4 Tips To Running A Successful Hotel

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Running a Hotel|4 Tips To Running A Successful HotelA hotel can offer a lucrative and rewarding business venture, but it is crucial that you take the right steps to ensure that your business grows and becomes a success. With this in mind, here are four tips to running a successful hotel.

1. Choose the right location

The location of your hotel will have a significant impact on its success. Typically, hotels in busy city centers or near major transport hubs tend to get the most business. However, you should keep in mind that competition in these areas will be higher than more remote locations. You should also consider the fact that hotels located in major cities can typically charge much higher rates. For instance, according to kayak.co.uk, London hotels charge an average of £144 per night on weekdays and £161 on weekends. London is, therefore, a highly sought-after location for all businesses, including hotels. You can check out London property news to help you stay up to date on the current property market and trends in the capital.

2. Offer perceived value

The hotel industry is highly competitive, so value and perceived value is crucial. It doesn’t mean that you have to undercut your competition or offer ridiculously low rates; there are plenty of ways to give your guests the perception of better value without lowering your revenue. Value-added extras can be a fantastic way to entice guests. For instance, providing food packages like free breakfast will make your guests feel like they’re getting more for their money. You can also bring value through outstanding customer service, vouchers to nearby attractions, free parking, and so on.

3. Focus on customer service

Keep in mind that customer reviews can make or break a hotel. Most people now consider customer feedback a significant deciding factor when choosing a hotel, and this information is readily available on all major booking sites like booking.com and Agoda. For that reason, it is vital that you focus on customer service and provide every guest with the best experience possible. Remember that issues and complaints will occur in every business from time to time; the important thing is that these are dealt with swiftly and effectively to ensure the best outcome possible. Personal touches and outstanding service will help encourage guests to leave positive reviews. There are many tips you can use to improve customer services in your hotel, such as creating an incredible experience before your guests even arrive.

4. Know your target audience

In the hotel industry, it is important to know your target audience and have a clear idea about the type of service you will be offering guests. Do you want to provide luxury accommodation for high-end customers, budget accommodation for travelers, or do you want to focus on providing family-friendly accommodation? Make sure that you understand your target audience so you can design effective marketing strategies and cater your service to your likely customers. For instance, if you are running a mid-price hotel near a busy transport hub and the majority of your guests are business professionals, then you should consider offering things like fast Wi-Fi and desks in all rooms, as well as a work area in the lobby.

Developing Trust With Your Customers

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Service|Developing Trust With Your CustomersPeople tend to think that it’s the quality of a company’s products or services that determine how much success they’re going to have. And it’s true that they are important, but if a business is going to reach its full potential, then there has to be a solid foundation of trust between the company and its customers. Without it, there’s only so far that they can go — and it really isn’t all that far. As such, it’s important that you’re taking steps to develop your customer’s faith in your business. We take a look at a few ways how below.

Make Yourself Available

You could have the best products at the best prices, but if there’s no-one there to answer the questions and concerns of your customers, then there will be a trust issue. If you’re running a business exclusively online, then make no mistake: you need to make yourself available. People are understandably cautious when it comes to buying online, so you really need to show them that you’re trustworthy. If you have a phone number they can call, and answer your email and social media comments quickly, then you’ll be on the right path.

Consistent Performances

Trust is built over time. A new company has no credibility; with them, it could go either way. You can’t win your customer’s trust overnight — you have to do it by offering a high level of service over an extended period. They need to see that you’re reliable. This can happen in various ways: first, you can just build up your website, and your positive reviews. That takes time. You’ll also need to be reliable in other ways, such as always being online. People have doubts if a site is always going offline and/or is slow, so make sure you’re working with a company that offers managed IT services. They’ll ensure that you’re always online and ready for business.

Do What You Say You’ll Do

It’s all good and well promising a customer the world, but if you can’t deliver it, then you’ll end up doing more harm than good. People prefer honesty over boasts! If delivery is going to realistically going to take five days rather than three, then make sure they know it. You don’t impress anyone by telling them how good you are — you just have to show them, and let them come to their own conclusions.

Handling Problems

It doesn’t matter how watertight your ship might seem, eventually you’re going to run into a mistake that affects a customer. This doesn’t have to be the end of the world, providing you take care of the issue. People are pretty forgiving so long as the business does all that’s within its power to rectify the mistake.

Build Your Authority

Finally, look at building your authority. If you know a lot about your products and services, then share the knowledge through blogs, podcasts, and your social media accounts. You’ll quickly become trusted as the go-to company in your field.

Top 5 Benefits of Business Cards

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Business Cards|Top 5 Benefits of Business CardsWhether you’re a small business or large organisation, spreading awareness of your brand is crucial. The more people who know about your company, the better, so using the right marketing tools and techniques can make a big difference, helping to secure new interest from customers and clients.

While many businesses use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as a way to connect with their followers, using the old school approach of business cards can be just as beneficial. With that in mind, here are the top five benefits of business cards.

Affordable

If you run a small business, working with a tight budget can be tough. However, what you may not realise is how cost-effective using business cards can be. Instead of purchasing one or two cards, make sure that you buy in bulk, where you will be able to save a ton of money. You may want to consider checking out websites like https://theallinprinter.com/ who can help you design the perfect business card.

Versatile

Although business cards are small, that doesn’t mean you can’t fit a great deal of information on them. Instead of just putting your contact information on your business card, you should consider putting some advertising material on it, or offering a deal or coupon to lure new customers in. It’s important not to put too much information on your business card though, so finding the right balance is key, helping to avoid overwhelming the recipients.

Convenient

Another great benefit of using business cards is that you are in charge over how it looks. What’s more, you have discretion over the content too, as well as what marketing strategies to use to promote your brand. Business cards are small enough to fit inside a purse or wallet, meaning customers are more likely to take a card from you and keep it in their wallet or briefcase.

Networking

There are all sorts of places where you can use a business card. For example, if you’re attending a networking event, having a stall promoting your brand and equipping yourself with plenty of business cards will mean that customers can take a piece of your business away with them, helping to secure new interest. Remember, anyone you meet can be a potential customer, so handing out as many business cards as you can is crucial.

Never Stop Working

Unlike a television advertisement that only lasts for roughly 30 seconds, a business card and its message resonate and stays with the customer. Each time a customer checks out your business card, they will be reminded about what your company is all about, helping to increase the likelihood of them engaging with your brand. Unlike using email marketing where customers may not even check their inbox, having a physical record of what your business is all about can help stick in consumers minds more.

Instead of relying on social media and the internet for your marketing strategy, using business cards can be a great way to attract more customers to your brand. Not only are they convenient for the customer, they never stop working, and they’re affordable to buy too, especially if you buy in bulk. How your business presents itself is everything, so make sure that you spend time designing a business card that stands out from the crowd.

10 Technology Problems Modern Business Owners Have To Deal With

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Technology|10 Technology Problems Modern Business Owners Have To Deal WithOvercoming Common Tech Issues

To set your business up for the greatest success, you need to understand the sort of issues you’ll deal with regularly, and have some plan of action to handle them. Following we’ll briefly explore several key tech issues your business is likely to encounter today, and how to counteract them.

I: Cybercrime

Cybercrime is like the mirror image of “white hat” technology use. Presently, the global tech market is estimated around $5 trillion. But by 2021, it’s estimated that the black-hat “cybercrime” market will be worth $6 trillion.
That means right now, a fluctuation between the two put them on a similar plane in terms of the total impact. Modern businesses need cybercrime deterrent solutions to maintain the security of operations. Monitoring, support, firewalls, antivirus solutions, and the latest technology patches are all key means of fighting cybercrime, as is internal education.

II: Internal Employee Error

Some of the biggest threats to your company are going to develop internally. Employees will make mistakes by playing the wrong video at the wrong website, and downloading a ransomware virus onto your network. There are going to be issues where security is compromised owing to improper access protocol management pertaining to user names and passwords.

Working with MSPs or internal security groups to develop best-practices can be key here. Additionally, you’ll want to educate employees on how to operate securely throughout your company at intervals, as new threats develop in the tech world all the time.

III: Corporate Espionage

Competitors and governments that have something to lose from your success will try to sabotage you. Sometimes they’ll just steal information, sometimes they’ll deliberately try to malign your system.

This can happen from the outside or inside. Depending on your business, you may be a bigger or smaller target. Continuous monitoring and support is key in deferring associated impact from corporate espionage.

IV: Technological Transition Along Moore’s Law Lines

Every eighteen months or so, the ability of computers at the hardware level doubles on itself. Moore’s Law was observed by Gordon Moore in the sixties, and as yet technology hasn’t quite transcended it.

This means that your business will still need to upgrade in the near future. Such transition isn’t easy, and can be quite expensive—depending on your needs. Consultation helps you do so at a minimum of expense.

V: SLAs And SLM

Service Level Agreements, or SLAs, define what tech companies will provide for you in the event of some sort of technology issue. Check out this guide on using Service Level Management (SLM) solutions to help you ensure varying SLAs are in alignment with operations. Some divisions of your company need more or less service than others.

While it can be worthwhile to have some sort of “one-size-fits-all” tech solution, this may involve spending resources unnecessarily. SLM management ensures you’re getting the service you need at the level you need across operations. Without careful SLM and proper SLAs, the service you pay for won’t cover operational issues when they arise, and that’s an issue.

VI: Scaling Out

You’re naturally going to have to scale out your business at intervals; if not for the sake of Moore’s Law, for the sake of maintaining competitive viability. But scaling out can be quite expensive. Cloud computing options reduce costs for many businesses large and small. Additionally, solutions like VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) make scaling-out less costly.

VII: Transitioning To And Maximizing The Mobile Market

People access the internet today through mobile devices with greater regularity than through desktop devices. This transition happened in 2018, and with it, more mobile tech use will likely develop. The Internet of Things (IoT) is ever-expanding, and it’s wise to capitalize on this reality. But making such a transition can be difficult and costly without proper consultation.

VIII: Deliberate Sabotage Internally Or Externally

Corporate espionage can lead to deliberate internal sabotage, but it’s just as likely some disgruntled employee or tech worker may be the culprit of technology damage. Also, external sabotage can happen from both under-handed clients and cybercriminals.

Contingency plans are necessary to sidestep such issues. Digital “quarantine” protocols are key, as are PAMs, or “Privileged Access Management” solutions. Only let the right people should have access to your data. Also, monitoring of applications on the cloud helps you keep a finger on the pulse of performance, as well as monitor for possible intrusion anomalies.

IX: Unconsolidated Software Between Departments

One department may use Apple software, another might use Microsoft software. Some programs could be compatible with either OS (Operating System), most won’t. Cloud computing options can provide solutions which are compatible across departments. Ideally, your technology should be consolidated so as to be in agreement even in diverse locations.

X. Backup And Data Recovery Considerations

BDR, or Backup and Data Recovery, is key in deferring pernicious downtime losses—which can be as high as $5,600 a minute for some enterprises. You need some sort of BDR solution in place. DRaaS, or Disaster Recovery as a Service, can also be useful here; again, consultation helps determine which solutions are most cost-effective for your business.

Maximizing Tech, Minimizing Issues

There are many tech issues businesses contend with today. There are just as many solutions. Thinking such possibilities out in advance, and planning response protocols, helps your business be ready when the unexpected forces you into action.

Should You Put Dash Cams In Your Business Vehicles?

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Business Vehicle|Should You Put Dash Cams In Your Business Vehicles?Having a fleet of commercial vehicles is more important than you may think. Not only does it allow your team members to get from A to B with a consistent level of style and professionalism, but it also serves as an advertisement for your company, whether your employees are out on the road, or arriving at meetings with clients.

However, there are many questions that you need to ask before you get a fleet of vehicles, and one of them is whether you should install dash cams. We’ve done a brief rundown of some of the pros and cons here!

Pro: it’s easier for insurance purposes

Let’s be honest, no business wants to go through the headache that is associated with an accident concerning one of their vehicles. In fact, getting to the bottom of what has happened could be the hardest thing to do, and a lot of time – and potentially money – could be wasted in the process.

However, if you have a dash cam, you can easily see what has happened, and speed up the process of any insurance claims.

Pro: you can keep an eye on the standard of driving

If your name is on the side of a business vehicle, you want to know that the person driving it is doing a great job at showing your potential customers how professional your company really is. This is especially the case with vehicles that are used for long distances, and a truck dash cam will allow you to see this, no matter where they are.

You’ll be able to monitor your employees on the road, which will put your mind at rest that they’re not making your company look unprofessional!

Con: it can be misconstrued

OK, so there are many, many benefits to dash cams in business vehicles. However, it can be misconstrued by your employees as a way to spy on them, rather than just trusting them to do their jobs. It’s important to remind people that this isn’t the reasoning behind dash cams; they are used to uphold the driver’s safety.

Be sure to consult your team before installing them, and tell them all of the benefits that will come with doing so.

Pro: it comes with GPS options

If you’re thinking about opting for dash cams for your business fleet, then you may want to look into all of the added bonuses of doing this. Not only can you protect the safety of your drivers and monitor the standard of driving, but you can also see where they are, which comes with many benefits.

Firstly, it’s helpful if there are any cases of vehicle theft, and secondly, it allows you to see the real time progress of your staff.

So…

If you’re thinking about putting dash cams into your business vehicle fleet, then you could benefit in many ways by doing so. In the 21st century, these small pieces of tech can make our lives much easier, and as such, they are great additions to any company with a fleet of vehicles!