As I have spoken with B&B Brokers and appraisers across the country lately I’ve gathered lending to the bed and breakfast industry has gone from challenging to difficult. It would seem lenders are increasingly edgy about financing and money so are making things challenging at the very least and being more particular about the mortgage loans they write.
Finances
Financial Planning for the B&B Innkeeper
Financial planning is one of the more boring-sounding topics to think of as you go about life, but it’s critical to the well- being of you and your inn. The kind of financial planning I’m talking about goes beyond financial retirement planning and even personal financial planning. Do you have a plan to cover the eventuality you (be that singular or plural) get sick?
A Green Business Plan for an Environmentally Friendly Hotel
Your bed and breakfast business plan is where you demonstrate all the thinking you’ve done for making your business successful. It should cover creating and growing income, and managing expenses. Also, you should address keeping your operating expenses down through conservation measures without hurting customer service or the guest experience.
Long Term Care Insurance
While much of the insurance we buy is betting on a rare event, long-term health insurance is betting on almost a sure thing. I’ve seen statistics that show the probability of needing long-term care insurance is fifty percent. Given those odds, you can be assured that this policy is going to be expensive, especially the older you get. As the rate goes up, it strains the budget increasingly until many times the consumer drops it because their fixed income budgets can’t handle it any longer. Because insurance companies know how high the cancellation rate is for this kind of policy, and consumers don’t tend to know it, the potential for fraud is high in this area of insurance.
Business Insurance for the B&B Innkeeper
One of the most common questions I get from clients is whether their homeowner’s insurance will suffice for their bed and breakfast. The short answer is “no”. The longer answer is “no way”. It’s important to think about insurance for the business — building, liability, and contents — just as it’s important to think about auto insurance, health insurance, life insurance (be it term life, whole life, or universal whole life), long term care insurance, and disability insurance.
A Will and Powers of Attorney for the B&B Innkeeper
A will lets you take control of how your property is distributed after your death. If you have a simple estate, a simple (or basic) will may be sufficient. But the more complex your estate and life are, the more complex the will may need to be. This is where you get to choose your executor, a guardian for your children, and a manager for property you leave to minor children.
Changing Times: B&B Income Diversity and Profit
Part of owning and operating a successful business is knowing what your primary intent is, or your business focus. When the merchants along the main street of Boulder, Colorado, decided to create a pedestrian mall, they first discussed what their purpose was in forming a pedestrian mall. Initially they thought the focus was to create a merchandising center, but with further conversation they realized that they really were creating a place that was safe for people of all walks of life to come together and interact. Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall is one of the most successful pedestrian malls in the country because the merchants understood what they were creating, and have been faithful to that vision during its almost thirty years of existence. Similarly, a B&B inn’s purpose might not simply be “a lodging property,” but rather a place to provide a fun and safe time while at the inn.
Changing Times: Your Exit Strategy
When the B&B industry was entering its growth phase about 25 years ago, few innkeepers entering the business thought about how they would get out. Reasons for that lack of planning include thinking they’d be innkeepers forever and believing there would be a line of potential innkeepers waiting to buy their operating B&B. Instead, what we find today are buyers savvier and better educated than they were 25 years ago, at a time when there’s a glut on the market, despite, or because of a continued rise in prices.
Surviving the Recession with your B&B
September 11 Attacks And The Recession.
I mentioned last month, As I mentioned last month, I attended the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) meeting in Santa Fe, NM. You can imagine, there were several points of view shared. Most people were positive about the travel industry’s future, near and long-term, and predict that the impact of the attacks will have minimal affect on the lodging industry. In fact, according to Smith Travel Research, occupancy and room rates have returned to almost the same point they were before the attacks. What can’t be quantified is what the recession will do to the industry. For this issue, I’ll focus on the group’s consensus on how to survive in a down market.
Financing A Bed And Breakfast For Sale
At the conference I attended this spring, I sat in on Feasibility and Appraisal presentations, which gave me a better understanding of why financing B&Bs is challenging for so many buyers. There were several interesting points which I can share with you which will help you in your B&B acquisition quest. This information also applies to sellers, since if buyers can’t get financing you can’t close the sale.