Small guesthouse or cabin business

Tourists, outdoor and sports visitors, wedding and reunion groups, and workers staying for projects.

Nightly room or cabin rates, with extras like breakfast, group bookings, pet fees or off-season weekly deals. Income grows with the number of units and how well you fill them.

• Hospitality and customer service
• Managing bookings, budgets and staff
• Practical upkeep and basic repairs
• Local marketing and online reviews

• Zoning, occupancy, fire safety and building code requirements, which vary by municipality and province
• Public health requirements if you serve food, and liquor licensing if you serve alcohol
• Commercial general liability and property insurance suited to guest accommodation
• WCB/WSIB coverage and employment standards rules once you hire staff, which differ by province
• Strong seasonality: cash can be tight in winter or other quiet months
• Accommodation taxes, GST/HST and Quebec's own tourism registration if you are in Quebec
• Property costs and maintenance can be high, so check the numbers carefully

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the number of rooms or cabins, furnishing, systems and licensing. These figures do not include buying the property itself.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on size, location and season. Cash can be tight in winter or other quiet months, so it helps to plan for them.

Check zoning, occupancy, fire safety and building code requirements with your municipality and province. Also check public health rules if you serve food, liquor licensing, insurance, WCB/WSIB and employment rules if you hire staff, and accommodation taxes, GST/HST and Quebec tourism registration.