Turn your house into a tourists’ centre

You are nearing retirement and worried on how you will survive through.
Such times are the hardest for any retiree, especially if they did not plan early enough to create a business into which they could retire.

Fine, it is quite worrying to retire to nothing, especially if you still have the energy to do some work for yourself.
But of course, you have options including that mansion you currently sleep or that country home with at the farm.
Many people, as they approach old age, lose family members as some such as the children leave to begin independent lives.

Therefore, you find yourself in a large house that is half filled with a lot of unoccupied space.
Well, worry no more because you can put that house to use in order to raise income that will push you through old age.
And certainly, today we shall take you through how you can start a bread and breakfast business for tourists and other people searching for accommodation.

Bed and Breakfast shortened as BnB, is small lodging that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast.
It typically offers just that - bed and breakfast – and is cheaper compared to large hotel rates that include other offerings.

Bed and breakfast, according to Newton Buteraba, the chief executive officer of House of Wealth, a business advisory company, is an easy business to start if you already have the facilities such as a house.

Ideally, he says, if you already have a structure, you will need about Shs2m to fix some facilities to give the accommodation space some exquisite touch.

“All you need, is to buy beddings and fix some facilities such as water in every room that has accommodation. It is wise to do it that way because people want privacy,” he say.
If possible, he says, you can provide other facilities and services such as Wi-Fi and a reading area, among others.
This, he says, will give your facility a form of standard, which will endear customers to it.

However, he adds, there might be more costs involved such as printing a poster to alert customers of the service.
Alternatively, you can also alert customers by posting on social media channels or opening up pages from which you can provide regular updates.

According to Idris Kisambira, the proprietor of Uzuri Uganda Safaris, a business he has done for close to four years, the bed and breakfast business is profitable if you have a house that provides accommodation of between two to five beds.

Such accommodation is ideal for tourist with families that might want the privacy away from hotels and lodges.
According to Kisambira charges range from $50 (Shs185,500) and $100 (360,000) considering the facilities available.

If you plan to host about five guests, according to Kisambira, you will need to organise breakfast, which might cost you about $150 (Shs555, 000).

“Depending on the season, if it is a peak season, most of the big facilities are overbooked, this means you will also be in business,” he says.

This means that if you host for about a whole week, you will make about more than Shs3.8m from the five guests.
Kisambira says that for such an income, you can potentially make Shs46.6m, and which will safe accompany you into retirement.

Meals and refreshment

Beyond bed and breakfast, you can also make money from cooking meals for guests who might want services beyond the breakfast arrangement.

You can also provide bar and refreshment services.
According to Buteraba, for one to start this business, you must define what you will offer guests and when it is done well, be sure that guests will flock your place.
“To achieve this, you need to get the basics right, a high level of cleanliness, comfortable accommodation, excellent food and most importantly quality service,” he says.

Beyond this, he says, you must market your facility to alert customers of its existence.
Also make sure that your facility is well addressed, licensed and meets required health standards.