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Thursday,
February 1, 2007 On
My Mind It has now been almost a month since the PAII Board first learned that our CEO, Pam Horovitz, was resigning. I know I speak for the rest of the Board members when I admit that our first reaction was "Oh, no!" (Ok, maybe a little stronger than that!), both out of concern for the health challenges that Pam and her family are facing, but also because we knew that we would be facing challenges of our own in searching for a replacement, not to mention, miss her! Now that the Board has had a chance to meet, I know that we are all feeling optimistic and that we view this challenge as an opportunity to build on what Pam has brought to PAII, and to take our industry to yet another level. One of the most frequent questions we are hearing is "Are you going to hire an innkeeper for the position?" So let me take a moment to talk about our CEO search. Of course, we are advertising the President's position on the PAII website (You can see the position listing here.). We're advertising to our industry because we know that what an innkeeper would bring to the position is a fundamental understanding not only of operating a B&B, but also of the life of an innkeeper. Being an innkeeper is rewarding, but it can also be lonely, tiring, and scary. We want our association to be as caring of our innkeepers as we are of our guests. We're also advertising this position through ASAE, the association for association executives. This is how we found Pam, and one of the things we also recognize is that running an inn (even successfully) is not the same as running an association. So we know that hiring an association professional would bring us someone with a fundamental understanding of growing membership and servicing members, producing conventions and trade shows, publishing newsletters, research, and books, as well as representing our industry on a national level. We want our association to be as professional in its work as our innkeepers are in theirs. Finally, we're also advertising our position via various business networks, because we know that hiring a successful business executive would bring us someone with a solid knowledge of finances, contract negotiation, technology, marketing, and operations. Our members are largely entrepreneurs, and a successful business person will relate to the hard work and knowledge and risk that are behind any successful business. Ideally, of course, we'd like someone with all of these attributes, so we're casting a wide net giving ourselves the broadest opportunity to find just the right person. We've already got resumes coming in, and our Search Committee has begun the task of deciding whose qualifications will lead to interviews. Our goal is to have someone identified and hired by April. In the meantime, we have the luxury and huge benefit of still having Pam at the helm along with the rest of the able PAII staff. If you know someone that you think would make a great CEO for PAII,
regardless of what industry they come from, send them our listing.
The more candidates we have to choose from, the better our chances
of finding our prefect fit. We are confident and excited to take
PAII into the next years building on the solid foundation that Pam
has set.
It's No Mystery! Converting Callers to Guests Don is presenting a follow-up Super Session, "More Converting Callers to Guests on Wednesday," and you can also visit him in his Trade Show booth. Quality is a State of Mind, Not a State of Budget Take Your Website to the Next Level World Class Egg Expert & Preeminent Bread Baker Friends, Fun, Camaraderie Largest Trade Show for Innkeepers The PAII Trade Show is the place to find the vendors that cater to your innkeeping needs with products and services scaled perfectly to inns. Find new products and vendors that will save you money! Many exhibitors offer show specials that can significantly cut your expenses. See you in Myrtle Beach! For more information and to register: www.paiiconvention.org
Have
Pets, Will Travel You greet tonight's guests at the door and stare down at the Labradoodle they've brought unannounced. Terror mounts at the mental vision of sausage links passed to this beast beneath your breakfast table and expensive down pillows ripped to shreds. You imagine how, upon their departure, you'll be sentenced to hours on your hands and knees scrubbing stains out of your oriental rug. You consider sending them packing before your place is contaminated. Wait! Are you sure you want to do that? Last year, 29 million Americans took at least one overnight trip with a pet, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. That number is up from 15 million in 2003— essentially doubling in just three years. A recent article in Entrepreneur Magazine stated the latest trend is employees bringing their pets along on business trips. Many hotels and airlines are taking notice of this trend and are changing their policies to accommodate a rapidly growing market. At our former historic inn, we inherited a no pet policy from the previous owners. For five years, we suggested people board their pets at the local veterinarian hospital in order to stay at our property. Is it any surprise that no one took us up on our offer? Looking back, with just a few simple changes, we could have easily accommodated pets in at least one guestroom. We could have easily welcomed all those guests we turned away (along with their four legged companions), quite possibly turning them into repeat guests. When we opened our current B&B, we noticed that many of the inns in our region accepted pets and subsequently, reconsidered our position on being pet friendly. We have never regretted this decision, and plan to build our next inn around a specifically designed pet-friendly suite (and child friendly, but that's another topic). Innkeepers often assume accepting pets at their B&B will automatically result in damage to furniture, ruined precious antiques, and incessant barking. The experiences of many innkeepers who accept pets are actually quite different. The key is having firm policies in place and making the guest aware of those polices prior to arrival. The vast majority of people who travel to a B&B with their pet are accustomed to bringing their pet along. These guests tend to be very considerate of the property and are very conscientious when it comes to controlling their pet. "I think this market is GREAT," says one Virginia innkeeper. "People with animals are so appreciative that you take pets. It really shows in the attitude of the guest. Many of our pet owner guests have been weekday stays in the off-season, so it really has increased revenue. Most of the rooms they occupied would have remained empty without us having been pet friendly." Another assumption commonly made is in order to be considered "pet friendly," you must accept all varieties of pets in all guestrooms. According to scientists at John Hopkins University, more people are allergic to cats than dogs, and in the United States, cat allergies affect between 5–10% of the population. In order to continue to accommodate guests who may be allergic to animals, be sure to set aside pet-free rooms and clearly state this on your website. You can still be considered a pet-friendly establishment with just one room that accommodates pets! Our experience, as well as those of the innkeepers interviewed for this article, is that dogs are overwhelmingly the primary animal that people travel with. In the three years that we've been accepting pets at our property, we've had dozens and dozens of dogs, but only two cats and two birds. Inns that have limited themselves to allowing only dogs are more than likely not losing many guests from the "pet-friendly" market. However, they may miss out on some of the fun. Another innkeeper in Franklin, Tennessee, takes the prize for most unique non-human guest. "Our most unusual pet was a monkey. It was being nursed from birth and the owner kept him wrapped in a receiving blanket like a baby," she explained. "I thought it was a baby so imagine my surprise when I peeked into the blanket to see the adorable offspring and had this hairy grinning creature staring back at me!" Steps to Becoming Pet Friendly Where Should I Welcome Pets? In regards to cleaning, you'll appreciate a room with hardwood floors, although pets can certainly stay in a room with wall-to-wall carpet. Just anticipate the extra vacuuming required and charge accordingly. "Make the accommodation easy to clean and don't burden the guests with lots of rules," recommends Sue Blansett of Brackenridge House Bed and Breakfast in San Antonio, Texas. Although most pets don't disturb others unless they're left unattended in a room, consider this room's location in regards to other guestrooms to avoid pet sounds disturbing other guests. What Are My Pet Policies? Will I Have Pet Fees? Will I Have Pet Add-Ons? If you feel creative, look for specialty pet items you can put together in a package. Doggie massages, pet toys or bath products, even pet turndown service can provide extra revenue. With proper promotion, you may be able to attract media attention, as pet-friendly travel is a popular topic today. How Will I Market My Pet-Friendly Inn? Hosting pet guests can be very rewarding. Only you can decide if being pet-friendly is right for your property. However, many innkeepers who have already taken the leap share the opinion of the pet-friendly innkeeper in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, who said, "Some of our Dog guests have been some of our best guests!"
Christy Collins, along with her husband Earl,
is the owner of Beside Still Waters Farm Bed and Breakfast Cottages
in Willits, California (www.besidestillwatersfarm.com).
The Collins formerly owned The Village Inn B&B in Stone Mountain,
Georgia. Anderson, Inn Pup, is the resident pet greeter and property
manager.
Network
Marketing, A.K.A. Flamingo Marketing There's something to be said for flamingos: They get noticed wherever they are. Like the more commonly recognized guerilla marketing, the objective is for your business to reach customers using inexpensive means that take very little time from your very busy workday. I'm not talking about advertising, or your website (understand that you need an active one—the best money you can spend is on your website), or your logo (a recognizable identity is priceless), or your printed materials. We are talking about one-on-one, personal, shameless, self-promotion of your business. Not very long ago, PAII presented in its newsletter four rules of marketing that, if followed faithfully, will keep a steady stream of guests coming through your door. These four rules are integral to success. The first two rules:
These are, without question, key to in-house marketing. However, the second two rules stress the value of being not merely a member, but being involved in trade and local business associations:
This is where your flamingo will stand its tallest and shine the brightest! Most business owners join local trade associations and local Chambers of Commerce to stay on top of changing trends, as well as to benefit from industry research (PAII has been quite helpful to me in that regard). That information can be invaluable when making decisions about the future of your business. As an innkeeper, I've found that being not merely a member, but an active member, of these associations has been the best marketing tool I've used. Walking into a Chamber or association event not knowing a soul can be daunting. You may even wonder why you're leaving your business and paying someone else to be there to cover your B&B. Trust me, the few dollars you're spending will come back to you in much greater numbers. And by the end of the first event you attend, you'll have met and chatted with at least eight new people who'll be familiar faces at the next event you attend. Your association and Chamber memberships will facilitate your "Flamingo Marketing" techniques. Attend the functions. Take advantage of cost-free opportunities to showcase your B&B, for instance, when being introduced as a new member and by being a "Spotlighter" (our Chamber offers four or five "Spotlighter" tables to members to present trade show-like displays at each monthly breakfast). Talk with Chamber staff. They know their membership and can point out prime contacts within the organization for you. Make it a point to talk with other business owners—if they have colleagues and/or friends coming to town, they are potential guests at your B&B. Attend events such as fundraisers and community celebrations. Connect and stay in touch with people who know what happens in your community. Being in tune with your community and becoming known as a person who is playing a positive role will serve your business well. In my experience, the Chamber is probably the best way to network locally. By getting involved, you'll know what's going on, in what direction the community is moving, and who the players are. Also, when you think about how your community is contributing toward the success of your business, being involved in your Chamber is an excellent and worthwhile way to give back. In addition, through your Chamber and networking with other members, you'll learn about and be in a position to tap into local networks of other small businesses and organizations. In this way, your flamingo can spread its wings and attract the attention of groups such as arts organizations, post-secondary education facilities, medical facilities, service organizations, etc. This type of networking allows you to be exposed to local support groups other than within the B&B industry. They can give you a different perspective on marketing ideas, information on legislation and politics, and give you leads you may not have thought of previously. The more people you network with, the more you outreach to local and national organizations, the more successful and well-rounded your business will be. You'll find mentors, advisors, and a bevy of friends—all of whom will refer guests to your B&B. This Flamingo Marketing technique will help you build a support system and will extend your market reach. The final rule of marketing is:
This rule is the foundation of Flamingo Marketing. It takes networking to the next level. Now, it's time to take advantage of the valuable contacts you've made and make sure that they know first hand just what it is you and your B&B have to offer. Participate in charity auctions donating services from your business. You can't beat the exposure you'll get in the charity auction circle. Have an open house to show your business off to as many potential guest referrals as possible. Make it a Chamber event to generate an even higher level of attendance. Have more than one open house, gearing each to a different segment of your business community. Then use these businesses for informal market research. What are they looking for from you as an innkeeper? Can you serve them in the manner they need? Invite business and community leaders you've met to hold a board meeting at your B&B to heighten their familiarity with you and your business. Serve them coffee and your famous banana bread. Tell them this meeting is on you. Keep in mind that similar businesses are not your enemy. Connect with them, get to know them: How they are the same as you? How do they differ? Share concerns, ideas, etc. that will benefit everyone. Develop an informal referral network with those B&Bs that meet your standards and share overflow guests. Working together rather than against each other will bring everyone a measure of success. Other businesses in your area share your customers. Visit them with business cards and flyers in neat containers and ask them to display them. Offer to reciprocate. Be selective. It is critical to partner with high quality businesses like your own. And, never, NEVER, go anywhere without your business cards. Ultimately, people who know you and like you will be your customers. That is the purpose of network or Flamingo Marketing. Get involved, meet people and get to know them, become a customer of their businesses if at all possible, send them referrals, and watch what happens. You turn into a flamingo—getting noticed, displaying your bright color and confident stature, and becoming successful in your own business.
You have evaluated your food service and decided you need a change. Whether that change is simply an upgrade or freshening up of the menu, or expanded service (Gee, let's serve dinner!), staffing is an important consideration. First, evaluate yourself. Define what you can do and what you like to do. Craft a plan of what parts of the food service side you don't want to be responsible for on a daily basis. One of my favorite parts of serving breakfast at our inn was the daily prep time. Guests were often gone for the day and I had the kitchen to myself. While the prep was simple and repetitive stuff that I could have easily trained someone else to do, it was great for my mental health! Then, evaluate your food service. Be sure that whatever changes you are contemplating still represent your inn's ambiance and character. Now, you can start putting together job descriptions for the positions you need to fill. Define clearly for yourself what this person or persons will be responsible for. As you go through this process, your staffing needs will become clear. Do you just need someone who will come in and help serve and clean up? Do you want someone who will be responsible for menu development, shopping, and inventory? Will they be supervising other staff? How many hours will they work? Are they in charge if you aren't there? Before we turn the discussion to chefs, consider the myriad of food professionals available who are not actual chefs. Many skill levels exist in the professional culinary world: breakfast line cooks, prep cooks, and bakers, for example. Especially if you determine that the person you need won't be doing the management side, you can consider someone whose skill set is more specific. For example, you have decided to add high tea in the afternoon. You are a tea fiend and need no help in that quarter. But you would rather be out with the guests than fussing with the finger sandwiches. Skill levels will obviously vary with each individual, but if you have the recipes planned and the menu organized, someone at a prep cook level may be the staff you need. This could be someone who works the morning shift at a local restaurant and would enjoy a part-time job in the afternoons. If you decide that what your operation needs is a chef, read on as Davis Hiler of Hiler Hospitality gives us great advice on a successful search. "Cooks are in some ways very much like actors;
Hiring a chef can be one of the most complicated, confusing, and consternation-causing endeavors you will ever encounter in the hospitality business. Find the right one and you will regularly enjoy the sweet sounds of praise from your guests. Get the wrong one and you may end up with not only a disgruntled patronage, but possibly a mutinous staff, an exorbitant food cost, and a prickly personnel situation. So, hiring the right culinary person for your inn can be crucial to the success or failure of whatever food operation you choose; be it a full-service restaurant, a gourmet breakfast program, or an elegant high tea. But before we travel down that mysterious road, let's do a little review: By now you've made the decision to expand, change, or otherwise incorporate some sort of food service into your inn. You have read about the pitfalls and listened to the critics, but it's no use, you are determined to forge ahead. Good for you! However, once you've made the decision, there are a few important elements you need to remember.
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into
with abandon or not at all. The items above are essential to understanding the job you will offer your future chef. As it is with your inn, this is a niche position. It isn't for everyone. So, unless you are in an urban location and looking to get a show on the Food Network, the person you will attract will likely be life-style driven and not as celebrity or monetarily motivated. This is not to say that inn chefs cannot attain notoriety (James Beard dinners are routinely hosted by inn chefs). However, this should not be a primary goal in the master plan of your food service operation. The attraction for a chef to your inn might be shorter hours, less stress, more influence on the menu, better working conditions, and a chance to use more of their creativity. The chef at a country inn should understand that they are part of an all-day operation. Guests are around at all hours of the day and night. They like to see behind the scenes, meet the staff, and chat with chef (Horrors!). The chef should oversee all aspects of the food being served. While they may not prepare the breakfast daily or bake the cookies in the afternoon, they should know what is served, what is being ordered, how often and how much it all costs. "Our lives are not in the lap of the gods,
but in the lap of our cooks." Incorporating these elements into a clear and well-defined advertisement for the position is essential to getting the right resumes. Finding a chef starts at home, or at least close by. Advertising locally can be advantageous for a number of reasons, not the least of which are interview accessibility, existing knowledge of your region, and eventually moving expenses, housing, and acclimation. There is most likely more than one culinary program within a few hours from where you are located; All of them will have alumni job postings. In addition, local and regional newspapers, other restaurants, your vendors, and purveyors (BIG gossips!) can all be inexpensive and effective search avenues. After you have exhausted these possibilities, you can move to the larger national advertising outlets; nationally known Culinary schools and websites, such as www.chefjobsnetwork.com and www.ihirechefs.com. However, while you can expect a great response from these sources, the resumes they produce often have little to do with the ad you post (The former Executive Sous Chef of a 2000 Room Hilton in Malaysia is a personal favorite) and the time it takes to review, categorize, and respond to them all is more disposable time than any human innkeeper has. Ideally, you will have enough resumes to whittle down into four of five good options. Now, it is time to start conducting interviews. The first extended phone call is important. Be honest and forthright about the position. This may save both you and the candidate a lot of time and effort in the long run. Make sure s/he understands the position ("Oh, I might have to do dishes?" …click) and the salary range and benefits. Don't try to sell the job. It's not going to be right for everyone, so don't try to talk them into it. Take copious notes. All chefs are unique and different and they will all have different strengths and weaknesses. "Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite
of a dish, Once you have established the "short list," the next
call should be to follow-up and make sure the interest is there
for both of you. At the completion of this call, you should arrange
for an onsite visit and cooking interview. An overnight is best,
as it gives you a chance to show them what you do. The cooking interview
is obviously an important step in the process, but not simply for
the reason you might be thinking. The cooking interview will tell
you a lot about the candidate, perhaps the least important of which
is whether or not they can cook. Anyone who has gotten this far
in the process should be able to prepare a good meal for you (If
not, they may need to choose another career path). The more essential
ingredients of this interview are:
If you can get three good cooking interviews, you will most likely have a good variety of cooking styles, personalities, and talents to choose from. Some will have strong baking skills, some charcuterie or ice carving talents, and some may simply feel the Frialator is their strongest culinary tool (Don't hire this last one, regardless of how good their Thai spring rolls might be). "The cook was a good cook, as cooks go;
Ultimately, the decision of which chef to hire should be time-consuming,
careful, and deliberate. This is a person who will hopefully be
with you for a long time—for better or worse. If that saying
sounds familiar, it should: This is an employee, essentially a new
business partner, to whom you will be wed during their tenure. They
will help shape your food service operation, generate more local
interest in the inn, create additional advertising opportunities,
and provide a highly visible reason for guests to visit your inn
again and again.
Question: Answer: Post what you would do in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your response will be included in next month's issue of innkeeping. Also, do you have a nut-picker, a loud-snorer, or another scenario you'd like to ask other innkeepers "What do you do?" If so, please post your scenario in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your question will be included in a future issue of innkeeping!
Answers: Mike Venturini Dottie Musser Bruce & Katherine Brown Michelle Bliss
Upon purchasing an inn, on top of everything else, many innkeepers find that they inherit a previous owners' website marketing strategy. Such was the case in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Steve and Kathy Hiatt are the owners and innkeepers of the Bottger Mansion of Old Town. Steve and Kathy share with PAII, "While the old website [created in 1996] was easy to navigate and people told us they liked it, the appearance was somewhat dated and reflected the marketing strategy of a previous owner." In the spring of 2006, as part of the website design competition for last year's PAII Convention, Steve and Kathy began negotiating the purchase of a renovated website. During their preliminary restructuring considerations, Steve and Kathy realized that on top of a fresh face, their new website would need a new marketing strategy. As many inn websites do, the Bottger Mansion's previous website marketed the highlights of the inn, itself. Given their guests' visitation patterns, however, Steve and Kathy realized that their new website needed to be a tool to market not only their beautiful inn, but also the beauty of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Steve and Kathy reflect, "We realized that many visitors, especially first-timers, did not realize how much there is to do and see in Albuquerque. We felt that we should provide as much of that information as possible to promote Albuquerque as a destination, increasing both occupancy and multiple-night stays." To help meet this goal, Steve and Kathy added dynamic features such as specials, packages, local events, and nearby restaurants that were easy for them to change themselves on a regular basis. "We needed the website to be flexible so we could market local events and react quickly to opportunities," they recall. After getting on a professional architecture photographer's schedule
to have all new photographs taken for the website, and after getting
through their inn's busy season, Steve and Kathy began working with
Acorn Internet Services Inc. on the design and content of their
new website. "The only element we really kept was the URL,"
they explain. "Most of the text was significantly updated,
many links were added (both internal and external), and the navigation
was changed from buttons along the left side to drop-downs across
the top." Overall, the Bottger Mansion website makeover cost approximately
$5,500 (including professional photographs). Having gone live just
recently, their new website's visitor statistics are unavailable
as of yet. "Even though it's still too early to gauge the effect
the site will have on our business," these pleased innkeepers
share, "we love the look and feel of our new website and have
received positive comments from many of our business associates." If you'd like to see the changes for yourself, here is the previous Bottger Mansion site, and here is the revised Bottger Mansion site. Thanks to Steve and Kathy Hiatt at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town
and to Acorn Internet Services Inc. for sharing this website makeover
with us. If you'd like to share your website makeover with us, send
your e-mail to stacey@paii.org.
Kim & Susan Egelseer Jim & Linda Little Brad Smith Kudos to the following PAII members who have referred new members and will receive 2 free months membership as part of our Member-Get-A-Member campaign. Many thanks for your support! Carol & Tom Edmondson of Innkeeping Specialists
in Brewster, Cape Cod, MA Jan & Ruth Cort of the Peninsula House
in Annapolis, MD Lowell & Lindsay Hanson of the 40 Putney
Road B&B in Brattleboro, VT Blayne & Julie McAferty of the Greenlake
Guest House in Seattle, WA
Katrina Session Larry D. Rhodes Ed & Carol Fischer Tracie Yergo Kevin & Shawna Garber Gordon & Lynette Brown Dan Durant
Brand B&B Carriage House on Capitol Hill Dormer House Fleur-de-Lys Mansion Fordham House B&B Hartzell House B&B Hawley House B&B Highland Park Inn Hillcrest Guest House Intown Uptown Inn McGee's Inn Milestone Inn Nob Hill Riverview B&B Ocean City Mansion Old North Durham Inn Peninsula House Pheasant Run Farm B&B Shafer Baillie Mansion B&B Sky Lodge Storybook Inn Sugar Tree Inn Whitehead Inn & Executive Suites New Aspiring Members Sondra Keene John Lucier Richard Thomas
Fresh teas from exotic lands. Adagio Teas is a leading purveyor of gourmet loose, bagged and ready-to-drink teas. Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony Christina's World Comerica Bank Guestbook Store NorthWest Glass Designs For B&Bs ONLY! We offer our hand-blown cup and saucer sets for $12.00 a set. Four cups and saucers at $12.00!, Regularly $14.00 a set. Also, great tea cups to match our glass tea pots! Tea and Chi / River Rock The Turkish Towel Company, Inc. The ULTIMATE towel experience…100% Turkish cotton towels and
robes for the luxury hospitality market-sophisticated comfort and
quality your guests will never forget. Dear Readers, February is "Pet-Friendly Month"! In recognition of "Love
Your Pet Week" (February 11th through 17th), we're including
here a recipe for "Easy Cheesy Doggy Biscuits" for you
to give to the Fidos in your life (or in your inn) as Valentines.
Thank you to Christy Collins, pet-friendly innkeeper at Beside
Still Waters Farm B&B Cottages in Willits, CA (www.besidestillwatersfarm.com),
for contributing this thoughtful treat recipe! We look forward to hearing from you! Easy Cheesy Doggy Biscuits Instructions Sincerely,
innkeeping is published monthly. Annual subscription is included in the price of membership. Publisher Editor-in-Chief Production Coordinator Editorial Staff Editorial Suggestions and Contributions Advertising Rates & Information Title Image Courtesy of Jumping Rocks ©2007 innkeeping, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the editor. (back to top) |
Jan
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