Talk It Over With The Tiny r e t o o h s e l b u o r T
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY TINA BODEN FROM THEBANDBKEEPER.COM
Please send us your questions: m tina@tinaboden.com T @MicroBizGirl F The B and B Keeper E @thebandbkeeper
Tina Boden is certainly no stranger to The hospitality industry - it has been a part of her life since the age of 2. As The Tiny Troubleshooter, Tina works one-onone with business owners, providing virtual assistance and marketing support. As one of the Bs in the B and B Keeper, Tina will step in to run your BnB, Guest House, small Hotel or Inn while the owner is on holiday. And then as Co-founder of #MicroBizMatters Day Tina is one of the leading voices for micro business in the UK. Please email your questions to tina@ luxurybbmag.co.uk
Q
The ever-changing opening and closing of my B & B that has come due to various lockdowns and restrictions has left me questioning if running this business is still for me.
My advice is to make a list of Pros & Cons for carrying on running your business. This might help you understand a little more about the impact it would have on your lifestyle and income generating opportunities.
I cannot decide if this industry is still the one that I want to be in or even if I would not rather be employed than selfemployed? It may be a case of having too much thinking time on my hands but I feel I need a little feedback and wonder if you can help?
If you can afford to why not think about closing your B & B for a period of time and taking employed work. After all, if you were to put the business up for sale right now as a going concern you are unlikely to achieve the same price for it as you would in normal trading times.
I have a saying that I use when coaching and supporting clients through my business The Tiny Troubleshooter ‘If the passion is in doubt, get out!’. I do feel however throughout most of 2020 and heading into 2021 anyone who has been impacted by Covid-19, whether that be health, business or even both, can be left questioning what they would normally see as a clear plan or vision for running a business and how it fits with the lifestyle they have.
The key thing to remember is that the grass may look greener on the other side but in my 30 odd years of being selfemployed it very rarely is. Talk to family, friends and those in your wider network to get a feeling of how things are for them, preferably people outside of the B & B sector.
A
The passion for what they are doing maybe heading towards an all-time low. This is not just in the B & B sector but many business sectors that have been hit hard by Covid-19. It has been extremely difficult to plan and predict what your cashflow might look like, especially if you have fallen outside of Government or Local Authority grants that have been issued as many people have. You may have had to resort to a Government loan and are now seeing that disappear with no sign of business coming back any time soon.
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Another thing I have discovered, having had a brief employed period about 10 years ago at a time in my life when my business was not doing well, is that I am unemployable. Many people that have been self-employed for some time are! If you would like to chat about further feel free to get in touch. Whatever you decide Good Luck for 2021!
Q
The more we read the more we feel that once the current lockdown ends the strong likelihood is that we will return to a Tier system across England. Our B & B is located in what started as a lower Tier level though the locations we attract many customers from fell in Tier 3 & 4 areas.
luxurybnbmag.co.uk/tinafeb21 www.luxurybnbmag.co.uk
01/02/2021 15:19
