now I am hoping to buy a successful up and running inn which will have many procedures in place that I can build upon to make the inn my own.

On the social media marketing front, I just got a copy of Dan Zarella’s book- called appropriately The Social Media Marketing Book. I think it is right where I need  to start.  I will let you know how I progress with it, but so far I am quite impressed with the layout and the ease of use.

Thanks for reading.  I would love any feedback on what makes you love and inn and want to go back.  And I look forward to having you all as guests in the future!

Have a great weekend.

Hang on to that sense of humor!

Good morning faithful readers!  Another very cold morning in Florida.  Mother nature has apparently decided that the sunshine state not be  spared its share of the record-breaking cold temperatures around the country.  Time to dig out those warm sweaters and socks!

Today I am tackling H in our journey through the innkeeping alphabet.  Of course, the first thing I came across while looking through the index was Ham and Cheese Strudel!  Sounds like good fare for a cold morning and I will have to try out that recipe.  Further down the list I came to Honeydew Melon with Prosciutto.  So far H is making me hungry!

As the title of this post states-hanging on to your sense of humor is crucial in the innkeeping world.  We have all had those days that from the get go were like a set of dominos.  Well, innkeepers are not exempted from those days-however, we not only have to deal with them, but be ready to greet guests in the afternoon looking calm and relaxed and ready to welcome our lovely guests into our home.

Keeping a light heart and a smile on your face can do wonders for taking care of situations that arise in an untimely fashion.  Innkeepers have to hire many people and deal with lots of regulations and sometimes it can seem a bit overwhelming.  So good planning and preparation can help one from getting too rattled.  In my last b&b, when our electrician, plumber, etc. was at our place I made sure they got coffee or muffins or coffee cake and took time to chat with them about their families or trips, etc.. This served a couple of purposes.  First it got me out of my innkeeping world and into the community around me even if for only a few minutes.  Second, when I had an emergency, I got great service.  When we discovered, on New Year’s Eve of course, that our hot tub wasn’t working, our electrician came over to fix it before heading out to his own festivities.

One again, I’m going to has my readers for some help.  I’m exploring social network marketing and trying to learn the ins and outs before purchasing my inn.  If anyone has a good book or website recommendation I would love to hear about it. I will share what I find out with you.  I think this form of advertising has great potential for innkeepers and appears  the wave of the future.

Thanks for reading.  Everyone have a great day and stay warm!  I’m going to have breakfast.  Reading about Ham and cheese strudel has made me hungry!

G-Part 2. Plus, I need some feedback from you!

Good Morning and a very happy new year to everyone out there!  I hope that you all celebrated last night in your favorite way and are ready for 2010.  I want to wish you all health, happiness and prosperity in the coming year.  For myself, I am feeling ready to hit the ground running in  2010 and make some things happen that I have been dreaming about!

So now we are back to finish up the letter G. This post is about the most important, and enjoyable, part of innkeeping- GUESTS! While an innkeeper can do everything perfectly and provide all the expected amenities, it is really the guests that bring an inn to life!  I think of it as a glow that seems to come from an inn where guests feel welcome and at ease in their surroundings.  A good innkeeper, to me, is someone who is the link between guests and the particular experience they are providing at their inn.  An innkeeper who does not fit his/her surroundings is not going to be comfortable and that will create a different atmosphere than someone who has created an ambiance they are comfortable with.  For some innkeepers 2 or 3 rooms with a lot of guest contact and little privacy keeps they quite content.  Others are more comfortable with a larger space and less guest contact with a focus on guest privacy.  The same is true for guests-there are different inns for different needs.  Still, I think there is a certain something that has to happen for a guest to want to come back and/or refer it to friends.

So I’m going to turn the tables here and ask you, my faithful readers, what makes your stay at an inn a peak experience?   While all the details (breakfast, beds, cleanliness, etc..) might be perfect, and the innkeeper pleasant-what specifically inspires you to return or refer the inn to friends?  Let me know how it all comes together for you!

Okay, I’m off to further organize my desk for the new year!  Anyone else with that resolution?  H is coming up next, and while it may seem a little thin, does include Handling stuff on a day-to-day basis, which innkeepers do to the nines.  Humor seems to be a good H word too.  So stay tuned for more innkeeping tidbits and reader polls.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your feedback about inn experiences.

G – Part One!

Good morning faithful readers-of which I see I have at least one!

I’ve decided to make G a two part post, since it encompasses a couple of important innkeeping matters-Green rooms and Guests.  I’m going to start with green and follow-up with Guests.

I’m very excited that this time around there are so many more green options for innkeepers.  There are now paints with no voc’s, more organic fabrics, and cleaners.  For innkeepers who need to use carpeting, there are healthier choices out there and a larger selection.  I particularly like that there is a larger selection of green cleaning products for rooms and laundry.  For me, a room should smell fresh and perhaps only have a hint, and I mean a small hint, of any sort of scent.  The days of rooms smelling like harsh cleaning products are over!  It is important to me that along with providing  a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for my guests, that the rooms themselves are healthy.   Laundry products are also available now that disinfect without using bleach or other products that are harmful to people, animals and the environment.  I don’t know about you, but just walking down the cleaning products aisle of the grocery store makes me feel bad, so I know I don’t want to stay in a room that smells like that.  I’ve been trying out many Green products and have been very impressed by how well they work, so I know I will find the best ones to use in my future inn.

I want to take a moment and recommend a book to my followers.  It is by Pema Chodron, who I am sure some of you have heard of and possible read before.  The title is The Places that Scare You..A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. As it states on the jacket “..Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way.”  These don’t have to be catastrophic problems or major life difficulties-but I feel our lives are so full and it is easy to get overwhelmed with worry and to get stuck in places that don’t bring us joy, happiness or contentment.  Pema Chodron gives us a way to deal with the everyday things( and the big things) in a fearless way.  Give it a try, it is a very comforting book.

Stay tuned for Guests.  Right now I am going to yoga which helps me start my day in the best way possible.

Thanks for reading!

Feather Beds, Fireplaces and Fluffy Robes!

Good afternoon faithful readers.  I hope you are all having a great weekend.  We are having record high temperatures in north Florida, and I’m sure not going to complain.  Our Christmas tree and inside decorations are now up, although at the moment they seem a little at odds with our warm weather.  The tree seems especially pretty this year, and adds a nice warm feeling to our home.

Well, F provides us with some luxurious elements of an inn.  I guess I should add fluffy towels to my title.  I think that walking into a guest room that has all of these amenities creates a good first impression!  It can be the icing on the cake to an inn with great curb appeal and well designed and welcoming common areas and/or entry way.  All of these wonderful elements can be created if they don’t already exist when I find the inn I want to buy.  Since I’m not really interested in renovating a house again,  the existing floor plan will be very important.  I’m hoping for larger rooms so I can work with color and feng shui to create a restful and peaceful experience for my guests.  I’m also hoping for a garden that will provide flowers for the rooms.  I think even a small vase or ikebana type vase can add a burst of color and liveliness to a room.

You know, I’m really finding out a lot about myself and the type of inn I want to have by writing this blog.  It has helped me to define the atmosphere I want to provide and even how I want my rooms to look in a less abstract way.  I’m having fun going through the alphabet, and being reminded of everything involved in innkeeping.

Financial feasibility will wind up the letter F. It is a concept that stays in the picture from purchase through selling an inn.  It goes along with budgeting as something to never lose sight of.  It is very easy to fall in love with an inn without looking at the big picture.  Buying something that is never going to cash flow and not knowing that if you haven’t done your homework can be one of the most discouraging things that can happen to an innkeeper and take the fun out of the job.  Since I definitely want to have fun and enjoy my inn and my guests, keeping my eye on the bottom line is something I plan on paying a much attention to.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Next week it’s on to G which stands for what it is all about-guests!

E is for effort…and more.

Hello, faithful followers if there are any of you left!  I will apologize quickly for being away so long.  No excuses except those we always use and I will try not to let it happen again.  My Mom has arrived from Michigan for the winter-apparently in the nick of time!  I hope those of you with the day off are enjoying it completely and doing something not work related.

I get more and more excited about once again having my own inn.  The small business association provides some good examples of inn-specific business plans and I have been reading some of those.  So I am about ready to start on my own outline.  I have joined the Professional Association if Innkeepers International for the second time around as an aspiring member, and reading information and connecting with other innkeepers in the forums feels like reconnecting with an old friend.  While I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, I am feeling very committed and know I will get through the tougher aspects of re-inning.

Regarding E!  Well, the amount of Effort needed to have a successful inn requires a lot of Energy.  One of the reasons I have ruled out smaller b&b’s is that I have already done that and feel like my energies would be better spent marketing, chatting with guests and managing, rather than making beds and doing laundry all day, plus everything else.  One area I do want to remain active in from previous experience is breakfast!  Keeping up energy levels also requires some work.  I do yoga and eat well, and also eat my healthy chocolate cookie every day.  It really gets me through long days, keeps my mood even, and helps me sleep better.  Please see my links if you are interested in chocolate that tastes good and is loaded with antioxidants, omega3′s and probiotics.  If you are going to eat chocolate, there’s no harm in having it be good for you!

Expenses-okay, who even wants to hear that word this time of year!  I will keep it short so we can quit thinking about it quickly.  Budgeting for expenses is one of the most important things an owner will do concerning the day to day running of the inn.  Otherwise it is so easy for money to fly out the door even more quickly than it will anyway.  When looking at an existing inn to purchase, you will find out when doing your due diligence if expenses are in line for that specific inn.  In general, the more luxurious the rooms, the more it costs to run them.  It really can be sticker shock and that is why it is important to have a grasp on these sorts of issues going in-there is no getting around the issues of expenses and the need to have a handle on them. It’s Elemental!

E also covers Employees.  This will be a growing edge for me.  I always had good luck with the housekeepers I had previously, so I’m hopeful I will be able to make the leap to a larger staff.  Along with all the paperwork sort of issues that go with having employees, there seems to be a good amount of intuition needed to keep everything running smoothly.  The paperwork is just something to do, so I will focus learning more about the human relations part of management.

So….E is not the most exciting letter so far.  But that is how the inn business is;  often crucial and sometimes tedious work to provide a wonderful guest experience.

Hopefully you are all enjoying the holiday season.  We are progressing here.  Tree is on the patio waiting to come in and get decorated.  Outside lights are out of storage and will be on the trees soon.  And even though we are committed to a one-gift  Christmas, shopping and secret hiding places abound!

Be well.  F and luxuries like Feather comforters are next-something I’m sure many of you are enjoying right now!