Now is no time for indecision or delay
Everyone is suffering just now, but if you are to survive then you must sell yourself harder than ever, says Michael Gottlieb.
The attacks on the USA on 11 September and their aftermath have left an indelible mark on the face of the world.
As a part-time columnist, my mind grapples with inner turmoil. Can anything new be said? Has too much been said already? Is it simply somehow too trivial to consider such a world-shattering event in terms of its effects on something so parochial as the restaurant industry?
And while we are engaged in such a titanic struggle against evil, can words of any kind be helpful or provide a useful perspective to anyone, let alone those of us in the hospitality business?
It's an indication of the enormity of what has happened that I am unable to come up with answers. What is more, like so many others, I feel afraid for some of my businesses and also for the future of my children, and the horrific world they could face if our politicians get their responses wrong.
Afraid, uncertain and confused I may be - but I cannot allow myself to become paralysed into inaction as a result, and that includes sitting down to write this column. Life must, does and will go on.
That doesn't alter the fact that, right now, anyone in the hospitality business will have serious concerns about their livelihoods and their businesses. In some hospitality businesses I know, customer counts have been down by 40% since 11 September, although there are signs of a gradual comeback.
Almost everyone is suffering, but it is the smaller independent hoteliers and restaurateurs who will inevitably feel most afraid and lonely.
They will be feeling more exposed than the corporates because they may not have the financial reserves or the marketing support to help them through this crisis.
Banks may reduce or even cancel overdrafts; suppliers may be worried about inability to pay and demand cash; and a downward spiral is created.
My advice? Smaller operators must remember that now is not the time to give in to the seemingly inevitable. Instead, now is the time to be more aggressive than ever in bringing in new business and reminding old customers that you exist.
I cannot in such a short column do more than urge and encourage you to put on your thinking caps and get active in your marketing. While you might not get back to where you were before 11 September, the important thing is to still be there in the next 12 months.
You will have to work both smarter and harder. Struggling to ensure that you survive is the best you can do for yourself and your employees - and to show the terrorists that we will not be beaten.
