{"id":4796,"date":"2011-04-14T10:48:56","date_gmt":"2011-04-14T14:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=4796"},"modified":"2011-04-15T21:34:42","modified_gmt":"2011-04-16T01:34:42","slug":"on-running-a-bed-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/on-running-a-bed-breakfast\/","title":{"rendered":"On Running a Bed & Breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owners of Foster Harris House Share Insights on Career Change<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diane and John MacPherson are native New Englanders who built impressive resumes coupled with world travel.\u00a0 Their last port of call was Laguna Beach, California, where Diane was a business consultant and trainer, and John a design engineer. But their successful careers bumped up against the realities of corporate restructuring and left both of them feeling a loss of creativity.\u00a0 They decided to reinvent their lives.<\/p>\n

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Diane MacPherson<\/p><\/div>\n

The MacPhersons mutual love of food, wine and the outdoors set the stage for a way of life they hadn\u2019t imagined.\u00a0 \u201cWe had gotten to the point where we were both unhappy in our jobs and wondered if there was a way to make a living doing all the activities we enjoyed.\u00a0 When we struck upon the idea of running a bed and breakfast in a wine growing region and offering cycling tours<\/span><\/a>, we realized we\u2019d come up with the perfect formula,\u201d says John.\u00a0 In less than a year, the MacPhersons were welcoming guests at Foster Harris House<\/span><\/a> in Washington, Virginia. \u201cIt was one of the best decisions we\u2019ve ever made,\u201d says John.<\/p>\n

Rappahannock County was a smart move for the vibrant and athletic couple.\u00a0 The late presidential hopeful Eugene McCarty—a former resident of the county—once said the region was, \u201cseventy-five miles and seventy-five years from Washington, DC.\u201d\u00a0 He might have also added it was a magnet for Washington\u2019s overworked and overstressed denizens.<\/p>\n

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Foster Harris House<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cEach year since we took over the inn, our business has grown.\u00a0 We simply envisioned what we\u2019d want in a getaway vacation and built the business on that model,\u201d John states.\u00a0 Based on guest feedback and repeat bookings, it looks like they\u2019ve succeeded.<\/p>\n

And what exactly is that model?\u00a0 First, the MacPhersons strongly believe that both partners need to be involved in the operation of an inn.\u00a0 Often owners are holding down other jobs or one of the parties is not as committed to the venture.\u00a0 A B&B can function under such circumstances, but the physical and emotional demands are significant.\u00a0 \u201cFor our guests to fully enjoy their stay, we\u2019ve found it\u2019s vital for both of us to be invested.\u00a0 If one of us is not operating at full speed on a given day, the other one can step up and take charge,\u201d says Diane.<\/p>\n

Next, the setting must convey a feeling of comfort and convenience.\u00a0 \u201cPeople come to B&Bs to enjoy the ambience and intimacy of a place steeped in history.\u00a0 A place with architecture and d\u00e9cor that are decidedly not hotel-like.\u00a0 Yet guests still want the comforts and conveniences of modern hotel rooms.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019ve made it our mission to make sure everything that physically touches the guests is high quality,\u2019 Diane explains. \u201cWe pay close attention to our choice of towels and linens, the firmness of the mattresses and the ergonomics of a space designed for relaxation.\u00a0 We\u2019ve both traveled a lot for our careers, so we\u2019ve designed the rooms around our own best experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cbreakfast\u201d in \u201cbed and breakfast\u201d also became a focal point.\u00a0 John, an accomplished chef and author of his own cookbook<\/span><\/a>, creates a tasty array of morning treats, including pecan pancakes with caramelized bananas; wild mushroom, spinach and Gruyere frittatas; gingerbread waffles and paradise bacon, to name just a few.\u00a0 The gourmet breakfasts also inspire guests to buy the cookbook, which includes recipes for all occasions following the same theme:\u00a0 Fresh ingredients that are prepared simply and presented thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

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Compton Room <\/p><\/div>\n

According to the MacPhersons, running a successful inn requires not only a strong partnership, but a constant push for greater efficiency.\u00a0 \u201cSmall business owners know that time management is vital, so we consider it a victory each time we come up with a new way–\u2013however small—to save time or money,\u201d Diane explains. \u201cAfter six years in the business, we still have moments where we say, \u2018Duh \u2013 why didn\u2019t we think of that years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

One recent example was a kitchen improvement.\u00a0 As the food server each morning, Diane frequently delves into the freezer for ice cubes, but always had a tough time finding the ice scoop because it was clear plastic and blended in with all of the frozen goods.\u00a0 \u201cI spent about an hour online trying –without success — to find a brightly colored ice scoop,\u201d Diane laughs. \u201cThen John said, \u2018Why don\u2019t we just wrap the handle in orange electrical tape?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Now, Diane never has a problem finding the scoop.\u00a0 \u201cThe time saved with this improvement is probably negligible, but the averted daily annoyance? Priceless,\u201d jokes Diane.<\/p>\n

Inn owners also must maintain a\u00a0delicate balance between preserving personal space and making guests feel welcomed.\u00a0“Proprietors have a unique challenge in that the line between home life\u00a0and work\u00a0life\u00a0is more blurred than perhaps any other industry,” Diane explains. “To avoid burn-out, it’s crucial to\u00a0set boundaries.”<\/p>\n

“The kitchen had always been a conundrum in that regard,” says John.\u00a0 “The doorway into the kitchen from the guest dining room\u00a0is essentially the threshold to our personal space, but after breakfast service, we didn’t feel comfortable simply shutting the door, since\u00a0we want to be available to guests if they have questions or want to check out.\u00a0\u00a0Then John had the idea of installing a Dutch door.\u00a0It provided the needed separation of the two areas but without making our guests feel, literally, shut out,\u201d Diane explains.<\/p>\n

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John MacPherson<\/p><\/div>\n

Another useful skill is the ability to perform as many home repairs and maintenance tasks as possible.\u00a0 Frequently, as John\u2019s apron comes off, his carpenter\u2019s belt goes on. His home repair skills have proved invaluable.\u00a0 Calling in a handyman to tend to the needs of a century old home can be expensive.\u00a0 The do-it-yourself approach to maintenance means paying yourself, not others.<\/p>\n

And what about getaway time for the proprietors?\u00a0 Since weekends are consistent revenue producers, both vacations and days off center on weekdays.\u00a0 The couple enjoys only a one week vacation in the winter and two five day breaks in the summer.\u00a0 \u201cOne real advantage over most businesses is that we can schedule our workload.\u00a0 We can slip away for a day here and there which provides a nice break.\u00a0 It\u2019s a demanding schedule, but far from overwhelming,\u201d says Diane.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best fringe benefit of running the B&B is the enduring friendships that John and Diane have formed with many of their guests, some of whom are now like family.\u00a0 \u201cThe annual visits of our regular guests mark the changing of the seasons and the heralding in of holidays,\u201d says John, adding, \u201cOur lives are richer, thanks to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

And to confirm the mutual respect, one only has to read reviews on Amazon.com for John\u2019s book.\u00a0 One comment comes from T.W. Barritt of CulinaryTypes.com<\/span><\/a> who states, \u201cThe first time I stayed at the Foster Harris House I had a feeling of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, as if I’d met innkeepers Diane and John MacPherson before. Each room is elegantly furnished yet supremely comfortable. John is the chef who sees artistry in simple ingredients like eggs and bacon. Each morning is better than the day before. New guests whisper to me, have you gotten this kind of breakfast everyday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Need more be said?\u00a0 Makes all of us want to consider a career change, eh?<\/p>\n

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Owners of Foster Harris House Share Insights on Career Change Diane and John MacPherson are native New Englanders who built impressive resumes coupled with world travel.\u00a0 Their last port of call was Laguna Beach, California, where Diane was a business consultant and trainer, and John a design engineer. But their successful careers bumped up against […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[327,322,16,326,37,323,325,324],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n