Running a guest house is no easy task. Even if you’ve been in the hospitality industry for years, getting a guest house up and running and turning it into a successful venture requires hard work and dedication. Running a guest house is no easy task.If you want your guesthouse to succeed, here are five Tips for Running a Successful Guest House.
Implement Payroll Software
Even if you run a small, five-room guest house, you shouldn’t be doing everything on pen and paper. A successful guest house makes use of the host of software and tech tools out there and this is where payroll software comes in. Implementing a payroll software package for small businesses is the key to streamlining your guest house success. By using payroll software you can simplify all those time-consuming payroll tasks and make them instantly efficient. Freeing up more time for you to focus on other areas of your business.
Payroll software gives hoteliers the confidence to run accurate reports, use real-time data to submit tax returns on time, access and review payslips, P60s and other crucial payroll documents, make payments, deductions and calculate National Insurance with just a few clicks. When your payroll is accurate and efficient, it’s not just your finances that benefit, but your employees too.
Research the market
You may figure that the guests will find you, but that thinking could mean you’re missing out on guests and sales that can help your business grow. It’s vital that guesthouse owners know their market. That means figuring out what sort of guest is your ideal guest – for example, if you own a beachfront property with large rooms, you might be aiming your guesthouse at families. If you own a quiet, intimate guest house in a romantic location, your ideal guests are couples. Invest time and money in market research to aid your advertising efforts and ensure you’re the number one choice out of the guest houses in your area.
Empower your staff
Time spent in a guest house is largely about the experience. The little things matter and it’s your staff who will help you create those memorable experiences for guests. In order to do this, staff must feel empowered. This means they are knowledgeable about how your hotel is run, the surrounding area, and even the tiny details such as how you want towels to be folded. A staff handbook is the first step in empowering your staff as it will give them a reference point from day one. From there onwards, give your employees all the tools and information needed so that they can help your guest house succeed.
Encourage guest reviews
Online reviews can make or break a guest house – but this shouldn’t put you off encouraging them. When booking into a guest house, a lack of reviews can be as bad as a bad review. Encourage guests to leave reviews by providing them with business cards or a follow-up email upon checkout with links to your TripAdvisor and Google Reviews page. You can even add incentives for leaving reviews, such as a discount on that guests’ next stay or a voucher for an attraction in the area.
Invest in quality
Friendly staff, amazing views, and a great location certainly improve the guest experience, but what guests really want is a comfortable bed for the night, a clean room with plenty of amenities, and tasty food at breakfast. Without these, your guesthouse won’t succeed. Rather than buying cheap products, invest in high-quality goods. Spending more on goods such as bedsheets, ingredients, and mattresses will be worth it in the long run when guests recognize that your guest house is high quality.
