Mike and Chris Scott found a new career as successful innkeepers during their retirement years. Before opening the Staveleigh House, a charming bed-and-breakfast in historic Sheffield, Mass., they wondered if they had the right skills to own and manage a B&B.
What makes a transition from one industry or endeavor to another successful? It’s the understanding and deployment of what you already know and are good at (known as hard skills), coupled with liking and wanting to do the “what’s next” that will result in life satisfaction (known as soft skills).
Chris’ knowledge of commercial food service, plus the ability to plan and execute meals, easily supported her envisioned role as provider of the “breakfast” half of the B&B. Chris said that, as a dietitian, you have to be able to stay positive while working with people who are not ready to make changes in their dietary habits – in other words, to foster a strong customer service mentality.
Mike, in IT management/operations, was, among many other functions, responsible for corporate “help desks,” the ultimate customer-service challenge when so many are clamoring for so few resources. So, Mike was also a master of managing internal client expectations and pouring oil on the proverbial troubled waters.
As part of his suite of professional skills, Mike was able to evaluate accounting and reservation systems software and, additionally, was able to understand the financial aspect of B&B management, having managed large departmental budgets as part of his corporate responsibilities over the years.
This is not to say that Mike and Chris were totally prepared to take the leap – far from it. They deduced that they needed to have a firm understanding of real estate, insurance, taxes, facilities management and, most importantly, internet marketing if they were to succeed. They made a realistic list of the aspects they could handle themselves and then began identifying subject-matter experts in the areas where they would need shoring up.
They determined that, above and beyond the tactical elements, like getting a mortgage on a property, they needed major assistance in getting “heads in beds,” which would entail a steep learning curve into the realm of social media, with its website advertising, email campaigns, search engine optimization and the sharingof compelling material to target populations via mobile devices. Mike and Chris were smart enough to know what they could do themselves, and where they needed significant help.
Sally Haver retired in 2013 after a long career with the The Ayers Group, division of Kelly Services as a Senior Business Development Executive. As a senior career management consultant, she has a broad-based business background encompassing human resources consulting, recruitment, advertising/marketing, music production, academia and show business. She is known in her field as a competitive, persistent, highly creative contributor with a generosity of spirit. Since retiring, she has found that there are many people who are working during their post-retirement years and not necessarily because they have to work. Some retirees are interested in pursuing a lifetime dream and others find tremendous fulfillment simply by undertaking a new challenge. Haver is an editor and a frequent contributor to “The Connector,” covering the emerging new workforce of retirees, who are choosing to work for the sheer love of it.
Adventures in Retirement:
Mike and Chris Scott,
owners of the Staveleigh House B&B
By Sally Haver