Submitted By: Miles Turner
Many people dream of running a bed and breakfast. However this is a 24x7 job, where you have to entertain guests day in and out, throughout the year and be ready for it.
1.So it’s better to first interview some B&B owners to find out what their lives are like and if you really want that kind of a life.
2.Next you have to decide where you’d want to live and work. Whilst locations near tourist draws are the most popular options, if there is something special and alluring about a place, you could opt for an out of the way B&B.
3.Once the location is chosen, check its zoning codes and find out what has to be done to get an approval for starting a B&B. Some areas prohibit them whilst some have restrictions on the food served. If you plan to renovate an existing building, have the contractor check things out with the local building codes.
4.You have to draw a business plan; don’t expect too much of a profit as B&Bs give modest profits. Its better to discuss with other B&B owners to learn more about finances involved in running B&Bs. Find out what prices your competitors are giving so that you can be more competitive than others.
5.Whilst determining B&B room costs and expenditures, don’t forget unforeseen expenses like failure of your heating system. Include other routine costs you have to pay like insurance and property taxes.
After all this, if things turn out profitable to you, you could afford to give discounts outside peak seasons. If not, you have to decide if the B&B is worth running or not.
6.Decide how many people you will accommodate in the B&B; some B&Bs entertain only a few and others, more. In some countries, if you accommodate more people in the B&B, you have to make provisions for people with disabilities.
7.Next, create an internet presence as it is very important to be online today. Professional websites can be difficult and expensive to create; and if you create one yourself, it may not reflect the image you want to give customers. Instead, you could use blogs which are cheaper and increasingly popular today.
8.For a successful B&B, you have to effectively market your B&B. Based on how many people you can accommodate; you could contact local trade organisations to offer their members special rates.
9.Also offer discounts to delegates attending local confederacies and exhibitions. The local press also helps with your marketing. Don’t just inform them of the opening of your B&B, tell them about your half price for kids offer for the big local event. Their news will indeed draw families to your B&B.
10.Make sure all your B&B rules and rates are written down. If you don’t want to allow smoking, pets or eating in rooms, mention them. By writing these things down, you will be able to quote uniform rates and guests can also learn about your rules without bothering you with questions.
In a nutshell, to start a B&B, you need the idea, zeal and commitment to work fulltime and then with a sprinkling of reality, your dreams become a reality.
Submitted By: Miles Turner
If you and your family are planning a vacation out of town or out of the country, you’ll find that hotels are one of the most expensive parts of the trip. What a lot of people don’t know is that there are ways to get a lower price than the one advertised on a hotel’s website.
Here are some ways to save money on your hotel accommodations:
1.Do Your Research
Many people like to book hotel rooms over the Internet. Although there are plenty of great deals and discounts to be found online, it is important that you do your research and avoid making sudden choices. Watch out for promos and compare prices from different websites before making your final decision.
2.Call the Hotel Directly
Try to make hotel room reservations by calling the hotel directly. As much as possible, try to speak with the manager instead of the reservations officer. A manager has the most authority to give you big discounts and he or she just might be able to give you a good rate if you are kind and pleasant. If the rate the manager gives you is higher than what you expected, politely ask if there is any way that they can give you a better deal.
3.Stay More than One Night at the Same Hotel
If you’ll be staying in a particular city or neighbourhood for more than one night, then try to stay at the same hotel for the entire duration of your trip. The longer your stay, the better a rate per night you are likely to get. Hotels usually give better rates per night if you stay with them for more than two nights.
4.Look for Hotels that Offer Free Breakfast
Whilst some hotels charge their guests for breakfast, most offer their guests a complimentary breakfast. Whether the breakfast may be a fixed menu or buffet style, it is still one meal that you won’t need to spend on.
5.Sign Up for a Rewards Card or Frequency Program
A number of hotels offer a rewards card or a frequency program for guests who stay with them regularly. A hotel’s rewards card or frequency program offers you perks such as points per visit or perhaps a discount on your next stay at that particular hotel.
6.Avail of a Tour Package
If you are going to a foreign place, then consider availing of a tour package. Tour packages often include hotel accommodations and sometimes, roundtrip flights. You can save a substantial amount of money on accommodations by joining a tour group.
7.Use Coupons or Gift Cards
Another way of saving money on hotel accommodations is by using coupons or gift cards. Many hotels offer coupons on various websites in order to increase their number of guests. You’d be surprised at how many great deals you could find on the Internet, and it’s a matter of choosing the best deal.Published At:
Isnare.com
Submitted By: Scott Richardson
Caravan park vacation is a big trend for families today. They are said to be the number one clients who avail of caravan park service. Other groups include tourists, comfort travelers and retirees. With this in mind, let us find out the reasons why they choose caravan parks instead of out-of-the-country havens.
Why They Love Caravan Parks?
The family is the most fundamental aspect of the society. Important values and traits start within the family household. It is therefore vital for parents to teach their children proper human values for the benefits of the people around. Thus, it is crucial to have a closer relationship between the parents and their children. One of the best ways to maintain a good family relationship is to spend quality time together. Family bonding promotes a healthy family connection and induces growth and prosperity.
Caravanning is one of the simplest outdoor activities for families to have quality time. That is the reason why a lot of families opt to go to caravan parks for a holiday vacation. It is a great chance for the parents to strengthen family values through outdoor games and sports. Aside from that, it will also help the kids enhance their socials skills by mingling with other people.
The second reason why families choose to go to caravan parks is the ultimate need to be outdoors. Caravan parks provide a serene ambiance and quiet life away from the city. It is a way of relieving stress and relaxation. Because the parks are mostly located by the sea or within a rain forest, they can see scenic views and breathe fresh air. Indeed, it is a very healthy environment suited for the family. Just being outside with nature is good for the body. A stress-free and quiet place is ideal for meditation. It helps calm the mind, repair the body cells and prevent onset of health problems.
In addition, caravan parks give you a rare outdoor experience. Most parks provide excellent facilities such as pools, playgrounds, clubs and gaming centers. They also give direct beach access, a complete range of leisure activities and even water sports. Who says caravan parks are dull? You will definitely never get bored with all those array of activities to choose from.
Another amasing feature about caravan parks that families really love is its affordability. It is rather cheap compared to other vacation packages offered by travel agents such as flying to a different country, going interstate, staying in hotels, etc. Caravan parks offer varied low cost and self-catering accommodations depending on your budget. These include static caravans, lodges, chalets, apartments, bungalows and even ready-to-use tents for a hassle-free stay. They also have special offers and discounts for large groups. Also, the cost of fuel used to travel is cheaper because it is not too far from their area of origin.
Aren’t caravan parks the best place to go to? Come now and bring your family to a once in a lifetime journey. Caravan parks are just the perfect deal for a cool break. They offer low cost packages and housing ideal for your budget. Discover the thrill of water sports and outdoor activities. Engage your family to camping and feel the cool breeze away from the stressful life in the city. Enjoy the fun and relax your way with caravan parks.
Submitted By: Kingsley Lyon
La Jolla, California, “the jewel”, is perched atop rocky cliffs overlooking spectacular Pacific coastline. There are three things that really distinguish it as a vacation destination.
THE CUISINE. Every single chef in La Jolla takes it upon himself to create the most stunning, creative, fresh and wonderful meals possible. The presentations are artistic, as is the food itself.
As we might expect, seafood of all kinds dominate meal choices. Whole restaurants are devoted to creatively presenting seafood, like the Crab Catcher. George’s at the Cove serves seafood in ways I never imagined. And Tadashi Sushi makes every single serving a work of art.
“Fresh” is also a big concern for La Jolla chefs. Combining “fresh” with “great wine” is right up our alley, and here is where The Burgundy Grill and Wine Bar excels.
THE CAVES. La Jolla Caves are known worldwide as one of the fascinating spots to visit in southern California. But only two of them are visible from land. Clam’s Cave can be seen from the walkway along Coast Boulevard, and from many of the fine hotels that line the sea side of Prospect Street. A second cave, Sunny Jim’s, can be seen by taking an inside stairwell down to the ocean. The other five can only be seen via kayak.
If navigating a kayak sounds scary, remember that each and every tour is accompanied by an experienced guide who has been certified for visiting the caves. Your tour guide will also ensure that you are wearing a “cave helmet” provided by the touring company. And as often as I have watched these kayaks floating by, I have never seen one turn over – they are pretty stable.
Exploring La Jolla, California
While we are talking about La Jolla Caves, remember that seeing the caves is only part of the adventure of seeing them. There are other things to do in this area tool
There is a great little coffee shop, the Goldfish Point Café. There is a super bench to sit and chat for a while, right on top of the waves crashing into the caves. There is a wonderful hidden path that hugs the coast for about a quarter of a mile, with views that you just won’t get from anywhere else.
And the pelicans! Let’s not forget the pelicans. They nest all over the rocks in this area. They are beautiful, majestic creatures. When they take off, their wings reach wide for soaring high.
Just a few feet from there is La Jolla Cove, a charming, if rocky, beach area. Kids of all ages love to explore the rock formations and sun a while.
In fact walking the tide pools is a great pastime in La Jolla. It is not unusual to see squirts of ocean water spurt up through the rocks, creating tide pools full of interesting stuff. In the summertime there are guided tours through the tide pools.
All in all, La Jolla, California, is just a delightful place to visit.Published At:
Isnare.com
Submitted By: Scott Richardson
You might have come across the words "financial services" so many times. You may have met them whilst walking along busy streets. Or, you may have also seen them through the net. Was there ever a time you wanted to ask financial help from them? But was there ever a time you also backed out from doing so? Well, that’s maybe because you're not well-versed about the types of services these companies render.
It's high time you know the types of financial services. There is a list offered in the market today. They may vary according to their purposes. They may also vary depending on the company that offers them. Basically though, these are the most common types to take note of:
# 1 - Broker services
These are services that are rendered to those who are eyeing for stock or bond investments. In this regard, the broker will usually talk to you and ask if you're willing to take some risks. After all, this type of investment fluctuates from time to time. You may win some and you may lose some.
Another type of service on this list is home ownership. Brokers can help you look for the property to invest on. They'll consult you in the process from time to time. They can also present some other plans for this particular concern.
You should not forget that broker services may also be used for retirement and inheritance planning. When it comes to retirement plans, the broker is tasked to give advice on how much you should save at the moment. As for inheritance, he will assess the real benefits of trusts and other forms of plans for this matter.
# 2 – Wealth management services
This one is commonly offered to those who are wealthy but do not know the right investments to make. This is advised if you have more than enough money at the moment and you want to see its real worth in the future. Often, there are wealthy individuals who are caught in the verge of spending and saving. And most of the times, they end up spending their money for nothing. If this is your case right now, you can go for wealth management services.
# 3 – Investment banking services
This is one financial service that can help entrepreneurs out there. What you need to do is make some investments in a bank. This applies when you're undecided about what type of business to put up at the moment. This is also advised if you think you need to increase the money you have at the moment to put up your business in the future. Your investment will then be created as capital.
# 4 – Business banking services
This is the financial service you need if you want something to manage everything about your current business. The bank will take charge of your finances from loans to income to payments. They can make schedules that will make sure you pay all your dues on time whilst your profit is credited to your account.
These are four of the most basic financial services you may seek from a company that offers one. Bear in mind that some firms may have varied programmes for this. Check what they can offer you. As always, you are advised to make some comparisons and analyses.
Submitted By: Scott Richardson
Starting your own catering business need not break the bank. There are a lot of successful big-time caterers today who started out with zero capital by stating their catering business from their homes. Initial investment can be as low or as high as you can afford.
Catering is a very lucrative business. More and more people are opting for catering services for almost any occasion: birthdays, graduation days, baptisms, weddings, corporate events, cocktail parties and what-have-you. The frenzied and frenetic schedules of most working moms just don’t allow extra time and energy to slave away in the kitchen for a child’s birthday party fare. It is easier to hire a caterer.
However, it would take more than your culinary expertise and love of cooking to start your own catering service. You should have some organisational and management skills to run a catering business. You should also have a general idea of how to keep your operating cost down but still manage to present high quality catering service.
If you are just starting up, there is no need for you to rent out a big space for your kitchen. You can use your home kitchen for the time being and as demands grow, you can opt to rent out a kitchen as needed.
You don’t have to buy chinaware, silverware, chairs and tables and the hundred and one things needed in catering as you can basically rent these items initially. As your business expands, then you can buy all the necessary items one at a time.
You don’t have to hire waiters, cooks, busboys and other workers on a permanent basis as you can hire them on a per event basis. Note that you should see to it that you interview a contractual worker at least two weeks prior to an event to see if he/she qualifies for the job.
Make sets of sample menus from which potential clients can choose from. Do some research and make sure each dish bunched in one set menu complements each other.
Make sure you register your business no matter how small it is. There are permits and licenses that you need in order to get set up. Clients are sure to ask for receipts and if you are not duly registered, there’s no way that you could issue out a receipt. However, if you are just starting out real slow and easy– catering for less than 30 friends and relatives – then there is no rush to get that license and permit.
Once you are determined to go into full-time catering, then you should register your business at the local authority. File the paper work and submit the necessary requirements.
Advertise online by setting up a website. You can showcase your sets of menus and maybe some pictures of wonderfully prepared dishes and table settings. If you have pictures of past catering events upload them too. If you can afford it, hire someone to design your business website. You can even set up a payment option in your website for the benefit of clients.
