COVID-19 Advice for Hospitality Businesses
Clearly, some industries are taking a bigger hit from COVID-19 than others. Any industry that requires a great deal of interaction with the public, or where people gather in large groups, are obviously having very tough times. Movie theaters and restaurants, for example, have essentially gone dark. Some restaurants are easing the bloodletting a bit by providing delivery, but in the vast majority of cases, revenue pales in comparison to what it was prior to the pandemic.
While there is no doubt that the hospitality industry is suffering right now, business owners should understand that there are concrete steps they can take now to improve their odds of surviving the pandemic. In this article, we’ll explore a few of these key ideas.
One of the areas every decision maker and business owner in the hospitality industry should be thinking about right now is staff. During a recent industry roundtable discussion, John Howe, chairman of the International Association of Business Intermediaries, pointed out that staffing problems will continue long after the pandemic has paused or is over. He believes that hospitality businesses will have a tough time getting the staff they need, especially in the short run.
His key piece of advice is to work to have a line on people for key positions. This will allow you to at least get back up and running with basic operations. While it may be a while before hospitality businesses are at “full steam,” it is critical that they are able to open up in some fashion, as this will translate into much needed revenue. Hospitality businesses looking to survive the pandemic should focus on making certain that key positions have been filled. In this way, the post-pandemic relaunch can be as smooth as possible.
Founder and President of Cornerstone Business Services, Scott Bushkie, explained that there are a lot of hospitality industry people out of work right now, and this represents a real opportunity. Now, is the perfect time to potentially upgrade staff. There are plenty of experienced and proven hospitality people looking for positions. The new people you bring may come with extra benefits such as bringing their customers, suppliers, and other relationships with them. For those in the hospitality industry who may have always wanted to upgrade their team, now is perhaps the best time in history to do so.
Employees are a foundational element of your business. Improving your staff means you’ve improved your business and boosted your odds of survival. Bringing in new team members can help you prepare for the post-pandemic business environment. It also offers up the potential for you to upgrade an important element within your business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Why hiring a licensed real estate advisor is your best bet?
Are you looking for real estate advisors in Houston? Wait. Read this blog first to understand why hiring a licensed real estate advisor will benefit you a lot.
Expert advice from a professional
A vital reason for bringing in an advisor in real estate is because of their vast knowledge and experiences within the industry itself. It will allow for a seasoned eye to provide you with amazing suggestions on what home may be the best fit for you. After explaining what kind of home you want along with what you expect, the advisor will provide you with a list of potential homes that may suit your needs. Having a personal real estate advisor makes more sense in this regard as opposed to being online on a website as they allow for needs to be understood and allow for a home to be found in a place that you find comfortable and perfect.
The advisor will truly understand the area in which they are operating for a particular client. They will know where emergency services are located, schools, markets, and more. They will also possess knowledge concerning where there may be problems in the area, such as a problem in the water supply or security problems. Such advisors further possess knowledge in terms of prices and trends in the market of the area where the clients wish to live, allowing them to understand whether sellers are selling at the right price or not. Thus, only real estate advisors who are licensed can provide this form of experience.
Proven trustworthy individuals
More than usually, two questions are in the mind of individuals concerning real estate advisors. Those are that how do they land business, and how do they get paid? The answer to that is by being a very good agent. Thus, any sort of conflict or bad reputation will seriously affect their reputation. Real estate agents depend upon word of mouth endorsements and referrals, and therefore consumers will only refer to the greatest in their ranks. So being extremely trustworthy is a necessity in their line of work in order to achieve new milestones.
Furthermore, mentioning real estate agents who are licensed is because there are good agents as well as bad agents. The best way to differentiate is by asking for referrals and their license as well.
Inconveniences are cut out by making use of a licensed real estate agent
Convenience is a factor offered by the best of real estate agents. Although the internet possesses various mediums upon which an individual can view listings, individuals will have to visit an abundance of homes in person and then may be able to shortlist a handful of homes. This may be avoided where a licensed estate agent is hired as these problems are major inconveniences for customers, such as working professionals.
This is why the idea of hiring an agent like TruView Business Advisors is beneficial. Why? Because it is experienced and well versed in what its customer wants, thereby allowing a list to be formulated and given to the customer. Additionally, due to the information it possesses within the industry and through other realtors in its network, allowing for solutions to problems to be found immediately. Once certain properties have been shortlisted, individual customers must only view the properties, which will be few in number and up to their specifications and wants. There is just less hassle, and more time is saved.
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Selling your business? Ask these questions first
At TruView Business Advisors, we have years of experience in helping business owners build and sell their businesses. So we’re well aware of what owners have to do to amplify their business value. If you’re putting your business up for sale in Houston, here are some basic questions you should ask.
Are profits being maximized?
A basic problem that is inescapable is that businesses are sold for many different reasons, at the head of which lies profit. Thus, conducting an analysis of various aspects of the business to be able to maximize profits is a crucial area to be focused on. Famous quotations made by the United Kingdom’s team of cyclists ‘gaining the most profit from a business is pretty much the same idea.’
How well is the business run?
Do you possess procedures that customers can view exhibiting how well run the business is? When businesses grow, they end up growing more than the process of management. Factors of the business that need focus upon include people processes, IT systems, Sales pipeline management, management accounts, and more. Further questions to ask include whether or not tax affairs are kept up to date, along with bureaucratic matters and customer contracts.
What is the owner’s role?
If the value of a business is dependent solely upon the intelligence of its owner, then this factor is a disadvantage for the business when being sold. Although the owner does drive and direct the business, they do not have to do everything. Delegation is important, and owners must delegate responsibility to certain key employees in a controlled manner. They must also make sure the processes of management are strong enough to let the process occur flawlessly. One specific area we focus on with our clients is being able to understand how best to delegate responsibility to, such as their top employees. Controls must exist to make sure owners are kept in the loop concerning any problems
How good is the quality of your sales revenues?
For the most part, customer revenues are being invested in by buyers, and they value two basic things. These include a variety of customers and whether revenues recur through maintenance and service contracts, amongst other means, a large part, buyers are investing in your customer revenues. Customers value strong customer relationships, and this is important to understand.
Is it important to have an exit plan?
Yes, ensuring that your business is prepared for sale is very crucial when the thought of selling it comes to mind. Ensure that you give yourself at least 3-4 years to reach the best position for the business, allowing you to make necessary “repairs.” This allows owners to focus on their business and not just in dealing with the daily hustle bustle they normally go through. An important thing to understand is that more time must be spent on the business as opposed to just in the business. This means that owners will focus on business matters that will truly improve their business and allow them to gain a hefty profit when selling their business.
In Houston and looking for a business broker, contact TruView Business Advisors now!
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Dealing with COVID-19’s Economic Impact: Planning and Communication are Key
There are many things that you should be doing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the top of the list is to be proactive. Now is the time to be thinking about how best to position your business after the economy has returned to something near normal. Now is not the time for self-pity. In fact, not preparing for the relaunch of the economy will cost you.
In David Finkel’s recent Inc. article entitled, “10 Things Every Small-Business Owner Needs to Do to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19 on Their Business,” Finkel outlines the 10 key steps business owners should take immediately. Finkel is the author of 12 business books and CEO of Maui Mastermind business coaching company.
There is no way of knowing how long the COVID-19 fueled economic downturn will last, and that means time is of the essence. Business owners, regardless of their particular sector, need to prepare as though the economy could relaunch tomorrow.
Finkel’s 10 Things:
- Take steps to protect your staff and customers from getting sick.
- Tell your customers what safety steps you’re taking.
- Educate your staff on how to stay healthy at work and at home.
- Engage in scenarios planning to deal with how markets could change.
- Enlist vendors and suppliers for help. You should ask them to negotiate payment terms.
- Take steps to plan out your cash flow.
- Open a dialogue with your management team.
- Go on the offensive and look for opportunities.
- Get your team together and brainstorm.
- Be sure your key leaders communicate in a united fashion.
There are definitely some commonalities amongst these 10 important steps. You’ll notice that communication and education are at the heart of most of these points.
There is a lot of fear and uncertainty out there. More than almost any time in modern history now is the time to communicate. All business owners should be advised to communicate with their customers, clients, suppliers, staff, and management team in a clear fashion. Effective communication based around a consistent and logical message can help to reduce fear. The fear sections of the brain are driven by our primordial ancestors’ dread of the unknown lurking in the darkness. Part of being a good leader is to reduce those fears whenever possible.
Another common thread is planning, which includes looking for new opportunities. Whenever there is chaos and fear, there are also opportunities. You should be looking for those opportunities, whether it is improving your own business practices or looking for other companies to buy.
Good communication and planning can help you navigate these choppy waters. Planning for the recovery from COVID-19 pandemic could be the difference between staying in business and going out of business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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How to Make Remote Teams Accountable
One of the many, many changes that COVID-19 has ushered in is the extreme uptick in people working remotely. Social distancing has made working from home a necessity for millions.
The technology that is allowing remote working to take place has matured greatly in the last decade. Today, it is possible for team members to work from virtually any location. Of course, as with most technologies, there is a potential downside. Accountability can become a significant challenge with remote workers. Of course, the more remote workers you have at a given time, the greater the potential challenges will be.
Many businesses are struggling with the phenomenon of remote working, as it is something new for them. Under normal circumstances, large numbers of employees working remotely simply wouldn’t happen. In a recent article, “The Right Way to Keep Your Remote Team Accountable,” author Elise Keith, Co-Founder and CEO of Lucid Meetings, explores the key steps businesses should take to help ensure that their employees stay on target while working from home.
Starting Slow
Keith believes that for remote working to be effective that there are 4 major mistakes that should be avoided. One of the biggest mistakes that employers, especially those unfamiliar with remote work, make is that they demand too much productivity right out of the gate.
She points out that remote teams can, in fact, be very productive and even outperform their in-office counterparts. Summed up another way, remote work can be extremely productive. Keith’s perspective is that businesses should “identify the highest priority tasks right now and relax the rest.” Business owners need to remember that they are not the only ones under stress. The simple and undeniable fact is that your employees are feeling the stress of COVID-19 as well.
Getting Good at Working Remotely
The second major mistake she points to is that people are assuming the current pandemic situation is temporary. Other crises will occur in the future, and it makes sense to be prepared. As she phrases it, why not “get good at working remotely?” Teams with good remote working skills are proving to be rather resilient right now.
Being Open to Technology
A third mistake she points out is businesses shouldn’t disallow the use of non-approved tools. In short, now is not the time to worry too much about what software tools people are using. Instead, she suggests creating an expedited process for the adoption of new tools. If your team finds a new tool that boosts productivity, you should consider buying it.
She astutely points out, “Software costs pale when compared to the costs of lost opportunity.” At the heart of this point is the fact that now, more than any time in decades, is the time to set aside restrictive thinking and become more open-minded and flexible. After all, your number one goal, and the number one goal of your clients, is to stay in business until the pandemic has passed.
Staying Flexible
Keith’s fourth mistake centers on management’s design to dictate hours and response times. Remote work is, by its nature, going to be more flexible. Trying to micromanage every move digitally is simply not a savvy move and will hurt morale.
Instead, she feels businesses should opt for having a daily meeting via phone or videoconference with the team. Additionally, she puts forth the idea of having a one-on-one meeting with every team member as well.
For many businesses and many situations, remote work may be the “only game in town.” Trying to carry on business as usual is only going to cause headaches for everyone. Remote work can be highly effective for you, especially when used correctly.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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