More Resources: Running a B&B

Available for sale from the Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association, this packet includes a wealth of information for future innkeepers.

From Bed and Breakfast Inns of Missouri.

If you need resources to help make repairs around the inn, About's home repair site is a great place to start.

From What a Site, includes a bed and breakfast start-up checklist for download in Word and WordPerfect formats.

Jay Karen is the president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, the largest bed and breakfast organization in the world with approximately 2,200 bed and breakfasts and 400 associate members.

The economy may not have hurt the B&B industry as severely as some sectors, but according to Roxanne Kolbe of Innmatchmakers.com it has change the way buyers buy and innkeepers sell.

Every innkeeper can share stories about the fine art of taking reservations. How much to take for a deposit, when to process the charge, creating a cancellation policy… While there’s no definitive reservation policy in the industry, there are some tips to know that will protect your profitably.

Create A Degree Of Difference

Jay Karen is the president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, the largest bed and breakfast organization in the world with approximately 2,200 bed and breakfasts and 400 associate members.

Jay Karen is the president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, the largest bed and breakfast organization in the world with approximately 2,200 bed and breakfasts and 400 associate members.

In a few short years, printed brochures have given way to websites that have given even the smallest bed and breakfast worldwide exposure. But how do you get started on a design that separates a good website from a great one?

Not every guest is as concerned about your inn as you are. How do you handle it when guests treat your B&B like their private resort?

Any innkeeper will tell you that running a bed and breakfast is a 24/7 operation. With constant demands, how do you save your sanity – and your relationships? Innkeepers have some secrets.

Given a choice, is your money better spent on membership in your local chamber of commerce or investing those funds into an Internet presence? It all depends on your intentions.

How can you make more money while keeping your room rates at a price that won’t drive away guests? As innkeepers across America have found, there are multiple ways to pair your talents with the resources of your bed and breakfast to generate additional income.

Any innkeeper can tell you that choosing a name for a bed and breakfast is one of the most anxiety-producing events they’ll ever face. So, what’s in a name?

One skill that all good innkeepers have is the ability to multi-task. In addition to being gracious hosts and accomplished cooks they must also be skilled housekeepers. Everyone has a different definition of ‘clean’ – but when you’re dealing with the public you can never be too focused.

For innkeepers, a deposit is insurance that a guest will arrive. But sometimes you have to make a judgment call on whether a guest’s excuse for cancelling is worth a refund. Based on an open question that asked ‘Why do guests cancel?’, innkeepers offered their takes on the art and science of cancellations.

The passion and desire to own a B&B can drive some people to jump right in when an opportunity arises. But what if that golden opportunity is covering up a laundry list of financial traps? Every innkeeper will tell you that a fledgling B&B requires much more of an investment than they originally anticipated. Here’s a short lesson in anticipating...

By and large, bed and breakfasts seemed to have weathered the economic storm. What's ahead in 2012? It's your turn to share your thoughts about what changes you foresee.

Interim Innkeepers – also known as Innsitters – may be the unsung heroes of the profession. Stepping into the spotlight when an inn’s owners need a break, they have to be quick studies to understand the intricacies of each bed and breakfast and perform tasks that took owners years to perfect. In this ongoing series, you’ll meet innsitters from...

It’s been a few decades since bed and breakfasts experienced the boom that put them on the radar screen of many travelers. Many travelers, but not all. To that end, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International initiated the Better Way to Stay Program to bring awareness to lodging options that can be more affordable than a standard...

Interim Innkeepers – also known as innsitters – may be the unsung heroes of the profession. Stepping into the spotlight when an inn’s owners need a break, they have to be quick studies to understand the intricacies of each bed and breakfast and perform tasks that took owners years to perfect. In this ongoing series, you’ll meet innsitters from...

A bed and breakfast is one of the few professions where the owner is usually the custodian. Keeping a clean house is a must, but cleaning must be done quickly to prepare for the next arrivals. Here are a few suggestions for keeping things tidy – and timely.

For some, a bed and breakfast is a natural when they travel while for others it’s an entirely different world of which they know very little. For those travelers, B&B.com compiled a list of myths that potential guests should know – and that all innkeepers should share.

When two inns are side by side, how does one stand apart? It all gets down to service.

Basil Fawltey, John Cleese’s fictional innkeeper would’ve enjoyed his profession if he didn’t have to deal with guests. But guests are the reasons many innkeepers get into the business. But there’s a fine line between spending time with your own guests and knowing when you should give them some space – and give yourself a breather.

How do the social media discount sites work for B&Bs? Some innkeepers wouldn’t touch the deals with a ten-foot pole, but others swear by them. See what innkeepers had to say about the cost – and the return.

Innkeepers take a lot of calls for rooms. Free rooms. Because a bed and breakfast is a popular item at charity auctions and there’s always a good cause that needs funds, innkeepers are often asked to donate gift certificates. So I asked innkeepers, who receives the benefit of your B&B largesse?

About's interior decorating site is packed with useful information for anyone who wants to improve the look of a bed and breakfast.