The B and B Lady tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009-12-22://15 2010-07-01T03:59:05Z Movable Type Pro 4.32-en Green Certification: Focus Area 2 - Energy tag:www.thebandblady.com,2010://15.2017 2010-07-01T03:53:52Z 2010-07-01T03:59:05Z What steps do you take for energy conservation? What more can you do? If you aren't doing a linen reuse program, using CFL or LED lights, or buying E Star appliances, you are missing the easy stuff. What else area you doing? Kit Cassingham Energy conservation is one of the most popular "green" activities people and businesses like to participate in. It's possibly the most visible green actions you can take. And it's relatively easy to do, at least most of the time.

]]> Green Certification: Focus Area 1 - Chemicals tag:www.thebandblady.com,2010://15.1990 2010-05-14T12:00:00Z 2010-05-12T05:12:12Z Cleaning chemicals from your daily operations is one step in becoming a green-certified bed and breakfast. You improve not only your health, but also air quality and your budget, by reducing your use of chemicals, or becoming a chemical-free bed and breakfast inn. Kit Cassingham Better living through chemistry is an advertising rhyme, and social statement. It's gone too far.

]]> Eight Areas of Focus for Green Certification tag:www.thebandblady.com,2010://15.1953 2010-04-24T00:13:56Z 2010-04-24T00:17:22Z Paying attention to eight areas of operation in your bed and breakfast will allow you to green your business. And you might, with enough effort and time, be green enough to earn green certification from any number of certification programs. Kit Cassingham For B&Bs wanting to be greener, and possibly get green certified, there are generally eight areas for innkeepers to focus. This is one article in a multi-part series on green certification.

]]> How Do You Green-Certify Your B&B? tag:www.thebandblady.com,2010://15.1931 2010-04-07T12:00:00Z 2010-04-06T18:54:04Z What are some simple things you can do to green your inn and prepare you for acquiring your green certification? I see three levels of action -- low hanging fruit, pricier green actions, and expensive, effective actions. Kit Cassingham The first steps you take toward green operations and green certification go together.

  1. start with expanding our attitude and knowledge

  2. baseline your existing usage of energy, water, waste and chemicals

  3. get staff, vendors and guests involved

  4. write your green/sustainability plan and policy

  5. track usage in action areas

  6. plan your marketing program, including not raising your rates just because you are "green"

  7. develop education programs for staff, vendor, guests and public


]]> Do You Want To Green-Certify Your B&B? tag:www.thebandblady.com,2010://15.1929 2010-04-05T00:45:22Z 2010-06-11T16:13:59Z Green certification for bed and breakfasts is one sure way to have an environmentally friendly operation that guests and staff will love. Kit Cassingham Should a bed and breakfast go through a green certification process or not? I can, and have, argued both sides of that question.

]]> The Value of Innkeeper Quarters For A B&B tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1754 2009-11-02T02:09:19Z 2009-12-22T23:14:44Z If you want to know how to buy a bed and breakfast, or how to sell a bed and breakfast, take any of the myriad seminars available across the United States. Or hire a bed and breakfast consultant to help guide you through your collection of questions. Innkeeper quarters is one of the important issues buyers consider today. Kit Cassingham A tent slipped into the trees along the lake, curled up in front of the stove, tucked into a large closet, or stuffed into an unfinished basement. Sounds like some interesting travel experiences, doesn't it. But it really describes various living conditions innkeepers have subjected themselves in the aim of creating a viable bed and breakfast business.

]]> B&B Consulting Job Reviews: Going Green in the Housekeeping Department tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1753 2009-08-28T12:00:00Z 2010-06-11T16:26:38Z Cleaning takes on so many different meanings with people. Housekeeping questions abound. How clean is clean? Do you need a different cleaner for every surface cleaning job: glass cleaning, bathroom cleaning, kitchen cleaning, carpet cleaning. How about some cleaning tips using environmentally friendly cleaning products? Kit Cassingham Several of my consulting jobs have revolved around the volatile subject of housekeeping. I'm combining several discussions about cleaning and housekeeping for this article.

]]> B&B Consulting Job Reviews: Going Green in the Laundry Room tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1752 2009-08-21T00:06:47Z 2010-04-06T18:52:40Z Environmentally friendly laundry procedures are just one way of your B&B or hotel green. The laundry detergent or laundry soap you choose is just one of the environmentally friendly cleaners you need to consider. What about laundry bleach and fabric softener? And then there is the linen reuse program too. Kit Cassingham Each consulting job I've had has taught me how differently everyone approaches their lodging business. You can be sure their approach to greening their properties is unique too. Let me share highlights of various consulting jobs I've had. This article covers greening the laundry room.

]]> Bed & Breakfast Browser 2.0 tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1751 2009-08-17T19:36:49Z 2010-04-05T01:08:16Z Hello, We recently redeveloped and relaunched Bed & Breakfast Browser (http://www.bbbrowser.com). Innkeepers can now submit and manage their own listing details and photos. Inngoers can write reviews and upload their own photos. What makes our directory different than nearly all... Hello,

We recently redeveloped and relaunched Bed & Breakfast Browser (http://www.bbbrowser.com). Innkeepers can now submit and manage their own listing
details and photos. Inngoers can write reviews and upload their own photos.

What makes our directory different than nearly all others is that we do not charge fees. The idea is that by not charging fees, we can build the
largest, most in-depth B&B directory, for the benefit of inngoers (with that will come success for the innkeepers). The playing field on our site
is level. Any innkeeper who wants to upload a 100 photos can do so. And we will be glad to receive dissatisfied reviews from inngoers without the
pressure of having accepted $200 from the listing B&B. Transparent, free, and useful is the idea.

We are interested in feedback on the new site and our "without limitations" approach (eventually the site will be tastefully supported by Google
AdSense in case anybody was wondering). We also would like to get word about our relaunch out to inngoers and innkeepers alike.

Thank you for reading.

]]> B&B Consulting Job Reviews: Today's Real Estate Market tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1750 2009-04-06T01:11:08Z 2009-12-22T23:14:43Z Innkeepers are experiencing more intense realities around buying or selling a bed and breakfast than ever before. There are mortgages available for a strong buyer and property. The trick is to make sure you are a strong buyer or have a strong property. Kit Cassingham Contrary to popular opinion there is lending money available. Its availability is for prime buyers and properties, even more so now than ever before. It's your challenge to make sure you are in one of those categories if you want to make the change that has you reading this article.

]]> B&B vs. Rental property tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1749 2009-02-20T06:02:52Z 2009-12-22T23:14:43Z I am looking at purchasing a house to convert into a weekend scrapbook retreat. I am trying to determine whether I can rent it as rental property or if I have to set up business as a B&B. Do you... I am looking at purchasing a house to convert into a weekend scrapbook retreat. I am trying to determine whether I can rent it as rental property or if I have to set up business as a B&B. Do you have any suggested reading or websites to help me decide?? Or any advice on where to go to find out local regulations? I am in Denton County in Texas.

]]> B&B Consulting Job Reviews: Benchmarking and Market Niche tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1748 2009-02-15T21:31:43Z 2010-04-06T18:48:21Z Being a consultant to the lodging industry exposes me to a wide variety of experiences. Clients benefit from that exposure. When greening your hotel, start with benchmarking your utility costs. When opening a new bed and breakfast first determine your market niche. Kit Cassingham Consulting jobs always teach me something. And I love that. I guess that's part of the reason I still consult; each job builds on the last and each subsequent client benefits from the previous ones. My last several consulting jobs have followed the same pattern, but with the economy as it is the situations have been more poignant than usual.

]]> Dream Lifestyle Opportunity Available at the Gallant Manor... tag:www.thebandblady.com,2009://15.1747 2009-01-07T20:55:28Z 2009-12-22T23:14:43Z Dear B&B enthusiast, Don't buy any B&B before you check out this amazing opportunity! How would you like to own an expansive 9,857 square feet mansion in a great Beach tourist town?... Dear B&B enthusiast,

Don't buy any B&B before you check out this amazing opportunity!

How would you like to own an expansive 9,857 square feet mansion in a great Beach tourist town?

]]> Business Plan Consulting tag:www.thebandblady.com,2008://15.1746 2008-12-04T21:28:02Z 2009-12-22T23:14:43Z Hi Kit; Your web site is terrific. More than I can digest. If I were to send you a proposed business plan for an aspiring B&B owner would you have time to peruse it and give us your thoughts? Also... Hi Kit;
Your web site is terrific. More than I can digest. If I were to send you a proposed business plan for an aspiring B&B owner would you have time to peruse it and give us your thoughts? Also what are your rates for consultation?
Regards
Rich and Jen

]]> Business Trends for 2009 tag:www.thebandblady.com,2008://15.1745 2008-11-25T19:09:20Z 2009-12-22T23:14:43Z A hotel and bed and breakfast may not be the same business model, but there are enough similarities that trends can be applied from one to the other. The U.S. may have entered a recession with hotel room supplies up and demand down and to hold on you need to pay attention now. Kit Cassingham Want to know what you're in for during the next 6-18 months? When the statisticians who look at lodging trends all the time say they don't know what to expect you know we are in for some interesting times. And I hope this use of interesting isn't like the old Chinese curse.

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