Anne Marie had always been fond of playing house with her china tea sets and collection of Asian dolls. Her parents were missionaries serving their second term in the Philippines and she felt affection for the people and the way of life there was appealing to her. She enjoyed going with her mother to the open market in the center of their little village each week where everything from fresh produce to beautiful Asian dinnerware was displayed and offered for sale. Even at a very young age she dreamed of growing older and taking part in a market such as this one. She found it exciting to be in the midst of all of the people with the bustling about and the chatter that accompanied the shopping experience.
When she returned to her hometown in Vermont, Anne Marie decided to pursue a career in hospitality management in which she excelled. Her people skills combined with a love of gourmet cooking caused her to consider purchasing a bed and breakfast place that was for sale in a nearby town. Located in a charming little village and surrounded by quaint stores that offered shopping, she sensed this was an ideal location to pursue her dream of owning her business. She was able to get a bank loan for her business start-up and more importantly to her, was able to convince her widowed mother to join her in the venture. Anne Marie correctly sensed that the basic love of all people that her mother had always shown would be evident when she interacted over the telephone and when people came in to register as guests. Anne Marie take care of the physically demanding work such as cleaning guest rooms and the cooking. She and her mother determined that they would only offer breakfast but it would be very special and truly high quality food.
Next they worked on a marketing strategy to attract potential visitors to their inn by contacting a regional magazine to see if they would be interested in running a story regarding the new way the established business would be run. This turned out to be a very strategic move and when the article was published, it included several large pictures that showed the bed and breakfast to be beautifully furnished and inviting. They also included the breakfast menu with pictures of the prepared dishes being served at the attractively arranged tables in the stylish dining room. Both Anne Marie and Marian, her mother, agreed that they were delighted with the treatment their inn was given in the article as a perfect little romantic retreat.
Three other ways they advertised their bed and breakfast consisted of:
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