This week, I read with interest the press release from Marriott touting its award for the Courtyard GoBoard.
Read the article HERE
The content is good and the application is generating interest. From most accounts, the GoBoard starts out as a curiosity for guests, but their appreciation level grows as they use the simple touch screen interaction.
Hoteliers generally want to proclaim that their guest service staff sets them apart and provides value to the traveler. Surely, this is the focus of hotel management day in and day out.
So, what happens when you provide less personal service and more technology solutions?
It would seem that this is a good combination, especially among the upcoming, tech-focused generations.
Does a guest receive a favorable interaction point with the hotel just through a touch screen information source? Yes.
Does this pattern provide lower-tier hotels with the ability to add service and compete with some of the higher-end brands? Yes.
Is this advance in guest service technology good for the industry?
In a word, yes.
Keep your eye on the merger of technology through kiosks, smartphones, and services provided through the guest laptop. It’s what we do every day and the market is growing by the minute.
We have had a busy couple of weeks meeting with people and raising funds. I thought it would be appropriate to provide an update on our activities:
Kent Millington: Kent Millington has become a mentor of sorts for our venture and has been an invaluable source of advice and direction as we move the process along. We have had several meetings with him revising and editing our business plan based on his feedback. He helped us become a lot more specific in some of our projections and estimates.
Larry Stevenson: We met with Larry Stevenson last week at his office in Provo, UT. He works for the LDS Church in the Employment Services Department. If you have not checked out this resource we highly recommend it. I was surprised at the level of resources they are connected to for budding entrepreneurs like us. He put us in touch with a number of resources provided by the SBA such as SCORE as well as the Utah Technology Council.
In addition he gave us some great council on using a business plan as more than a large brochure for investors. He used an interesting analogy, he said it would be more powerful if when somebody asked for a copy of your business plan you reached into your bag and handed them the old dog-eared copy you have been referring to over and over again. That shows that you use it often and live by it. A very good bit of advice.
Business Ignitor Event: We attended a recent Business Ignitor Event put on by Grow Utah Ventures and featured a panel discussion on “How to approach Angel Investors.” The panelists were Alan Hall, Brad Walters, and Brad Angus. The discussion was good and provided some good insight into the thinking of the investment community in Utah.
The event also provided a great opportunity to reconnect with past associates as well as make connections to new relationships. Networking and relationship building are really the key to what we as entrepreneurs are doing. Whether it’s relationships with customers, employees, or investors it is those connections that will largely dictate how far we go. I firmly believe that if you can forge key relationships and deliver results there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
Fundraising: We have also been busy on the fundraising front. We have received commitments for $320k in funds so far and are seeking an additional $280k-$500k. These funds will carry us to through the first 12-15 months, through beta and to our first few installs. We are grateful to those who have shown their confidence in us and our ability to execute on our plan to make this leap of faith. Perhaps equally as important as the money is the expertise and experience these gentlemen bring with them. Both have successfully started and operated profitable companies an their advice and council will be invaluable.
In summary, things are moving forward at a breathtaking pace here at GuestSpan. We continue to seek investment as well as talent to help us make this venture a success.
