Enterprise City

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You’ll always be special to Manilow Suites

Posted by manilowsuites on November 28, 2011
Posted in: Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a Comment

There is a special lady I would like to tell you about. I’m just sorry I cannot mention her name. Anyway, a little over two years ago she came to Chicago and toured all of the corporate housing companies.

We did not give her any rates other than our average rack rates. Yet, she called a couple weeks later and awarded us the contract to provide the short-term corporate housing for a large company going through a merger. That meant everyone from the CEO to the CFO, numerous senior and executive vice-presidents and so on.

Manilow Suites broke all records on the company’s survey.  Out of over 100 employees, we had a 100% “yes, I would recommend Manilow Suites.”  We also had other record breaking results never before attained by a vendor.

This lady is not special because she selected Manilow Suites, she is special because she trusted us.

She gave us the freedom to provide the corporate housing our way and asked us the “how’s.” And for that, we thank you. You will always be a special lady to us.

http://www.manilowsuites.com

~From the iPad of Francine Manilow~

Nothing Stops a True Entrepreneur

Posted by manilowsuites on September 14, 2011
Posted in: Chicago, Corporate Housing. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

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~

Renting from the Individual

Posted by manilowsuites on August 3, 2011
Posted in: Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel. Tagged: , , , , , . 17 comments

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~

Manilow Suites is known around the World

Posted by manilowsuites on July 20, 2011
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . 7 comments

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~

Big Differences

Posted by manilowsuites on June 27, 2011
Posted in: Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel. Tagged: , , , , . 4 comments

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.

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

Posted by manilowsuites on July 21, 2010
Posted in: Chicago, Corporate Housing, Corporate Housing/Hotels, Hotels, International Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

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.