Roy Forsberg has been a software engineer, built Internet routers and worked at a company that provided speech recognition software for Apple’s Siri.
The Massachusetts man ditched that high-tech life to be an innkeeper.
He and wife, Sue, who still works in high tech, but telecommutes, bought the Wolf Cove Inn in Poland in December 2013 and reopened last May after extensive renovations.
1. You could have run an inn anywhere. What wooed you to Poland and Wolf Cove?
There were many things “just right” about the Wolf Cove Inn. First was the location. The private lakefront setting nestled on the beautiful shoreline of Tripp Lake stood out from all other properties we investigated.
Second was the size of the inn. Ten rooms (that through our renovations are now 11 rooms) was a great size for a viable business.
Third was value combined with potential. Most inns for sale on the coast were, in our opinion, substantially overpriced for the business they were generating. The Wolf Cove Inn had so much upside potential, if done right, that we felt justified in the price we paid.
2. Obscure things you have at the ready in case a guest asks for it at 2 a.m.?
We try to anticipate most guest needs and stock our convenience stations accordingly. Both the second and third floor of the Wolf Cove Inn have convenience stations, containing complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, wine glasses, cork screws, paper plates, plastic utensils, and assorted toiletries. We also have red and white wine in each room that guests may enjoy for which they settle up on departure. In the dining room, coffee, tea, our from-scratch baked goods and fresh fruit are available 24/7.
I also spend much time blogging about items I think will be useful for guests — best restaurants, scenic drives, activities for the active guest — that sort of thing. As far as off-the-wall requests, I was describing to a potential guest our water amenities. We have a dock, two canoes, two kayaks and fishing gear available for complimentary use by our guests. That potential guest had a vision of taking his grandson fishing on a rowboat and was disappointed we didn’t have one. Shortly after that conversation, a rowboat joined our “fleet.”
3. Policy or issue you’re following this summer at either the state or national level, and what impact could it have on your business?
At the national level, it is climate change. Maine’s brand is tied to everything nature has to offer to tourists. Climate change will wreak havoc on that brand and damage the livelihoods to so many Mainers.
At the state level, it is the response to the rise of Airbnb properties (not Airbnb itself). As a licensed lodging and food establishment, I adhere to the necessary and required laws, rules and regulations in force. These ensure the safety and well-being of the traveling public via fire-code, sanitation and food service regulations. Additionally, we support the state’s operations via our role as a tax collector. This comes with a cost that we are happy to pay.
Airbnb properties operate without enforcement of the laws, rules and regulations, and they don’t collect taxes. This both puts guests at risk when staying at non-complying properties and enables an uneven playing field in the lodging community since Airbnb properties don’t bear the same cost structure as compliant properties.
4. If you received a $1 million grant tomorrow, no strings attached, what would you invest it in?
Having done “wash, rinse” once, I would love to add “repeat.” It has been tremendously satisfying to take a “diamond in the rough” property that few saw as having potential and create what is the new Wolf Cove Inn. We are so pleased with the response of our guests that I would like to do it again with a second property.
5. How important are state and regional tourism marketing efforts to attracting guests? How do you get the word out about you?
Regarding the first question, they are very important. State and regional marketing efforts build the “Maine brand,” polish the brand and put the brand in front of the entire tourism supply chain. They help get folks to want to come to Maine. It is then my job to get them to come to the Wolf Cove Inn.
My key marketing tools are digital presence, social media, affiliation with premier lodging marketing groups (Select Registry and Diamond Collection), trade associations (Maine Innkeepers, Maine Tourism) and plain, old-fashioned retail marketing (shaking hands, attending conferences and trade shows, making one-on-one connections).
6. Biggest lesson learned so far from chucking it all to become your own boss in a brand new field?
Establish a vision and then relentlessly execute on that vision. The vision began with defining the experience we want a guest to have. We then built a business plan around that vision that encompasses finance, marketing and operations. We benchmark ourselves against that plan and adjust accordingly. We take feedback and adjust until we reliably and consistently deliver a “Wow” experience to each and every guest.
So many things need to be done right for that to happen, we must be diligent about all aspects of the inn, from hospitality (must have “A-game” at all times, even when having a bad day) to food service (highest standards in ingredients, preparation, variety, presentation and use of local products) to housekeeping (meticulous and spotless) to the building and grounds (beautiful, comfortable and exceptionally maintained). We realize that at the end of the day all the marketing gets guests to come to the Wolf Cove Inn, but it is creating the “Wow” experience that gets guests to come back again and again.
Six Questions For The CEO is a monthly feature on the faces and names that keep business interesting. Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at kskelton@sunjournal.com
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