The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Behind the-scenes look at running guesthouse
CRAIGATIN HOUSE & Courtyard is a boutique 14-bedroom guesthouse in Pitlochry, rated four-star Gold by VisitScotland.
Courier Business talks to Martin and Andrea Anderson to find out more.
Q — How and why did you start your business?
A—
After more than 20 years of corporate jobs in London we had a dream of owning a business of our own.
Following a chance encounter with Craigatin’s previous owner we sold our house in London, quit our jobs, bought Craigatin and moved to Pitlochry.
Q—
How has your business progressed? A—
In our six years of ownership we have completely transformed Craigatin. All 14 rooms have been given an individual boutique look with modern fabrics, furnishings and colour schemes.
As a result occupancy levels continue to grow, assisted by a fresh and functional website and social media presence along with the perennial appeal of the Pitlochry area.
Q — Do you enjoy running your own business?
A — Yes, we do. Running any business in these challenging times is tough, but the enjoyment derived from making your own decisions and being in control of your own future is far, far more rewarding than being employed by someone else.
Q — What is the hardest thing about running your own business?
A — Trying to please everyone all the time is the hardest thing and a tricky task to undertake.
Today’s customer has high expectations and demands the best, quite rightly so, when parting with hard-earned cash.
By taking a flexible approach we do appear to please most of the people most of the time, Q— How did you decide on the interior and design?
A — We attend the occasional design and home interior exhibitions, but most inspiration comes from magazines and websites of either other hotels or homes.
We did use local professional services for the design of our dining room extension.
Q — What are your aims for the future of your business?
A — We aim to continue with steady improvement in these tough economic times, developing the Craigatin House offering across our rooms, our service and our marketing reach.
Q — If you were to start again is there anything you would do differently?
A — With the knowledge we have gained over six years of operation we would look to purchase a cheaper distressed business or run-down property in the right location.
We’re now obviously far more confident in our ability to improve and implement a sound business and operational plan. Q — Your business has won a number of awards, how does that make you feel?
A — We are always very proud to be acknowledged by our customers, organisations and publications for our endeavours and labours in running and maintaining Craigatin House & Courtyard.
These awards let us know that we’re on the right track and give us an extra burst of inspiration.
Q
— Do you have any tips for someone wanting to start up their own B&B? A — Research your market thoroughly. Research competitors online; websites are a great window into a B&B’s success.
Stay in competitor establishments, keeping a list of things you liked and things you don’t.
Stress-test your business. How bad would things have to get before you went below break-even?
Ask yourself if you are prepared for the commitment of running your own business. It’s not like being employed, when you can resign when things get tough.
Being self-employed requires commitment and tenacity, and the hours are long in the early days while you start your business. After all, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
Q — If you didn’t run your own B&B what would you do?
A — We would have stayed in the relative comfort and safety of an employed life, with regular hours — but where is the fun in that?