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Shimla Hotels: Properties Worth Considering

Rising from a mere forest glade, Shimla became a favorite of British colonizers for its soothing climate and enchanting natural beauty. Soon it was announced the Summer Capital by the colonizers and they would often retreat to this lush hamlet for a dosage of fresh air and cool atmosphere. The town continues to entertain guests traveling from across borders in search of the same serenity and tranquility and they are best accommodated at hotels in Shimla. From humble shacks and guesthouses to heritage properties and lavish Spa hotels the list of Shimla hotels is versatile and is studded with many a jewel of properties.

Whether to avoid sultry summers or to relish snowfall during winters, tourists find plenty of excuses to visit the town and the town in return welcome them with at well-decked hotels in Shimla. Some of the properties for consideration are:

Marigold Holiday Cottages: A fabulous hill-resort Marigold Holiday Cottages is an apt location for those who are out on a leisurely tour. Designed beautifully these cottages depict Himalayan stone cottages with fully-equipped kitchenette, sit-out and bedroom. Unique hospitality and the comfort of tranquil surroundings, the atmosphere at these cottages in Shimla is one for complete rejuvenation and luxury. During winters the gorgeous cottages stays covered with snow create a fascinating aura.

Honeymoon Inn: A quaint and beauteous resort in Shimla, Honeymoon Inn overlooks gorgeous greens. As the name is self-explanatory the property is recognized for its explicitly romantic settings. Eyeing green valley and mighty snow covered hills, Honeymoon Inn offers just the right ambiance to reignite one’s romantic life. Therefore it is one of the most preferred Shimla hotels amongst honeymooning couples. The décor of the rooms is kept simple and cozy to match with the mood and the highlight is the large windows from where guests can relish the view of magnificent mountains.

Wildflower Hall: Situated at an elevation of 8250 feet in the grand Himalayas, Oberoi Wildflower Hall is the ultimate synonym for luxury and extravagance. Exclusivity and opulence are two main facades of this majestic property which covers 22 acres of virgin woods of cedar and pine. An erstwhile residence of Lord Kitchener, this property was recreated into its current magnificent self along with keeping an English elegance alive. Everything from dining spaces to living spaces and rejuvenation modes all are backed with a scenic backdrop of the hills making the experience one to cherish for life. Dining options at the hotel includes an open-air terrace arrangement namely, The Restaurant, an Indian specialty restaurant- Lutyens, The Coffee Shop and The Cavalry Bar. However the highlight of the hotel is its exquisite Spa where guests are pampered with signature indigenous rituals, massage therapies from Ayurveda, revitalizing body therapies and more.

Grand properties covered with emerald hues of Nature these hotels in Shimla are great stress-busters. While at luxury properties one is satiated with finesse and elegance offered, the four budget hotels goes easy on your pockets and the mid-range properties are focused towards striking a balance between the two. In a nutshell, irrespective of their star category Shimla hotels are committed to serve the best to their guests.

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How to Form The Culture Of Your Business Startup

Right from the very beginning of your business startup’s formation, you have already begun to create its corporate culture. Whether you have taken an active role in shaping it or allowed it to organically develop, your corporate culture becomes a part of your business based on your behaviors, vision, and values of your brand. Creating a positive organizational culture can allow your business startup to thrive both internally with your employees and externally as they interface with your customer base.

Being proactive at the beginning of your business startups foundation can work to develop a culture that employees take pride in being a part of and also help to express your vision into the long term. Waiting until you are a more established business with a team of employees to worry about your corporate culture can have a negative impact on your business as you forget about the very ideals that make your business startup who it is. With a little bit of management and foresight now, you can craft a corporate culture that follows your business startup’s vision, values, mission, and expected behaviors.

Find Your Purpose

Start by thinking about what the vision for your business really is. You need to think about where you where you are headed and where you want to go. Having some direction early on with your business startup will give you, as well as your employees, something to work towards and aim for. The decisions and choices you make should directly support your vision and allow you to drive your company well into the future.

Along with your vision, you need to create the values that your business startup stands for. This is an important step as this will carve out the ideals of your brand and expectations of your employees. Your employees are just as much a reflection of your business as you are and having values that they can live up to can bring a strong reputation and recognition to your company.

Spread the Message

Once you have developed a vision strategy for your business startup, you need to be vocal about it. You can’t expect your team to catch on if they are unaware of its evolution. Spread the message and allow yourself to be transparent about its meaning to you. Allowing yourself to be open and communicative about how your vision and values align with the success of your business startup can create the buzz your company needs to take it to the next level.

Hire According to Your Values

As you add to your team, you need to find the right fit when it comes to your company culture. You want to hire employees that display your brand values as it will be an easier transition into your corporate culture to respect and stand behind what your business stands for.

As you work to select employees to work at your business startup find out what your values mean to them. Look for ways that they already integrate these values into their daily life. A prospective employee that possess experience, as well as your core values, can be a valuable addition to your business startup as they can bring that positivity your corporate culture needs. You can count on them to spread your vision message to others as well as be contagious to other employees that may have not fully onboard with your company purpose.

Reward and Appreciate

It’s always nice to offer your employees perks, but as a business startup, the funding may not be there to give a lot. Recognition of your team goes a long way especially for those that display your company values in the work that they do. Develop a reward system to appreciate those that are incorporating the vision of your business startup with customers or in their work responsibilities and choices they make on a day-to-day basis. This small act can boost your corporate culture and make your business startup a company that employee value and cherish.

Think About The Past

With a focus on the future it can be easy to forget about your past, but how your started and where you came from is the very foundation that shaped your business today. Think about your history and the hard work that took to get where your business startup is today. Allow your employees to also understand the story behind your company and what it took to get it to its beginning stages.

Your past is a significant part of the strength of your business and most likely is what you drew your values from. Your employees need to understand the motivation and drive that propelled your business startup forward. Be upfront about your history and embrace it with a furry as it is the sole reason you are in the position you are today. When your employees see your roots, this will impact how they feel about the company and the vision that you have created to take it into the future.

Focus Daily On Your Culture

It is not enough to create your vision and values and be done with your corporate culture. It needs constant cultivation to prevent it from going to the wayside and becoming negative in a blink of an eye. You have an amazing opportunity as a business startup to start your corporate culture from the ground up as it is much easier to manage then change.

Make it a part of your routine to enforce the vision and lead by your company values. With you focus on maintaining a corporate culture that employees enjoy being a part of, you will reap the benefits from their improved productivity and performance.

When you focus on your corporate culture from the beginning stages of your business startup, you can easily create an environment that is positive for all that work there. You will see behaviors that are in line with your core values and strength in your corporate vision. The work starts now but will be well worth your efforts.

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The Importance of a Restaurant Employee Handbook

A restaurant employee handbook is a vital part of running your restaurant business, but many restaurant owners remain neglectful of their duty to provide even a simple policy manual to their employees. The importance of having a restaurant employee handbook in your restaurant was explained in candor by AllBusiness.com restaurant advisor, John Foley.

According to John Foley, a restaurant employee handbook does four important things: it explains the owner or owners’ expectations; it gives employees the opportunity to contribute; it facilitates resolution of disputes; and it sets the standards for hygiene and dress codes.

As a restaurant owner, you have your expectations of how your employees should act and speak when dealing with customers as well as with their co-workers. You want them to follow the standards you have set because their insubordination may mean the loss of profits, or worse, the end of your business.

Within the pages of your restaurant employee handbook, your expectations as restaurant owner and the general rules on acceptable behavior are contained in company policies. The terms and conditions of your policies should follow the law on labor and employment in your State.

Aside from company policies on behavior and work standards, your employee handbook should also contain provisions for dispute management. Oftentimes, employees and managers disagree on certain decisions and issues, and may even come to blows.

If your restaurant employee handbook sufficiently outlines the steps for implementing due process in resolving such conflicts without reaching the courts, then it sufficiently protects your rights as well as your employees’ rights. These same policies can also serve as avenues for employees to share their opinions and views.

Not all restaurants have a workers’ union that gives employees of any employment status a voice to air their concerns to the management and the business owner. A restaurant employee handbook can pave the way for better communications between employees and the management.

If you have included provisions for submitting employee complaints and suggestions in your employee handbook, then your employees will feel more appreciated for what they do to improve your business. After all, when your business becomes profitable, they will also reap the rewards through bonuses and workplace improvements, such as high-quality kitchen appliances and food preparation devices.

Many more factors influence a restaurant owner’s decision to create a restaurant employee handbook, but these four are the most important if you want to protect your thriving business. Eventually, you will have to deal with problem employees and labor issues, which could cause you thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees and state fines aside from the public relations nightmare that will surely affect your sales and your restaurant’s reputation.

You every well know that a company without an established employee manual or handbook is as if a house built on sand, which easily weaken and break from exposure to strong winds and flowing water. If you are unsure of what to include or how to write it, you can take advantage of the Internet and download free restaurant forms for a ready-made restaurant employee handbook.