Wake-up calls are going out around the country along with the news that one in two, yes 1 in 2, Americans are now living in poverty.
While this may be quite the shocker in DC, where the incubation of opportunity clouds the reality that exists outside that bubble, it's not news to most innkeepers.
Sure, some are busier than ever, thanks to deep discounting sites like Groupon and the like, which have provided cash for inns, albeit at rates that are often unsustainable. Sadly busier does not necessarily mean better as anyone who can do math knows all too well.
And some inns have bucked the trend, digging in and doing the real work of finding the guests their inn will best serve.
But, by and large, the statistics showing slightly higher occupancy at small inns are greatly misleading. They fail to take into account that, for many inns, they're doing better because their neighbors have shuttered up, often against their will. They fail to take into account the deep discounting that's gone into those higher occupancy rates.
Would you rather sell 5 rooms at half price or 3 at full rate? Hyping increased occupancy alone as an indication of success is a fool's game.
As we go into yet another winter of angst for all too many, it's helpful for innkeepers to remember both the full value of the blessings at their disposal as well as the opportunities ahead of them to survive and, in fact, thrive.
One of the best tools at the disposal of small inns is the growing movement to buy local. With staycations at an all-time high, shorter weekend breaks nearby are all the rage.
But how best to tap into that market?
Some innkeepers are especially good at working with their local media to get stories out that can spread the word. Some innkeepers are members of Buy Local groups and, by association, get the word out within a group of folks most likely to spend as much of their cash close to home as possible.
In Arizona, where the staycation may be the saving grace for many inns, innkeepers have banded together to promote the small inns that contribute so much to the economies of their local communities. With all of the problems Arizona innkeepers face these days, this persistence may be just what the doctor ordered. My favorite tip on the list? Change banks. Nuff said.
Innkeepers banding together is nothing new. In fact, associations and trade groups are the mainstay of the B&B industry, with results both good and bad, depending on your location and perspective.
Now more than ever, though, it's critical that those groups of innkeepers push through the muck to achieve something spectacular. Something they can't achieve on their own.
Gas cards, you say? No, I say. Gimmicks, especially gimmicks that don't even focus on the Buy Local movement are petards that fail on too many levels to count. You can do much better than that.
Each community is different so there is no single formula that will work across the board. When innkeepers join forces, though, there's much they can do. And much of that is still unexplored, despite the current economy and the desperation more and more innkeepers face.
So as you meet in your associations and discuss plans to get the word out, don't stop there. Discuss ways to help your neighbors, not just one day a year as an advertising promotion but each day of the year.
How? Buy local yourselves.
Sure you do that now. You send guests to local restaurants. Your guests are the mainstay of local tours. You buy local produce. You are intimately involved in your community. What else can you do?
How about a cooperative purchasing group for starters?
You buy toilet paper, your neighboring inn buys toilet paper. You buy trash bags, your neighbor buys trash bags. Why not form a co-op and buy those products from eco-friendly companies within your own state? The possibilities are endless but, by and large, most innkeeping associations tend to limit their pooled resources to advertising, often with less than optimal results. See gas cards.
Co-ops are a time-honored tradition in rural communities around the world. The opportunities for purchasing cooperatives for small inns are enormous, both in terms of saving money but also in terms of keeping jobs in the community.
Getting the word out is not just about press releases. It's about living each day in a way that benefits the entire community within which your business thrives. It's about pooling resources in such a way that the folks in your community know that their livelihood depends on you as much as you depend on them.
2012 will be a year that's all about finding creative ways to thrive. May every one of us find the right path in the full spirit of cooperation.
