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Ask the Experts
Do you have a problem you'd like solving? Our panel of industry experts are on hand to give you the help you need. Email your problem to news@bighospitality.co.uk with Ask the Experts in the subject line and we'll endeavour to get it answered.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to keep your hospitality business free of pests
20-Feb-2012 - Savvas Othon, technical director at Rentokil Pest Control, advises hospitality businesses on how to keep pests at bay during busy times.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How a hospitality business can improve its credit rating
06-Feb-2012 - Simon Streat, managing director of SME, Experian UK&I, explains how restaurant, hotel and pub owners can improve their credit ratings to help give business a boost and make it easier to expand.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to ensure you are employing foreign workers legally
25-Jan-2012 - The UK Border Agency's head of Immigration, Jeremy Oppenheim, outlines how employers can check whether foreign nationals have the right to work in the UK.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to open a restaurant in a hotel: run it yourself or contract out?
09-Jan-2012 - Gordon Cartwright, managing director of Visionary Dining, advises hoteliers on what to consider if they want to open a restaurant within their property and looks at the best option for one reader trying to decide between running it in-house or contracting out.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to get rid of unpleasant odours from a commercial kitchen
19-Dec-2011 - David Glover, an odour control specialist and managing director of Plasma Clean, gives his advice on how to control food waste smells from a commercial kitchen.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to manage a busy restaurant during the festive season
21-Nov-2011 - Tim Ogle, chief executive at Retail Eyes shares his top tips on how to manage a restaurant effectively during the festive season so that everyone has a happy Christmas.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to handle customers during stressful situations
07-Nov-2011 - Sharon Glancy, director of People 1st Training Company, suggests how reception or front-of-house staff should handle guests and customers when systems fail and the situation becomes stressful.
ASK THE EXPERTS
Agency Workers Rights legislation: What do I need to consider?
24-Oct-2011 - New legislation around Agency Workers Rights (AWR) came into force on 1 October 2011. Dawn Redman, director of Retail Recruitment Company, ensures hospitality employers know what they need to consider when employing temporary staff.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to find the right location for a pop-up bar or restaurant
10-Oct-2011 - Julia Lucas, partner and head of the leisure team at national law firm TLT, guides one reader through the finer points involved in finding the location for and operating a pop-up bar or restaurant.
ASK THE EXPERTS
What do I need to include in a health and safety policy?
26-Sep-2011 - Mark Harrington of Check Safety First advises a reader on the best way to create a health and safety policy for their hotel.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to deal with an accident claim from a customer
12-Sep-2011 - Roddy Macleod, partner and head of the commercial insurance team at Weightmans outlines where you stand if a customer tries to sue for an accident that happened on your premises, but you don't think your busness is responsible.
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How to cut waste disposal costs
30-Aug-2011 - Most hospitality businesses strive to operate sustainably and cut their waste, but if waste disposal costs increase then the financial strain could outweigh the environmental benefits. Eoin Harris, senior practioner at the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), shares his top tips for tackling the problem.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to turn website visits into bookings
15-Aug-2011 - Chris Wood, social media specialist at Q Social Media Ltd, gives one reader advice on how to turn visits to his hotel website into bookings and valid enquiries.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to ensure you don't miss out on business opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympics
18-Jul-2011 - Ian Lacey, a market analyst at Elliott Marketing & PR and recent visitor to Vancouver, the host of last year's Winter Olympics, gives his top tips on how to avoid missing out on the opportunities the 2012 Olympics could offer your hospitality business.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How do you train staff when you have little, or no budget?
04-Jul-2011 - Fred Sirieix, general manager of Galvin at Windows and creator of a new board game for training called 'The Art of Service', offers one reader a solution to their problem on staff training.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to secure funding for your hospitality business
13-Jun-2011 - In today’s environment, how can a growing business be sure that it’s in the best possible position to secure much-needed financing? Mike Saul, Head of Hospitality and Leisure at Barclays Corporate explains how to access finance in the changing world of banking.
Ask the Experts
What are employer and employee rights when management changes?
31-May-2011 - Management change in the hospitality sector often comes along with a new approach to employee shifts and benefits. But what rights do employers and employees have in this situation? Caroline Essex, employment specialist at the law firm Davenport Lyons, helps set the record straight.
Ask the Experts
How to write an effective business plan
16-May-2011 - With most banks seeing hospitality as a high risk sector, a business plan is a critical document that potential lenders will interrogate in depth. Shirley Smith, a partner at hospitality business advisers Reeves, highlights key points that will improve your chances of securing funds.
How to beat the challenges of e-procurement
03-May-2011 - E-procurement can be quite daunting for businesses used to traditional telephone ordering. But with an open mind and the right know-how to overcome the challenges, e-procurement can have great benefits for your business. Christian Berthelsen, CTO at Fourth Hospitality shares his top tips on sourcing supplies electronically.
How to increase bookings through a hotel website
18-Apr-2011 - With 45 per cent of all hotel bookings currently made on the internet, it is more important than ever for hotels to optimise their online presence. Sam Trainor-Buckingham, marketing director at Ignite Hospitality tells BigHospitality readers how they can improve online bookings through their hotel’s own website.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to survive periods of low trading
04-Apr-2011 - Richard Moore, director of consultancy CBRE Hotels EMEA, tells BigHospitality readers how they can steer their hospitality business through periods of low economic growth and adverse trading conditions.
ASK THE EXPERTS
How to best measure customer service
21-Mar-2011 - Jules Murray, of sales and customer service consultants Spider on the Wall tells BigHospitality how restaurants, pubs and hotels can measure customer service in the most cost-effective and beneficial way.
ASK THE EXPERTS
Health & safety tips for kitchen refurbishment
07-Mar-2011 - BigHospitality shares top tips from Mark Harrington, CEO at health and safety consultants Check Safety First, on what you should keep in mind when refurbishing your kitchen so you tick all health and safety boxes.
Ask the Experts: Preparing for the 2012 Games Part II
21-Feb-2011 - In the second part of this series on how the hospitality sector can prepare for the 2012 Games, Vince Fihosy, Director of London 2012 City Operations, tells BigHospitality readers about transport changes, engaging staff and preparing for special events.
Ask the Experts: Preparing for the 2012 Games Part I
14-Feb-2011 - The eyes of the world will be on the capital as London hosts global events in 2012 and in the run-up to the 2012 Games. Vince Fihosy, Director of London 2012 City Operations, tells BigHospitality readers how the hospitality sector should prepare for the opportunity ahead.
