Update! Here we have the Cisco Innovator Forum podcast that goes along with the article – How to sell to hotels.  Jess’ article appears *here*.

Also, and interesting article since the publishing of this post: Loew’s to source from local farmers for inventory

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As we sit and hope and pray for the economy to be bolstered by these stimulus packages, bailouts, plans, and overwhelming fray… it is always good to realize that some of the best times to start or grow your business is during a recession. One way to grow is to talk to businesses in your back yard, and see if they understand what you offer.

For lack of any sort of witty word like “widget” or “doohicky”, I am simply going to say the word “product”. Frankly.. that is what you have. Whether it is a space saving device in a bathroom, or a piece of art, soap, souvenirs, or more…. you are trying to sell your product. I am sorry I don’t know what yours is, specifically…. but I am sure I would love it. =)

Remember… you make your product because you think it’s pretty good. You believe in it, and you know others will eat it up if you can find the right fit. When you are cold calling, or thinking of appropriate selling ideas…. don’t be in a defensive position, trying to prove the value of your product. Your approach should be more self aware, and enthusiastic. You know people want it… and it’s there loss if they don’t buy from you.

So let’s specifically talk about the first people you should be calling in your community: HOTELS.

Hotels, Motels, Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Lodges (shall I go on) dot the gentle landscape of the Unite States, and often out people’s backdoors they can see one towering in the distance or across the highway. Hotels generate a huge percentage of the commerce in this country, with the Tourism and Hospitality GDP around 9.5%, or $1,357 Billion dollars. Those are dollars that you can be part of, and here is why.

A hotel is like a city, that needs constant upkeep and amenities. From paint, shower rings, art, soaps, food service products… you name it, a hotel needs it. It might help you to figure out where you fit by thinking of the hotel by departments. The largest have housekeeping and tailoring, engineering, rooms, restaurants, bars, banquets, room service, bell stand, valet, gift shop… it is endless. I have seen hotels with $100,000 works of art in their gift shop, all the way down to a $2 idea for a new style doorstopper – there is definitely a place for what you make in local hotels.

It is true that many properties have established relationships with preferred vendors, but are quickly becoming open to new ideas and new ways of doing business. The green movement has impacted hospitality deeply, and there is always a savvy hotelier looking to their local community to find ethically and earth friendly products for the bathroom, or artisan locally crafted art or handmade local furniture.

In fact, if you meet a hotelier that is closed off to ideas like locally sourced food or supplies, or enviornmentally friendly production – frankly you don’t even want to be in that property. It just means that the people are way behind, and you probably wouldn’t want to showcase your product with a brand that out of step with industry standard practices.

Most hotel brands that are really “getting it” are looking to their community to offer forth products, art, or amenities that not only support the local community, but help the guest discover more about the town, it’s people, and it’s heritage. Hotels clamour at the ability to connect the guest with the place, as it will envigorate our guests to return time and time again. When you have a quaint town that is full of innovators, artists, or entreprenurs… it is only natural to want to celebrate that and champion the members of your community.

Hotels are sitting, waiting for your product. They don’t even know how excited they are going to be until you help them find it. Realize that a hotel is an incredible opportunity to develop your business, and root it in the community along side it so that people start recognizing what you offer.

If you have something, a hotel needs it, and they might be buying. It doesn’t just take a good product, it takes a talented business owner to help a hotel manager understand what they are missing out on.

So go let the properties in your community know, and help them make the experience for their guests even better – through the partnership and commerce of local business!

About Michael

7 Responses to “Small Business Watch: A bad economy doesn’t have to be so bad!”

  1. Pacific Oz-tralasia

    You have a really good point there! Hotliers will always be on the look out for new innovative products. I work in the hospitality supply industry and I must say the volume of consumables hoteliers buy continue to increase as most air travel is becoming more affordable.

  2. Leona Drake

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  3. invesp

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