The Hospitality Business Bible

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People running businesses in the hospitality industry have to work hard to ensure they maintain standards. There are lots of tools and concepts that help them to achieve that goal. For the purpose of this post, we’re going to focus on the management of hotels. However, much of the advice on this page applies to all companies under that umbrella. So, take some of the suggestions and tailor them for your company. At the end of the day, people who build a negative reputation will struggle to turn things around. That is why it’s imperative that everyone pays attention.

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Use technology to your advantage

Firstly, all hotel managers can make their lives easier by using the latest technology. Developers from Mingus Software say it’s the best way to keep on top of essential duties. There’s no point working harder than is necessary to create the best experience for guests. The right software could handle everything from the moment they check in until they leave. Also, there’s no need to spend time entering data into multiple systems. You can manage everything from the same page, and that will help to save a lot of time.

Ensure all guests leave with a smile

As a hotel manager, it’s your duty to ensure all guests leave feeling satisfied. That means you need to work hard to ensure they never have any issues. Of course, some people will make complaints no matter how much effort you make. Still, you will keep a clear conscience if you know you did everything possible to assist. It’s wise to ask guests to fill a short questionnaire during the checking out process. It could be all you need to do to make your business a success. That way, you give them the opportunity to highlight some of the ways in which they think you could have improved. Feedback of that nature is the best tool at your disposal for making sure you don’t keep making the same mistakes.

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Go above and beyond the call of duty

It’s vital that all managers strive to go above and beyond what their guests expect. That could mean something simple like leaving a birthday card in a room. You could also place a bottle of wine in a cooler when you know someone is celebrating an anniversary. It won’t break the bank, but you could ensure future custom from the happy couple. Also, you’re going to see some pretty pleasing reviews on TripAdvisor if you do things like that. With a bit of luck, other people will see the effort you made, and that will encourage them to make a booking too.

You should now have some excellent ideas about what you can do to become a better manager. The tips should apply to any business within the hospitality industry. So, consider the advice and try to put it into action as soon as possible. Your company will build a positive reputation, and you’ll have lots of returning customers. Of course, there is always more to learn, and so you should continue your research after leaving this page. There are plenty of other articles on this blog that could help you to take things to the next level. So, have a look around before you leave.

Never Get Trapped By A Freelancer

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A lot of people have started moving over to doing work for themselves, over the last few decades. This trend of new freelancers has seen a massive rise thanks to the tech industry. Now, it’s possible to have people working for you all over the world. And, you don’t have to worry that the work will be done badly; it will still be done by professionals. This presents businesses with a great chance to get their work done cheaply. But, it also opens up some risks. To avoid these, you just have to take the right steps. And, this post will be going through those steps.

When you first hire someone, they should give you a proposal. This acts a bargain. The freelancer will work out how much they will do the work for, how long it will take, and when they will work on it. And, you will agree with it if you want to hire them. In most cases, people will take the proposal very lightly. But, it’s important to make sure that you both know exactly what is required for the job. And, exactly how much it will cost you both in time and money.

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Along with this, you also need to provide the freelancers with a spec for the job. This will detail exactly what you need them to do for you. With something like this, everything means everything. It’s important to make sure that you don’t give them any surprises down the road. Otherwise, you may find that they don’t want to work with you anymore. Always include any future work that you might want done, too. This will make the job sweeter for them. And, it will help to make sure that they understand the scope of the project.

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Once everything is agreed, you need to have a contract made. This will protect both parties, in case anything goes wrong. Most of the time, the contract will not be needed. But, it could be very useful if you have issues. You should always use a professional contract company to help you make something like this. You need to include details about the work and the freelancer’s claim to it once it’s done. And, everything else you’ve agreed.

One of the easiest ways to make sure that you don’t get ripped off by a freelancer is by getting them to fill in timesheets. A lot of freelancers will add on extra time when they come to you with the bill for their work. And, this can cause issues. So, it’s better to have some timesheet tracking online, which will prevent the issue altogether. A lot of companies offer this service very cheaply or even free. So, it’s worth taking a look.

Hopefully, this will help you to avoid issues when it comes to using freelancers for your work. A lot of these things will also protect the worker. So, it’s in their interest to help you with this by going along with it. So, if someone refuses to do this for you; you shouldn’t be working with them.

Staying Ahead Of The Game In Your Business

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Business can be a very fraught environment. There’s a lot of stress and pressure, which makes it hard for people to consider certain parts of their operation. Over time, this can have a serious impact on your business. So, it isn’t worth letting things go. It’s important to make sure that you remember to keep your business on the rise when it comes to the technology and tools that you use. Getting left behind in this area could also see you left behind when it comes to business. To help you out, this post will be going through some of the best ways to make sure that you’re staying ahead of the game.

If you want to stay of ahead of the game when it comes to business; you have to stay ahead of technology. Of course, not a lot of people find this field to be that interesting. But, knowing what’s going on gives you some major resources. For one, it will mean that you know exactly what you need to be buying to get the best deals. It will give you insider knowledge of an industry that your business will almost certainly rely on. And, it can help you to make sure that you always know what’s around the corner. There are loads of resources to help you with something like this. One of the best ways to stay ahead is through a forum, like the LinusTechTips forum. Loads of YouTube channels have their own sites like this, and they can be very helpful.

Next, once you know what you need to buy; you need to know exactly how to use it. Now, depending on your industry, you’ll be getting different types of tech. So, learning how to use it could take some time. This is especially true for anything involved in manufacturing. Whether you work with plastics and use scientific injection molding, or you work with metal and use CNC lathes; a course will be the best option. This will give you the wealth of knowledge that you will need to not only do your job but be confident to fix problems as they come up. You can do the same when it comes to computers, too. You just have to make sure that your training is kept up-to-date to make sure that you’re not missing any new trends.

One of the hardest parts of this process for a business is updating and upgrading the equipment that they use. Thankfully, when it comes to manufacturing; most machines will be able to be used for years. But, computers are a different story. Computers don’t age well at all. So, it’s hard to make sure that you keep them in the best possible working order. One of the best ways to solve this problem is by not buying your computers at all. Instead, you can borrow them from another company. That way, when updates come out; you’ll be able to get your hands on the latest tech, without the expense.

Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what needs to be done if you want to stay ahead in the world of business and technology. All modern business relies on technology. And, without it; most businesses can’t run. So, it’s important to consider keeping your computers as up-to-date as you possible can.

Taking Your Customer’s Money

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A lot of modern transactions don’t involve physical money at all. Instead, they rely on bank transfers. These transfers are usually started with a bank card and a clever system that contacts the bank. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds, though. And, a lot of companies go wrong here. The results of which can be devastating for a business. So, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing these things correctly. And, with customers in mind. To help you out, this post will be going through some of the options you have available.

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Even in stores, most transactions are handled using bank cards, nowadays. This means that shops have to have the capacity to complete hundreds of transactions each day. Usually, a subscription service is used. The shop will pay a set amount on each transaction. And, they will get to use the card machines and software that they need for free. Sometimes, it’s best to go a little bit bigger, though. Nowadays, you can find similar services that provide you with a whole till system. These systems are usually much more than most small businesses could afford by themselves. And, it could dramatically change your business. A TallySoft point of sale system is great to make sure that your payments are handled securely. And, that they’re made quickly and effortlessly. You customers will notice the new tech you have around.

All of the transactions that your business handles online will be bank transfers of sorts. This means that you have to have a system in place to deal with this. When it comes to ecommerce, you have loads more available. Services like PayPal will allow you to sell your products through their service. You just have to make a product button with them, and add it to your website. Some sites need greater control, though. And, will want to have things like baskets for their customers to use. A full CMS system would be required for this. There are loads of options out there for services like this. You just have to look at some reviews to find the best one that suits your needs.

When you take money from people on a website, you have to think about security. Most of the payment systems out there will make sure that your website is secured with SSL. An SSL certificate encrypts the data being sent, received, and moved around your site. This makes it much harder for criminals to access the data. Along with this, you also need to secure the forms that send data. Doing this will require some programming, though. So, you might need the help of a developer to get this done. Always make sure that your website is using the latest security standards. And, that you perform regular virus checks on your server system.

Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what needs to be done to take money from your customers. It’s hard to make sure that you’re using the right services for these tasks. So, make sure that you do plenty of research and fact checking before you choose your methods.

Allow Your Physical Store To Flourish

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Physical stores can be the flagship of any company – they prove a vital face to face aspect where customers can engage with employees about what products or services your business can offer them, which will benefit them, and a physical store also provides a really important visual commodity which can influence the reputation of your business. A lot of people still prefer to shop in physical stores, as they can immediately see the product or the benefits of a service that they require, rather than reading about it online and reading about what fellow customers think about the product or service a business has offered them. When shopping online, customers can sometimes feel that they may not be getting the full potential of what they are looking for within a business, but when they head to a physical store, they can speak to the employees of the business, and develop a good understanding of what it is they are after.

However, to be able to maintain a good physical presence of a store, a business owner will need to take the time to develop various aspects which will benefit the business, and will need to maintain aspects which are necessary. These can include: the exterior presence of the store (a shabby, old looking store front is not likely to attract as many customers as a contemporary, stylish store front), the branding (branding is essential when attracting customers – without branding there is no business), the interior of the store (when customers enter, they want to feel like they are welcome, and the majority of customers will want to see the best, most exciting products or services that you offer as soon as they enter the store). Don’t neglect these aspects of your business.

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So, with this in mind, a business owner will need to dedicate time to allow their physical store to flourish to its full potential. With the exterior, it is surprising what a brand new lick of paint can do to the appearance of a store. Neutral or bright colors are almost always the best choice, rather than dull, bland and dark colours. Pick a color which also could represent the personality of your business. With branding, ensure that the name of your business can be clearly seen by members of the public as they pass by – avoid intricate fonts which could be hard to read. With the interior, make sure that it is modern and accessible to everyone. You should avoid saving money on old cash register machines as they are more likely to develop faults than newer systems. A point of sale payment processing systems could be more beneficial to the business – and customers will also be able to see how much effort and time you have taken to make their time at the store as easy and smooth as possible!

With a physical store, ensure you – as a business owner – dedicate the right amount of time to allowing your store to reach its full potential. Put the work in and you will reap the benefits.