In today’s economy, it is all about the “deal”. Finding a deal…Is it a good deal?…Do you have a deal? Most people define a deal as the lowest possible price. Some examples of popular “deals”.

I like that car! What’s your lowest price? I need your best deal.

That store has 20% off everything in the store this Wednesday…what a deal!

Call now and get not one, but TWO Super Duper Knife Sets for only $9.95 and we will
add a Super Duper Knife Sharpener for free. Call now!

OK, those may be deals….but what about value?

Value is defined as a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged. So how much value will a consumer sacrifice for a deal?

The Super Duper Knife set is a great deal until you open the dishwasher to find the blades
dull and the handles melted.

20% off everything in the store is a great deal, but where is the value in buying a wool winter coat, in July, in Phoenix?

Much of the savings on that car…that great “deal” you made are lost in poor maintenance agreements and predatory financing.

Guests call a bed and breakfast asking for the “deal”, but many confuse deal with value. Today’s innkeeper works hard to offer the best experience, greatest value and lowest price to their guests. After all, they, too, struggle with the economy and understand the value of your dollar. Most
innkeepers are unwilling to sacrifice fine food, personal service and choice amenities just to “grab” a guest. While major chain hotels battle it out in the budget world, innkeepers are consistently offering value…a fair exchange for your money.

What does value mean to an innkeeper?

 1. Get the room you expected. Check out the website, look at pictures, ask questions. You will get the room you reserve and it will be the room you expected. No bait and switch at our
bed and breakfasts. They deliver what they advertise…time and time
again.

2. Great food. Certainly, there are times that a waxy apple, pre-packaged danish and box cereal will work, but not in a bed and breakfast. Whether breakfast is an expanded continental or a 4 course experience, your meal will be fresh, ample and you will NOT have to stand in line, tolerate old coffee or jockey for a table. Breakfast may be most guests favorite part of the B&B value equation. Really, breakfast is in our name…enough said!

3. Personal service. Innkeepers chose to open their business, in that spot, at this time, to serve you. They are not hourly employees, but full time innkeepers. They KNOW how to create a special occasion, add that special touch for your anniversary, find the best restaurant or get the best “deal” at all the local tourist attractions.

Our value is in our innkeepers…their knowledge, dedication and concern for each guest At a bed and breakfast you should get the same great experience, time and time again, regardless of price. When you consider all that they offer, a bed and breakfast is often the best deal around! Special Tip for You!

All that said, there are times you can actually get a “deal” at a B&B. In a bed and breakfastyou enter as a guest and usually leave as a friend. Once you have visited a bed and breakfast, stay in touch! Like them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Many will offer comprehensive weekend packages, cooking classes, anniversary or honeymoon specials and the best way to know what is new is to stay connected.

Many of us think of the small gift shop or specialty clothing store, but don't forget all the other choices you have: the hardward store, the pharmacy, the pizzeria or corner bakery...buy flowers from the local florist...there are a number of ways to participate.

 If you plan to make a weekend of shopping, then consider a short getaway.  Visit a local bed and breakfast and enjoy the personal service, great food and all the small special touches you find when you choose to avoid the "chain" hotels.

Why a small business?

1.  They are people just like you. They live, work and raise their families in your community.  They pay taxes, employee your neighbors and they often shop for everything from organic eggs, fine linens and tasty coffee from other local small businesses.  When you support one small business, you are often supporting a number of others with this "waterfall" effect.

2.  Small business supports your community.  Look at the logo on the back of your son or daughter"s soccer league jersey.  Read the "Thank You" notes tacked to the wall at your corner pizzeria from the local boy scout troop after the generous donation to their fundraising drive.  Consider how often you bid on a weekend getaway donated by a local bed and breakfast to your favorite non-profit organization.  Small businesses get involved.

3.  Get a deal!  Don't overlook the small business for the best deal.  Sometimes the deal is price, but often it is service.  When dealing with a local business....they want you to return again and again.  They want to be sure you are happy.  They want to give you the best product, best service, best experience possible.  They want more than just your money...they want an ongoing relationship.

So, how can you become involved.  First, visit  http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/  a site created by American Express, the sponsor of Small Business Saturday and learn more.

Next,  "Like" this and support through Facebook.  Share the link with your friends and get them involved.  http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday  

Watch this video and learn why we are celebrating Small Business Saturday again this year. 

Doom and gloom.  It is everywhere...cable news, local tv, magazines, newspapers and every genre of radio.   Even blogs will tell you just how bad the economy is.  Many small businesses are suffering.  Many will not survive.

I talk to a lot of innkeepers, all across the United States, and for many of them, business is good.  Yes, many have seen better years,  but for a large segment of the Bed and Breakfast industry, business is good....and getting better.   Although a number of innkeepers report a slow and disappointing spring 2011, they are thrilled that summer business did pick up and guests are returning and new people are discovering the delight of staying in a bed and breakfast.

So, in today's doom and gloom economy, why are our innkeepers staying busy, when other businesses are closing, laying off employees or cutting back in 2011.

1.  Local travel.  Considering the escalating costs of air travel and the average price at the pump fluctuating daily, many people are choosing to travel local, often times driving less than 2 hours from home.  Guests are discovering the beauty and charm that is literally "in their own backyard."  Local travel is less stressful, more cost effective and promotes your local economy.  Bed and breakfasts are located in some of the most beautiful small towns, bustling urban centers and pastoral centers in the country.

2.  Personal service.  After wading through refinancing their mortgages, performance reviews at work, balancing and re-balancing the family budget, people want personal service.  They want someone to help:  help make room choices or dinner reservations.  After making countless critical decisions in day to day life, they want someone to hand them a map, offer helpful hints and assist them with a stress free getaway.  Innkeepers chose this business because they love to help.  Introducing guests to their local restaurants, parks and favorite spots is a favorite task of bnb owners.  They are the experts and want to share their best with you...and they won't charge you extra for it.

3.  Exceptional value.  Bed and breakfasts have always  offered real value for your hard earned dollar, but today, more than ever, they strive to make your trip "worth it".  These are hard working, small business people that understand how important every dollar is. Innkeepers take great time and care in creating your breakfast, preparing your room and having plenty of local information at your fingertips.  They work hard to make your stay not just enjoyable, but memorable.

.... Although you will find that many innkeepers offer last minute values or special packages, you probably won't see the same type of deep, deep last minute discounts offered by large hotel chains.  Remember, a bed and breakfast is just one inn, usually family owned and operated.  Every dollar counts to them....just like it does to you.  They can't depend on the profits of one set of 100 hotels in one part of the country offsetting losses in another.   There is no big corporate office to manage profits and losses across 1000 hotels.  They work hard daily to offer you freshly brewed coffee, delectable breakfast offerings,  unique amenities and truly personal service. This is their job and oftentimes their only source of income.  One big difference between your local bed and breakfast and a chain hotel...if you have a question, need something special or just aren't pleased with some part of your stay, you don't need to send an email to customerservice@a majorhotelchain.com.   Just ask the innkeeper.  Just tell then what you need.  Give them your opinion.   Ask them for information.  They are there, ready and willing to make your stay more than just a value.  No far off corporate office here.  At a bed and breakfast you always know that your are valued by those "at the top"....the owners!

In today's world, people need a break.  In today's economy, more than ever, they need a value.  Visit a local bed and breakfast.  Take a break and discover real value.  Discover why there is no doom and gloom at your local bed and breakfast.  The pillows are fluffed, the coffee is fresh and hot and the cookies just popped out of the oven.  What are you waiting for?

• Going thru security.  (no details here, but the whole body scan thing is kinda creepy)
• Lining up to board and hoping there will be some overhead space for my little back pack
• Trying to juggle this laptop,my coffee, and the stale muffin I purchased for breakfast on the tray table while the 6ft guy in front of me stretches out to sleep
• Freezing my little feet off because the air conditioning on my plane is set for penguins
• Hoping that I will not need to head to the bathroom, in the back of the plane just as the flight attendant passes me with the 500 lb cart blocking the aisle.
• Trying not to sing out loud to my favorite song, earplugs from my iPad jammed in my ears.  All this to drown out the sound of the jet engines perched at my left shoulder
• Spending 4 hours in the airport in Houston while waiting for my connecting flight.  The airline changed flight times at the last minute, thus extending an already ample layover time
• People watching and enjoying an herbal tea in the Houston Airport (This is the fun part of the trip)
• Boarding yet another, even smaller plane with propellers that sound eerily like my lawnmower
• Landing in central Texas in summer…this means one bumpy ride
• Begging a ride from friends
• Finally arriving at my destination.  No matter how nice it is, I am now hot, tired and irritable….not to mention broke.  Plane flights, checked luggage, airport parking fees and the occasional quick airport breakfast spells time for a second mortgage or maybe a second job!

Now, I could have chosen to travel locally.  You know, hop in my car, drive a few hours to some charming small town destination and finally arriving at some quaint bed and breakfast.  Why would I want to do that?

• Check in probably isn’t until 3:00pm.  I can wake up at a reasonable hour, take a leisurely drive, stopping along the way.  No hurry.  I can choose my route, travel the back roads.  Unwind.
• I choose who I sit next to.  You do not have this option when flying.  Enough said!
• I choose when I stop.  There will not be a “beverage cart” blocking my way.
• My bag is in the trunk.  I put it there myself.  That is free.
• No long layovers, lines or security checks.
• Parking is free at my BnB.  No claim checks, numbers or pay to park machines.
• When I arrive at my favorite local BnB, there is someone there to greet me, with a smile, not a metal detector.
• I can look forward to a great night’s rest and innkeepers who are truly happy to welcome me.  When is the last time you felt your flight attendant was REALLY happy to serve you coffee.
• Speaking of coffee, no fear that the innkeeper will spill coffee on your laptop or Kindle while he/she controls the cart now blocking the aisle.
• Finally, when my trip is over I get to do it all over again….leisurely drive, bag in the trunk for free, taking the backroads, singing out loud and arriving home when I want to.  No layovers or weather delays to complicate things.

Travel should be fun, relaxing and an adventure.   Search for a vacation spot a little closer to home.  Take the road less traveled.  Turn up the radio, roll down the windows and sing a little.

  As I enjoy this entire experience, yet again, I appreciate all the great things you find at a BnB, and then ponder all the things you won't.  Here are a few of the things you won't find at a BnB...at least not at a WBBG BnB!

1.  Prepackaged danish, little boxed Cheerios and a belgium waffle you need to somehow make yourself!Our innkeepers bake their own scones, create their own unique granola recipes and actually make the waffles themselves....in the kitchen...just for you.  You can sit back and relax with cloth napkins, steaming hot coffee or well blended herbal tea and they will craft a great breakfast while you slowly wake up.  While we do have the occasional BnB that sets a very elegant light breakfast, they usually offer a delightful choice in baked goods, artisan cheeses and flavored coffees.

2.  Bad hotel carpet.  (see photo, enough said)

3.  You will not hear this...."Oh, sorry, you booked your room through Acme Online Booking  (fill in the blank for any of the major online discount travel sites) and maybe you WANTED a king bed, but this is all we have left." We make sure you get the room you wanted....even if you book online.  Innkeepers are not part of a large, impersonal chain of properties.  It is just them, their home, their business.    They want to share their very best with you and most of all, they are proud of their rooms and what they offer.   If they make a mistake, because mistakes do happen, our innkeepers make it right.  To them it is more than just renting a room...it is creating an experience.

4.  You won't hear this," You are in room 1014.  The elevator is that way (as the person behind the desk points toward a long hall).  Here's your key. Ok, here's the deal.  Innkeepers actually WALK you to your room.  They will help carry your bags.  They will discuss things like what you like for breakfast, restaurant choices, as well as point out all the great amenities their BnB offers.  No searching for an ice machine...they will help you get ice.  No gathering coins from your wallet for the coffee or soda machine.  Your innkeepers will usually have complimentary coffee, tea...and sometimes even homemade cookies all just for you.  Remember....you get what you pay for...which takes me on to ....

5. No sir, these are the extra charges to your bill during your stay...a phone surcharge, this is the charge for the morning paper you picked up, oh and this is for the items you picked up in our "snack shop".  Breakfast...no it is not included.   Sometimes BnBs cost a little more, but remember....you get what you pay for.  We include breakfast, you are welcome to read our newspapers, watch our televisions, use our DVDs and help  yourself to cookies and tea.  No worries...we are not watching and waiting to add extra charges to your bill.  Innkeepers just want you to be happy, and comfortable...and they want you to return.

Well I am off to Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Sequim today.  I get to discover Washington, one inn at a time!