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| 5 Keys to Affordable Road Trips (361)
(NewsUSA) - Whether traveling for business or pleasure, most people will take at least one road trip this year, and when they do, they'll be looking for value. To help get the most out of your next trip, here are five insider secrets from travel expert and life-long hotelier Rajiv Bhatia, head of roadside hotel chain Knights Inn. 1. Book Your Hotel Direct. Shopping around is always a good idea, and it seems like new websites pop up every day to help travelers do just that. That's great for comparing offerings, but when you've made your choice, book directly with the hotel or brand. More often than not, you'll be offered a lower price as well as a best-rate guarantee. 2. Pass on Car Rental Insurance. Rather than paying the insurance that car rental companies provide for a fee, check your personal policy. Often, your plan will include a travel clause that you may not be aware of, saving you as much as $30 a day. To save even more, don't worry about the size of the rental car you are reserving, and go with the smallest size offered. The most compact cars usually get overbooked and sell out fast, often leading to a free upgrade. 3. Don't Pay for What's Free. Spend your money on fun, not on hotel Internet fees and expensive breakfasts. Stick with hotels that offer these amenities at no cost. 4. Slow Down on the Highway. Savor the journey to your destination; it doesn't pay to rush. Driving in excess of 60 miles per hour will waste gas and money. For every five miles over, your car can lose as much as 23 percent fuel efficiency. 5. Brand Loyalty Pays. Hotel loyalty programs let travelers earn points for their stays, points that can be redeemed for gift cards, free nights and more. When you stay with competing brands, it's likely you won't earn enough points for rewards. Stay with only one brand or its affiliates, and watch your point balance grow. Like having choices when you travel? Try Wyndham Rewards -- it's the largest hotel loyalty program in the world, with 14 brands and over 7,000 hotels. |
How to Better Monetize Your Website Now that the Internet is in everyone’s back pocket, it’s not just about distinguishing your website from others. It is about “Conversions,” which are based on content and how much time visitors spend on your site. High traffic doesn’t mean much if the average visitor doesn’t take time to peruse your content, sign up for your services, buy your product or recognize your brand.
Building a functional website that’s easy to navigate is the first step. Then, you must make the site easy to find and build a presence. Eventually this presence drives demand. Once your website has been indexed, optimized and designed to be “crawler-friendly,” visitors will come. The challenge then becomes getting them to stay and to take action – most readily in the form of clicks and/or purchases of one form or another. Most SEO and website design experts lean on original content to fulfill the task of getting visitors to stay longer. It’s certainly a viable avenue, but it isn’t the only option, nor should it be. In addition to original content, adding videos to your site is quite useful. Videos, whether promotional, educational, entertaining, or something that just went viral, offer a level of appeal and engagement that’s difficult to match because it’s both visually stimulating and interactive. Good videos also drive conversions and page ranking. A new content-delivery platform called AdPad is a great way to keep a steady flow of original multimedia content on your website, along with your site visitors. AdPad is a sleek and cutting-edge JavaScript platform that can be added to credible websites to drive conversions, increase time-on-site, i.e. “stickiness,” boost traffic and generate clicks. The platform is meant to resemble an iPad or iPhone, depending upon the platform chosen. The primary platform, the AdPad, is a black and gray viewer with a clean and fresh user-friendly interface that is launched from an IAB complaint 300X250 square launcher, an IAB compliant triangle launcher or an IAB compliant toolbar launcher situated wherever the publisher chooses, and is a reliable source of breaking news, videos, local deals, sports, entertainment and more. In addition, the developers of the AdPad, a company named Klickthru, also offer a Mobile solution called the InfaCube for companies who publish and advertise via today’s vast mobile networks. The InfaCube is a four-sided, three-dimensional cube that is user-manipulated and may be spun around (left or right) to view news, local deals, sports or videos. The AdPad, as well as the other platforms, have a wealth of content from tier 1 publishers like the AP, The New York Daily News, Groupon and Unation. It is designed to capture, engage and entertain visitors so that they never want leave your website, effectively keeping users on your site longer and in turn driving conversions and revenue. If you’re interested in adding the AdPad to your website to help increase visitor time, i.e. “Stickiness,” through fresh, engaging content that increases conversions and drives revenue, visit klickthru.com.
3 Tools Every Small Business Should Use (NewsUSA) – With regards to technology, small businesses and entrepreneurs working out of a home office used to be at a competitive disadvantage. But the abundance of productivity tools and online resources for small businesses has changed all that. Being small doesn’t have to look small — now you can run your business from beaches and terraces of the world with just a cell phone or a tablet.
Now, smartphones are practically office computers in and of themselves, allowing you to stay connected 33,000 feet up in the air or stuck in gridlocked traffic. Not surprisingly, a Small Business Technology Poll taken by AT&T reports a steady increase in the use of tablets, 4G devices and mobile apps for business purposes. The next step for the 85 percent of small businesses using smartphones is utilizing the variety of tools available online.
Here are three inexpensive resources offered online that help small businesses and the one-person team working from home — and your business shouldn’t be without them.
1. Virtual phone system. This system allows companies of all sizes to have a business-class virtual phone system designed to help small and home-based business owners build the same strong, professional image as larger competitors. It comes with toll-free numbers, Internet fax, voice mailboxes and more.
2. Payroll software. Depending on the size of your business, it may not be pragmatic to have a full-time accountant, and outsourcing can be pricey. But payroll software can be optimized for all payment methods, and accuracy is based on a money-back guarantee. Software of this nature tends to be very user-friendly and extremely secure.
3. Email marketing software. Social media marketing is all the rage right now, but according to SmallBizTechnology.com, email marketing software remains more effective. An email marketing software tool will track who opens, reads and forwards your emails, design more targeted newsletters, increase referrals and get quicker results.
One last word of advice, which may be the most crucial of all: Type TestThis4Free.com into your browser and bookmark it. The website is a one-stop shop for online productivity tools, including virtual phone systems, payroll software, email marketing software and more. The best part? It offers free trials of various software and services to make sure users will use and benefit from a tool before buying it.
With these tools offered for free online, small businesses actually stand a chance against large companies and big budgets.
Tips for Using Your iPhone for Business  NewsUSA) – The Apple iPhone, one of the hottest smartphones on the market, has become an important tool for keeping mobile workers productive while providing freedom and flexibility away from the office. Many mobile workers are leaving their laptops behind and conducting business right from the palm of their hand. Here are some tips that can help you get the job done with an iPhone: * Sync regularly. Think about every time you add a contact or an appointment to your iPhone. What if you lost that information? Syncing to your computer regularly can ensure that your information, including e-mails, is backed up and safeguarded should something happen. And while it only takes a few seconds to sync, replacing data could take hours. * Stay productive. Need to view and edit a presentation or locate a document on another computer? Business applications such as LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone (www.LogMeIn.com/iPhone) enable iPhone users to access and work on their remote computers as if they were sitting right in front of them. * Check the Apple Web site. There is an entire section on the Apple Web site dedicated to iPhone business use at www.apple.com/iphone/business/. It includes apps like currency converters, expense trackers, file management and organizational tools that can help you work efficiently while away from your desk. * Extend your battery power. If you are gearing up for a long trip or meeting, preserve your battery life by shutting off your Wi-Fi, lowering your screen brightness and turning off your keyboard sounds. Switch your iPhone setting to auto-lock when you aren’t working. * Stay secure. Basic security measures like enabling your four-digit iPhone password can help protect sensitive data while minimizing the risk of high bills if it becomes lost or stolen. Always make sure to lock your device when it isn’t in your hand. For more tips on using your iPhone for business, check out “iPhone for Work” by freelance technology journalist and network consultant Ryan Faas, or “The iPhone Book: How to Do the Most Important, Useful & Fun Stuff with Your iPhone” by technology authors Scott Kelby and Terry White. |
Business Do’s and Don’ts to Help Your Startup Succeed (NewsUSA) – Everyone has a dream — it’s the one thing they would rather be doing more than anything else (and are sure they could succeed at). Yet, it’s something entirely different from what it is they do to pay the bills.What many fail to understand, however, is that enthusiasm for a product or service may not be enough to guarantee success when starting a business."So often, would-be entrepreneurs believe they have that one idea that will make them a millionaire, and in fact it may be a very good idea, but what they don’t understand is that there’s so much more involved for a business to succeed," says Heidi Ganahl, CEO of Camp Bow Wow, a dog day care franchise and boarding authority. The business saw 20 percent year-over-year growth last year in revenues across Camps (individual franchise locations), which opened pre-2011."Unfortunately," Ganahl adds, "passion alone will not dictate or ensure success."To this end, the following do’s and don’ts may help you assess whether your idea is ready:* Do your research and prepare. So often, failure comes from a lack of preparation. According to Ganahl’s book "Tales From the Bark Side," every good idea must come with the right support to make it profitable, including writing a winning business proposal. Ganahl says that lending or investing individuals will only consider an investment after a thorough review of your project.* Don’t go into business if you’re not committed. Convinced that they have a good idea, but unprepared to be completely committed, people will try to have their feet in both the corporate world and their new business venture. If you feel the inability to put your all into your new venture, cut your losses.* Do ensure you have enough capital. Business analysts report that poor management is the main reason for business failure and that poor cash management is probably the most frequent stumbling block for entrepreneurs. Understanding the basic ideas of cash flow will help you plan for the unforeseen eventualities that face nearly every small business.* Do consider owning a franchise. With thousands of systems operating in dozens of industries, there is no shortage of choices here for the would-be entrepreneur.The down side? The plethora of choices can make that decision a challenge, so be clear about what you want, what you’re willing to do and how much you need to make. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit www.campbowwow.com/franchise.
Atlanta is a hot bed of fresh talent, mostly unseen and unsigned. It’s hard to find an up and comer without an in home recording studio or connections to a friend with one. This town has many fierce young rappers and beat makers all vying for the chance to be the next home grown talent to sky rocket from the basement to the stage. Artists such as B.O.B., Roscoe Dash and Travis Porter to name a few, all hale from the “A”; their success fuels the ambitions of many. A self-professed former “Music Snob”, Bishop.Beatzz is a classically trained violinist with a passion for production. He works in his home studio night and day. When you meet Bishop he appears to be a laid back kind of guy; but, when he talks about his music he is transformed. One would be hard pressed to find someone with such unbridled desire and contagious enthusiasm as Bishop.Beatzz. The music that he produces is lush and uncompromised. Upon listening to his work it is easy to say that Bishops’ tracks can rival any music coming from a major production company. In his own words Bishop says “I got that Space-age technology for yo ass” Indeed bishop prides himself on his use of various cutting edge production programs that one would not usually find in a home studio. Through the use of software such as Wave 8, Protools and a digital microphone Bishop turns out radio ready sound. Many aspiring artists fall through Bishop’s spot to get more than just a hot beat, they also get some mentoring as well. He advises them that overnight success is not easy, no matter how good the music or how tight the verses they must promote themselves. When some of Bishops’ protégé’s get signed he feels that he will also be successful. Bishop.Beatzz’ connections with 24-7 Entertainment and other companies keep him more than busy but that does not stop him from putting his heart into every sound he produces. Bishop’s vision is to create a Media Center where you can get 1 stop music and video production. There’s no doubt that the new breed of artists, like Young Swift, O.C. Black Frost, Swoove and Junior Varsity are on the grind to make a name for themselves; there are many opportunities in Atlanta. On any given night in the “A” there will be a contest or an Open Mic Night where hopefuls armed with their tracks (most likely laid down in a home studio like Bishop. Beatzz’) can take center stage and show out. The infamous strip club Magic City, The Connect Lounge and the Apache Caféare some venues where hungry young rappers jump at the chance to spit at least 8 of their 16 bars; hoping that the right person is in the audience.
#PrinceHottnessTheCure #WhoYaKnow http://t.co/3ffrOlUf, check it out !! http://t.co/3ffrOlUf Prince Hottness The Cure "Who Ya Know"(1st single off THE GRUSSLE 2.0)new album availible on itunes_June 5th,2012 PHTC
Check out this very interesting article about the one of the ATL's own, Bishop.beatzz !! written by Sandie Sweet http://soniceclectic.com/music/2012/03/grinding-in-the-a-2/
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