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Business to Take Care of before You Open Your Bed & Breakfast

By: Mary White and

Updated: 03-26-2016

From The Book: Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies

Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies

Explore Book Buy On Amazon

Your bed & breakfast is a business, so you need to get your ducks in a row and necessary forms filled out and filed before you open your doors to guests. Use the following list (and the help of your accountant, lawyer, consultant, and/or broker) to ensure you have the accounts and paperwork you need before opening day (then mark renewal dates on your calendar). These include your

Conditional use and sign permits (if required)
Business license
Business name and/or DBA registration
Certificate of occupancy
Account for transient/lodging taxes
Sales tax account (seller’s permit)
Federal and State Tax ID
Business checking credit accounts
Merchant account (to process credit cards)
ServSafe food certification (if required)
Health Department inspection
Fire Department inspection
Liquor license, if applicable
Insurance (business, liability, property, and liquor liability if applicable)
Property management/reservation and accounting software

About This Article

This article is from the book:

Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Mary White is the go-to source in the bed and breakfast industry for opinions and advice. A noted expert on B&B travel, she has been involved in promoting and marketing B&Bs on the web for more than a decade and has appeared in dozens of media outlets. Her site, BnBFinder.com, is hailed by professionals and consumers alike as the most informative B&B site.

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Hospitality Careers ,

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