| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| smithte |
Posted - Oct 29 2005 : 4:35:10 PM
I am new to this chat line business so please be patient with me.
I live in a small farming/native american reservation area in Oregon near the coast and a multimillion $casino. 9 Years ago, my husband and I opened a small family style B&B.We have since enjoyed a modest
return on our business venture. There was no hotel for 30 miles for 2 years. One would have thought that it would have been a slam dunk.
Not!!!!!!!!!!!!!.The native american nation is young in its business
adventures and some what keeping to them selves. We were both working and felt the businses we got was enough. My husband retired first and I last year. We decided in order to succeed we needed more business and in the spring launced a significant (for us) marketing campaign. New website, mailings, emailings,webdirectories, TV, posting, visits, phone calls to managers with a focus on a different population of travelers, but still including the casino lodge and customers.Our constant social marketing techniques are weekly calls to the lodge and supplying them with pamphlets, pictorial views of the facility and rooms, frequent visits, and a heart felt thanks when they decided to throw us a few crumbs. Since then we are still getting reports from customers and annoumous callers that the lodge at the casino still is hesitant to refer. I recently got a hold of the new manager who is supposted to be coming over next monday. Since I retired we have diversifed and included organic-range fed chicken for eggs, organic range-fed turkeys for meat(although yesterday we got an egg, not sure what to do about that as they are going to the knacker next week)and this winter hope to raise a few darn near organic lambs for meat plus tow bueatiful morgan horses for entertainment. All of these things make our farm even more endearing to our customer who by the way give us rave reviews. We are also supported by the local guild who thinks we are good enough to be in their directory. I often feel like David in the veggie tale story of David and Goliath who sings "Your Big ~ I'm Little". Some days it feels like they are just not listening to us. They turn away enough business per month to keep every lodging industry fully bookied every day. The only other B&B in our area is now up for sale and another opened and folded in this span of time. I know I have a good thing here, the customers tell me so, I just need the support from the lodge to make all this effort worth its while. Do any of you any advise or experiences you can share with me. Teresa Smith |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 2:42:04 PM
Hey Teresa -- I looked at you website and it is very nice. Your place looks so relaxing. I got some ideas after looking. On your attractions page all you have are the casinos. Since you've determined that most of the people that go there aren't necessarily going to stay at your place, why not link to other attractions? Maybe antique stores, quilt shops, vineyards, etc. Contact the business and tell them you'd like to put a link on your website. Ask them to reciprocate for you -- one hand washes the other. Another thought was why not contact some of the quilt shops, scrapbook shops, etc and tell them that if their customers want to have a weekend retreat your place would be perfect? You could also get a hold of Creative Memories consultants, Stampin Up consultants, etc for retreats. I know that my Creative Memories consultant has a retreat at the beach every year for her customers. I've never gone but she says that her customers count on it and love it. Have you thought about contacting bridal shops and bridal consultants to give them information?
Just brainstorming some ideas and hope they help. I have bookmarked your website and will pass info to people looking for a place to stay. I may even come myself and take hubby for a romantic weekend!
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| smithte |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 1:35:11 PM
Hey girlfriends, I really appreciate the responses. Let me see if I can address all of your wonderful ideas. Bramble, unfortunately the only draw to this area is the casino, some neighbors have reunions, or family members who come to visit. We are close to the wine industry however not quite close enough to make us inviting. I have tried on our web site to market to the folks who want to just get away, wished there were more of them, do you have any ideas where to market that concept.I have seriouly thought of doing workshops, I am a retired public health nurse and have a lot of good information to share with people. TrueBlue,I know that casinos are poping up everywhere, and yes there are good and not so good consequences because of them. I really admire their enterpreurship. Just hoping they would have alittle better since of community. Clare I don't know where to begin, I sent pamplets to People interested in weddings, scrapbooking,quilting, coorperate lunches, florist, and I am sure there were a few more in there some where. I emialed my past guest alerting them to our new website. I handed out pamplets to neighboring businesses with in a 30 mile radius, and joined the bed &breakfast guild. I have in past delivered pamplets to all chambers in 3 counties, however they each want alot of money. Blue Apple, I have connections with the vineyard industries, however sometimes they are as exclusive at the casino. I am so far out they tend to forget me,they want to keep their costomers close to their vinyards. Lareyna, I have not tried the travel agencies, that is a new one for me, will keep that in mind. Also don't have a clue how to get popups with my info, got any ideas how. I really am impressed with all of your responses and even though most suggestions have been persued, ithelps me to once again realize how much I really have done.I also had an add on the local TV station for one month. I know word of mouth is my best advertising, however the
return rate of my type of customer is very poor to the casino, so poor
to us. We hear all their complaints at breakfast. Unfortunate!
Unfortunately the lodge manager called and rescheduled her visit for another day in the future yet to be determined. ? I will share my website for those of you who asked. Hope you enjoy it and please feel free to offer suggestions for changes. Looking forward to chatting with all of you soon.Teresa grannyfrannyfarm.com |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 5:48:02 PM
I used to live in Medford, I suspect I know which casino you are talking about, we have been there a few times we didn't know there was anywhere else to stay around there, wish I had known of you we would have given you the business instead of them, do the travel agencies have your brochures and do internet lookups for rooms pop up your business? Usually one of a couple doesn't enjoy gambling as much as the other and would rather relax in a nice surrounding such as yours while the other loses the rent money lol. Good luck with it
e-mail me your website and we will stay with you next time we travel north.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Arlene
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| BlueApple |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 07:01:14 AM
Teresa, I'm your neighbor in Dundee/wine country! Make sure that you contact the chamber here in Newberg at least, and maybe leave information with some of the wine places. We get a lot of people here in this itty bitty town to do wine tours. While we are a little bit away from you I still think you could draw some of the people who come out for tours. Also, while some people would not be interested in the casino specifically, the buffets and food there are wonderful. I know people who drive out just to go to the big breakfast there. Good luck!!!
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
| Clare |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 06:19:10 AM
I agree with Bramble's idea. Casinos and B&B experiences are oxymorons. The type of people that would appreciate your (wonderful!!!) B&B experience are not the same ones that are attracted to the casino.... so market away from that... use all those creative ideas that you have and target another market. colleges? conventions? your local chamber/tourist info? farmers market? health food stores? Hit all of those places within a 350 mile radius and see if that produces the results that you are looking for. It's all a mentality, and you have to step up and away from it and be yourselves. Sending you lots of light and love! And I would love to come visit you! 
"I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have." - Abraham Lincoln.... http://farmstyle.blogspot.com
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| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 12:35:06 AM
Teresa- I can sympathize with your frustration. I live in La Center, WA and know exactly what casino you are talking about. We are holding our breath as a Native American tribe wants to put a casino in about 2 miles from us. An environmental study is being done right now and depending on the outcome, the Federal Government will decide if the lands can be put in trust as a reservation for the tribe. If that happens they will build a huge casino almost equal to the size of the ones in Connecticut. They keep assuring everyone that it will help to draw people to the other businesses in our area but I have my doubts. We have 3 casinos in our little town which are actually just card rooms. These are owned by single individuals and those casinos generate about $3 Mil each year in tax revenue for the City of La Center. That is part of the reason we have such good schools, etc. However, if the tribal casino goes in, those card rooms will suffer. Again, we have been assured that the mega casino will help draw people to the card rooms, which I doubt. I am not in favor of gambling of any kind and am not really thrilled about the casinos that we have now. But my child benefits because of the fantastic schools that she attends so, like most others in our town, we accept the card rooms. The land and house that we rent is being sold for commercial development, again because of the tribal casino that is being proposed.
I know that I probably haven't helped with your frustration but wanted to share what's going on in our area because we're likely to be in the same situation before too long.
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| bramble |
Posted - Oct 29 2005 : 11:24:32 PM
A few years back we spent a week at a B&B just outside of Mystic , CT that was very similar sounding to yours. We choose it because it was run by a family with children and children were most welcome. My son who was about 5 at the time was invited to tag along with the owners kids as they did chores and played and he had the best time.We had come for the Wooden Boat Show that was being held in Mystic Seaport but just down the road between Mystic and where we stayed was an enormous resort/casino run by the Mashenpequannock (sp?)nation. Although impressive in size, amenities , etc we just aren't casino people so it really had no appeal. What else is a draw in your area? What besides the casino brings customers to you and the area? Hopefully your meeting will bring some compromise with the lodge. If not, find a way to market yourselves as an escape from the everyday, a genuine step back into time sort of place that would appeal to people (like me!) that are more interested in history, nature than loosing money at the casino. Maybe as a way to get people to visit you , you could offer some type of specialty workshop/lesson to get more exposure. Organic Gourmet cooking, Hearthside cooking, herbal teas, farm tours...something to get your name and what you are about out there so people recognize you as something special. I wish you all the best! Having a B&B has always been a dream for me, maybe someday it will come true.
with a happy heart |
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