How to market/advertise a small brand new B&B?

Errata

Has she advertised it here http://www.windermereonline.co.uk/windermere_accommodation/windermere_bed_and_breakfast.htm

Mistral001

gettingready wrote: »

As per my opening post - she only got a 2 year lease and 1 year will be up in August already. Long term returning customers is not quite th scenario.

She works 2-3 jobs to keep the B&B going (read: pay the bills) at the moment as does not have enough bookings, as happens with a new place.

There is no need for painting/decorating etc as all is absolutely brand new and fresh, only opened in December 2012. Took the house on Aug 12, done the whole refurb before opening in December.

I am in London, she is in Windermere - can not help with house sitting etc as I am simply too far away and also work full time.

As per my question - ideas about marketing/advertising is what she needs,...

Thanks a lot.

Ah I see the situation. Actually you did not answer my question in the first sentence of my post. But never mind it was a bit cheeky I know.

It is just that I have been in the position of a struggling small business and have found that all of a sudden my relatives who are civil servants, teachers etc. have become business experts and offer me free advice on how to run a business. Marketing seems to be their expertise usually. I would have swapped all that free advice for just one hour of helping with things I really wanted help with like cleaning the office, running erands. One person actually did that for me once. It was like gold dust to me.

gettingready

MIstral - oh dear no....

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Wish I could help in more hands on way but 5 hour commute each way is a bit much

And really the main issue is advertising/marketing to bring people in.

Ideally at minimum cost or for free as money is a big issue, as I said she now works 2 jobs just to pay the bills...

The Tourist somethig cost 400-700 per year to get the star rating - she can not afford it at the moment.

Some great ideas on here though, sent my daughter a link she will be reading too.

Please keep them ideas coming...

Again - still at work so will have a good read ato home.. later on

gingerdad

trouble is you have nearly 200 b&b's in Windermere/Bowness/Ambleside, you twitter/facebook etc will work but needs time and really the have a very short lease, they really need to speak to LHA/Windermere TIC to get some great advice and possible bookings.

PM me i work in the lakes promoting tourism, not B&B's but may have some good networking contacts for your daughter.

Also worth speaking to Cumbria Tourism see what online options they have via golakes, on a side note money going into car free travel in the lakes currently and places for electric bikes maybe an option.

Again look at the doggy stuff maybe some of the local shows

gettingready

Gingerdad - thanks a lot for the PM offer...

My daughter does not aim at "people with dogs" market as such.

She just accepts dogs (one for room) in 2 out of the 4 rooms she has (room 4 being still finished so not quite ready)

So does not really want to market her B&B as one for people with dogs..this is just an extra kind of

The few reviews she has got are very good but she needs more and people /guests just do not post reviews. They are all happy during their stay but then do not post reviews

And she is running it all by herself so it is hard work of course.

Stilll she loves it in Windermere and will do her best to stay afloat of course...

Errata

Has she got a card on Booths noticeboard? Windermere Co-op? Windermere newsagents?

gettingready

Thanks - my daughter is looking in here but it is me posting

She says thanks for all the advice, really appreciated.

I have just ordered 5000 business cards from vista print and will try this way.

My dog walker will hand them out to her other clients, friend who also works as a dog walker will do the same. Another friend will hand them out to her hairdressing clients at the saloon, another at her dry cleaners, my dog groomer will hand them to her clients too....Small coffee shop in the park (very busy at the weekends and in the summer) will hand them out too.....

My ex who is a mini cab driver, my neighbour who is a black cab driver.... I think we have London pretty much covered hahahahah

How do I reach other towns?

Any great ideas?

The B&B is in Windermere , Cumbria so would be great to reach out to say Manchester? Bradford, Liverpool, Leeds?

Hmmmmmmmm


Please keep your fingers crossed

paddyrg

I do still think the dog issue is too big to be casual about, either do dogs or don't - and if you're prepared to do dogs, it's a niche and selling point so use it (seeing how many other punters it'll put off)

gettingready

She takes dogs in but it is not ONLY for people with dogs, she accommodates both so advertises to both.

With understanding that some people may not be happy to stay in a B&B where dog's will be staying to.

She has 3 rooms now, room number 4 will be finished at some point - 2 rooms dogs allowed, 2 rooms no gusts with dogs so really keeping it separate.

Of course dogs are not allowed in the kitchen/dining room.

But really - how can we reach other towns? London I have kind of covered now but need to be able to reach out to Manchester, Bradford, Liverpool, Leeds? And anywhere else really...

Errata

HTH I frequently stay in the Lake District, self catering not B&B, and look for places on listings that are online eg Ambleside online etc. They can be accessed by people all over the country, whereas something in the Manchester Evening News or Yorkshire Post is just a one-off advert and only accessible to people that buy those papers who live in those areas.
I think it really would be worth her while having a discussion with the Tourist Board about the cheapest and most effective ways of advertising her business.

ETA has she seen this http://www.dogpeople.co.uk/