Travel and Leisure

International business plans require additional study compared to domestic ones. These require additional expense and time to resolve. Here we will discuss four critical ones for a business plan.

First, we must decide on the business structure. Countries have favorite structures that evolve slowly. When considering international companies, different structures might be required. Typically, the type of business structure must be discussed with a business consultant in the country itself. This will most often be a lawyer from that country. It's possible that a lawyer in your home country would know the laws of another, but it's not very common. This information is critical for the correct filing of papers, company organization and other important details. As we are deciding which structure to use for a foreign country, the decision on how to control it is also important. Will the foreign company be a stand-alone? Will it be a subsidiary of another company? These questions can only be answered after much consultation. The research answers will heavily influence the resulting business plan and the resulting company.

Next, we must evaluate the government and legal environment in our home country and the new country. Our business plan must account for and demonstrate an understanding of challenges. It is common for countries to place severe restrictions on how foreign companies are organized, operated and owned. Some require a resident citizen to be involved in a company, while others require varying amounts of capital and social spending to operate. Too, the tax structure of the country may place restrictions on how capital flows into and out of the company and country. Also, taxes must be levied, collected and remitted according to laws of all the countries involved.

Some countries allow capital to flow in freely but don't allow capital to flow out. Another concern is the stability and freedom that the country enjoys. Many countries have whimsical or tyrannical dictators that change policy at their leisure. This can create an atmosphere where investment is encouraged and then after all the hard work is done, they nationalize or repatriate the company. This is very common place in third world countries and should be factored into any decision for the business plan. Too, there are many other financial facets in operating internationally, such as: currency valuation and devaluation; import and export taxes; inflation and deflation; and world economic changes.

Third, we have the movement of funds. Earlier we touched on it in relation to putting capital into the company or moving it out. All countries have laws related to the movement of funds. Most also track fund movements and force financial institutions to collect and supply information concerning funds moving across international borders. Some of this has happened because of the fight against world terror, but most as evolved over time with the terror struggle being an excuse to collect information. These laws may restrict the amount, form and the timeliness of funds transfers. It is proper to discuss fund acquisition in the business plan; but for an international company, fund transfers and currency concerns must also be covered items.

Finally, extended control of an alien company must be determined and discussed in the business plan. It costs time, money and other resources to control a company far from the normal environment. People must often travel there to evaluate and monitor progress. Personnel must do accounting and reporting within the guidelines of the country where the business is located. This control and monitoring function is daunting for international companies because it brings together differing ideals, cultures, laws and experiences plus often there is a language barrier to be traversed. This leads to a challenging business environment. It's not one that is impossible, but it is one to be scrutinized and considered carefully during the business plan development and feasibility reviews.

Why do you want to annihilate stress? The best reason for annihilating stress is because when you are in a stressful situation, you lose hope. You lose focus on your goals. If you are a business professional responsible for bringing in new business, you may feel you want to give up.

Stress and hope sit at opposite ends of a teeter totter.

Do you remember when you where a small child playing on a playground at school. Many schools provided equipment for exercise. One of these pieces of equipment was a teeter totter. A teeter totter or seesaw as it is known in some places is simply a board balancing on a fulcrum with a place to sit at each end.

Two children sit on a teeter totter with the heaviest child sitting first in order for the lighter child to take a seat on the other end to balance out the load. They alternatively shift their weight to cause their seat on the teeter totter to go up and down.

Stress and hope work the same way as the two children conducting the balancing act on the teeter totter. Stress or fear as it is more accurately defined, and hope, or goals as it is more accurately portrayed, sit at opposite ends of the teeter totter.

As one end goes up the other end goes down. As stress increases its end goes higher in the air and hope goes down. As hope climbs higher in the air, stress goes down. Stress and fear are always opposing hope and goals.

It seems accurate that we need to annihilate stress and fear in order to elevate our hope and our goals.

I remember the movie the "Shawshank Redemption" where the wrongly imprisoned character, Andy, told the other inmates that hope was something no one could take away from you. He said "hope is a good thing, maybe the only thing."

We begin our lives here on earth, knowing that we could die or be incapacitated at any moment. This is why stress or fear is always near the surface of our thoughts. The major thing that keeps us going is "hope;" hope for good health, hope for enjoyable relationships, hope for positive achievements and hope for enough money to pay for all of our desires.

To the degree that we can diminish stress and fear, we can elevate our goals and elevate hope. Is it difficult to keep hope alive while eliminating stress and fear? Yes it is difficult.

Fear is always appealing to our senses. Advertisers for example focus on our fears.

I remember an automobile commercial that started out by two guys arguing in the car and then an accident ensued. The two men were okay but shaken up visibly by the accident. Anyone watching the commercial can identify with the fear and stress associated with the accident.

Television newscasts focus on several fearful, stress causing events before they get to the sports news, business news or weather. Viewers become hooked on these stressful situations as they arrive home from work and while watching television.

Through all of our entertainment options we observe stress and fear. Words to incite fear are abundant in our spectator sports.

Think about the words and phrases you hear by sports commentators. Think about words and phrases like, "sudden death," "elimination round," "Yankees murder Red Sox," "Spurs defeat Suns."

The overwhelming majority of sports fans are affected by these terms because they are supporting "losing teams." There is usually only one world champion in any given sport, meaning all of the rest of the sports fans "feel stress and the agony of defeat." We experience the other end of the teeter totter as we lose hope.

Do you think we may carry some of this loss of hope into our jobs and our personal lives?

We are so used to being motivated by fear and stress that even our leisure time activities reflect it. Isn't that a shame?

Always remember these statements: "When we are playing on the teeter totter, stress is at one end and hope is at the other end." "We need to develop a quiet confidence to move our minds and bodies in the direction of hope."

What is your ultimate goal? Where do you want to be in five years? If you could time travel to a place in your life five years from now and look back at today, what would you tell yourself about today. How important are the stressful situations you face right now in your life? Would today even be that important in your overall success? Five years into the future, would you still be thinking about your favorite sports teams' loss of five years ago, or the price of gasoline?

Think about what life will be like five years into the future. Think about your victories, your goals and your hope.

The Teeter Totter Exercise:

Take three slow deep breaths. As you inhale slowly, breathe deeply from the bottom of your lungs. Before you exhale, hold your breath for a few moments and then exhale very slowly. Push all of the tension out of your lungs.

See yourself on the teeter totter flying higher in the air. Think about hope. Think about your specific goals and feel in your mind, your heart and your body that you have already achieved your goals.

Summary:

Stress and hope are constantly competing on your teeter totter of life. Stress always equals fear and hope always equals your goals. Use the teeter totter exercise daily and you will take a huge step to annihilate stress and propagate hope.

Who else is thinking about writing a book? Maybe you've been swept up in the Amazon publishing craze, but simply have no idea how to promote your book when you're finished?

Or, maybe you've gotten familiar with all of the special tools, tips and techniques Amazon offers to self published authors, but your intuition tells you it's NOT going to be enough to make real money? (your intuition is right)!

The truth is, the EASIEST way to build buzz for your book launch is super simple, and can be summed up pretty nicely in one word.

Leverage. (but not the way everyone else is doing it)

The key is, and of course, this ONLY applies if you're trying to make money from your self publishing efforts, you have to be able to turn your readers into evangelists for your book, brand, blog and business.

Everyone knows that Facebook and Twitter are a great tool for authors, but in my own experience, most folks are using them completely wrong.

After all...

If you peek at all of the "publishers" Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and content communities that have sprung up over the last few years, you would THINK all authors are getting rich, right?

I mean, if your goal is to get a few thousand people to download your book on it's "free days," it's not tough.

But, if your goal is to develop a genuine following of fans, friends, and followers who help build UP your book and spread the word, you need a better system.

Here is the ONE thing I'd love to see you try instead of the conventional path that ALL "hobby" publishers who are eeking by are using.

You need to turn STRANGERS into subscribers first.

And once they subscribe, you empower them with the TOOLS they need to help you spread the word.

And once they're subscribers... You'll be amazed at how many of those people turn out to be book buyers to boot.

The process flow looks like this:

You set up a content marketing campaign for your book launch. (or re-launch if it's already out there... OR, as part of an evergreen and "always on" launch process)

This content is ideally articles (like this one for example), press releases, an occasional guest post, or if you have the budget a pay per click campaign.

You drive all of your traffic to a launch blog that offers a teaser to folks who sign up to get it. (it could be a free chapter, it could be a discussion community, it could be an interview with you, it could be a virtual launch party... it's totally up to you and your comfort)

This is the CRITICAL part-

Once people sign up, you incentivize them for spreading the word. How? You give them an automatic tracking link that they can use to share your book in the online social circles in which they travel.

This can be done with a totally free script... is easy to implement and TRACK (very important for your audience to track their traffic) and each and every time someone signs up for your book launch blog, they are EMPOWERED to evangelize your book for some sort of psychic, or tangible gain. (in other words - you either offer something of real value, or perceived value, depending on what kind of book you are writing,and how well known you are)

It's very easy. And even if you only have 10 or 12 people a day signing up for your list... If only 1 or 2 people shares their link, and some fraction of THOSE people shares that very same link... before too long, you can have real momentum start to build.

(and it continues to grow levels and layers deep)

Very easy to implement, has been very successful in generating huge followings in many conventional online markets, and it amazes me how few authors are doing it NOW. (hopefully if the above makes sense, the one who DOES will be you)!

Looking for wholesale handbags? You'll be glad to know that there are many dealers, manufacturers and warehouses that offer them. These goods come from India, China, Italy, France, the Philippines and Thailand, to name just a few countries. And now you can do the shopping from the privacy of your own home, on the Internet. But before doing so, there are a few things about handbags you might want to know. Let's see:

Before purchasing handbags, the buyers should consider their purpose. Based on this, handbags can be differentiated in shopping, promotional, fashion, sport and travel bags, laptop carriers, luxury bags and the list doesn't end here. You certainly wouldn't want to buy a fashion handbag and then use it to go to the gym. So think ahead and decide what are you going to use it for. Today it's extremely easy to find a bag that is versatile and trendy at the same time, and whatever the purpose or function, it is possible to locate a bag that could fit the specific needs of the user.

Handbags can be classified into several main types, based on the function, materials used and by the user gender. They come in a multitude of colors, designs and sizes, meant to satisfy every taste and exigence. The materials that are used to create handbags can range from paper, wicker, straw, silk, fabric, jute, ramie, leatherette, suede, PVC and all the way to nylon. Aside from these materials, more and more inventive materials are also being utilized. The most appreciated bag colors are typically the basic ones. Monotone bags or those made from a combination of standard colors are the fastest to get sold. Yellow, blue, crimson, apricot, and mint seems to garner a special attention and generate more passion in the current trend. But you never know what next spring might bring.

Based on the consumer, are three categories that stand out: men's, women's and kids' handbags. Sure, you might say that most of the handbag outlets cater to women shoppers but make no mistake, there are also bags designed for men and kids. Some men prefer to have their odds and ends carried in a bag instead of filling up their pockets, even though sports bags and laptop carriers are the most popular types of bags that males carry.

Eager to go shopping but don't know how much money you should be spending? The price range of bags can vary from a couple of dollars for a simple garment or duffel bag to several hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the design and brand. If you have a fixed budget, you might want to take a look at the products available in your range, and the choose what's more appealing. If you can afford to spend big, there are many designer brands especially produced to give you that exquisite look for the money you are spending.

Many businesses around the globe are turning to corporate coaches to enhance the nature of their organization, their employee relations, their digital know-how, and even their strategic planning. Corporate coaches are trained to expertly assess the disposition and productivity of a company and to help it achieve specific goals. Often, companies facing either stagnation or transition find that corporate coaching offers many benefits for their executive staff or company as a whole.

When choosing a corporate coaching firm, businesses should search for coaching solutions that allow for customizable platforms that can be tailored to exactly suit their needs. The following instances showcase how corporate coaching can improve single or multiple aspects of either traditional or online businesses, or small-scale or even global organizations.

Employee Relations

Corporate coaches often specialize in team-building and the internal dynamics of employee relationships. How well do the members of your company work together? Are they satisfied in their professional roles and how could their relationships with each other transform the productivity of the company? Coaches help company leaders answer these questions and improve upon the relationships already in place to achieve a more personable climate that ultimately benefits the overall company.

Executive Retreats

Many corporate coaches prefer to take executives or groups of employees out of their element-out of the workspace-and lead them through various sessions designed to promote creativity, collaboration, or some other important criteria that will benefit their role. This may be an outdoor excursion involving physical challenges or a more cerebral experience that is designed around a specific project. The end result of the experience is to broaden thought patterns and inspire positive ambitions. These experiences may also enhance leadership roles and lead to more innovative approaches to management.

Communications

Coaching frequently includes communication as an important topic to cover for any company. They can effectively teach employers how to assess the level of communication occurring in their company and how to improve it. For large companies, poor communication is a serious issue. For global companies, communication can make or break a company, a campaign, a special event, etc... Today's savvy corporate coaches can also help marketers employ better practices for communicating with clients online over social networks or other digital platforms.

Productivity Analysis

Productivity can usually be enhanced and if CEOs could improve productivity levels on their own, they certainly would. Adept coaches analyze a company's productivity department by department. Their analysis could lead to immense improvements in the way employees work in tandem and individually.

Cost Reduction

Just as productivity can influence a company's bottom line, cost reduction in various company areas can also lead to more profitable quarters and result in considerable savings over a long period of time. Corporate coaches have experience in this area and have learned where to look to assess a company's needs for cost reduction. They may assess travel expenses, energy costs, or the IT department, but if there is feasible way to positively cut expenses, they will share their findings with the company's leaders.

Organizational Audits

The corporate or company structures of any organization may often benefit from an outsider's perspective. While self-assessments regarding structure often prove difficult for companies, consultants have strengths in this area. Moreover, they have the experience of working with many other companies and their findings may substantially benefit other organizations. Significantly, businesses that aren't afraid to address issues at the structural level typically demonstrate the forward thinking that is necessary to advance in their industry.

Strategic Planning

Without a solid commitment to strategic and long-term planning, companies risk stagnation or worse. Corporate coaches can design a process that nurtures the strategic planning and helps companies complete their plans in a timely fashion. While providing an effective framework, corporate coaches can help executives fill in the blanks that will ultimately evolve into a successful plan.

Sustainability Audits

Some corporate coaching firms now feature sustainability coaches that can help a company better reuse or recycle materials. They can adeptly demonstrate how companies can achieve a more eco-friendly environment for their employees and teach employees ways to promote sustainability in their roles.

Disaster Planning

Like strategic planning, disaster plans are necessary for today's businesses and other types of organizations. In fact, not having one in place can pose a serious liability. To streamline the process for creating this important plan or any other plan, invite a corporate coach to help complete the project.

Companies that choose to work with corporate coaches demonstrate a willingness to learn and change in order to improve the nature of their organization as well as the experience for their employees and clients. In light of the benefits that corporate coaches bring, the cost is negligible, but can generally be incorporated into training or programming budgets. If your organization is struggling or you simply want to do better than "good enough," a corporate coach is a powerful resource that is likely to generate dramatic results.

As a self-proclaimed branding expert and having founded a franchising company I spent a lot of time strategizing on just how to market products and services. This talent of mine and skills set has served me well because today I run a think tank, and we are always coming up with new inventions, innovations, designs, and concepts. Just because you have the best idea in the world doesn't mean you can market it correctly, that's a whole other problem, but without that component you can't make it work, because you can't sell enough of whatever it is you are producing to make any money to make it into an ongoing venture.

What about branding when it comes to the public sector? For instance what about branding a public library, a government agency, or here's a real tough case study for you; how would you rebrand Amtrak? In many regards Amtrak's brand has fallen off the track, is nothing notable, and they've had several starts and stops trying to rebrand their image. Worse, now we see trains with rail cars with different designs, different paint jobs, and even different logos. When I was traveling from Boston to Washington DC I noticed an Amtrak go by that had three different paint jobs on its cars. That's not going to work at all.

Further, I don't think a lot of people want to see the federal government spend the money it needs to rebrand their commuter train program. First of all, Amtrak is losing money, and although it is a pet project of left-leaning politicians, it has always come under attack for its cost overruns, inefficiencies, and ever-increasing budget demands by the political opposition. Not to mention the workers rather like the idea of having their own union, and the legacy costs are now adding to the operational expenses to the point where Amtrak will never make money in the future.

Therefore, one could ask how do you rebrand a dog, no, not an animal, something that has become a bureaucratic blob of inefficiency, almost the poster child for inefficient agencies? That's not going to be easy, but without a good rebranding strategy they are not going to attract enough users and riders to help it pay for itself, and if they continually keep increasing the price of the fares there will be a point at which folks will decide to partake in those transportation services. In fact it's already happening. Should Amtrak cut its losses and shut itself down, or sell it to a private investment bank or business so they instead can run it?

Indeed if they did, I bet the first thing that the private sector would do with that railway is to rebrand it. Maybe we can get Warren Buffett interested, he seems to like railroads, businesses with no competition, and anything that might garner public subsidies or government favoritism. He likes businesses with moats around them. Please consider all this and think on it.

All of us need a vacation from time to time. There will definitely be a point of time in life when you feel that you have earned a vacation. This is certainly understandable, considering all the work and family pressures that are always present. NO matter what capacity you work in, there will certainly be indignant superiors to placate and subordinates to keep in control. Even CEOs find that there are a lot of clients who want difficult deadlines to be met, and so on. There are always pressures at work, and these can all be forgotten with a good vacation.

The trouble with a vacation is that you need to be able to find some place that is far enough away to really feel like it is a good holiday. Also, the travel and accommodation expenses need to fall within your budget. And even if you do decide upon a good destination and then are ready to go, there is always the trouble of finding out what exactly the right places to visit are, where the good food is, where the real sight seeing locations are and so on. This is something that all people feel, no matter what sort of vacation they are planning.

These days, however, that need no longer be a worry because there are a lot of companies that are out-and-out holiday planners. They will have a number of package, some of which will surely fit comfortably within your budget. Of all the places to go, China would be a great idea.

One reason is that culturally China has a rich heritage, and also has a number of great locations for sight seeing. There are great rivers like the Yangtze that afford beautiful picturesque experiences, as well as amazing monuments like the Great Wall that will give you a brief idea of how rich the history of China is.

Apart from monuments, there are a variety of temples and shrines that can be visited in order of size and importance. The planning companies will provide a complete itinerary of exactly what is happening, and you can decide which schedules suit your tastes and temperament best.

To take one example, consider a twelve day trip to China. Leaving two days out for travel, the first stop is at Beijing, the capital city. There will be a tour guide from the company at the arrivals hall itself, waiting to escort you to the hotel. The following day there is an exploration of the world famous Tienanmen Square, or the "Gates of Heavenly Palace', and the Forbidden City.

The next day there is a visit to the Great Wall, four thousand miles of sweeping defiant Chinese imperial architecture. Then the other highlights are a visit to the Temple of Heaven, which is a massive complex that was built for the congregation of kings for their annual prayers.

There is a visit to Xian, where you will get a chance to explore the now famous terracotta houses, looking through the underground pits. These days there are provisions to get your photograph taken and printed out there itself.

These are just a few of the attractions that China holds, and there are a number of different packages to suit all types of people.