Becoming an innkeeper is a dream that many people share. But it's not simple to run a bed and breakfast, and you should do your homework thoroughly before welcoming your first guest. These books all provide useful insights into what it takes to operate a successful B&B.
1. Running a Bed & Breakfast for Dummies
Image courtesy of Wiley Publishing
Running a Bed & Breakfast for Dummies is a fantastic resource for aspiring innkeepers and even current innkeepers who want to do a better job. It is packed with the practical, down-to-earth information that anyone considering becoming a bed and breakfast innkeeper really needs to know. The For Dummies format works well for the information presented, with many checklists spread through the book and chapters covering topics from record-keeping to breakfast preparation, from buying an inn to hiring employees. I highly recommend Running a Bed & Breakfast for Dummies for anyone considering innkeeping as a career.
2. So - You Want to Be an Innkeeper
Packed with insider information on how to start, operate and promote a successful inn, this book is a must-have for aspiring bed and breakfast innkeepers. Illustrations, charts and worksheets are mixed in with the 300-plus pages of tips and advice. A seminal, comprehensive work written by the people who founded the Professional Association of Innkeepers International.
3. How to Open and Operate a Bed and Breakfast
Suggestions from professional innkeepers are sprinkled liberally throughout this book. Also included are anecdotes, charts, worksheets, and more. Author Jan Stankus served as director of the Traveler's Information Exchange for 10 years.4. Complete Idiot's Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast
This guide is written in the familiar "complete idiot" format, so if you like that kind of layout consider picking it up. Author Park Davis graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and operates Benchmark Inn & Central, a bed and breakfast in Provincetown, Massachusetts.5. Start and Run a Profitable Bed and Breakfast
Authors Monica and Richard Taylor, who admit they were "blissfully unaware" of the problems they would encounter while running a bed and breakfast, draw on their personal experience to write this guide. They cover the good and the bad.6. How to Start and Operate Your Own Bed and Breakfast
This book is heavy on practical tips, but a little lighter on the business angle. Author Martha Watson Murphy ran Murphy's Bed and Breakfast in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and taught an innkeeping class at Brown University.