{"id":25520,"date":"2015-05-26T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2015-05-26T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=25520"},"modified":"2016-12-09T08:27:16","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T13:27:16","slug":"sbdc-at-fiu-opens-new-doors-for-revpar-guru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2015\/05\/sbdc-at-fiu-opens-new-doors-for-revpar-guru\/","title":{"rendered":"SBDC at FIU opens new doors for Revpar Guru."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"revpar01\"<\/p>\n

Growth and new opportunities led the founders of Revpar Guru, a <\/em>back-end revenue management engine for hoteliers, to the SBDC at FIU. Today, the Miami Beach-based venture is on track to enter its next stage.<\/p>\n

The services offered by the SBDC at FIU and its expert financial consultants have been formative for Revpar, noted CEO Jean Francois Mourier.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdvisor Ray Juncosa taught us how to prepare a better business plan, prepare balance sheets and how to present the company to banks in a specialty field,\u201d said Mourier. \u201cRay takes you by the hand; without him, it would have taken ten times more effort to knock on the doors we\u2019ve reached out to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"revpar02\"Launched January 2008, Revpar\u2019s software analyzes a hotel\u2019s room offerings, its historical\u00a0rates, the rates of competitors within the same area, pricing trends and environmental factors to identify the best rate at the opportune time. Today it\u2019s being used by hoteliers in 35 countries.<\/p>\n

The trajectory hasn\u2019t been easy. Initially, Mourier and business partner Bruno Perez faced resistance from hoteliers who were wary of Revpar\u2019s technology and the results it may yield. Financial institutions too had been reluctant to give the company expansion capital.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when they turned to the SBDC at FIU.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur original plan was to find capital and we thought they could help\u2026 it turned out to be instrumental,\u201d Perez insisted. \u201cWhen you\u2019re involved in your business every day you don\u2019t have the perspective to put it in the right light before banks, you need to know the factors that banks are looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

A financial business analyst, SBDC\u2019s Juncosa shared his business knowledge and contacts, introducing Perez and Mourier to \u201cheavy hitters\u201d in the financial industry. \u201cWhen you read about what the SBDC offers you think it\u2019s going to be too good to be true,\u201d said Perez. \u201cAnd we were surprised to learn it was free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mourier and Perez agree that Revpar\u2019s future is brighter today. Their quest for capital funding was recently approved and the focus now is on acquiring small boutique hotels where they can instantly put Revpar\u2019s technology to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about software. As hoteliers, we can prove what we say,\u201d Mourier said. \u201cHotel chains don\u2019t have an edge anymore because the online travel agencies have given small hotels a fighting chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should others looking to start or grow a small business connect with the SBDC at FIU? Their response is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing what you can do with them,\u201d said Perez. \u201cWe\u2019re not planning to close the door with the SBDC; we\u2019ll continue to seek advice and opportunities through them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Mourier: \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for them, I don\u2019t think we\u2019d be where we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n