"Your business is unique.
Your problems are not."
As you visit the pages of this web site and the associated links, you will find generic answers to a very broad range of the most frequently asked questions along with a plethora of supporting data. If your questions have not been adequately addressed we invite you to submit those specific questions you wish to discuss.
Below, you will see several, but not all, of the various segments of the hospitality industry. Each of these segments has subcategories. Within each subcategory are individual businesses possessing their own unique operating criteria and need for technical assistance. Somewhere therein lays your business with its own special concerns, challenges and opportunities. The point of all of this is that is imperative that everyone understands there is not such thing as a generic answer to solving a problem in your specific business. Even if you owned and operated ten facilities with the same menus, prices, staffing criteria, purchase price levels and etc. each location will have unique criteria like customer demographics, local buying habits, work force education levels, availability/ accessibility to fresh products, ethnic and cultural preferences and etc. These will necessitate adjusting even the most standard of practices. The most obvious area of uniqueness is, of course, your staff. It is extremely difficult to achieve consistent compliance within your work force. People are not all alike. They react differently to the same instructions and stimulus; each seems to have their own personal value system. Some will try to do exactly what you ask of them others will see how much they can get away with. For these and other reasons every location has its own unique set of circumstances. Each must be considered "stand alone when planning a "turn around strategy" (problem solving).
Your own personal perspectives, skills, strengths, short comings and level of tenacity will dramatically affect the outcome of the best, most carefully developed and documented improvement plan. With that being said, please consider if you elect to employ a turn around manager or even a consultant with a renowned reputation, if he or she try’s to sell you on generic industry solutions without first learning all the special and unique nuances of your business, quickly look elsewhere for help.
The "what to do’s" can often be generic. The "how to do it’s" must be tailored to your business.
Thus do not look for easy fixes on this or any other site. They simply do not exist.
If successfully managing a business in the hospitality industry could be done by rote, everyone would already be doing it successfully.
I recommend that you take the first step in identifying and documenting your organization’s challenges personally. Once you have a clear picture of the issues needing to be addressed, consider attending some industry related continuing education classes that deal with your specific area of interest. Next identify one or more of your staff members that you know genuinely care about your business and have them attend different (but related) classes and/or workshops.
Do this as quickly as the classes can be arranged. Have them research the resources found and/or linked on this site. Bring them together along with the information you have all gathered, for an in-house think tank (idea sharing) session. You will be pleasantly surprised (even amazed) how excited you staff members will be about being asked to help you establish criteria for implementing solutions. They will be anxious to be part of your "turnaround team". In the long run it is usually the staff that will have to maintain any corrective actions you establish. Please show your team, by honestly listening to their ideas, implementing all of them that you can (even if you have questions whether or not they might work all that well) how important their commitment and support is to the success of the operation and how much you value their opinion and their help.
Without the candid input of your employees, their enthusiastic cooperation and support even the best plan you and/or an outside professional consultant can implement will be doomed to mediocrity at best and failure at worst.
Good luck in this exciting journey toward greater personal and professional success. Remember; if we can support you in this effort please contact us.
Partial list of industry segments:
Tourism - Coffee shops - Vending - Health Care
Lodging - Deli's - Catering - Retirement centers
Fine dining - Commissaries - Institutional - Entertainment
Casual dining - School food service - Bakeries - Retail take-out
Quick service - Parks and Concessions - Private clubs - Nutrition services
Coffee shops - Air line/Train/Ship service - Military - Home delivery
Here are some helpful Problem Solving links:
Menu Pricing Strategy
Professional Insights
"Networking with a pro"
If you are seeking professional assistance, please see our web page at Marshall & Associates - e-mail us at marsconsul@aol.com or by using the no obligation contact form
The above is proprietary material. It is copyrighted. Use of all, or any part of the material without the express written consent of MARSHALL & ASSOCIATES, shall be subject to legal action and potential fines.
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