Consistency

The Secret Of A Perfect Operation:

Consistency. The same thing, day in and day out. Is there adaptability? Yes. But adaptability in the routine. What has taught me this more than anything? Tracking my maid's times and all the data derived from that. Tracking is a daily thing that must be completed while the information is fresh otherwise I must invest some dear, precious time going back through the time cards and the Maid Daily sheets.

The business is a machine. It is a set of gears and processes that, combined with capital (or the means of production) produce cash flow. A business can be interpreted as your very own printing press, money machine, or cash printer! Its machinations result in cash.

Like every machine, the parts are put into precise places with precise measurement, and precise standards of time. In fact the criterion are so uniform across all related businesses that there has been established the "industry standard."

As such the machine runs the same way, all the fiscal year long. The processes may change or adapt, but a machine is often repaired is it not? To keep your press running it needs maintenance and repairs, or adaptation and change. Thus the machine survives even in the most tumultuous economic times. This machine is oiled and maintained by consistency.

Consistency is expressed by maintenance. Maintaining quality, maintaining standards, maintaining routine, maintaining process, maintaining grounds, maintaining the buildings, maintaining the waste removal, etc. If your business lacks routine, it will lack success. The trick with consistency is adaptability, as opposed to routine, which can result in immovability.

These are fast-changing times. The University that stays on top of the game claims to change right along with it. But what is changing? What does business have to adapt to?

In the motel business we adapt to lack in demand. With a poor economy and less spending money in the pockets of travelers (or civilization at large) there is (apparently) a lack in demand for lodging. This summer season 2012 has been productive, testifying that the change is happening in some other facet. If I were to speculate I would say that the change is  occurring in the length of time people are vacationing, and that foreign travel has diminished. Having found two old travel logs in the office full of the names of travelers from other countries and the dates of their arrival I can safely conclude that I have experienced much less in the way of foreign visitors.

Regardless the motel has been incredibly busy. With 25 rooms to fill it would have been easy on numerous occasions to fill more than 30. As the season is winding down to the clients are not. They keep coming in, filling my motel nightly. I handle this 24 hours a day, and have been going non-stop for almost four months. The business is welcome because I get to keep learning, but the hassle is wearing on me. That is something you must take into consideration when running a business.

Your business does not go away. In order to remain consistent you must be able to take business in-hand, and maintain your sanity. In a precarious position like maintaining the best motel in town, attitude and positive interaction is absolutely essential. If you are inheriting a business with a reputation, it is important to maintain that consistency in quality. The full responsibility of the community consensus is yours. How often have you heard something like, "Ever since [enter name] took over the business, it's gone to pot!" While you cannot please everyone, your consistency in maintaining and improving quality experience in your motel will not only maintain your business's reputation, but enhance it.

In addition to your daily efforts it is also wise to attend to some public relations work, which we will get into later.