Sunshine Coast Bed & Breakfast, Cottage Owners Association

Vision Statement

To offer personal service accommodations of exemplary quality that reflect the distinctive nature of the Sunshine Coast and the unique personality of the owners.

Mission Statement

The Sunshine Coast Bed and Breakfast and Cottage Owners Association is an alliance of owner/operators offering personalized accommodation services.  

Each facility is unique and reflects both its location and the personality of the owner. High standards, supported by an inspection process, focus on guest service, comfort and safety.

Through mutual support, members of the Association strive to achieve excellence in accommodation and in host services and to assist guests to fully experience all that the Sunshine Coast has to offer.

To further this mission, the Association works with its business partners to understand and respond to the needs of visitors and to market the Sunshine Coast in support of tourism.

Profile

The Sunshine Coast Bed and Breakfast and Cottage Owners Association was formed in 1999 as a result of a conversation between six bed and breakfast owners. Since its inception, the Association has continually developed better ways for accommodation providers on the Sunshine Coast to market their (our) businesses, and bring visitors to the Coast. Our Association's budget has grown along with our membership. Our marketing reach has expanded to include the Pacific Northwest of the United States as well as much of Canada. We have developed and maintained a superior website which encourages and facilitates accommodations bookings for our members, while also providing advertising opportunities to an increasing number of business partners. Current access to our site and, consequently, our marketing reach extends to Europe, Asia and Australia.

The Board of Directors initiated a review of the Standardsof the Association in 2006, and this important work has generated exemplary service, safety and security for visitors, which will take our Association and its members to a new level of excellence. We are proud of the Standards we use for new members' inspections and periodic follow-up checks with the purpose of ensuring that all members are operating at the highest level and providing the best accommodations to our guests.

The SCBBCOA is the largest organization of bed & breakfast and cottage businesses in British Columbia. Today, our website has thousands of visitors each month. Our potential guests use the website to select accommodations that meet their needs, strike their fancy, suit their families, or simply enchant them. Visitors are also able to access our business partners' advertisements which offer activities and services on the Sunshine Coast, from Langdale to Lund, from fine dining to kayaking and mountain-biking adventures.

Our association is directed by a dedicated group of volunteers, with assistance from our part time Administrator and Webmaster. Members of the Association also volunteer their time in a variety of ways from distributing our brochure to participating in a range of other committee work helping to meet the goals and objectives of the Association. We are constantly learning and growing. As new opportunities present themselves, or tourism and accommodation related issues arise in our communities, the SCBBCOA executive members discuss and decide, with feedback from members, on the best course to achieve our collective goals while supporting our Association values.

Our quarterly general membership meetings are important opportunities for members to talk together, face to face, about our successes and our challenges. We are fortunate to have a significant turnout at these meetings indicating the hands-on approach of our members. Each year's Annual General Meeting sees the election of the Board of Directors and the presentation of the financial report for the past year, along with information from each of the areas for which the Directors are responsible. Also, each year, one of our General Meetings includes our business partners who are asked to come and make presentations about their new products and services.

In the seven years since the organization began the SCBBCOA has also shown leadership in another important facet of our business. Our members cooperate with each other to assist visitors in finding accommodation that will meet their needs and desires. We have found that our businesses all benefit if we help each other, so we refer visitors to other bed and breakfasts and cottages as appropriate to our guests' needs. This attitude of cooperation has made us stronger.

Many members participate in the series of spring tours of member accommodations. In this way, we learn from each other, and we keep current on what's available in our neighbourhoods and all of the Sunshine Coast

The SCBBCOA also offers educational opportunities for our members. As guest welfare and enjoyment is a prime concern, our members are required to be trained appropriately and Food Safe courses and SuperHost programs are regularly offered in several locations on the Coast.

The SCBBCOA is a vital, valuable, cutting-edge service for its members and for visitors to the Sunshine Coast. Looking forward, we are confident that when we celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2009 we will be ready for the opportunities presented by the 2010 Olympics, and by the increased tourism and recreation development in our communities.

Board Members

Name	Responsibility	Company
William E Bailey	Membership	Bailey's at Welcome Beach
Jean C Billingsley	Standards	Sechelt Inlet Bed & Breakfast
Peter and Norma Bond	Brochure Production	At the Shore B&B
Dagmar Cowan	Powell River Liaison	Crows Nest Bed and Breakfast
Margot Grant	Marketing	Grants Bed & Breakfast
Yvonne Johnson	Powell River Liaison	Suncatcher B&B
Paul Lith	Treasurer	Rosemarie's Guest House
Doug Penn	Brochure Distribution	Absolute Heaven B&B
Jack Pope	Past President	Coracle Cove Waterfront B&B and Cottage
Celia Robben	Vice President	Arcturus Retreat Bed and Breakfast
Sherry Royal	Administrative Assistant
Renee Switzer-Guarino	Secretary	Cottage Al Sole
Frances J Wasserlein	President	Honeysuckle Rose Cottage
Mary E Winn	Member Services	Marians On The Coast B&B