I was in my 20s, driving with my dad in our red Maruti 800 to visit Agra, and on the way, we stopped at Firozabad to buy bangles. Those same bangles that are now proudly worn across the U.S.

When we reached Agra, we stopped at a crossing. Not a red light. An actual intersection where a traffic policeman stood in the middle, trying to control chaos with nothing but a whistle.

No signals. No stop signs. No walkie-talkies.

Just him. One man. One whistle. And the traffic? Honking, pushing, ignoring.

I remember thinking: He's trying his best, but he has no control Not because he doesn't care, but because he's not equipped.

Years later, that image still comes back because I see it all the time in independent hotels.

Revenue management today, across independent hotels in India, Asia and many part of the world, often looks like this.

It's not a team. It's one person. Managing OTAs, rates, parity, pickup, group queries, sometimes even reservations and front office.

Expected to create strategy. Expected to report numbers. Expected to grow revenue.

All without support, tools, or time.

It's like asking that traffic cop to manage a six-way intersection with only a whistle, and blaming him for the jam.

And yet… these are some of the most capable people in the hotel

They know the market. They sense demand shifts before reports show it. They protect revenue with instinct, not systems.

But instinct only works so far. Without structure, it leads to burnout, missed opportunities, and reactive decisions.

So what's the solution?

Not a team of five. Not expensive tech. Just the right tools, rhythm, and support.

Here's what helps one-person revenue teams perform like five:

• Use a basic RMS, channel manager, and simple pricing automation (usually available to be built in one)
• Automate reports and rate alerts to save time
• Attend regular workshops on pricing, forecasting, and OTA strategy
• Build peer groups for learning and support
• Provide ready-to-use pickup, forecast, and parity templates or dashboards
• Set up a 10-minute daily revenue huddle with GM and Sales

That's it. No magic. Just structure.

And when you do this?

Hotels see 12 to 18 percent revenue growth in three to four months OTA visibility improves Direct bookings grow Team burnout reduces The same one person feels equipped and seen

A system works better than a superhero But a superhero with a system? That's unstoppable

Let's stop asking why they aren't doing more Let's ask What could they do if they were truly equipped?

Let's build support, not burnout!