Running a business such as a hotel is very stressful, especially when you are fully booked or you have to deal with early/late check-ins or have to face damage from guests. Often it feels like there isn’t enough time to do everything, which makes you feel frustrated.
In this article, we want to offer you the best time management tools and tips that will help you manage your time better. Stop being workaholic.
Check email less
One of the biggest ways to waste time is to check emails every 2 minutes. You don’t need to do this. Instead, only check it once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and then set a time limit of how long you are going to spend replying to emails. Do not spend all day replying to unuseful emails.
To do lists
Have you considered that you might be a busy hotel manager simply because you have no structure of your day? This is why having a to-do list is essential. You can list the most important tasks right at the top of your list and focus on them first thing in the morning. Do it every day and you will become a lot more productive in your work. You know? We are tired of using pen & papers and we like to be more productive and less outdated. Here are 3 best to do applications for your mobile devices you will enjoy the most.
- Wunderlist – Android/ iOS / Windows Phone
Wunderlist is one of the easiest to-do list apps to use for beginners. Creating and sharing lists is easy, as is setting up deadlines for getting them done – and reminders to ensure you’re not caught out. Using Wunderlist to collaborate on lists with colleagues and family members is easy, and its smartwatch app is a useful way to quickly check on your lists.
Google Keep isn’t just for to-do lists – it’s an Evernote-style service for keeping (hence the name) notes, photos and even audio recordings that you don’t want to lose on your device. As part of that, though, it’s an effective tool for keeping track of your tasks and ticking them off when finished. There are also some nifty alert features.
- Todoist – Android/ iOS / Windows Phone
Todoist blends a neat look and feels with a host of useful features for keeping on top of your tasks. It’s easy to set up and manage lists, share them with other people, and set reminders and deadlines to help you get them done.
Cut down on meetings
One of the biggest time wasting activities in any kind of business is meetings, and if you’re the type of manager who spends an hour going over trivial stuff then you might want to reconsider your attitude.
Why take 1 hour for something that can be said in 5 minutes? Keep your meetings short and don’t have meetings just for the sake of having meetings.
Relax
Running any kind of business can cause a certain level of stress, especially when dealing directly with people, like in the case of a hotel or B&B. So we’d like to help you discover certain ways to release pressure and relax, without leaving the premises.
Take slow, deep breaths. Your heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure can decrease by slowing down your breathing and utilizing the diaphragm and abdomen. Quick, shallow breathing is related to higher levels of stress. According to a study on people with hypertension, deep breathing techniques can cause a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in body relaxation. With each inhale, allow the abdomen and rib cage to expand as the lungs fill with air. Exhale, allowing the air to completely leave the lungs. Practice this technique for 5 minutes every day and you’ll see results.
This has the effect of clearing your mind and allowing you to refocus on what’s important, so you can get back into your job and be more productive for the next few hours.
Don’t over-extend yourself
Delegate! A definition of being a good entrepreneur is to get done things thru others. You may think you are the only one that can get the work done, but you could be missing one important key to your business strategy. Your team is there to help you. Don’t do their work for them.
Hire the right people
There are many hotel owners who refuse to put their faith in employees because they feel would not do their work as effectively as themselves. But, don’t think that you will be able to find the time to do all of the work by yourself. When you are trying to find reliable employees keep in mind your desires to mold them into what you want them to be. A person could already know how to do the job. But they won’t know how you want them to do it until they actually begin the work.
Hotel software
If your hotel doesn’t yet have Hotel Software then you are missing out big time. Why? Because this type of software has the power to automate a lot of those tasks you waste time on every day, which means you could potentially free up hours of time. Are you tired of using a pen & paper for bookings? Start being productive and stop wasting your time.
Simple online hotel management system for small hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, and apartments, HoteloPro makes it easy to organize your business, save time, and acquire more clients. Unlike traditional property management systems, that require days of training and are expensive, HoteloPro takes only 10 minutes to set up, it’s simple to run, and costs just $5/room monthly.
Keep everything on track with HoteloPro: manage reservations, clients, rates, product sales, and much more. Also, did we mention payments and invoicing?
HoteloPro helps you get more bookings via an online booking widget and through a channel manager that connects you with major online travel sites
HoteloPro‘s reporting system gives an overview of your business, booking analysis, finances, housekeeping, and many others.
Time management remains a key ingredient for hotel management.
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