Manilow Suites

Corporate Housing

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14 Sep 2011

Nothing Stops a True Entrepreneur

Watching the installation of the new NAWBO officers brought back so many memories of my first NAWBO meeting well over 20 years ago.

I laughed at the thought of the expression commonly used today, “bumps in the road.” Ours were not bumps, they were road blocks! And you know what? No matter how small or large those blocks were, we fought them all.

You see, no matter what our backgrounds, we were all women business owners large and small. We knew we had that one common denominator that brought us together in the first place. We were and we are far more powerful as a group than as one.  And look what we have accomplished in those ensuring years!

I formed my first company in 1965. As a woman trying to get into the world of business, it was a joke. No one took me seriously, and there weren’t any organizations for assistance.

If you are a true blue entrepreneur, nothing stops you. You just press on with vigor and optimism. Ever so slowly doors began to open, and more women started businesses.  Today, the largest groups of women opening up their own businesses are women of color. Fabulous! We all stand together to open the doors wider for the women of today and for future generations.

NAWBO has been there through it all, and we should step back at times and think about what once was and how fortunate we all are to build and develop our respective businesses. And lastly, we should continue uniting as women business owners to make good things happen!

~From the pen of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment
07 Sep 2011

Price: All things are not equal

Fabulous location and amenities--unbeatable value!

It is amazing how many people call different housing companies and only ask about the price. “What is your rate for a one bedroom apartment for one month?” My question would be, “What is included for the price?” The differences are incredible, and it’s not the big things but the little things.

If you are going to make something comfortable and convenient, can you see it in a picture?

Recently, I toured a competitor’s apartment, and I discovered they offered salt and pepper shakers without the salt and pepper. No one wants to go out and buy salt, pepper and sugar when they may be staying there for a month or two. These are the little things that make the difference.

Newer, luxury buildings are always more expesnive than the older buildings. They usually have more convenient amenities such as a washer/dryer, and of course it is a more modern  building. Location is very important relative to price.

What is included for the price?  Electricity, maid service, wi-fi, expanded cable (not basic cable), king/queen size bed, local and long distance calls? And what is the quality of the furniture and furnishings in the apartment?  All of this should be considered when inquiring about the price of a corporate apartment.

~From the journal of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment
31 Aug 2011

Flexibility

I felt that with corporate housing you should be able to arrive the day you want to arrive and leave the day you want to leave. But here are some what ifs: What if you sign the agreement and walk into an apartment that does not meet your expectations? Find out what your options are. Can you leave the apartment prior to your first 30 days and pay some fee? Maybe you can pay a daily rate…or are you stuck with the entire 30 days?

What if you are not sure when you will be leaving? Must you give a 30-day notice and then you need to extend by a couple days? Are they going to try to kick you out because they already rented the apartment? What will they do for you? Suggestions: Request a 15-day notice or less to vacate. They can never demand that you leave. Next, find out what options they would have for you if you had to extend.

Stay tuned for more information on corporate housing: the ups and downs.

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
24 Aug 2011

The Upside of National Corporate Housing Companies

Rereading my previous blogs, I felt badly that I did not give you my impression of the upside of national corporate housing companies. There are some excellent corporate housing companies that I have great respect for. Please keep in mind, I am a local company out of Chicago, and I partner with several national companies. I am always looking for consistency in quality and responsiveness when a problem occurs.

From my observations, if you are a large company looking for a bulk of apartments in specific cities, the national companies are perfect for you. You have one point of contact, tracking reports, and they make it easy. In some cities they may even partner with a local company such as Manilow Suites, but that should not even be your concern. What you are interested in is that they do the work for you. Please review with your employees what they thought of the housing.

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
16 Aug 2011

The Ins & Outs of Corporate Housing

The living room in one of our apartments at Trump Tower.

When I first coined the words, “corporate housing” back in 1980, my definition was to combine the comforts and convenience of luxury apartment living with some of the services and amenities of the finer hotels.

Today, corporate housing can stand for almost anything. Someone who wants to rent their furnished apartment on a month-to-month lease calls it a “corporate apartment.” However, within corporate housing the offerings, regulations, flexibility and quality runs from one extreme to the other.

A number of the larger corporations had one person that was responsible for housing its new employees or consultants, and they were usually in the travel or human resources department. As a multitude of them retired, the major corporations outsourced their jobs to relocation companies. As temporary housing is such a small part of the relocation package, the relo companies hired the national housing companies to provide housing in the U.S. and now on a global scale.

Of course it is much easier to go to one point of contact for your housing needs around the U.S. However, as with any company, there are always two sides to every coin.

Owning a boutique temporary housing company in Chicago–Manilow Suites, I may be a bit bias, but after 31 years of being in the business I have learned and definitely seen a heck of a lot.

The downsides to a national housing company are:

1) Inconsistency of quality and service  2) Paying a higher rate than a local company who may have more to offer  3) Flexibility

This is certainly not true with every national housing company, but I would say it is mora of a rule than an exception. Stay tuned for next week’s blog where I will explain the downsides in detail.

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Corporate Housing and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment
03 Aug 2011
4 Comments

Renting from the Individual

Like almost anything this is a toss-up. The city would probably be paramount in your selection.

My husband and I always rented someone’s
house in Estes Park, CO. People had their own personal belongings in the
dresser and closets but it was rustic, acceptable, and casual up in the
mountains. I felt as if I were staying in a relative’s home.

The big city is a whole different ball game. You never know
what you are going to get. Why take the chance if there is a reputable
corporate housing company in the city?

What can go wrong?

1.The condition of the apartment.

2.Paying for the utilities or setting up the utilities?

3. What if the condo is for sale? Are they going to have prospective customers coming through while you
are there?

4. What if they cancel before you arrive?

5. If the internet goes out, who is around to fix it?

6. What if the condo association does not allow people to occupy an apartment for less than 12 months? Do you have to rent
calendar month to calendar month?

7. Most of all, if you have paid and it does turn out to be a poor choice, what are your options?

Ok, you found a great deal and you want to rent from an
individual. My suggestions:

Find out if it is a condo or a sublet. If it’s a condo, ask
if it is up for sale, if so you want it in writing that the condo will not be
shown while you are renting it. Call the management company to make sure you
can rent the condo for less than one year. Find out all the costs for setting
up the telephone, internet, electricity, and cable or if any of these items are
included in the rent. Get pictures or if you have a friend in that city, have
them check out the apartment first.

Find out whatever you can about the condo owner. Is the
condo in default on assessments?

Never pay more than one month at a time, no security
deposit, and above all, please do not pay in cash!

Please keep in mind that I am only talking about locations
in the big cities, not up in the mountains or in vacation rental areas

~From the Notepad of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel and tagged , , , , ,
20 Jul 2011
4 Comments

Manilow Suites is known around the World

An elderly man was sitting next to me on a flight from San
Diego to Chicago. He told me he was from Australia and spent a wonderful month
in Chicago a couple years ago. When I asked him where he stayed, he said with
gusto, “Why I stayed with Mrs. Manilow!”

Before I told him my name, I sheepishly asked, “How were the
accommodations?”  “Great!” he said with excitement.
Relieved to hear the answer, I proudly presented my business card to him.

Word of mouth is still the best marketing technique when trying to acquire the right customer.

In small business, finding your niche is so important because it greatly limits the
amount of valuable resources spent marketing to the wrong customer.

~From the Notepad of Francine Manilow~

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments
29 Jun 2011

My Outlook on the Future of Small Businesses

Until quite recently, I had a rather cautious optimism about our economy. This was based on our increase in business. I was hearing the same news from other women-owned businesses and from our competitors as well.

However, as hard as I am trying to still be an optimist, for the first time since I can remember, my outlook for the next year looks pretty dismal.

There appears to be too many negative factors coupled with too little positive to offset the problems.

Everyone has been saying that it will take the small business to jump start the economy, but in recent months we have had the slowest growth in startup businesses in a number of months.

The administration created the small business lending fund of 30 billion dollars but many banks do not want to participate because of the new tight regulations initiated by the banking meltdown.    

The bottom line is, “confidence” and we just don’t have it because of so many uncertainties about such things as long term debt, the debt ceiling, the knowledge that each party in Congress will not take the drastic steps necessary to put our economy on a strong path in fear of losing the next election.

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
27 Jun 2011
3 Comments

Big Differences

No one has to explain the word hotel. We all know there is a Four Seasons and there is a Holiday Inn.

 Both serve a purpose and we know their differences. Not so with corporate housing. There are two major problems with this fairly new business:

  1. There is a tremendous difference between corporate housing companies
  2. You may be paying a corporate housing company the “Four Seasons” rate for ”Holiday Inn” service, quality and amenities.

Just one recent example:

A relocation person told me recently how important Wi-Fi  is to their accounts.

Of course, every corporate short-term housing company knows that, but how  many know that wi-fi problems are somewhat a common occurrence in the high-rise rental buildings.

The real question should be, what process does the corporate housing company have for an immediate response to alleviate the problem.

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel and tagged , , , ,
21 Jul 2010

Q&A with Francine Manilow: ‘Love life and love taking risks’ | Enterprise City | Crain’s Chicago Business

Q&A with Francine Manilow: ‘Love life and love taking risks’ | Enterprise City | Crain’s Chicago Business.

After a long career in business, the awards are suddenly piling up for Francine Manilow, founder of the Chicago-based corporate housing supplier Manilow Suites.

In 2010, Ms. Manilow received the Chicago Business Woman of the Year Award from the National Assn. of Women Business Owners, was inducted into the University of Illinois at Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and joined the board of the Center for Women’s Business Research. Last week, the Women’s Business Development Center announced it is naming her its 2010 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year.

Posted in Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment

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