Many people nowadays are using one room as an office, there is also the idea of renting out a small, self-contained suite, but have you ever thought of a bed and breakfast business? It can be a fun way to earn some extra cash.



Having a bed and breakfast business would mean you could meet people from all over the world and it may enable you to buy a home that is a little more up market. You need to be aware of certain pointers, the first being that when you start, no-one will know that this new business is in operation. For this reason, and the fact that it may only be seasonal income, the profits should not be included in your regular budget.

It takes a while for the advertising of a new business to be put into place - and then to take effect. The local tourist information may not have your details for the first few months, so unless you live on a busy highway and can post a sign, your business will be slow at first.

The more aggressively you market it, the more business you will likely get. The following year you may get return visitors and your advertising will be in place, so this is the year when things may pick up. However, bear in mind B & B is dependent upon many things, i.e. the weather, what's on in your area, maybe even the strength of the dollar!

There are several different ways to run a B & B, you can make it a 24 hour job, or you can set it up to be almost self-serving. If you want to offer a full cooked breakfast you will need a dining room that is set up for guests.

To help you at your busiest time which will be the morning, you can type up menus. These will be filled in by the guest before they retire, and will include their expected breakfast time, and typed menu choices so that the guests can tick off what they want. This way you can get prepared ahead of time.

Then there is the easier way - via the continental breakfast! Set up coffee and tea making facilities in the guest rooms, with some cookies, hot chocolate sachets and individual creamers. In the morning, leave a basket of freshly warmed croissants and/or brown buns/ muffins etc (from your freezer), with a pot of butter, individual jams and cheeses. Line the basket with a fresh linen napkin and before you cover the contents with another napkin, add knives. Leave this basket outside their door at a pre-arranged time.

If you phone you other B & Bs in the area to enquire their prices, you will know what to charge - (slightly less!) Another little trick is to phone a really successful B & B, and ask they if they would like to keep a note of your number for their 'overflow'. Often they would rather not turn away potential guests away with no alternative place to stay.

The initial outlay for this business is very low, so it is virtually risk-free. The two points to overcome are first advertising and second, do not rely on the income for your regular budget as it is spasmodic.