Profiles in Green Careers: Green Inn Owner & Operator

There is something appealing about the dream of running a bed & breakfast. B&B owners often live onsite, are their own bosses, and get to create and realize their visions of an ideal getaway. But what is it really like to manage operate a B&B or inn?

Fred and Mary Beth Tanner own and operate Cedar House Inn & Yurts in Dahlonega, Georgia. Fred and Mary Beth have built their green dream getaway around their vision of a sustainable bed & breakfast. They have gone the extra mile to ensure guests are treated to not only a relaxing getaway spot, but one that is eco-friendly as well.

Green Gigs: Please share some information about Cedar House Inn and Yurts and what makes it “eco-friendly”.
Fred and Mary Beth Tanner: Cedar House Inn and Yurts provides a bed and breakfast lodging experience for guests visiting the North Georgia mountains and wine country. The inn has been open for almost 6 years and has 3 rooms and 2 yurts. The passive solar designed inn sets on about 3 acres.

In terms of eco friendly the inn has an extensive recycling/composting program, uses Energy Star rated appliances throughout, only uses CFL or LED light bulbs, has water efficient toilets, sinks and showers, uses homemade green cleaning supplies, hangs laundry out to dry, serves vegetarian breakfast using organic free range eggs and milk and much more. To learn about everything we do visit: http://www.georgiamountaininn.com/conservation.htm.

GG: Did you initially set out to create an “eco friendly” B & B or did it grow into its greenness over time? What inspired you to create an eco B & B?
FMT: We started the inn as an eco friendly lodging establishment when we opened to educate the public about green living before the word green was even well known. Living in the southern US we saw a great amount of waste of natural resources and lack of caring for the environment. We wanted to provide an example or model for guests to teach them simple things they could do at their own home. Many have commented that they have turned greener after staying at our inn.

In terms of starting an inn Mary Beth grew up in a inn on the coast of New Jersey in Cape May.

GG: Please describe a typical day running Cedar House Inn.
FMT: The day varies depending on if we have guests or expecting guests. Prior to arrival of guests we are busy cleaning, making beds and doing outside and inside maintenance. When guests arrive we are planning for morning breakfast and spend time visiting with guests, talking about their day of sightseeing or providing input on things to do, places to go, etc. On mornings when we already have guests, Mary Beth is up at 7:15 making breakfast. Breakfast is served between 8:30 and 9:00 and depending on the conversation, we may visit with guests until 10:00 or 10:30. Check out is at 11:00 and then cleaning begins all over again.

GG: Many of us have romantic visions of owning and running a bed & breakfast without really considering the work that goes on behind the scenes. What do you see as the greatest challenges and rewards of being a B & B owner and operator?
FMT: Greatest challenges we have faced effect most small businesses. The first is not having a fixed monthly income since our occupancy is seasonal we have to budget for the down months. We also are facing the challenge of securing affordable health insurance and we hope we never get sick. Occasionally we might have a challenging guests but that is very rare.

In terms of rewards we like being in our own business. The commute to work is a short walk down the stairs which is great. We enjoy interacting with our guests who come from all over the USA and world. As mentioned earlier we receive a great deal of satisfaction when guests tell us that we have opened their eyes on the importance of living green and providing green living ideas that they can implement at their own home.

GG: What advice would you pass along to anyone interested in pursuing his or her dreams of running a bed and breakfast?
FMT: As with any business start out with a business and marketing plan. Know your market and determine your market niche. Differentiate your inn from others using your unique style, passion or talents. Decide if you want to start an inn from scratch or buy an existing inn. Make sure you have enough funds to make the inn successful during the start up phase. Be sure to have enough private space. We recently expanded from a bedroom/office to a small private apartment on our 2nd floor. It's helped our sense of privacy a lot. If you do not like dealing with people don't operate an inn.

Thank you to Fred and Mary Beth Tanner for taking the time to share your experiences with us. If you would like more information about Cedar House Inn & Yurts, visit Fred and Mary Beth at their website or follow them on Twitter @CedarHouseInn. If you are interested in pursuing a career running or managing a bed and breakfast, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Lodging Manager page to begin your research.

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