Here is some food for thought, in this case, no pun intended. First ask yourself why you want to be an innkeeper. If you think it would be fun, it is. If you think it’ll be an easy retirement job that will make some extra money? Think again.

Innkeeping is not only a full-time job but a full-time commitment. It involves working holidays, weekends and basically all those days that others generally have off. You are on call 24/7, and the physical labor is often grueling. Next, you should ask yourself if you are a people person. Do you enjoy entertaining? Are you OK with people touching and looking through your personal items? If so, innkeeping is for you.

Keep in mind that if you believe that starting up a bed and breakfast sounds like a lucrative investment, it isn’t. You will never become rich as an innkeeper. But, you will have wonderful times, be an entrepreneur and be self employed. This comes with a lot of perks and a lot of downfalls, biggest one being the lack of benefits which comes with a normal 9-to-5 job. If you are smart, you’ll diversify, as most bed and breakfasts do. Maybe you’ll serve meals; maybe you’ll do cooking classes; and you will likely want to sell some retail. All of these will contribute to your bottom line but not by much. Innkeeping is ultimately a lifestyle choice and one that can be tremendously rewarding.