So, getting close to the end of 2007. That marks the end of another solid year of UniResMan. Briefly, here's some highlights of the last 365 days.
1. Release of UniResMan 2007 - 2007 marked the 4th major release of our software, updating tons of features, usability and many things that our developers are very proud of.
2. Trade Shows - UniResMan participated in dozens of trade shows including Accounting shows - Sage Insights, Adagio Opportunity Conference, Simply Accounting and QuickBooks. Industry specific hotel trade shows - BC Hospitality Trade and Exposition, Alberta Hotel Association, Barbados Hotel Show, and many more.
3. Huge Business Partner Growth - This year we added more than 40 independant business partners to our team. New business partners were trained regularly, and many business partners performed beyond expectations!
4. New Markets - We broke into new markets around the world, getting clients in Hawaii, Barbados, Jamaica, Namibia, across Canada and the United States. We also broke into new industry markets including Crane Rentals, Yacht Charters, Fishing Lodges, Cat Skiing, and other great niche markets!
5. Many new clients using UniResMan - We've added tons of new clients to the UniResMan family. From hotels and motels, to fishing lodges, wellness retreats, cat skiing properties, and many more!
It's been a banner year for UniResMan. We've experienced many successes this year, and we are looking forward to a great 2008.
For now, it's time for some holidays, and we'll be back with fresh minds, and revitalized spirits in the new year. Until then, have a safe holiday season and we will see you in 2008!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Happy Holidays from UniResMan
Holiday Wishes and Hours
It's that time of year again, and its time to wish you a safe and happy holiday season and a great start to the new year!
We will be running on limited staff between Dec 22 and Jan 2. Technical support will still be available and I’m sure our email will be checked semi-regularly over the break.
Top International Sales Announced for 2007
Congratulations are in order for Peter Moore and Phil Hicks at C.P.Moore in Adelaide, Australia for selling the most product in 2007! Peter, Phil and their team added 6 properties to their portfolio this year, and have their sights set on taking over the Australian market!
Holiday Plans and News
We are looking forward to some great holiday activities this year. Doug will be spending much of his break on the slopes of Whistler. I was up there last weekend, and the snow is perfect!
Nicola on our development team has announced her engagement! The date isn’t set yet, but she’s beaming with excitement!
Shervin and Azadeh are celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary today! Congratulations!
We want to welcome Ali Bostakian to our support team! Ali brings a wealth of knowledge about the hospitality industry! Welcome!
Everyone else at UniResMan has big plans for the holidays with friends and family.
We want to wish you all the best this holiday season. Be safe, have fun, eat, drink and be merry.
Happy Ho-Ho from all of us at UniResMan.
It's that time of year again, and its time to wish you a safe and happy holiday season and a great start to the new year!
We will be running on limited staff between Dec 22 and Jan 2. Technical support will still be available and I’m sure our email will be checked semi-regularly over the break.
Top International Sales Announced for 2007
Congratulations are in order for Peter Moore and Phil Hicks at C.P.Moore in Adelaide, Australia for selling the most product in 2007! Peter, Phil and their team added 6 properties to their portfolio this year, and have their sights set on taking over the Australian market!
Holiday Plans and News
We are looking forward to some great holiday activities this year. Doug will be spending much of his break on the slopes of Whistler. I was up there last weekend, and the snow is perfect!
Nicola on our development team has announced her engagement! The date isn’t set yet, but she’s beaming with excitement!
Shervin and Azadeh are celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary today! Congratulations!
We want to welcome Ali Bostakian to our support team! Ali brings a wealth of knowledge about the hospitality industry! Welcome!
Everyone else at UniResMan has big plans for the holidays with friends and family.
We want to wish you all the best this holiday season. Be safe, have fun, eat, drink and be merry.
Happy Ho-Ho from all of us at UniResMan.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
BC Hospitality Confference and Exhibition
This past week we attended the BC Hospitality Conference and Exhibition.
We exhibited under our Smart Hotel Software banner along with H&L, Softrak and Hansen Software.
The show was quite enjoyable. We met many great delegates from all over BC, and some from around the world.
Part of the great marketing we did was a giveaway for a trip to Hawaii. All you had to do was chat with our representatives and you would get entered into the trip. All in all, over 50 people entered, and one lucky person won!
Congratulations to A.J. Hicklin of the Honeymoon Bay Resort on winning our trip to Hawaii!
A.J. will enjoy a weeks accommodation for two at the Holiday Surf Hotel in Honolulu!
Congratulations!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Awesome Add-Ons for QuickBooks 2008
UniResMan has been announced as an Awesome QuickBooks Add-On by the Sleeter Group!
“UniResMan is awesome because it fills a niche that many QuickBooks users need,” said Doug Sleeter, founder of The Sleeter Group. “QuickBooks is the most-used small business accounting software, which results in an incredible demand from users for the software to do just about everything.” Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, partners with third-party software developers to create solutions that work with QuickBooks to fit the needs of these small businesses.
“UniResMan is one of the best add-ons because of its superior integration with QuickBooks, its overall design, outstanding features and conformance with appropriate accounting standards,” Sleeter said. More than 400 products are available through the Intuit Developer Network as add-ons to the software, but Product Name was one of only 13 “Awesome QuickBooks Add-Ons” named by The Sleeter Group for 2008.
“UniResMan is awesome because it fills a niche that many QuickBooks users need,” said Doug Sleeter, founder of The Sleeter Group. “QuickBooks is the most-used small business accounting software, which results in an incredible demand from users for the software to do just about everything.” Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, partners with third-party software developers to create solutions that work with QuickBooks to fit the needs of these small businesses.
“UniResMan is one of the best add-ons because of its superior integration with QuickBooks, its overall design, outstanding features and conformance with appropriate accounting standards,” Sleeter said. More than 400 products are available through the Intuit Developer Network as add-ons to the software, but Product Name was one of only 13 “Awesome QuickBooks Add-Ons” named by The Sleeter Group for 2008.
“Before awarding the ‘awesome’ label, I dig deep into each product and ask all the hard questions that consultants and business owners will ask,” Sleeter said. “I survey products in several vertical markets where QuickBooks may not have all the needed features, or where clients want customized solutions.”
Sleeter noted that when making selections for the honor, he and The Sleeter Group’s staff take several factors into consideration. Those selected must have the following attributes:
- Superior design, implementation and features;
- Superior integration with QuickBooks, enabling the import and export of data to and from QuickBooks using best practices of the QuickBooks SDK programming interface;
- Appropriate transaction and field population for recording data into QuickBooks that preserves and/or enhances its standard reporting features;
- Conformance with good accounting and operating standards, and;
- Outstanding customer support and overall customer satisfaction.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Trends in the Industry
The technology and hospitality industry occasionally overlap a bit. In today's case they share the trends of "Being Green" and one I like to call "Ergonomics".
Being Green is a buzzword in the computing industry and in the hotel industry. Hotels these days are finding new ways to be energy conscious. From the development phase - environmentally conscious building materials, environmentally safe solvents, vegetation roofing and more - to the interior of the hotel - products made from recycled paper, low flush toilets, and programs where linens are changed only when needed instead of every day, lights and heating are activated as a guest checks in, instead of being on all the time - hotels are jumping on the green train.
One hotel in California recently received the world's first LEED (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design) GOLD certification. This is the highest LEED certification awarded to a development to date. Check out the article here.
Another article of interest that I came across is one that tells of guests not knowing what Green initiatives are going on around them. What the study found is that guests are more likely to know what's going on environmentally or in a Green sense if they were from a certain generational demographic. Certainly an interesting read, if not a little statistic heavy. Check the whole article here.
The final thing I wanted to talk about today is the trend of Ergonomics. This is the trend of increasing comfort, reducing distraction and making sure our immediate environment is as healthy as possible. This includes integrations, visual aesthetics, acoustic aesthetics and tactile design. Hotels are jumping on board with new visual and tactile designs, making sure hotel spaces are absolutely quiet or able to control the noises in the environment.
I have been a strong supporter of acoustic ergonomics in my life. I find I can work and play better when I can eliminate certain sounds from my surroundings. Now hotels are doing the same. Lobbies, rooms and common areas are prime targets for acoustic redesigns. If you aren't sold on the idea of how an intelligently designed room can affect your revenues, read this article here. When I stay at my home, or my home away from home, I expect a certain environment to be available to me. I want a nice quiet space (in my case extremely quiet, less than 20dBa at 1m, I've measured...). I want a space that smells nice, that feels like home, and looks good. Visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory. These are our senses, and we must make sure they are happy if we want to be happy.
Sheesh, it all comes down to happy for me. I'm certainly easy to please.
Being Green is a buzzword in the computing industry and in the hotel industry. Hotels these days are finding new ways to be energy conscious. From the development phase - environmentally conscious building materials, environmentally safe solvents, vegetation roofing and more - to the interior of the hotel - products made from recycled paper, low flush toilets, and programs where linens are changed only when needed instead of every day, lights and heating are activated as a guest checks in, instead of being on all the time - hotels are jumping on the green train.
One hotel in California recently received the world's first LEED (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design) GOLD certification. This is the highest LEED certification awarded to a development to date. Check out the article here.
Another article of interest that I came across is one that tells of guests not knowing what Green initiatives are going on around them. What the study found is that guests are more likely to know what's going on environmentally or in a Green sense if they were from a certain generational demographic. Certainly an interesting read, if not a little statistic heavy. Check the whole article here.
The final thing I wanted to talk about today is the trend of Ergonomics. This is the trend of increasing comfort, reducing distraction and making sure our immediate environment is as healthy as possible. This includes integrations, visual aesthetics, acoustic aesthetics and tactile design. Hotels are jumping on board with new visual and tactile designs, making sure hotel spaces are absolutely quiet or able to control the noises in the environment.
I have been a strong supporter of acoustic ergonomics in my life. I find I can work and play better when I can eliminate certain sounds from my surroundings. Now hotels are doing the same. Lobbies, rooms and common areas are prime targets for acoustic redesigns. If you aren't sold on the idea of how an intelligently designed room can affect your revenues, read this article here. When I stay at my home, or my home away from home, I expect a certain environment to be available to me. I want a nice quiet space (in my case extremely quiet, less than 20dBa at 1m, I've measured...). I want a space that smells nice, that feels like home, and looks good. Visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory. These are our senses, and we must make sure they are happy if we want to be happy.
Sheesh, it all comes down to happy for me. I'm certainly easy to please.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Is Technology Working for You?
The hospitality industry is certainly an interesting beast. I've been in the industry for almost a year now and I've made a few observations.
It is absolutely huge. There are numbers published regularly talking about record profits, increasing ADRs, and how wonderful everything is. And what I've realized is that these published numbers aren't telling the whole story. These publishers are GREATLY underestimating the industry on a whole. Most articles focus on the United States, or the chain hotels in the US and Canada. But these aren't the only hotels out there. I think the world forgets the small mom and pops in every community in the world. There are millions* of small properties out there that fall through the cracks.
There's also extremely high end boutique properties that get left out of the mainstream. High end fishing lodges on the coast of British Columbia, high end Cat and Heli Skiing lodges in the BC Interior. These lodges are full all the time, they bring HUGE tourism dollars into our local market. I get caught up sometimes in the city life and forget how wonderful BC is. Anyway, I digress, let me get back to my point.
The industry is huge. There are more properties out there than we consider. The big chains hotels, franchised drive-bys, independents, high end boutique niche hotels, and the list goes on. Here's my point: because the industry is so big, it is very difficult to implement a change that affects the entire population of hotels and lodges. The hospitality is a huge lumbering beast, one that doesnt react quickly to change. And change is a constant in today's internet rich society.
I sell software into this industry. That is, I try to. Part of my challenge is that this change can be very scary. Embracing technology is something that I've become accustomed to, but people in the hospitality industry sometimes have trouble with that. It's certainly not a bad thing. It's just a thing.
I found an article the other day that speaks to this point. Check it out here: http://www.hotelmotel.com/hotelmotel/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=436226
The article talks about technology and how to keep it working for you. How to embrace the change and avoid being overwhelmed. Not a bad thing to keep in mind.
I'll leave it here.
*Maybe not millions, but there's a lot.
It is absolutely huge. There are numbers published regularly talking about record profits, increasing ADRs, and how wonderful everything is. And what I've realized is that these published numbers aren't telling the whole story. These publishers are GREATLY underestimating the industry on a whole. Most articles focus on the United States, or the chain hotels in the US and Canada. But these aren't the only hotels out there. I think the world forgets the small mom and pops in every community in the world. There are millions* of small properties out there that fall through the cracks.
There's also extremely high end boutique properties that get left out of the mainstream. High end fishing lodges on the coast of British Columbia, high end Cat and Heli Skiing lodges in the BC Interior. These lodges are full all the time, they bring HUGE tourism dollars into our local market. I get caught up sometimes in the city life and forget how wonderful BC is. Anyway, I digress, let me get back to my point.
The industry is huge. There are more properties out there than we consider. The big chains hotels, franchised drive-bys, independents, high end boutique niche hotels, and the list goes on. Here's my point: because the industry is so big, it is very difficult to implement a change that affects the entire population of hotels and lodges. The hospitality is a huge lumbering beast, one that doesnt react quickly to change. And change is a constant in today's internet rich society.
I sell software into this industry. That is, I try to. Part of my challenge is that this change can be very scary. Embracing technology is something that I've become accustomed to, but people in the hospitality industry sometimes have trouble with that. It's certainly not a bad thing. It's just a thing.
I found an article the other day that speaks to this point. Check it out here: http://www.hotelmotel.com/hotelmotel/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=436226
The article talks about technology and how to keep it working for you. How to embrace the change and avoid being overwhelmed. Not a bad thing to keep in mind.
I'll leave it here.
*Maybe not millions, but there's a lot.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
UniResMan 2007 Released!
UniResMan Software Inc. is proud to announce the release of UniResMan 2007! This release brings a host of new features to the UniResMan package.
- Updated graphical user interface
- Improved cancel rules
- New managers reports
- Rate tiering and other yield management features
- New integrations including Milano Spa, Silverware POS, H&L POS, Cash Register Manager POS, Simply Accounting 2006, 2007, and more!
- Windows Vista compatibility
- Many more new features and improvements
Hospitality properties will find that our software has the features they need. UniResMan V2007 partners with Accpac or other accounting packages, a POS, and CRM to create a complete, unified solution for all hotel properties needs.
Contact me to find out more! Jordan Menu, 1-866-864-3382, sales@uniresman.com.
- Updated graphical user interface
- Improved cancel rules
- New managers reports
- Rate tiering and other yield management features
- New integrations including Milano Spa, Silverware POS, H&L POS, Cash Register Manager POS, Simply Accounting 2006, 2007, and more!
- Windows Vista compatibility
- Many more new features and improvements
Hospitality properties will find that our software has the features they need. UniResMan V2007 partners with Accpac or other accounting packages, a POS, and CRM to create a complete, unified solution for all hotel properties needs.
Contact me to find out more! Jordan Menu, 1-866-864-3382, sales@uniresman.com.
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