make do and mend for tougher times

katieowl_2

Popperwell wrote: »

I quite understand you feeling like that Katieowl...the weather and a drop in business must all add up especially on top of other things(if other things are going on)

There should be some kind of insurance deal where if customers are less...you pay less or some kind of refund...but I know that's not likely...or is it?

Possession wrote: »

Katieowl sorry you're struggling. How are you marketing the B & B is that something that might benefit if it changed?

I shouldn't think I could get any kind of refund...I've got a couple more booking, then maybe I should ask after they've been...

I've got it online, same website I used last year. I got good results last year, but everyone here is saying the same, their bookings, B&B and holiday cottage lettings are well down. and you only have to drive anywhere to see that there is simply not the summer traffic here there usually is. By now we are usually enjoying caravans trying to squeeze past each other in the narrow lanes...great entertainment :rotfl: so I guess even the campers/caravanners are down too. Partly the grim weather and partly the economy. Double whammy for those of us who rely on the tourist trade in the summer to last the year

DH's turnover is abysmal this year too. He's basically only worked for my friend in the village..there haven't really been many other enquiries. I do hope the IR aren't going to get all excited again like the did in the last recession and start investigating people left right and centre because their earnings have dipped. OH has never been a big earner. and we've been investigated twice before.There's nothing hidden for them to find, but it's tedious and stressful anyway, as they spend ages trying to catch you out, before they have to give in and admit you've been living on baked beans...

:(:(

Kate

sandraroffey

try gumtree. i rent out one of my bedrooms and gumtree always comes up trumps. and its free.

jamanda

Katieowl - my daughter used to have a guest house and she used to get bookings from the tourist board in the area.

I just wondered if you were on their list

fuddle

Thank you MrsL and he who knows these things Off to go do some investigating about the price of ozpigs. It's now on my wishlist with an aim to invest later on in the year.

mardatha

Owl, its cos yer in wet Wales. Move to Barbados and open one there.
And take me. I can't cook but I like ironing

Possession

Katieowl - I'm sure bookings are down generally. Do you have a website, and if so have you optimised your search engine marketing? (ie. was to pop up near the top of the list when someone searches for something relevant). Just trying to think of ways to get you to stand out from the crowd.
Do you have a Twitter account or do you know someone who would be willing to put a few marketing tweets for you (that's better than you opening a new account as you'd have no relevant followers). Ditto with facebook? I'm a marketing manager so if there's anything I can help you with give me a shout.
PS I'm very willing to put something on Facebook for you but I only have about 100 friends as I don't use it as a business tool, and I have now closed my Twitter account (which worked fairly well as a business tool, but in a completely different business - I needed local customers, you need the opposite).

katieowl_2

Possession wrote: »

Katieowl - I'm sure bookings are down generally. Do you have a website, and if so have you optimised your search engine marketing? (ie. was to pop up near the top of the list when someone searches for something relevant). Just trying to think of ways to get you to stand out from the crowd.
Do you have a Twitter account or do you know someone who would be willing to put a few marketing tweets for you (that's better than you opening a new account as you'd have no relevant followers). Ditto with facebook? I'm a marketing manager so if there's anything I can help you with give me a shout.

I think I'm OK... The agency I use come up first if you google B&B cardigan (outside the pink box) and I'm on the first page for the area. Also if you google my nearest famous'Nat Trust' beach I come up fourth on the page with my own website, and I'm tagged on google maps. I did loads of research before I chose the agency I use. They also didn't have loads of spelling mistakes (a pet hate of mine!) I do have a twitter account, but never really got to grips with it TBH and I use facebook personally, and for the cake stall, but not sure who'd see it if I put it on? I'll look into that. I'm pretty sure it's going to be the way the wind is blowing in the holiday industry rather than a failing on my behalf. I was never going to rival Butlitz as I've only got one double room :rotfl:

Popperwell

So who believes the latest jobless figures?

I don't and I know what many on here are going through losing their jobs, trying to find work etc...

See this article...

This must be heartbreaking when trying to run a B&B...Somewhere I mentioned about a young girl who helped me home with my shopping.

I found out that she has been housed around the corner from me and near to where her parents live and she was happy even though she is not getting any or much help with the cost of staying there.

I assume they have housed her in a two bedroomed house because small properties are rare but she is already worried about the bedroom tax coming in next year, she has little in the way of furniture and is sleeping on an airbed and yes, having to make food go as far as she can because she is on a tight budget.

Sadly there are so many of us...some cannot get started in life and those who have are having to go backwards...:(

Mrs_Chip

We are just down the road from Katie and the camp site is very weather driven - no fun in a tent on the edge of a cliff in a in a force 9! However he is booked full for the summer hols and getting enquiries into September and October - so it may be that everyone is betting on an Indian summer and holding back till then. Camps site man says that a lot of bookings are made last thing, based on the forecast so maybe things will pick up when the weather does.

Spoke to the lady we stay with in Cornwall and same thing is happening there - August and September are booking now, but the summer has been awful.

Popperwell

Lets hope this promise of better weather actually happens and makes a bit of a difference...