There are three types of business names, Healthy, Injured or on Life-Support. Corporations must know the hidden the powers of their names. Each business name has several components often invisible to marketing executives and these characteristics and split personalities determine the success or failure of a name. To measure the effectiveness of a name or to see how much extra luggage a name is burdened with, following are the guidelines for a general check up. READ MORE

For the hotel franchising industry, friendships are most keenly important not with one's workers or lenders, or even with the employees and executives of one's franchise company. Indeed, the most important bonds are to be formed with other entrepreneurs who have cast their lots with that particular franchise company and figuratively or in reality hoist the same franchise flag every morning in order to properly welcome weary travelers to the inn. For it is they who know best the struggles and obstacles to success faced 365 days a year by a hotelier in a franchisor/franchisee relationship. And it is they who are the most likely sources of information and problem solving that eventually can lead to enhanced bottom lines and the attainment of success in the hotel industry. READ MORE

There is no longer a day that passes in which I don't receive a phone call, e-mail or letter from a hotel owner who has a large number of concerns about his or her relationship with a franchise company. Actually, sometimes it is just a prospective hotel owner, but whatever the case, it is always someone who has found frustration and confusion. The source of their problems is the contracts already entered into (or about to be entered) between them and the hotel franchise company. Whether I am in my office or attending a hotel-industry event, the conversation invariably is about problems that crop up between a hotel franchise company and a hotel owner. Inference should not be drawn here that the problem in these matters has anything at all to do with devious franchise companies. While all of them are in the business of making money, none would survive for very long if they engaged in practices that are dishonest, unfair or morally bankrupt. So, it is clear that the problem is not that franchise companies are out to cheat potential and current franchisees. Precisely, the problem is that the franchise agreement is an intricate document designed to deal with as many situations as possible in favor of the side that draws up the contract-namely, the franchise company. READ MORE

In the world of hotel consortiums, a brand is only as good, or in the case of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, as great, as its member hotels. In order to maintain the supreme quality and service that makes a "Small Luxury Hotel stay" an unmatched travel experience, SLH employs stringent processes for evaluating both prospective hotels and existing member hotels. When guests look through the beautiful color directory of our hotels, they expect and deserve a guarantee that all 300 plus properties across the globe will deliver the same high level of service and quality. To that end, the evaluation process for admitting new members involves a deep consideration of how the prospective hotel fits with and enhances the SLH brand. I will take you through the process of becoming a member of one of the elite hotel memberships in the world and provide you with an insight into how we choose our new hotels, as well as ensure that our existing members continue to meet the lofty SLH standards. READ MORE

You don't have to be very old to remember a time in the hospitality industry when baptism by fire was considered a rite of passage for kitchen staff. There were no training sessions, no orientation periods, and you were probably lucky if the top chef actually told you where the salt was. Too often, hazing and public humiliation were the "training tools" of choice. Many chefs thought: "Hey, I went through it and came out just fine. Why shouldn't my staff?" Today, that environment is fast becoming extinct. Kitchen employees and many in the top corporate offices of the hospitality industry have all arrived at the same business-building conclusion: Satisfied, motivated employees are productive, loyal employees. Today's cooks are not only concerned with the cuisine and what they can expect to learn from the chef; they are also interested in paying off student loans, health insurance coverage, 401k plans and a balanced personal life. So how does an executive chef attract and keep good people? How can we inspire, educate and motivate our staff while keeping true to our main objective of creating a dining experience and operating a profitable business? READ MORE