UK Small Businesses Drowning in Office Paperwork
If you are like many of UK’s smaller business owners you’re spending more time battling the office paper war and inefficient systems than you do satisfying customers and growing the business.
A recent business survey revealed that more than half of smaller UK business owners (55%) believed their company’s growth is being held back by the amount of time they have to dedicate to business administration.
“It’s a common complaint of many accommodation operators I meet with” says Jeff Swanson, President Europe for RMS Hospitality Solutions, a developer of smart software for accommodation and reservation businesses.
“Running a deluxe B & B often sees operators having to be the “Jack of all trades”. “Being the receptionist, breakfast chef as well as housekeeper and maintenance manager puts great pressure on owners keeping the necessary paperwork in hand”.
In the past larger hotels and chains solved the problem by investing heavily in computerised Property Management Systems. This made their life a lot easier in winning the paper war, but it came at a significant cost and required a major financial outlay for both the hardware and software. In many instances it was simply beyond the means of many smaller business owners.
“However that’s all changed with the arrival of “the cloud” says Jeff. “Independent owners and operators can now ‘swim with the big fish’ and manage their property in the same way large chains have had the advantage of doing for many years. Instant online bookings, channel management, point of sale, guest marketing, business intelligence, tour desk, and other systems are now within the reach of all”.
“By way of example the RMS Hospitality Clouds costs as little as £5 per room per month to get complete access to all the advanced tools and online booking channels. And being in the cloud means wherever there’s internet coverage you can access the system, be it on a PC, Laptop, tablet or mobile phone. ‘So even if you are ‘out of the office’ you can keep a close eye on your business checking out on the latest reservations, room occupancies or even housekeeping and maintenance matters.”
Another huge ‘time saver‘ is the RMS online booking engine and channel manager which provides a direct connection between your customers, travel sites, and traditional agents. It can also dramatically increase your properties occupancy rates because at a click of a mouse all your rates on all your booking channels can be instantly updated.
“On line bookings are now the norm and customers expect to be able to book their accommodation even if it is 3am!” said Jeff. “With the RMS system it’s like having your office “open all hours”.
In today’s fiercely competitive hospitality market, no matter if your luxury B&B is small city residence or a stately 15th century castle, using the latest technology is the key to increasing revenues and profits. It will also go a long way in saving you from drowning in the office paperwork!
