Your home can be turned into a bed and breakfast if you have enough empty bedrooms and if you are in the right location. People all over the world have decided to make money at home by allowing travelers and guests to spend the night, with the promise of a hearty breakfast in the morning. You can have travelers from all over the world stopping by your home, if you know how to start a bed and breakfast, the right way.

There is more to it than posting a sign inviting travelers to come in stay for a few nights and pay you big bucks. You have to get licenses, permits and sufficient cash before you can even accept your first guest. You may need to renovate your home, because the ideal bed and breakfast will offer a separate bathroom for each bedroom as well other luxurious amenities for each guest. http://www.powerhomebiz.com/BizIdeas/B&B.htm

The concept of people paying to stay overnight as a guest in someones' home and getting a good breakfast in the morning is nothing new. It resurfaced in the 1970s, after people had been accepting overnight guests for decades until the lure of the motels and hotels took travelers and put them in their own room with a bathroom, a television and sometimes their own telephone. Now, there are thousands of bed and breakfasts all over the Country with their own unique style of taking care of the guests. http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-promote-a-bed-and-breakfast

Before you can open your bed and breakfast you need to address several issues:

Food Handlers License - Before you are allowed to serve food to paying guests, in most States, you can only serve certain foods at specific times of day. The term bed and breakfast mean just that, you cannot serve a cooked dinner, lunch nor other meal unless you are permitted to do so. In some States, the food served is limited to individually wrapped items, such as a Continental breakfast which is juice, coffee and prepackaged and other precooked (packaged) foods. There is a hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system where food to be served to the public is graded - make sure your food is cooked and stored properly.

Fire Safety - Your home has to be up to code with smoke alarms in each guest bedroom, a fire extinguisher that is accessible to all guests and enough proper exits, in case a fire break out. This is a hindrance for a lot of potential business owners who are residing in an old home that does not meet the standards of the new fire codes.

Zoning - The purpose of zoning is to ensure the overall quality of a community and it divides that area into separate districts that are residential, commercial and industrial. You have to check to see if you are in a district that will allow a bed and breakfast to operate.

Permits - You will need to get a home occupation permit that will allow you to accept overnight guests in you home

How do Your Neighbors Feel About Your New Business? - In some neighborhoods, the neighbors of the enterprising new business owner will not accept the flow of strangers who are suddenly, right outside their home. If your neighbors take their protests to the Better Business Bureau, City or county government, you may not be able to run your business from your home. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/agecon/market/ec1231.pdf

A bed and breakfast business can be a very rewarding experience, especially if you like meeting people and interacting with them.

There are three kind of bed and breakfasts that you can start and the zoning and permits are different for each of them:

• B&B Home - This is the easiest to get a zoning permit for, it is usually a small business two or three bedrooms for guests and there is not much change in the general traffic flow coming through the neighborhood.

• B&B Inn</B> - This is a mid-sized business that can cause problems for the business owner and the neighbors. These inns are purchased, then renovated to bed and breakfast status and the problems can arise from zoning issues as well as homeowners in the immediate area. The owner of the property may have to install commercial grade appliances with the proper exhaust system in the kitchen.

• B&B Hotel</B> - This is a business that is usually located in a business district and you will not have to deal with the zoning and permits associated with the B&B inn and the B&B home business. http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modtd/33420043.html

There are several licenses that you need to have before you can legally operate your bed and breakfast. There is the issue of zoning, if you are in a location that does not allow a bed and breakfast, you have to either forget about the idea or move to a location where this type of home business is permitted.

Here is a list of the most common permits and licenses you need to have:

Occupancy Permit - You will need an occupancy permit that give detail of the number of guests you expect to have (according to the number of bedrooms you have available), the percentage of the home to be used for business and the zone you are living in.

City Tax ID Number - Your tax id number is needed for your business and if you plan to have employees working for you. You may need to get more than one number if you fall in more than one category of taxation.

Business License - Every business need a business license and you have to get one for your bed and breakfast. Fees will vary, according to where you live.

Inspections - There will be several inspections of your property to make sure the dwelling is safe and in compliance with the laws of your State and county. http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/BBI/html/bed_and_breakfast.html

Go to your local library, they will have all of the information you need concerning zoning, statutes and all about permits that you need to have. After you have taken care of all of the legal obligations, you can get started on preparing your home for your new business.

The initial start-up fee for a comfortable bed and breakfast can be from $10,000.00 up to $40,000.00 or more depending on several factors. If you need to renovate, this can be a very costly expenditure, before you can even open your doors for business. If your home is in need of any repairs, fix them before you do anything else. Peeling paint, leaky faucets, plumbing issues and other minor and major repairs will have a negative impact on your business. Your home has to be cleaned from top to bottom and filled with decor that make the surroundings inviting as well as comfortable and attractive. http://www.powerhomebiz.com/BizIdeas/B&B.htm

At the very least, you should expect to redecorate each bedroom and have access to fresh blankets, sheets, towels, soap tissue and everything you think someone will need to feel at home.

You will be more successful if you have a home that is set up to accommodate your guests. When people arrive at your home to start their stay, they expect everything to be in place, waiting for them. With all of the extras that are offered by your competition, you have offer something that will make your B&B stand out from the rest.

Inspect Your Home - There will be an official inspection before you open but, you can do your own inspection to see what you need to fix. Here is a check list of some of the areas that an official inspector will focus on.

• Hot water - you have to have a water heating system that will provide enough hot water to your guests.

• Proper exits - There has to be adequate exits in your home, in case there is a fire.

• Wiring - The wiring in your home should be up to code with no exposed wired and sockets.

• Pets - If you have pets and they spend time in your kitchen, after you open for business, they will no longer be allowed in the food preparation area.

• Bathrooms - If you do not have a bathroom for each bedroom, you should have at least one bathroom for every two bedrooms. The bathrooms have to especially clean and tidy.

• Windows should be have screens on each one.

• All pesticides, medications and cleaning supplies should be stored properly.

These are some of the areas that you should focus on as you get your home ready for business. http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/Forms/DENR3906-BB03-06-1.pdf

The first day of business can be very hectic and to ensure success, you should have everything in order well before the big day. Your romantic daydreams of the old fashioned B&B will soon be replaced with the reality of what really happens when you are responsible for your own business and taking care of guests in your home. The check list above should be completed and all of your bedrooms should be clean with fresh linens,

Every room in your home should be immaculate while remaining inviting and professional. If you expect people to pay you to spend the night, there should be a certain amount of luxury awaiting them. A basket of bath products upon arrival is a welcoming surprise that each guest will appreciate. Think of all the ways you can make your guest feel special and try to add it to your business model.

There should be a written set of rules, in plain sight that each guest must follow. If you have children in the house, make sure each of them know what is expected of them concerning the business. If you expect them to help you, there are laws that restrict some of the duties small children are allowed to do.

Here are some books you should read before you open your B&B for business.

• So , You Want To Be An Inn Keeper: The Definitive Guide To Operating A Successful Bed and Breakfast - This book has already sold more than 700,000 copies and it can help you with the details of starting your business.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007PB1WY/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk

• How To open A Successful Bed and Breakfast - This book will tell you all about how to be successful when you start your own bed and breakfast business. Learn how to save money, how to manage and train your employees, how to budget and a lot more.

http://www.amazon.com/Financially-Successful-Breakfast-Small-Hotel/dp/0910627304/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265482903&sr=1-2

• Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies - If you are thinking of owning a bed and breakfast but, you don't know where to start, this book will help you with all of the basics and inside the information of the B&B industry.

http://www.amazon.com/Running-Breakfast-Dummies-Mary-White/dp/0470426829/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265485007&sr=1-3

To attract more guests to your bed and breakfast, you can host special events on the weekend that welcome everyone in the area. There are many low or no cost ways to attract guests who will come back again and again. To get a variety of guests, you can make a web page about your business so that people all over the world will have a chance to see what you have to offer that is unique from the competition.

Wine tasting is very popular right now and it is a great way to bring a sophisticated crowd every weekend. Cheese, crackers and grapes can be served to compliment the wines on the list. There are several other ways to bring guests, these weekly events can be an easy way to add to your income and it can result in future reservations and many satisfied guests. http://www.workathomemums.com.au/articles/article/4808925/101449.htm