A Bed & Breakfast is a Wonderful Work from Home Business Opportunity
One very interesting option for making money, while working from home, is to run a Bed and Breakfast. Stop! Before you just run out and start converting your residence into a Bed & Breakfast, you will need to take a few major preparatory steps:
- First check out zoning ordinances for your neighborhood. Many neighborhoods, especially newer ones with little privacy or parking will not allow such a business to be run from your home. However, you can always apply for a variance to zoning ordinances. There is no guarantee one will be granted.
- Assuming you find current zoning laws allow you to open a Bed & Breakfast or that a variance will be granted, then you will also need to consult the health department to ascertain its requirements.
- You will also need to obtain a business license and set up a commercial banking account that can handle major credit cards.
- One of the most important steps in making a work from home business enterprise profitable is to establish a good business plan. So sit down and decide what demographic you will target and how you will get your message out. Then take into consideration what that demographic group will require to provide them with a pleasant visit. One that will be spread by word of mouth to others.
Bed & Breakfasts can come in many sizes. While you may not be granted a zoning variance to turn 3 bedrooms into guest rooms, you may be able to convert one or two rooms. For a work from home business undertaking to be profitable does not require it to be big. A Bed & Breakfast with accommodations for even one couple can be quite a boon when it comes to supplemental income. If the fee charged brought in a nightly profit that averaged out to $50, a conservative figure by most standards, and you rented that room out a mere 100 nights per year that would be $5,000 per year supplemental income while leaving the majority of your nights open to do other things you want to do. Of course if you are looking for higher income and are able to rent out the room 200 times you are looking at $10,000. Either way you are talking a substantial supplemental income for a work from home business.
Where would a Bed & Breakfast do well? Most any town or city with a major historical or other tourist based destination will work for a work from home business such as this. There may already be more than enough lodging available in the form of motels and hotels; however, there are always those people who like to have a semblance of privacy while on vacation. You make these people happy with their visit to your establishment and they will be the best advertising you have.