Measuring Growth

I was driving past a farmer's field on a recent trip to the Midwest when I noticed the stalks of corn, tall and strong, already shooting high into the air. It must be easy for the farmer to measure the growth of his crop, I mused, and satisfying to witness that growth, needing only the naked eye as a measuring tool.

If only measuring growth were as simple in all businesses. For some, it's a complicated endeavor that examines profit and loss statements, employee productivity, investment returns, revenue increases and more. Not to be forgotten, growth is measured by the number of customers that come through your doors each month, that dine at your tables, or that rest their heads in your hotels.

In truth, growth can be measured in countless ways. While obtaining certain measurements can be made easier by the technologies we write about on the pages of Hospitality Technology, other indicators are more elusive still. Growth is the quality of employees that are attracted to work at your organization. It is the pride that each person takes in his or her daily responsibilities. And, it is the size of the smiles on your customers' faces. For Bruegger's Enterprises, the subject of this month's cover story (see Strong & Growing, page 12), growth is measured by the company's new bakery openings, its increasing revenues, and even the number of items it now offers on its menu. But even as the company's CEO acknowledges, growth is also measured through the quality of relationships — relationships with customers, with employees and with franchise partners.

For Hospitality Technology, growth is measured through relationships with each and every one of you —its readers. The more HT is able to tell the stories that matter to you, to deliver ideas and strategies that fuel your continued success, and to put you in touch with people you want to know the most, the more we all will grow.

Personally, as the newly-appointed editor of Hospitality Technology, I will measure growth by the quality of the content on each and every page of the publication, from exclusive interviews with top executives, to valuable insights from every corner of the industry. We will continue to bring you the news, the interviews, the technology updates and the trends that matter.

As I gaze across HT's editorial field to get a current benchmark, I encourage you to share your thoughts on what we can do to help you grow even more.