Of Budgets and other sundry thoughts

As Dan mentioned in his last entry, it’s budget time here at Opus. And that means lots and lots of spreadsheets. So many in fact, Dan’s locked the door to his office (I assume he’s working in there), has sent out for lunch, and has entrusted the latest blog to me. I had thought writing about our budget process but having sat in a budget meeting until 7.30pm last night, the idea of actually trying to turn that exercise into an entertaining read is too painful to contemplate. And, likely it would be the reading equivalent of watching paint dry for you.

A new hotel is opening in town next year, and I’m of mixed emotions about its arrival. On the one hand, I welcome a competitor. It keeps us sharp, ensures Opus never rests on the laurels of its reputation. We’ve been the only newcomer to the hotel scene for a few years now with no one to challenge us. A new hotel forces us to reevaluate the services we offer, the products we provide, our message to guests, our brand in the market - everything. We welcomed words like ‘new’ and ‘hot’ when we opened, but we’ve matured. Our focus now is on keeping Opus fresh and unique and always providing seamless, warm, friendly service. Relevance, substance AND style.

But frankly, I confess I’m a bit nervous too. Will our guests love us enough to stay? Or will they be lured away by a flashy new hotel. I’m betting the relationships we’ve built will keep them at Opus, but know there aren’t any guarantees. Frankly, it’s a lot like the fickle dating scene (but that’s for a different blog). Will they be seduced by some pretty young ingénue who beckons coyly, or will they demonstrate their steadfast loyalty to sophisticated and stylish Opus?

Recognizing that ‘all’s fair in love and hotel competition’ I confess, nonetheless, that I am tiring of the ‘secret shopper’ phone calls from this new hotel on the block, trying to get us to divulge rates and other industry information. Hey, we all want to cooperate in this industry, but you’re our competitor. And that means, stop calling me for information! Hm. This could soon turn into a rant, I’ll move on now.

It’s Friday, and that means, oh right, more budgets. Today, the fun was slated to start at 2pm, but we decided that we should start a little earlier – like 10am. That should give us a solid 7 hours to wrap things up before the weekend. Getting the office environment right is an integral part of the budget process. We sometimes get a bit giddy during budget season (not so much because of the entertainment value of excel sheets), but insufficient oxygen levels. That means turning the room temperature way down low – Arctic-style. Why? Because 4 bodies X 7 hours + a closed office = dangerously high emission levels of CO2. Enough to lull one to sleep. (Who me? Never).To ensure (artificially induced) alertness, we keep cold and thus clear headed. It also means copious caffeine and sugar. I’ve got my triple shot Americano at the ready (luke-cool, of course, since the office is so damn cold), and a plate of chocolate dipped Halloween themed cookies for all to enjoy. I noticed Dan’s also bought food today: more muffins, cakes, and cookies. This isn’t a good sign. Clearly he’s anticipating a long meeting from the volume of baked goods available. (Please see my blog on hotels and food for further reading on the dietary dangers of this business).

With no windows or fresh air to distract us, a week’s supply of white flour, sugar and caffeine to nourish us, the comforting blue glow of the computer screen to soothe us, we’re ready to proceed. Not surprisingly, today we’re trying to ‘find’ more revenue, and ‘shave’ more expenses. I’d rather stick to blogging.