*October 28-30, 2007 - Restaurant Finance and Development Conference

November 8, 2007 - Mass Lodging Association - North of Boston B&B Meeting

November 9 -13, 2007 - American Hotel & Lodging Association Annual Show

November 15, 2007 - Mass Lodging Association - B&B Meeting Western, MA

January 13-18, 2008 - National Retail Federation Annual Convention & Exposition

February 8-10, 2008 - Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA)

March 10, 2008 - Mass Restaurant Association Stars of the Industry Awards Gala

I spoke with a friend recently who was trying to start his own business. He told me about his idea for the business, who his customers were likely to be, how he was going to price his product and when he thought he’d be able to start making a profit. But then he made a most telling statement; he said “Running the business is the easy part. It’s the side issues, like location and start-up financing, that are taking up all of my time.” He makes a good point. For most businesses, however, location is a key element, not a “side issue”. You need to be accessible to your clients/customers, you want your surroundings to be attractive so that you convey an image of success, and you don’t want to pay any more for those qualities than you have to. 

For the full story, click here. 

Mike Gatlin is a shareholder of Ruberto, Israel & Weiner and a member of the firm's Retail, Food & Hospitality Group.

Retail business owners, including those owning restaurants, have thought about the day when they might sell their business either because they are ready to retire, move on to the next opportunity or simply because they receive an offer too good to pass up.  This article provides some tips on the process of selling your business.

For full story, click here.

Russell Stein is a shareholder of Ruberto, Israel & Weiner and a member of the firm's Retail, Food & Hospitality Group.

The following is courtesy of the National Restaurant Association. www.restaurant.org.

Travel & Tourism Facts - National Restaurant Association

2007 Restaurant Industry Forecast - National Restaurant Association

LEGAL BRIEF: Get Ready for the New Federal Minimum Wage
The federal minimum wage will increase to $5.85 on July 24, the first of three $.70-cent increases. Get the impact on state-by-state wage rates, plus frequently asked questions on overtime and more.

The following is courtesy of the National Retail Federation. www.nrf.org

Consumers to Take Conservative Approach to Holiday Shopping

Modest September Sales Gains Reflect Conservative Consumer

Retailers Post Respectable Back-to-School Gains as Retail Sales Rise 5.0 Percent

To see past issues of At Your Service, please click on the link of the issue of your choice.

At Your Service, Healthcare Alert, May 2007

At Your Service, Issue 1, April 2007

At Your Service, Issue 2, July 2007