Opening a B&B near Lincoln

Today we have been open for exactly 8 years

14th August 2016

To some people it might seem like heaven to run a Bed and Breakfast, others would consider it Hell. Personally I enjoy it but just like life in general it has its ups and downs. This is my only income so it is very much a full time job, this situation brings its own stresses but equally gives me great satisfaction.

When we opened our B&B in Saxilby we knew it was going to be a challenge and we had a plan B, that was one of us had to get a proper job! Louise had worked in Hotels and Restaurants as a student and had a Food and Catering degree and I had qualified and worked as an Environmental Health Officer. Prior to opening our small hotel we were both Managers in Tesco's Head Office.
For six months our house was in turmoil as our builders and contractors built ensuites and installed fire doors, a fire alarm and laid new flooring. When we accepted our first booking we were very excited. On our first weekend open we had to turn away some Guests because we were full. These were high moments and some low ones were days and days of no bookings and people calling to cancel their bookings because of a particularly severe winter.

These are the things we learnt quickly:
Don't panic, the night that I accidentally set off the fire alarm at 4am was followed by the morning when all of our guests shrugged off the incident and asked if they could book again.
Money seals a deal. In the first few months we took people at face value and many of them did not turn up to stay (or pay) for the room they reserved. This stopped happening as soon as we asked for a deposit to secure a booking.
People are very different. Some would like to tell you everything that has happened in their day/life others would like to nod and grunt so don't take it personally.