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What a strange year


Coco
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Has anyone else experienced the same srange booking patterns this year?

I know that for our last 4 seasons it has been slightly different each year, and as our dear departed friend Miki used to say, you can never judge the season until it is over and you have banked the money. But this year is exceptional.  We usually get a flurry of bookings in January and February for July and August.  We then get a steady interest for April-June, usually booked anything between one and 4 weeks in advance.  The remaining free days of July and August tend to be booked anything between two nights and 2 weeks in advance and the first half of September is usually booked during late August.

This year, by early March we were about 35% up on bookings at the same time in our previous best year.  By the end of April we were about 50% up on nights already stayed between January and April and about 20% up on advance bookings.  Then it all went very quiet.  June always is quiet but the first half of July was DEADLY, nothing for ten nights.  Then all hell broke loose.  We have been FULL since 21st July and are now fully booked to 23rd September, with one free day next week, which I am determined to keep free!  So no chance for any of those that leave it until a few days beforehand to book.  This week we even have some young French boys camped in the garden because we didn't have enough rooms for the whole family.   I just can't understand the booking patterns.  And just to make it even better, we have had only about half a dozen one-nighters in August instead of the usual 20 or 30.  Most people have booked a minimum of 4 nights and ALL of our September bookings are for at least 4 nights, some for 6, and also groups of 4 or 6 adults travelling together - perfect! [:D]

We've already taken more than the whole of last year (when we had visitors through until the end of November), so at this rate I may even be tempted to close for November and December.  Who said you can't make a living out of B&B?  We're doing very nicely thank you!  And we can't even thank the weather.

What are other experiences of this peculiar summer?

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I haven't worked it out yet (and I do because it helps to decide where to advertise) but last year it was about 45% Brits, 25% French, 20% North American, 5% Australasian/S African and 5% other European.  This year I would guess that we have had quite a few less Brits and more Americans and other European and if we weren't now full for the rest of the month the French percentage would have taken a sharp upturn from the amount that are phoning or emailing daily, wanting rooms at very short notice.
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I seem to remember making a comment about this when somebody said it did not look like it was going to be a good year when we have been running at a very high occupancy from April. This year we have had lots of Brits but I think that it has been because of the flooding early on and people wanting to cheer themselves up with some sunshine. I also think that our advertising is gradually coming right. We too have had a lot of French and have also turned many away (who seem to be quite upset) because they have tried to book a week or less(!) in advance of their arrival and we tell them we are full. Loads of 'drive by' again this year. Wish I had another 10 rooms, could have filled them twice over, we could be millionaires by this time next year (Rodders)[:D]. The down side is that much of the extra money will disappear when the tax becomes due.
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[quote user="Coco"]

[quote user="Quillan"]The down side is that much of the extra money will disappear when the tax becomes due.[/quote]

You mean you're earning well in excess of 30,000 euros from 4 rooms?!?!?

[/quote]

Did I say that? Perhaps some have done better than others and probably many have done better than me. I would only need to have all my rooms let for 21 weeks (less than half the year) out of the 52 we stay open for to get that sort of money and then there is the evening meals on top, the money soon adds up. As you said yourself "who says you can't make a living doing B&B" or were you only joking [:D] .

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Well blimey- I thought I was having a good year, but me and OH don't even pay tax with me doing the B & B and him working full time (French wages)!   In fact we qualify for 'prime pour l'emploi' we are so poor.  I'm sure that if you are in a very touristy area you can make a living out of B & B but we aren't and although we do OK and are not exactly starving to death I wouldn't like to make anyone feel it is easy.  I too have 4 rooms - but only count as 3 because two are a suite and I only let them to families or friends so even when 'full' often there are only people in 3 rooms.  We are normally only full in July and August and even then occasionally have a room empty for a night or two.  From April - October we normally have someone here most of the time and through the winter few weekends here and there.  I'm not complaining as the 'season' here is only about 8 weeks long and everyone seems astounded at how busy we are, but I'd hate to give anyone thinking of buying a B & B the impression that they could fill it up for 21 weeks easily.

Coco interesting your pattern.  We had quiet start to June, so busy in July that actually had someone sleeping in my office one night and had to put overspill for Occitan week in friend's house down the road.  Hardly got any bookings for September (but we've had loads of last minute stuff for August so that could change) but good advance bookings for October.   For the last 3 years the last week in August has been exceptionally quiet (in fact last year we went away for a few days) but this year we are full until the end of the month.  I've been trying to see if there is a year on year pattern but there doesn't seem to be.  Glad your year is going well, ours is too and I'm a bit surprised as all around me there is doom and gloom from the local restaurants etc and the local fêtes say they are well down on numbers.  Let's hope the good luck continues.

Night off from cooking tonight.  Just as well, running out of ideas and been hobbling round all week as half severed my big toe last week, a bad idea in season.  So aligot and sausage from the village tonight and then feet up for an hour or two.  Bliss.

 

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[quote user="woolybanana"]Quillan, in all honesty, would you or anyone else turn down used oncers for a discounted booking in say January? You would have to be a saint if you wouldn't.[/quote]

We are foreigners in a land where jealousy and denouncement is a national pastime. We know quite a few people who have had complaints made about them to one authority or another. We know very honest people working in the building industry here who happen to be English. Every time they win a contract somebody always goes (well phones or writes) to somebody or other to complain that they can't possibly be declaring all their earnings because they couldn't do the job for the price they quoted. They know this because they are French, been doing the job for years and they can't do the work for that price. It's not very nice having your world examined by total strangers.

So keeping that in mind we do declare every cent (including tips) we earn because I don't want to sit worrying that people will go to the mayor or wherever saying I don't pay my full whack. Two things in life are for certain wherever you live, one day you will die and the other is you will pay tax.

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[quote user="Cerise"]

Well blimey- I thought I was having a good year, but me and OH don't even pay tax with me doing the B & B and him working full time (French wages)!   In fact we qualify for 'prime pour l'emploi' we are so poor.  I'm sure that if you are in a very touristy area you can make a living out of B & B but we aren't and although we do OK and are not exactly starving to death I wouldn't like to make anyone feel it is easy.  I too have 4 rooms - but only count as 3 because two are a suite and I only let them to families or friends so even when 'full' often there are only people in 3 rooms.  We are normally only full in July and August and even then occasionally have a room empty for a night or two.  From April - October we normally have someone here most of the time and through the winter few weekends here and there.  I'm not complaining as the 'season' here is only about 8 weeks long and everyone seems astounded at how busy we are, but I'd hate to give anyone thinking of buying a B & B the impression that they could fill it up for 21 weeks easily.[/quote]

I also wouldn't like to give the impression it's easy to do B&B and many get it wrong and don't survive.

If you are doing B&B as a business for a sole income then it is imperative to do your research and find the right location with the right facilities. Many we know struggle on burning up their life savings thinking 'just another year' until the money runs out and they have to sell, return to the UK, and have considerably less money than they came with.

You also can't rely on taking people 'in season' so there must be other things for them to do.

We work very hard with the Office of Tourism in helping to promote our area because it puts bums in our beds. We have two White Water Rafting operations, (one within a 1 minute walk and the other 2 minutes) which we promote to business's within the UK. Many companies send staff on team building weekends many of which involve rafting in places like Wales etc. Many of the people love the rafting so we target them. He gets the rafters and we get the bums in beds.

We offer a three for the price of two weekends, not so stupid as you may think. The take up on the offer it's self has been very poor and the reason is that most of the time you can't get a cheap flight over the weekend so it becomes more financially viable (once you see the flight prices) to come in the week and pay full whack but still save money (because of the £1 flights). Fortunately we are ideally located right in the centre of four airports to which Easyjet and Ryanair fly to from just about every location (including Prestwick now) from within the UK and Ireland. Many do this so whilst we get the bookings we don't have to give away one nights free accommodation. Comparing the first year we offered this against the year before our bookings rose by 40% for the same period yet just less than 10% were people on the three for two offer. It's a physiological thing, bit like supermarkets and there loss leaders.

We are a big area for walkers with over 60 circular routes in under a hours drive all of which are signposted and marked. This helps trade outside July and August when it is far to hot for them, nobody wants to walk in temperatures of between 30 and 38 deg.

There are loads of other events that come to the area, all of which are sportive. Contrary to belief our No Children policy also works well with many young and older people booking because they want peace and quiet.

As I said we work hard with the tourist office and promote ourselves not to the public for the local events but to the people running the events on the basis than the public may visit one or two days during a weeks event where as those that run it will be here the whole week.

We also are well known with people like the DDE and are happy to accommodate their staff that come to work in the area.

With out a doubt the biggest contribution to our success was the initial help and advice we received from a certain party who is no longer a member of this forum which we have built on over the years. I think we would have got to where we are without that help but we would have taken a lot, lot longer to get here and probably have cost us loads of money so I am grateful for that.

So I guess filling 21 weeks is not going to be a problem but it's very hard work especiaaly if you are doing half board.

 

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[quote user="woolybanana"]Reckon you are the only person in France who doesn't dodge something or other.[/quote]

Are we using the word dodge to mean not legal. If that's the case then are you saying all French and immigrants (therefore including yourself) to France are carrying out illegal practices, I don't think so and I am sure they would take great offence at your suggestion. I wonder where Will is, I know he has strong feelings about this.

Anyway there is a down side to this practice when you go to sell your business. How do you prove what your turnover really is? If you were told a business had X Euros turnover on the books but the owner took 30% more in his back pocket (without proof) and that the difference represented the difference between a 'tick over' business and a highly profitable one would you believe him/her?

The only person you really cheat at the end of the day is yourself. What you do is down to you and your own conscience I guess but mine is clear.

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[quote user="Quillan"]

I wonder where Will is...

[/quote]

I'm here. I doubt if anybody, French or British, could honestly say that they were whiter than white and had never, knowingly or unknowingly, gone outside the system. I know that the law is no respecter of scale, but we have to be practical here.

Any strong feelings I have are that what you do is up to the individual. You have to weigh up the risks and benefits of any situation. For example we have paid friends to do things like change a loo in our French house; I didn't want to do it myself, we didn't want to wait for an official plumber, not having the small amount of work isn't going to harm any local tradesman, and it's not something which is really likely to have health and safety implications or make a difference to any possible capital gains tax liability.

Yes, it would count as working on the black, and you can report me to URSSAF if you like. I know it's still technically wrong but it is highly insignificant alongside the much bigger fiddles that go on, many of which involve people like maires, notaires etc as well as other British immigrants.

To be perfectly honest, I think that anybody, especially in France where the system actively encourages minor fiddles, who claims to have never succumbed is likely to be regarded as telling porkies, even if they really are a saint.

 

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Buying some wood for cash without paying TVA is something I have done which is no different to your plumbing job. As for money in, well that all goes through the books. Fortunately with our type of tax regime we don't have to save all our (purchase) receipts so not having a receipt for something we buy is not a problem.

I still don't think it's right to assume that everyone is on the fiddle in some way or form because I don't believe that to be true and I know a few who would deeply resent such a remark and they are far from being saints. Smacks of taring all people with the same brush.

 

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[quote user="Quillan"]

So I guess filling 21 weeks is not going to be a problem but it's very hard work especiaaly if you are doing half board.[/quote]

The fact that you are able to do 21weeks 100% occupancy with evening meals and that huge garden to maintain so beautifully, go to bed often around 10pm, as you tell us here on the forum you are doing, as well as taking on the role of moderator and thus keeping an eye on just about every thread going on this and other forums and clock up so many postings as well as all the interaction that occurs between you and your local businesses/tourist organisations, with just two of you.  You must be Superman [;-)]  My OH and I are used to working extremely hard but nothing compares to how hard we have had to work since we have taken on this B&B.  The ironing, cooking, cleaning, entertaining and shopping alone keep me occupied from 7.30am to at least 11.30pm most days from June to September.  I just don't know how you do it all - well done!!! [:D]

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Actually Coco you asked if we earned over 30,000 Euros and all I have done is to point out that just by renting all the rooms out for 21 weeks we could do that. If they all booked half board we could do it in just over 12. You could work it out yourself if you have a calculator handy. What we have actually earned could vary quite a bit, either up or down but I'm not going to say on a public forum. I will agree with you that it has been a very good year though but then we knew this early on and it's not finished by a long shot yet.

Grass does not grow here in the summer so not much doing in the garden. Pool 5 minutes a day and as for all these forums (clocking up hundreds of posts?) I allegedly belong too I just don't know where you get that from. I'm only a member of three, this, a canal forum in the UK and TF which I hardly ever visit. I am surprised you have so much time to spend on forums where you think I post.

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No I didn't ask IF you earned over 30,000 euros and I wouldn't be so presumtious as to ask what you earn in the first place.  You stated that you would be paying a fair amount of this year's earnings in tax, which I said would mean that you must be earning well in excess of 30K and that is quite hard to do in a 4 bed B&B run by only two people.
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