The 4th of July is a time when Americans take a moment to reflect on our Freedoms. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion and the Right to Bear Arms to name a few.
Our forefather's insight still applies today as seen by this wording in the Declaration of Independence.
The Pursuit of Happiness for a small business owner is so much more than just leaving corporate life.
It means the Freedom to create your own destiny!
To choose the kind of business you want own and how you want to run that business. And to choose ...
- YOUR Location
- Pricing of YOUR Product
- Creation of YOUR Business Plan
- And selection of the Digital Assets that will best benefit YOUR bottom line!
Digital Assets include, but are not limited to ...
- Your Web Address (www.yourinn.com)
- Your Blog
- Your Website
But how much Freedom do your Digital Assets really have?
A few weeks ago, a vendor in the lodging industry sold their business to one of the OTA big boys, Priceline. Many Innkeepers who were using this vendor are now discovering that the Freedom of their Digital Assets is quite limited.
In a recent article published by Vikram Signh, he wrote...
"If you haven’t been listening, this acquisition should be a huge wake-up call. Ownership of your digital assets is more important than ever before in the history of the lodging business. Who provides your technology and in what format really matters. In this case, if your hotel is using a website made by Buuteeq, your site is now essentially a subsidiary of one of the biggest OTAs in the world."
"Hotels should take a cue and stop viewing their digital assets as rentable commodities. They must stop viewing their website and online marketing as expenses, and start recognizing that their digital assets and marketing are investments in their future. Nothing will change unless hotels and brands embrace open source technology, own their digital assets, and stop outsourcing their strategic thinking to the lowest bidder. Vendors come and go; your online presence needs to be consistent and lasting."
Renting a Website for your business takes away your FREEDOM to move that asset should you ever find you need to. You'll have to start over again from scratch.
So, as you are enjoying this 4th of July holiday, I encourage those of you who are currently RENTING your Digital Assets to consider granting your Website FREEDOM!
