Success is built on inconvenience

How many times have we watched the latest TV reality show…couple disenchanted with the rat-race decide to throw it all in and start a new idyllic life as (wait for it) – hoteliers. Of course, it usually ends in disaster with long hours, staffing issues, unhappy customers and cashflow problems.

I sit there next to my wife (who has had 25 years of listening to my views on the hotel business), we look at each other, sigh, before we turn over.

Needless to say, it does not have to be like this, but things have got harder since the ‘good old days’ of less regulation (and therefore cost), a plentiful and keen workforce (with no minimum wage) and direct bookings (without the third party commission).

Margins are now very tight – particularly in food and beverage. Good staff are harder to come by and do not always have the same work ethic. As an industry we are reliant for distribution on brands, OTA’s and wholesalers.

But success is still possible for an independent operator and it is still a fantastic industry to work in with huge opportunities for the canny business owner.

We must unleash the potential in our teams. Focus them on the goals of the organisation. Tap into their ideas and enthusiasm. Engagement in the objectives of the business will improve productivity and create retention.

In the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey of 32M employees in the UK – 73% were not engaged, 8% were engaged and a whopping 19% were actively disengaged. That means on average a fifth of employees actually want the business they work in to fail!

We owe it to all our stakeholders to – suppliers, staff but most of all customers to realise the potential of our business and top of the list is the potential profit. Without that we may not survive and will definitely not thrive.

Are you prepared to be challenged and to do you really want to know what profit you are leaving on the table? Success in this industry is built on inconvenience – don’t let yourself stay in the comfort zone.