Heartlandbnb = (Midwest x Great Plains) + Airbnb
As the owner of vacation rentals / Airbnbs in small towns in the Heartland for almost 15 years, I’ve learned that this is a very real, very small business with plenty of opportunities to grow, but plenty of ways to get stuck in the weeds.
My goal is to bring together Airbnb hosts from all over the Heartland to learn about best practices and to share problems and concerns.
Crops grow better without weeds.
Where is the heartland?
The Heartland is best part of the United States, full of wonderful small towns and even more wonderful people. Located between the Rockies on the west and the Appalachians on the east, from the border with Canada on the north to the Rio Grande on the south, these regions include the Midwest and Great Plains.
This blog is designed to help hosts of vacation rentals on Airbnb who are located in small towns, villages and farms in the Heartland. Places we love and places yet to be discovered off the beaten path.
Just a tractor...
Many people hate Airbnb. Many people love Airbnb.
The first group are detractors, while the last group are the attractors. I don’t hate Airbnb. I don’t love Airbnb either. I’m not a protractor or a contractor! I’m just a vacation rental owner using Airbnb like a farmer uses a tractor.
My blog aims to plow ahead, like a tractor, with vacation rentals / Airbnbs located in the Heartland - providing helpful hints and heaping handfuls of caution.
Think of your vacation rentals / Airbnbs as a farm. You’ll need to own or lease the property, buy some equipment, plan for expenses through the year and expect the unexpected, and yet depend upon what happens in your community, like the weather. You’ll have to cooperate and compete with other hosts. More importantly, you’ll need some seed money.
Like a tractor, Airbnb is an important vehicle for success, but not the only one.
Vacation rental hosts are like tractors in the field - working hard every day no matter what.
About Me
I love small towns in the Heartland.
I grew up in small towns. My childhood was spent in small towns in the Heartland - the Midwest and Great Plains - with populations of 1,000 or less. I knew everyone in my class, looked forward to the county fair and participated in local sports and recreation. To me, small towns are the best places to visit…and live!
I own and operate eight vacation rentals on Airbnb in a small town on the Great Plains. I’ve learned by trial and error and by reaching out to other vacation rental managers (people who operate vacation rentals, but do not own any). If I don’t have an answer to your question, I probably know who does.