When a bed and breakfast owner reached out for help with small business planning, they thought they were getting ready to sell. Instead, one simple change in pricing completely turned things around. In this post, I share how we adjusted their rates, added online booking, and helped them boost income and visibility almost overnight. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective.
Why the Client Reached Out
When a local bed and breakfast reached out to Eastmark Consulting, they were thinking about selling. They had spent years building a business they were proud of, but they weren’t sure if it was profitable enough to attract buyers. Before making any big moves, they asked for help with their small business planning and updating their business plan.
What started as a routine plan refresh turned into something much more impactful.
What We Found
During the review, one thing stood out. Although the B&B was charming and well-maintained, bookings were consistently low. The main issue? They were priced as the cheapest option in the area.
It’s easy to assume that lower prices will bring in more customers.
But in this case, that assumption was costing them business.
Think about your own vacation planning. Are you usually seeking out the cheapest place you can find, or are you willing to spend a little more for something that feels comfortable or special?
Their pricing was positioning them as the budget option, which made their competitors look more desirable by comparison. Instead of attracting guests, they were anchoring the market at the bottom and helping other properties appear like better value.
The Shift That Changed Everything
We started with the basics. They didn’t have online booking, which was a major gap. So we found a booking system that was affordable, easy to use, and matched the way their ideal guests wanted to book.
Once it was live, we saw a slight improvement in traffic and bookings. It was a step in the right direction, but not enough to change the business outlook.
Then we made a bold move: we doubled their room rates.
That new price brought them in line with other mid-range options in the area. They were no longer the cheapest, and they weren’t the most expensive either. They were right in the sweet spot where most travelers tend to book.
Almost immediately, things changed. Bookings increased significantly, and the business finally started to feel like it was living up to its potential.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
With stronger margins and a steady stream of guests, the owners decided not to sell. Instead, they chose to build on the progress and keep improving.
We looked at the full customer experience from the moment someone discovered the property to the time they checked out. One of the easiest wins came from adding a follow-up email after each stay. It simply thanked guests and asked them to leave a Google review.
That one message helped highlight positive experiences and pushed down some of the older, lukewarm reviews. It also gave future guests a more accurate and appealing picture of what to expect.
The Real Takeaway
This business owner thought they needed an updated business plan to prepare for a sale. What they actually needed was strategic small business planning with a fresh set of eyes to spot opportunities they couldn’t see after years of working inside the business.
That’s what we do at Eastmark Consulting. We offer Business Assessments to help spot gaps, providing you the results to implement on your own. We also offer Full Service Strategy & Marketing services for business owners that would rather leave the implementation to the experts.
Whether you’re feeling stuck, ready for change, or just want your business to run more smoothly, our small business planning approach helps you see things differently and take practical steps forward.
You don’t need to come in with all the answers or a checklist of what to fix. Think of it like hiring a photographer. You don’t need to know the perfect angle or pose. You just need to hire an experienced photographer and rely on their expertise to guide you.
If you’re not sure what we’d talk about on a call, that’s totally okay. You bring the knowledge of your business. We’ll bring the clarity.
Ready to get started? Let’s make your business easier to run and more profitable too.