Author Archives: traveljunkies

Want To Run Your Own Business?

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 10 INVALUABLE THINGS TO REMEMBER.

1. ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS COMMON SENSE
…but common sense isn’t always common practice.  Never forget this simple statement.

2. YOUR IDEA IS WORTH NOTHING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EVERYTHING
This is so important. Your idea, no matter how innovative you think it is, no matter how interesting it sounds, no matter how much research you have  done, it is worth nothing.
If you don’t understand your customer’s needs, if your execution is not close to perfect, and if you don’t have a great team, the idea is worth nothing.

3. IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT BRANDING ISN’T IMPORTANT, RUN AWAY
People on the Internet have said if your product or service is great, your branding doesn’t matter.
This is wrong and dangerous. When someone tells you that, they are either ignorant or poor business people

4. NETWORKING IS PROBABLY 50% OF SUCCESS
You will hear a lot of people stress out the importance of networking in business success, but you can’t really understand that importance if you don’t experience it first hand.

5. WORK ONLY WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE PROFESSIONAL
Professionalism and delivery will help you stand out. It is absurd how many businesses are leaving money on the table because of their inability to exude professionalism.

6. WHEN HIRING PEOPLE, DO THE BEER TEST
Ask yourself. If you go out for a beer with this person, will you have a good time?
Does this person show empathy? Can they listen? Can they contribute? Are they open minded? How do they handle criticism? Are they eager to learn? Can they stay cool under pressure?

7. THE BEGINNING IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART AND PREPARATION WILL SAVE YOU TIME
Your beginning will difficult. You will be really enthusiastic but once you realize how overwhelming the processes of entrepreneurship can be, you will start having second thoughts.
Running your business professionally is everything. That’s why you should invest some time upfront in studying the subject. There are a ton of online courses on entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, management, etc. out there. Make use of so much free knowledge..

8. SHARE YOUR JOURNEY BECAUSE THAT INCREASES ENGAGEMENT
This is a pro tip and something that has helped companies enjoy tremendous growth.
Sharing your journey allows your customers to get an insider’s view of your business. It demonstrates that you are transparent and confident about your product or service and it makes you look interesting and approachable.

9. DON’T WASTE TIME ON IRRELEVANT STUFF .
There is usually a huge confusion when people start. There are many things to be done and it’s easy to lose track of what really matters.
There are usually two methods that can determine a great start to your business.

The Japanese Method
Japanese people are notorious for their proactivity and preparation. The Japanese method is inspired by the Japanese mentality and suggests that before your launch you should spend significant time making sure everything is perfect.

The Beta Method
If your idea is something quite innovative, test it in a small segment of the market first.
Find a group of people who might be interested in the idea and pitch it to them.

10. IT WILL BE THE MOST DIFFICULT THING YOU WILL EVER DO IN YOUR LIFE
It includes risk. It includes losing money. It includes losing friends. It includes losing your mind.
A lot of people will question you, a lot of people will envy you and a lot of people will admire you.
At the end of the day, none of that matters.

Andrian Iliopoulos
http://thequintessentialmind.com

Read the full article here …
https://hackernoon.com/so-you-want-to-start-your-own-business-10-invaluable-things-people-never-tell-you-db66fc1862f6

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Why Pictures Work And What You Can Easily Do

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How effective is a simple picture like this?

The brain

A short while ago I posted this and had a lot of positve comments saying how effective a simple picture like this is.
So I asked these three questions

1.  Are you using your pictures to help grow the number of visitors to your website?
2.  Do you include a picture in all your Tweets?
3.  Do you have the pictures you need to include in your advertising in the social media you use?

And the answers I got were mostly YES to question 1 and NO to questions 2 and 3.
The solution for question 2 is simple – just do it, but number 3 isn’t quite so easy.
But there’s help from SproutSocial here …

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, and the average length of a word is 5 letters, it would take you 8 months worth of Tweets to tell the same story you could with one shared image on social media. So why not just include an image?

There are lots of tools for different types of images and many of these have free and paid versions, and all are listed in this document.

I recommend you start at the top and look at two Image Design Tools, CANVA and PICMONKEY (Nos 1 & 2 in the list) to see what suits you best.
Both have free versions which enable you to design and edit images for your social media posts.
There are many free image editing tools for you to start altering, touching up, or creating your own social images, and these are two of the simplest ones to use.

So click on the link below and get started.

36 Free Tools for Creating Unique Images
By Michael Patterson on 

http://sproutsocial.com/insights/free-image-creation-tools/

Cliff Chapman
traveljunkies

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Sustainable Travel – Responsible Adventure & Trekking – (Links to Moving Mountains Charity and Sustainability Leaders Project).

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As followers of Traveljunkies will know, in our small way we help small travel and tourism businesses to grow or even start building their business by including them in our Traveljunkies Directory.
We do this without any charge to give them the visibility small businesses need and to enable them to appreciate the benefits of becoming one of our customers which in turn enables us to continue to help other small businesses.
Find out more here.

So it’s especially pleasing when we meet people who passionately believe that helping others is a great way to spread the word about ethical and sustainable travel and tourism which benefits us all.

Gavin Bate and Sasha Lebedev


One such person is Gavin Bate (on the left with Sasha Lebedev)) an award winning adventurer and mountaineer who in 1991 set up the charity Moving Mountains which funds Children’s Homes, Rescue Centres and Schools in Kenya and Tanzania, and Medical Centres and Medical Volunteering in the mountains of Nepal and Kathmandu.

Whilst spending years climbing mountains including Everest and Kilimanjaro, Gavin became friends with many of the guides and their families in the villages of Nepal, Tanzania and Kenya and saw how these people barely make a living leading treks for big adventure companies, often relying on tips from tourists just to survive.

25 years ago Gavin founded Adventure Alternative which he still runs today building it’s reputation as a responsible adventure trekking and travel company.
His real passion is helping the locals sustain the trekking and tourism programmes the people of the mountain region of Nepal so depend on, by providing jobs and opportunities for local people..


Some of the local people who now work for Adventure Alternative 

To quote Gavin …

“Over several decades from 1996 we have invested money into setting up local companies in our most popular places like Kenya and Nepal which are then allowed to use our company name. Some of those staff have been with us for over fifteen years! We plough profits back into providing training for our local guides and cooks, drivers and porters so that they can have a long term career with us. We believe that this attitude and the loyalty it brings is a big part of what being responsible means, plus our groups have a more enjoyable holiday. In fact the feedback we get always mentions the professionalism and friendliness of our staff, most people describe it more as a family than a company!”

Read more about what the teams are doing around the world because it is really inspirational and makes you think about how important it is to the planet that we must support sustainable travel.

You will also find information on trips, tours and other opportunities in Europe, South America, Asia, Russia and Africa.


Click here to go to the Responsible Adventure & Trekking Travel Company with links to Moving Mountains Charity and Sustainability Leaders Project.

 

Posted by Cliff Chapman at Traveljunkies.
For more information about opportunities for travellers and businesses visit us at www.traveljunkies.com.

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*** How to Save on Travel Insurance – 5 Steps ***

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Everyone loves a bargain and wants to get the best deals possible. The same is true for travellers. For those who love to travel, this hobby is not a cheap pastime, it needs money, time and effort too.

Many factors go into making the most of your leisure travel, but one of the most important is travel insurance. This is critical and travel packages can depend on a wide array of things.

Travel Insurance

Travelling is fun and exciting but at the same time it can be scary and full of uncertainties. Having travel insurance enables you to protect yourself and your family from any untoward or unexpected situations. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about hospital expenses in case you encounter a disease or accident during your vacation.

Here are ways to save on travel insurance.

  1. Get Free Travel Insurance With Your Credit Card

The best thing about travelling is you can use your credit cards so that you won’t shed out cash outright. Credit cards allow you to travel now and pay later. Many credit cards include travel insurance but you need to check the limits of cover they provide.

Whether you’ll get a single trip travel insurance or a group package, using your credit cards may give you with the best offers. All you need to do is always use your credit card when booking vacations or holidays.

  1. Get Annual Travel Insurance Packages

If you’re a wanderlust or a digital nomad and travel more than once or twice year, it can make sense to get an annual travel insurance plan. Buying insurance on a monthly or bi-annual basis may be more expensive.

  1. Buy Your Travel Insurance At The Right Time

One of the common mistakes travellers make is leaving their travel insurance until the last minute, or even as an afterthought. The best time to subscribe to a travel insurance is when you book and pay for your holiday. This way, you’ll save money should you need to cancel the trip.

  1. Get Family Rates If You’re Not Travelling Solo

Family traveling

Individual travel insurance rates are more costly than family plans. When you love to travel with your loved ones, you should get family insurance plans. They are cheaper than individual rates for families of three members or more.

Moreover, individual plans can be costly because of the process you need to go through before you can get best travel insurance. However, when you’re a group of travellers, family members or friends, insurance company can often offer various discounts and flexible packages.

  1. Subscribe To E-mail Or Social Media Alerts For Discounts And Promos

Another way to save on travel insurance is to subscribe to E-mail and social media alerts on various agencies offering affordable and discounted travel insurance. By being updated on these great deals, you’ll save more and enjoy your vacation more.

Cover for Seniors 

As more seniors are looking to travel independently and becoming more adventurous, insurance for older people is increasingly important but not always easy to find, and some rates are very expensive and can have many restrictions.

Our Recommendation

Travel insurance is a huge business so it’s little surprise it can be so confusing.
Stick with companies you know and avoid being pressured by travel agents.
Spend a little time to understand what Insurance companies include and especially what they exclude in their policies.
The last thing you want is to find you’re not covered when you need them.

We have looked at many insurance policies and found there’s little to choose between the best ones, apart from price.

Always get 3 or 4 quotes and compare them carefully.

I would recommend getting a quote from Globelink Worldwide as one of the more competitive, and especially good for seniors as they cover up to age 85.

Click the banner to check the deal Globelink can offer you  
Travel Insurance

But whichever policy you choose, the most important things is to make sure it is right for you to avoid nasty surprises later.

Enjoy your travels.

Cliff Chapman
Traveljunkies

Note. I receive an affiliate commission for Globelink insurance but you do not incur any additional cost.

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*** Travel For Health ***

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8 Reasons Why Traveling Is Good for Your Health

(Original article by Karen Reed for PositiveHealthWellness.com)

Traveling is one of the best things that you can do for your health. It helps your physical and mental health, with many travelers saying that it’s also excellent for the soul.

There are no limits when it comes to traveling, except for what you can afford. You can sight-see around some of your most dreamed about countries or choose exotic adventures. Go by rails, car, or even by boat. There are just so many options, and they will all help you in ways that you have never imagined.

You’re Able to Get Moving

The biggest benefit of traveling is the amount of movement that you will do. You will constantly be on the go, even if you are taking a trip on a cruise. There are sights to see and things to do!

Challenge Your Brain to Improve Its Health

The brain is another muscle that needs strengthening and challenging. While it doesn’t necessarily work in the same way as other muscles in the body, it can be developed and improved over time. The great news is that travel has been shown to help improve the brain health.

Get Away from the Everyday Stresses in Life

The more you get away, the more you move away from the everyday stresses of life. You get to take your mind and body out of work, family life, and other problems.

You’ll Find It Much Easier to Cope with Stress

Getting worked up about everything is causing your heart and other organs to fail. You won’t be happy, and you’ll feel exhausted every single day. You need to step away and start traveling. Getting away from the everyday stresses isn’t just a way to unwind. You’ll find that traveling helps you cope and deal with stress so much better. In fact, you can find that situations that were once a nightmare are those that you breeze through when you return.

Boost Your Creativeness to Boost Your Health

Did you know that more creative people are healthier? Okay, so this isn’t in every single case, but you will help to improve your life and health by focusing on a more creative approach. The great news is that traveling will help to improve just how creative you are in life.

Boost Mood and Thoughts Through Social Connections

Isolation is one of the worst things in life. While you think that you may like the quiet, it can be draining on you emotionally. Humans aren’t isolated creatures. We crave the social interaction of others. Maybe not every day, but we do benefit from some social interaction regularly—and definitely not just with kids!

Find It Easier to Boost Weight Loss Efforts

If you’ve ever wanted to lose weight, you want to look at traveling more.  Let’s focus on the activity element that was our first main benefit of traveling. When you do more activity, you instantly burn more calories. You make it easier to get rid of the excess calories that you eat on a daily basis.

Try Out Alternative Lifestyles and Health Remedies

When you visit new cultures, you get to experience how other people live. This isn’t just about developing new social thoughts or beliefs, but also about witnessing health remedies and different types of lifestyles. Traveling will let you try out the alternative lives safely and without too much commitment. It’s possible to get away from the touristy areas and focus on how the real people live.

Where Will You Travel First?

Traveling really is one of the best things that you can do for your health. This is something that supports both your physical and mental health. You will get to support your emotional health and life a better and more natural life, even when you’re not traveling.

The eight reasons to travel more above are a snapshot of the way you will benefit. There are just so many more reasons to travel to help protect your health.

This is an extract of the article written by Karen Reed.
You can see the full article here https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/fitness/8-reasons-traveling-good-health/

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*** Your Blog ***

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If you don’t have a Blog that’s another story for another time,

If you do have a Blog then you’ll know it can be a lot of work and take a lot of time maintaining it.

We’ve all heard “Content is King” and this suggests you must continually add content but …

Here’s what Derek Halpern, the Founder of Social Triggers has to say …

“Much of the “common sense” wisdom that “experts” share about building a readership is, at best, flawed and, at worst, flat out wrong.
As an example, has anyone ever told you that…
“The secret to building a blog readership is by regularly updating your blog with engaging content each week!”
That couldn’t be MORE WRONG.
The 80/20 Rule for building a Blog audience is 20% Creation and 80% Promotion”
You see, many of these “experts” who dish out flawed advice fall into one of two categories. 3
They are either: –
A) Experts who built their readership back in the day, back when there was almost no competition. Back when it was EASY to build a readership. –
 B) Experts who are trying to “fake it til they make it” by sharing tips and tricks that they “think” are right, but they’re not quite sure.
That’s why their advice stinks. They don’t know what they’re doing in TODAY’s overcrowded marketplace.”

If you are serious about using your blog to get more business I highly recommend Derek Halpern’s free ebook
“How To Get Your First 5,000 Subscribers”

Get your free copy here https://socialtriggers.com

Cliff
www.traveljunkies.com.

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*** Australian Escapes ***

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Australians spend more than AU$51 billion on domestic travel every year.

Australia - Straya

Figures from Tourism Australia suggest Aussies are taking short breaks instead of long holidays and focus on making the most of a destination.

So, if you’re short of time, travelling with a family, needing a beach break, looking for a different food scene or a bit of culture, where should you go this year?

Here’s a list of Australian weekend escapes to help you plan your next escape.

  • Best for families – Byron Bay, New South Wales
  • Best for food – Darwin, Northern Territory
  • Best for a weekend break – Adelaide Wine Region, South Australia
  • Best for an unusual island experience – Bruny Island, Tasmania
  • Best for an indulgent escape – Daylesford Spa Country, Victoria
  • Best for a cultural fix – Canberra, ACT
  • Best for the great outdoors – The Kimberley, Western Australia
  • Best for a beach break – Noosa & the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Read more

#Australia  #Escapes

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*** Crocs, Crocs & More Crocs ***

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After spending 12 hours in a cramped and uncomfortable British Airways 777 from Heathrow to Hong Kong and a much more pleasant Cathay Pacific flight , Maureen and I were greeted by our daughter Alison and grandson Matari at Cairns airport even though we arrived an hour late.
We hadn’t seen them for 18 months since their visit to England when we took them on a weeks’s trip to Munich in Germany to visit friends and take the cable car up the mountain for Matari to see snow for the first time in his 6 years.

Although we’re in Australia for 3 weeks time passes quickly catching up with family and friends we haven’t seen for many years and checking out the local eateries and drnking places.

However, we’ve travelled around a bit and on Sunday we went to the market at Port Douglas stopping off at the “Zen Beach” en route.

On the way back we visited Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure Park and had a great afternoon, and if you’re in the area just north of Cairns do yourself a favour and pay them a visit and help preserve these incredible creatures.

You can cruise the Lagoon in a boat to see 5 mtr saltwater crocodiles in their own wetlands environment.  Walk the Wildlife Discovery Trail and meet freshwater crocs, turtles and lizards and go through the tropical walk-through bird aviary. Visit the Macalister Education Centre for an insight into the local environment. Meet the beautiful flightless Cassowaries, and discover why they are so important to our rainforests. Enjoy entertaining and educational wildlife presentations including snakes, cassowaries, koalas, crocodiles, quolls and much more that makes up our unique and beautiful eco-system.

This is a great family attraction and you can find their full programme at www.crocodileadventures.com

Our thanks to the guys and girls who run this fantastic park and made our day really one to remember.

Cliff
Traveljunkies.com

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*** Are You Mobile? ***

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How does your Website, Blog or Facebook Page look on a mobile phone?
Are you missing out on loads of traffic and what does Google say?


Mobile phone XXX
Take this one minute Google Test to see …  https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly

It checks … 

  • If text is readable without zooming
  • Whether users have to scroll horizontally or zoom
  • If links are far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped
  • For software that isn’t common on mobile devices, like Flash

And shows …

  • What Googlebot sees and how it affects your website performance and search engine ranking.
  • What it takes to earn “mobile friendly” status with Google. This is important because Google, and other search engines, now look for “Mobile Fiendly Tags” when determining Page Rankings and positions.

Check your site, it only takes one minute.

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly

If your site is Mobile Friendly – Great.

If not, you know what to do.

Please pass this on to friends, colleagues or even your enemies to help their website design.

Thank you.

Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com

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