Five Signs that Your Local Marketing Needs a Tune-up

Local marketing is a powerful tool that can help any business generate leads and close new business at a local level. It is an unreasonable expectation to think that most business people will be highly skilled in the fine art of local marketing so here’s a quick snapshot of some pointers that may indicate that your local marketing could do with a tune up.

1.Your business is mono-tactical in its approach to generating leads and winning new business. This is quite common – especially amongst small businesses. For example a local plumber may advertise in the local classifieds to generate 100% of his leads and sales. Some companies may use a handful of local marketing tactics. The point here is that your business will go from strength to strength if it increases the actual number of local marketing tactics used.

2.Your company doesn’t have a local marketing budget allocated, but instead will look at opportunities as they arise. This is another popular approach amongst franchisees and small businesses. The key here is that there is no pro-activeness in funding and executing local marketing strategies on a regular basis. Imagine the possibilities that arise when you regularly allocate funds to local marketing programs.

3. Your firm is oblivious to peaks and troughs in your revenue cycle and schedules local marketing activities without thinking about the impact they may have at various times of the year. Just as you wouldn’t dare plant carrots in June because they won’t grow, there my be times during the year when local marketing will have a minimal impact on your target market whilst at other times clients will be falling all over themselves to do business with you. Identifying these cycles and making the most out of them is the key to being successful.

4.Your company doesn’t track the return on investment it gets from any local marketing activity that it implements. This is possibly the biggest local marketing sin a business can commit. Without a formal review of the success of local marketing activities undertaken a company can’t realistically make a well considered decision to replicate or reject a tactic that it has used.

5.Your business doesn’t have a formal, conscious plan that incorporates the use of other people’s people and other people’s money. Your suppliers, local business associations, sponsorship properties and even charitable organisations have much power in being able to assist you in successfully marketing your business throughout your local territory. By identifying ways to use other people’s people, money, resources, advertising, business relationships, time and capital a company can expand its local marketing capability and reach.

So there you have it – some common local marketing mistakes that franchisees and small businesses tend to make and some of the ways to overcome them. By addressing one or more of these five areas a company can positively impact the number of leads and new sales it can attract through local marketing activities.

For more information about local marketing and local area marketing planning, contact Greg Mullane, Marketing Manager, LAM Plan

SEO Podcast Promotion

I had a bit of fun putting together some infomercials. Here’s one I cut to promote a very useful SEO podcast.

Engin review – VOIP service

My wife makes an average of 60 calls per month to Sydney from Brisbane at an average costs of $2.70 each. That’s $162 per month. She also has clients overseas in places like PNG and the middle east.

I’ve been thinking about signing up for one of those voice over the Internet services for years and finally last week I signed up with Engin. The signup process was easy and within 3 days I had my Engin voice box and a nifty little wireless phone. The plan I’ve signed up to is $10 per month and the phone cost $30 if I committed to 12 months.

So far I have been very impressed with the quality of service. We have Optus Cable Internet and a small wireless LAN at home. All I had to do to get it working was plug in the Engin box to the router, activate the service by e-mail and then power up the telephone.

The voice quality is very acceptable, about 90% as good as standard PSTN. The other impressive features are incoming call control, call blocking, time of day diversion and so on. A 4 hour call to Sydney costs us 10 cents. Overseas calls are about 3.5 cents per minute.

I have no idea how much bandwidth a call consumes, which can be important if you have a cap on your downloads and uploads. I suspect bandwidth consumption is around about 20 kilobits per second which equates to 150k per minute or 9 Mb per hour. It could be a lot less than that because I assume the gaps between words consume very little bandwidth.

I was a bit worried about what happens to the voice quality when shaping from the ISP kicks in. Once I hit my download limit on the cable Internet, Optus throttles me back to about 56Kbps. I noticed no change in the voice quality once my connection was throttled back to 56Kbps.

UPDATE – PROBLEMS WITH DROP OUTS

Don’t Write Off the Share Market Just Yet

Some investors have a different perspective on stockmarket downturns. They see the low stock prices as a chance to get a cheap shares.

During times of economic volatility, it is our natural instinct to protect our wealth and distance ourselves from risk. While this reaction is unsurprising, it can also mean losing out on profit opportunities created during uncertain times.

Warren Buffet, one of the world’s most successful professional investors, believes market downturns from another perspective, saying “Look at market swings as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.”

Generally when we see a cheaper price for something we want we rush in for a bargain, however it can be quite the opposite with shares. Why is it that we treat stocks that have dropped in price with dread? Share prices of a company can drop for a multitude of factors.

Lately we have seen the stock prices of a number of strong companies with sound balance sheets be negatively affected due to a rush to sell as a result of the economic crisis.

Despite the uncertain share trading environment, fund managers are always checking the market for buying opportunities. Many fund managers are searching to find shares in sound companies with strong balance sheets and returns. For example Australian companies such as household names like David Jones have delivered strong profits after tax and dividends in 2008. However during 2008, David Jones’ share price fell by more than 30%.

Identifying opportunities
Not all companies will be affected by the global economic crisis similarly. Some sectors are more prone to the business cycle than others.

Providers of basic goods and services continue on almost unchanged, for example we all need to eat – so food producers aren’t as affected as much as manufacturing, motor vehicle sales or luxury goods.

Australia’s population growth is at a 20 year high and growing at 1.7% per annum. Australia’s growing population provides increasing demand for goods and services as people need food, housing, cars, and other staples. Unlike many overseas countries, Australia benefits from two key factors: a high population growth rate and a high demand for housing.

Population growth is nearly twice that of the US while Germany has negative population growth. In the US there is an over-supply of housing while Australia suffers from a lack of supply. The combination of limited accommodation and a rising population will create growing demand for housing which will support further building and provide opportunities for the construction industry.

The value of companies
Many people view companies with falling share prices with fear, but we need to take a look under the bonnet of these companies to find out why. Have they borrowed heavily?

What industry are they in? Are they competitive against their peers? Only by answering these questions, can we know if their stock value has fallen for valid reasons or if the company is indeed on sale.

When investing, many professional investors seek firms with high and maintainable returns, strong balance sheets and substantial cash flow. These companies are more likely to outlive the volatility storm and may give you a greater return when the market moves into the next phase of recovery and
beyond.

Before you consider changing your strategy, you should see a professional. Having a financial adviser and a long-term financial plan can give you confidence to manage the effects of market cycles. With the right advice you can ensure your investments are structured to your risk profile and time horizon, giving you the certainty of knowing you’re doing what’s right for you. This article brought to you by a Brisbane business consultant who offers sales training and a web design brisbane. Distribution by seo packages. BS1004

Google Adwords – the second most important element

I listened to a bunch of SEO podcasts yesterday and learnt something very interesting. The speaker, who’s name escapes me, is a Google Adwords expert. That’s what he does for a living.

The interesting thing he said that was the second most important element of a Google Adwords ad, next to the headline of course, is the domain name. Yes, the domain name.

He said in split tests a change in domain name can increase click-through by 300 – 400%. To the right is a graphic of the concept. The only text that changes is the domain name. After a few weeks of automatic ad rotations you would probably have enough data to work out which domain names pull best.

So the idea is if you rely on Adwords for most of your business, it may be worth your while investing in extra domain names to increase click-through rates. And for $15 per domain it’s a pretty good investment.

What you may think is the best domain name may not be what your customers think. Only testing will tell you.  Which one of the ads in my example would you be inclined to click on? Please let me know by leaving a comment. 

More Fax Spam – This Time from Prospect Marketing for Destinationsrus

I’m really getting fed up with fax spammers. I get up in the morning, I walk into my office and often there is a wad of junk faxes waiting for me from domain name companies, water cooler companies, debt collectors and recruitment companies.

This time it was a promotion for a company called destinationrus for a holiday in Fiji. Apart from the waste of toner and paper, the thing I really object to is that it cost me 2 minutes and a phone call to try to get off the list. And when I do ask for a removal, it doesn’t mean it happens.

Destinationsrus appear to be using a fax spamming company called Prospect Marketing. In fact, Prospect Marketing use Destinationsrus as a glowing example of how to layout a good spam fax. These spam faxes cost about $750 for 10,000 faxes. Talk about a waste of paper and the irresponsible generation of green-house gases !

If the Rudd Government want to really get some brownie points before Christmas, announce a do-not-fax register along the lines of the amazingly popular do-not-call register. It will be a sure-fire winner.

Comments please

Is every stainless steel bottle created equal? Protecting your health and the planet

There are two stainless steel mixing bowls in my kitchen cupboard. One feels more solid and has aged gracefully with use, the scratches are almost absorbed into the worn smooth metal surface, and it remains a grayish stainless steel colour. The second, purchased at a discount store, has taken a distinct yellow tinge and is showing tarnish, its surface seeming artificially glossy.

I understand now that there are different grades of stainless steel and the quality will affect how it wears and what toxins it may pass on to to food or liquids contained in it. How will this quality affect my choice of a stainless steel drink bottle? There are important features to think about when choosing a reusable stainless steel bottle

Stainless steel is always manufactured using chromium, because it is what makes steel “stainless”. Other elements are also used including nickel, nitrogen and molybdenum. These elements can leech into liquids, so it is very important that the bottle is crafted from high quality, 18/8 food-grade stainless steel – but also that you trust the manufacturer is telling the truth when they say what the bottle is made from. Some will claim to make the bottle from the thinnest and cheapest stainless steel they can in order to reduce manufacturing costs and hence increase profits.

Other features are also important:

• Are the lids made from a BPA free plastic?
• Can you see sharp corners or joins inside where dirt and bacteria can build up?
• Is the thread around the screw top easily cleaned?
• Will the lid leak and can you buy a replacement lid without buying a whole new bottle?
• Does the manufacturer provide a guarantee?

Consider who the manufacturer is. Do they have a long history of quality, who are the real people behind the company and what is their story? In 2004, Klean Kanteen was the first company to make a water bottle from stainless steel. They have continued to lead the way with innovative stainless steel products. Another leading sports hydration company making high quality stainless steel bottles is Nathan, using a clever straw drinking mechanism. Perhaps the grandparent of all stainless steel is Thermos, whose name has become synonymous with insulated bottles for hot water. Many of us grew up taking “the thermos” on a picnic.

From an environmental point of view, is a stainless steel bottle more eco friendly than a plastic bottle? A Life Cycle assessment study published in the New York Times in 2009, considered the environmental and health impact of stainless steel bottle from the extraction and processing of its ingredients, to its manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal. It found that if your stainless steel bottle takes the place of 50 plastic bottles, the climate is better off.

From a human point of view, who made the bottle and was that person treated fairly and compensated for their time. This is the hardest criteria to judge because few of us can actually visit the factories in China where most of the bottles are made. We can at least always go to the manufacturer’s website and ensure they have published a statement about their factory and worker conditions. Again, as with most things in life, we have to make a judgement call on whether we trust the company and what they are saying.

Written by Tracey Bailey, Founder of Biome eco friendly retail stores.

What is Polished Concrete ?

Concrete floor polishing was initially used for a matter of function in commercial buildings and warehouses as it increases lighting using the natural reflection off the floor, eliminates dusting and is extremely low maintenance saving time and money. Polished concrete techniques have progressed and technology now allows a qualified contractor to add colour and different finishes to the concrete rendering each floor unique which has made polished concrete floors the sought after flooring solution for residential, retail and office buildings as it is functional and visually appealing.

Concrete is made from natural materials and can also be mixed with some recycled materials; the concrete itself can also be recycled. Concrete is so versatile as its durable, the materials are readily available and it can take in then radiate heat better than other floor coverings as concrete polishing doesn’t change the thermal mass of the floor which is a property that enables materials to absorb, store than release heat.

The materials in concrete absorb the energy slowly and hold it for a long period of time which can help to reduce heating and cooling requirements. Concrete floor polishing eliminates any need for additional floor coverings, all of which would require manufacturing and transportation so polished concrete reduces the effects on the environment. Depending of the quality and condition of the concrete, polished concrete has a longer life cycle than traditional floor coverings and if correctly installed by a qualified specialist in concrete floor polishing it can last forever which reduces the environmental waste which would be caused by replacing carpet, vinyl and tiles.

A polished concrete floor will resemble a polished stone floor; with a high-gloss finish the floor will have a mirror like effect. Polished concrete floors also improve the air quality, unlike carpet it doesn’t trap pollutants or bacteria and the surface is reflective which will reduce the need for unnatural lighting. Polished concrete has many more benefits which cannot be achieved from any other traditional floor covering. The concrete floor polishing process uses non-toxic chemicals, and no sealers or solvents are required.

Concrete floor polishing is created by processing the concrete surface by means of a mechanical process which involves grinding and refining the surface using diamonds till a desired finish is achieved, this process takes some time and only a qualified specialist in concrete floor polishing should be appointed to install a polished concrete floor. Polished concrete enhances the new or existing concrete which reduces the use of energy draining manufacturing processes and fossil fuels used for traditional floor coverings.

There are many different results that come from polished concrete floors by using multiple abrasives which are measured in grits which are generally applied from roughest to finest and each density will refine the surface in preparation for the desired finish. A specialist in concrete floor polishing may use up to nine different grits to achieve the durability, reflection and clarity of polished concrete and will apply a densifier which has a chemical reaction in the concrete resulting in a hard crystalline structure making the concrete floor more durable and resistant to stains, offers extra protection to the floor and prevents water from penetrating the surface. These reasons and more are why polished concrete is the eco-friendly and sustainable flooring solution which cannot be compared to any other flooring option available.

Concrete flooring is a great option. If you are considering polished concrete on the Gold Coast or concrete polishing on the Gold Coast , and would like a free onsite evaluation call (07) 5549 3573 now. We have offer our unique high-gloss finished backed with a 10 year warranty in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Get Married in Paradise? So many choices for your and your wedding party!

When you get married, it is all about the love, sharing that special day with your partner, family and friends. However, as air fares get cheaper and destinations more accessible, it is becoming more and more common for couples to take their weddings off-shore, or off-state to a new and romantic location.

Why is this becoming popular? Firstly, it allows you tailor your wedding around a favourite holiday destination or place of significance. Did you dream of getting married on the beach, frangipanis in your hair and a golden sunset, but you are stuck in the city? Dream no more, tropical weddings are affordable and professional with many tropical destinations offering specialist wedding and honeymoon packages.

Destinational wedding packages can be tailored to suit your dreams. From romantic couple only escapes to complete family and friends getaways.

When thinking of taking your wedding away, beachside nuptials appear to be the preferred escape and Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the perfect destination. Cairns offers happy couples a variety of options. A ceremony on the beach, with the sand between your toes, or something more formal in a seaside chapel, followed by a beach reception with tables set up in the sand. Arrive by car, or for something different, you can kayak or even sky dive into your nuptials. Many couples have experienced the thrill of this in Cairns, Australia and it brings a whole new meaning to pre-wedding jitters or nerves.

Is this not close enough to the water for you? In Cairns, you can even get married underwater, while diving the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t believe me! ~ It has been done, underwater photographers are available to capture your special moment with nemo and a graceful sea turtle as your witness.

If that is too extreme, but you want to include a visit to the Reef in your destinational wedding, then simply plan a half day or full day trip around your nuptials. There are plenty of combinations available in Cairns Australia, from a helicopter trip to an isolated coral cay, to an exclusive charter taking you to a remote, pristine coral reef.

What about your guests? Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are considered a must visit destination for many people. Everyone wants to go there, most just need an excuse. Make your wedding a trip of a lifetime for you and your guests by bringing them to Cairns.

As well as being a part of your special day, this tropical paradise offers a range of exciting activities. Reef trips, rainforest excursions, beach horse riding, tropical taste tours and some of the world’s leading spa retreats are all found here.

If you lean more green than blue in your wedding choices, Cairns is the only place on earth where World Heritage tropical rainforest slides down to meet the golden beaches and fringes of the Great Barrier Reef.

These are the world’s oldest continually surviving tropical rainforests and you can get married here, celebrating your love in this pristine nature’s paradise. Let towering cathedral figs be your altar, mossy pavers your aisle and falling leaves your confetti. Rainforest weddings can be as formal or informal as you like. A range of chapels are nestled amongst the greenery for more traditional ceremonies, or slip off your shoes and take your celebrant somewhere remote for a memorable ceremony.

Your guests will thank you for bringing them to this amazing tropical paradise. When they are not at your wedding, they can enjoy luxurious accommodation, explore the reef and rainforest, cuddle a koala or even take an outback tour.

There are many activities to choose from that the wedding party and guests can enjoy. There could be activities such as shopping, snorkeling, boat rides, guided tours or even wine tasting. Just keep in mind that it is typically the bride or groom or their families footing the bill so be sure not to tell your guests the cost of the bill because they more than likely would feel uncomfortable having someone else paying for them.

The great part of destination weddings is that it is usually more intimate and typically only the close family and friends come. So you could have more personal activities. You could have a sleepover the night before the wedding and have everyone over to the hotel for movies, drinks, and popcorn.

Just remember that for many of your guests your destination wedding may double as their vacation. So be sure to find out their plans so that you don’t over book. Some guests may choose to plan their own activities.

Any activities you choose, your destination wedding will be sure to be special and a long lasting memory for many years to come.

When planning your destinational wedding, make sure you use a professional Cairns wedding photographer, because you will want to capture your Cairns Wedding Photography in the best possible light. Photographers can also capture amazing images of you, whilst scuba diving in Cairns

Communicating a Service Offering in Cairns

Because services are not touchable, marketing messages for services achieve more than market services. Communications render services more tangible, and present prospects something firm to evaluate.

As a result, marketing communications for most services haul around a heavier load than communications for products. A bright red Porsche 911 convertible, for example, chants loudly and beautifully for itself. Very few services speak for themselves at all.

We implicitly trust most products. We trust that our new tyres won’t explode, our white sugar will taste sweet, and our aspirin will cure our headaches without bad side effects. But we are far less trusting and certain about most services.

We fret that our solicitors and web designers will work more than necessary, and bill more than is warranted. We are concerned that the latest weight loss service will be useless, just like the five we have tried before. We worry that our home renovators will pad their budget and complete the job weeks after they promised. We worry that the collection agency we hire for our service will harass our clients worth keeping and collect only a small part of our outstanding receivables.

So unlike communicating about products, communicating about services must make the service more tangible and real, and must reduce risk for the worried prospect. It’s not like selling Porsche automobiles.

For more information about services marketing and making services more concrete, visit Rob Johnson’s Twitter page. Sponsored by Rob Johnson of http://seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au/

Mail Charity Fundraising

A mailing is often the most cost effective way to reach many potential donors. Sending letters also is a simple way to campaign. There is no need to recruit, train, manage and motivate a large team. A handful of people can run the entire operation. And you will find you will get a lot more volunteers to fold and stuff envelopes than to cold-call potential contributors. That’s not to say all one must do is write a letter, post or e-mail it, and wait for the returns.

What makes mail fundraising campaigns difficult is that they are one-sided. No allowance exists for a campaign worker to personally motivate prospects. The most enthusiastic letter simply cannot match the conversation between a skilled solicitor and an open-minded potential supporter. Lacking aggressive salesmanship, only minimum gifts can be expected, no matter how well written the solicitation letter and enclosures may be.

Here’s another angle to ponder. Assume that I’m a small-donation prospect with some interest in your charity. There’s a good chance that I’ll donate generously to your appeal if you knock on my door or phone because your enthusiasm and presentation will be hard to resist. And how many other organisations will solicit me in these ways? Very few. But send me a solicitation letter and you place your request in the midst of enormous competition for my same gift dollar. And because it’s a letter, I have little problem withstanding its impersonal nature. If your organisation is not among my very favorites, you won’t receive a contribution of any consequence.

You see, although I think highly of your project, I have a table covered with fundraising letters, from the best known national charities to all sorts of noteworthy regional and local groups. I am overwhelmed with mail appeals. After sorting through them and making my top-ranked selections, I find my charitable budget is about depleted. But I still care about your cause, so here’s two bucks to show you my heart’s in the right place.

With these factors as a downside, mail solicitations produce highly profitable income derived from small-gifts for organizations that plan and carry out meticulous programs. However, first-class mailing programs get extremely involved, both creatively and from a marketing standpoint. There are six elements to understand before considering a direct mail campaign:

1. Mail solicitation is an ongoing component of annual giving programs. In capital campaigning, letter writing is a tool for wrapping up an appeal and giving thanks.

2. Ongoing mail appeals focus equally on retaining and upgrading present contributors while discovering and cultivating new prospects to make up for donors lost to attrition and to enlarge the donor pool. Present givers won’t always be an available source of funding.

3. Donors via mail don’t come free. Depending on the package, to obtain a new contributor, you can spend from $1.30 to $1.60 (or more) for each initial dollar raised from that person.

4. Mail programs are long-term propositions and instant financial rewards are a rarity.

5. Be clear who you designate as a donor and who you label a prospect. Donors are people currently contributing to your charity. Someone who gave you a gift two years ago or a person who once contributed a painting to your auction are prospects, not donors. Get used to thinking of three distinct groups: current donors, past donor prospects, and new prospects.

6. Some prospects have more interest in and knowledge about your organisation than others. Cultivated potential donors are first approached because they represent the highest rate of return. For instance, a past donor prospect is a better bet to send you a new donation than someone who once came to a special event that you held. The person who came to the special event is more likely to fund you than someone who never heard of your group.

In planning a full scale mail campaign, don’t lose sight of the fundamental fundraising requirements. Make sure your project has compelling goals, high visibility, specific, attractive, and timely needs.

Additionally, make sure your group has start-up funds on hand for what can become a relatively large investment to get the program rolling. For example, depending on the scale of your operation, you might want to engage a letter shop or mail house to provide the many functions necessary to get your direct mail package to recipients. This is an expensive proposition.

Or you might opt to subscribe to an online software provider to help drive your mail program. Since the highest percentage of return comes from current contributors, they are the first group to target. If a goal is reachable by only contacting these people, expenses will be minimal and your problems will be solved. If that’s not realistic, additional prospects who might fund your project would need to be reached. That’s fine so long as you realize that their percentage of return will be far less than supporters.

For instance, you send a letter to current donors and perhaps {30|40|50} percent of them respond with {donations|gifts}. A letter sent to brand-new {potential donors|prospects} typically yields responses of around 0.5 percent to 2 percent. Until you’ve won over a new potential {donor|giver}, don’t expect relatively large {donations|contributions}. A return of 5 percent to 12 percent can be expected from present donors.

If your group, school or {sports club|club} is looking for fundraising ideas and easy fundraisers, have a look at Goldstar Gifts and Stationery’s easy to manage ideas for fundraising.

Manila Snapshot

Manila is the political and economic focal point of the Philippines, and it serves as a magnet for residents from all over the Philippines. For most visitors from North America or Europe, this metropolis does not seem to merit more than a few days’ visit, after which the serenity of the provinces may seem all that much more attractive. Although a trip to Manila can be taxing, it nevertheless gives the tourist important insights into the culture, history and current state of this island republic, insights that stem from its very wealth of contradictions.

In the sights of foreign conquerors
Natives who settled at the mouth of the Pasig River in Manila have seen a great many conquerors come and go. The first to come were the Malaysians, who arrived in the Philippines during the pre-Christian era. Hindu and Buddhist leaders from Indonesia followed. Islam got to Manila at the end of the 15th century. The Muslim reign established in the mid-sixteenth century had been in existence for barely a decade when Spanish Catholic seafarers appeared on the horizon.

Colonial Manila
Miguel de Legaspi conquered Manila in 1571, declaring it to be the capital of the Spanish colony of the Philippines. Despite the ravages of World War Two, when Manila was heavily bombed, traces of the city’s colonial past are still in evidence, particularly in the Intramuros district. Intramuros, literally “within the walls”, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress. The city centre, with its partially restored wall , is the site of a number of sixteenth-century buildings including Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and the church of San Augustin, the oldest in the city.

At the centre of power
The heart of Manila is now elsewhere, in Makati, the modern commercial and banking quarter. Elegant high rises, gorgeous residential estates, super-modern shopping centres and numerous 5 star hotels can be found there. The modern development of this quarter began in the mid-twentieth century. Like much of the growth in Manila, Makati is closely connected to the politically powerful Zobel de Ayala family. The family name is found throughout the city, on streets, buildings and public monuments.

They come here not only to pray
Pasay City is located in the south-west of Manila across the superhighway from high-class Makati. On Wednesdays, Pasay is overrun with people. In Baclaran, the faithful crowd into Redemption Church, where weekly services are held in honour of the Virgin Mary. But one suspects that even more Manilans make their way to Pasay in order to patronize the neighbourhood’s famous lech6n stands, known to be the best source of that quintessential Philippine specialty, roast suckling pig.

A bit of folk culture
Throughout Manila, a light rail station is never far away. If your stomach is complaining after a feast of suckling pig, a gentle ride on this elevated railway is highly recommended. The trip back to town can also be made by Jeepney, of course, though it will be slower and more crowded.

Jeepneys were originally former US-Army jeeps that had been made into passenger vehicles with as many as fourteen canopied seats. These days, however, most Jeepneys come fresh from the production line. Skillful painting and decoration are a prerequisite for genuine Jeepney status. Most have religious motifs as their central theme, but they may include lighthearted comic strip images.

Many Jeepneys are so thoroughly covered in advertising that they resemble moving billboards, while others looks like temples on wheels. What’s important for visitors to remember, however, is that Jeepneys follow specific routes, just like buses. It is always best to inquire about the route before getting on board.

For unbeatable deals on Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Singapore Airlines contact Flight Centre.

Work from Home

Working from home is becoming increasingly fashionable. I work from home and I love it. I don’t think I could ever work at a factory again, but I must face the possibility that I may have to transfer my business into commercial premises if it keeps growing like it has in the last few years. Even if parts of my business get relocated, I’ll try to stay at home myself as much as I can.

Times are changing and working from home, particularly for the self-employed or contract employees is becoming more common. It is pointless paying rent for commercial premises if it isn’t necessary. Working from home has many perks.

You can work back late without getting into strife with your family. You can “drop into the office” anytime you like. You can get up really early if the mood takes you and put in a few hours work then go back to bed. But as a web designer, there is one feature I really like, all the tax deductions!

You can claim some of your household expenses on your tax return. Based on the floor area used for business purposes, you can claim a portion of your mortgage interest, insurance, rates, water, electricity, maintenance and the bulk of your telephone bill as well as depreciation on the carpets, curtains, business furniture and so on. At the end of the financial year you will be surprised by the list of deductions.

You will also save on travel costs, wear and tear on your car and more importantly wear and tear on you, having not to deal with peak hour or public transport. Not to mention picking up approximately an extra one to two hours per day of work when you don’t have to travel.

There is a downside to working from home. The first problem is family distractions. Kids home from school at three o’clock, a friend at the front door, phone calls for other members of the family.

You also may not have the perfect workspace, or space may be limited. Work space is vitally important, you must have an area set aside purely for business, nothing else, just business. I have found that it’s best also if you can close the door on the weekends and at the end of the day so you can “leave work”.

I think many of the perceptions of people that working from home is “unprofessional” have lapsed into history. The number of major companies that allow their workers to work from home via computers has increased dramatically in recent years. “Outsourcing” has become a commonly used term and this has brought about a spate of self-employed former employees, most of them working from home.

The other problem that many people working from home suffer is motivation and discipline. You must start work everyday just as you would if you were employed by someone else.

Want to work from home in your own home based business for women? You can learn more about starting your own profitable and flexible home business.

Welcome to Hong Kong

Hong Kong welcomes visitors from all over the world with a wide grin. The urban embodiment of the compromise between Chinese and European cultures, Hong Kong has long been one of the most vibrant business centres on the planet.

Few travel to Hong Kong for the sights; they come for business and excitement. Hong Kong is so lively it sizzles like the oil in the woks of its ubiquitous street vendors. Little has changed since the 1997 return of the British colony of Hong Kong to China. The city that flourished through co-operation between the Chinese and British societies is, if anything, more fascinating and interesting than ever before.

Opium highs and wars.
In the early eighteenth century, the first British merchants to arrive at what would become Hong Kong, found only a few fishing huts. The region had no significance at all within the Chinese Empire and had been ignored for centuries.

The British built a trade port here in 1711, and it thrived during the early nineteenth century when goods from China were in great demand in Europe.

As the fashion for things Chinese declined the British began to trade in opium instead, harvesting it in India and importing it illegally into China, where the Qing dynasty emperor had banned its sale. When the Chinese tried to halt the imports, the British responded with force.

The resulting Opium Wars (1838-1856) were disastrous for China. In 1842, the British took control of the city of Hong Kong and it became a British colony. A 1898 pact with China made Hong Kong and 234 nearby islands a British protectorate for ninety-nine years. The treaty ended in 1997.

Negotiations took place in 1982 to modify the original agreement in order to protect Hong Kong’s special status. China had originally demanded control not only of the so-called “New Territories” around the city, but also of Hong Kong itself. Through a series of agreements and concessions, the UK was able to prevent Hong Kong from being directly incorporated into mainland China. Instead, on 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was declared a Chinese Special Administrative Region.

Skyscrapers and feng shui.
Hong Kong’s special status has allowed it to remain a modern economic metropolis. Despite its visible modernity, traditional ways of life are never forgotten. The ancient Chinese art of feng shui is still applied to new constructions, where measurements are configured according to lucky numbers and windows positioned so as to let good luck in and bad luck out.

Skyscrapers loom where splendid colonial buildings once stood, only a few of which have remained. In the central district, the Cathedral of St. John, the former French Residence and the Legislative Council Building are among the few pre-modern buildings that remain.

Omnipresent Buddha.
Traditional life is a stronger presence in the New Territories than in the city itself. Stunning temple complexes abound, built in traditional style in tranquil settings. 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is one of the most frequented. This number represents “very many” or “countless” in Chinese, rather than a specific number of Buddhas.

In fact, there are more than 10,000, perhaps as many as 13,000. The enormous bronze Buddha towering above Lo Pin Monastery on the island of Lantau is the largest Buddha in the world, measuring 26 metres tall. Visitors can climb a steep path of 260 steps to reach it. The panoramic view from the top definitely rewards the effort, as does the spiritual enlightenment achieved along the way.

Looking for cheap airfares and cheap flights? Visit Flight Centre. Flight Centre has a variety of unbeatable deals on major airlines including tiger airlines. BSFC1605-3

Selling Your Vehicle

Unless you are thinking about keeping your old vehicle and passing it on to someone else, you will eventually need to sell it. There’s many ways to sell your vehicle, but first let’s discuss the preparation of your vehicle prior to advertising or trading.

Presentation is the key factor
The first thing one should consider when selling an old vehicle is how you can sell it for more money. The technique, which most people seem to overlook, is to simply make it look absolutely beautiful!

This does not mean just washing and vacuuming it, although that’s a excellent start. It is the overall preparation and detailing that counts. This is a well-known secret of most used car dealers.

You would be surprised to see the condition of some of the vehicles they purchase, but after a few hours in the detailing shop you wouldn’t think it was the same car! The best advice to anyone selling his or her car, is to have a professional car detail carried out. This will cost you around the $200 mark and it will be money well invested.

It will, in effect, save you hours of hard work trying to do it yourself with nowhere near the same result. This alone will add hundreds of dollars to your vehicle, particularly when selling privately.

I know of people who have had their car detailed and fallen back in love with their car deciding not to go ahead with the sale.

Once the detailing has been carried out you should make sure any small flaws are repaired. It is also important that you have the service logs and any relative mechanical history at the ready, as this is now becoming a critical factor when buying or selling a used vehicle. If a service is due or near due, make sure you have it done prior to selling. This will give a prospective customer a good idea of how well you have kept your vehicle.

What is your car worth?
Before you start selling your vehicle, either privately or to a dealer, you must know its market value. There is nothing worse than advertising your vehicle with a highly inflated price tag.

One way to find out the approximate price of your vehicle is by studying the motor section of your local newspapers, which will give you a reasonable guideline. Another way is to look in dealership yards to see what price similar vehicles are being sold for, but you must remember these vehicles have profit margins built into them to cover the dealer’s operating costs and over-stock.

Alternatively, the internet can provide a wealth of information on vehicle valuations. This is only web-based information and is generalised, so it does not give you accurate pricing on your own vehicle because of the specific condition and accessories fitted.

Sites where you can gather this type of information are the individual dealership web sites and vehicle pricing-guide sites such as www.redbook.com.au and www.glassguide.com.au

This information is purely to assist you in making a qualified and rational decision when buying or selling your vehicle. Remember, these sites are to be used only as a guideline, they are not entirely accurate as they do not take into consideration the individual buying or selling parameters within the different states.

There are always variations to the rules about pricing, so you should follow your intuition when setting a price and be sure to leave room for negotiating in your asking price. Your starting price should be higher than the price for which you really want to sell your vehicle.

For classic car rental and vintage car hire, check out http://egocars.com.au

• Recent Posts

  • Five Signs that Your Local Marketing Needs a Tune-up
  • Is every stainless steel bottle created equal? Protecting your health and the planet
  • What is Polished Concrete ?
  • Get Married in Paradise? So many choices for your and your wedding party!
  • Communicating a Service Offering in Cairns
  • Raising Donations Using Direct Mail
  • Manila Snapshot
  • Work from Home
  • Background to Hong Kong
  • Selling Your Vehicle

• Categories

  • Marketing
  • Uncategorized

• Archives

  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • August 2007
  • July 2007

• Blogroll

• Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS