I'm working on a feature now and in it I mention how Nancy and I found our B&B. Initially we spent years in a futile quest to find a ten-room inn until fate pointed us in the direction of the home we would convert into a three-room B&B. In hindsight, a ten-room inn would have swamped us. Since we wanted to maintain some sense of freedom, it turned out that the size and price of our inn fits our lifestyle perfectly. In order to help people who may have a mistaken notion of "the perfect inn," I'm hoping some of you can share why you chose yours. Was it the price? The location? Because it had lot of rooms or just a few? What was that key point that told you it'd fit into the lifestyle you wanted? If you have time to jot down a few sentences, I'll work your story into a longer feature soon.

I received a note from a woman who is an aspiring innkeeper and after reading about my features about innsitters K.C. Worrall and Jeannie Simmons, she wondered: "My husband and I would love nothing else but to own a B&B - but of course money is the issue. Do Innkeepers hire people to run their B&B when the person they are hiring never owned a B&B themselves? How do they trust you, especially the first time?" I'm sure that she, and others in her position, would love to solve this mystery. Personally, my wife and I volunteered to work at two B&Bs -- one in NC and the other in Massachusetts -- for a total of three months just to understand if we would enjoy the lifestyle and learn how to do the work. It was like an apprenticeship, almost, but it was invaluable training for when we were finally able to buy our own in. Thanks for your assistance on this one!

With a new general manager at the helm, BedandBreakfast.com has a new look to go along with it. It's pretty impressive what they've done, and you can read all about how they've revamped their website to make it easier for travelers (and more advantageous for innkeepers) in my appropriately-titled feature 'BedandBreakfast.com Revamps Its Website'.

Most of us will stick with a product if it serves us well and offers good value. The same is true of bed and breakfasts. I put some ideas down about building up a sense of loyalty among your guests to ensure they'll see that the level of service and value will keep them returning year after year. You'll see those thoughts in my featuring Inspiring Guest Loyalty. Feel free to add your thoughts. It'd be nice to know how you've been building up loyalty among your own guests.