For example every single aspect of business and travel security presents its own unique problems. Airlines, flights, air travel, vacations, travel agents, travel tours, travel insurance, medical insurance, kidnap for ransom insurance, business insurance travel, holiday home security, backpacking, gap year travel all require some form of risk assessment and personal risk management to minimise security risks.

Business travel and business travel security encompasses everything designed to minimise the security risks to you, your family and/or your business associates. Threats are ever present and although every individual professional security expert operates in a permanent state of professional paranoia it is unrealistic to expect occasional travellers to act the same way. There are however many simple security strategies which every traveller can utilise to minimise the risks.

Once again the risks factors vary and are ever changing due to increased terrorist and organised criminal activities around the globe. When considering travel tours to politically hot spot destinations, the first priority has to be to purchase kidnap for ransom travel insurance from a security related brokerage. Most kidnap for ransom insurance or K&R insurance as it is known in security expert parlance is underwritten by Lloyds of London. It is a myth that kidnap for ransom insurance is only available for VIP’s and senior corporate executives. Due to the exponential increase in kidnap and the taking of hostages K&R insurance is available for everyday tourists and it is not as expensive as most people believe.

Your K&R insurance broker may stipulate certain security procedures must be undertaken to qualify you for cover. For example some insist on basic security awareness training. Depending on the country or countries you intend visiting they may insist that you participate in a 1 to 2 day close protection training programme run by professional bodyguard instructors. Elements of risk identification, risk assessment and risk management, advanced observation skills and counter kidnapping measures are taught. Security Expert Tip: Prior to the end of the last Millennium if we removed the obvious trouble zone of Lebanon, we found that six countries dominated two-thirds of the recent terrorist attacks, namely Columbia, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Spain and Belgium. However fast forward to current day and the shift has moved to war zone areas like Iraq and Afghanistan. However terrorist attacks are increasing in many other global destinations. Security and close protection officers are advised to conduct rigorous threat assessments prior to close protection operation deployment to these areas.

Regarding business and travel security I advise all travel agents offering world travel tours to exotic locations to include a security update in their customers travel guide. I have delivered security training for business clients and close protection training for travellers and tourists. The benefits provide far more value than cost. If you think for a moment about the trauma of being a kidnap hostage then a 1 day security training programme is a positive investment.

Although every security expert will reinforce the fact that there is no such concept of 100% security, the knowledge you will gain from close protection training will seriously reduce your security risk. Don’t harbour any fears of joining a troop of muscle bound bodyguards fending off terrorists in a jungle fortification, because you can purchase a comprehensive home study security close protection training programme which requires no actual residential training. Many professional close protection officers purchase these training programmes to study when on operational bodyguard duties in the field.

Be under no illusion of all the international special forces, professional bodyguards or close protection officers are the finest security specialists to prevent attacks against individuals or the abduction by kidnap. Much of their close protection training curriculum consists of avoidance over confrontation. They place meticulous emphasis on the clients under their protection not being placed in an environment conducive to attacks or abduction. Forget Kevin Costner and Whitney Huston, and think more of The US Secret Service who provide presidential protective services.

The next security requirement is to book travel, luggage and medical insurance from your travel agent. Entering a hospital in an overseas destination can be very expensive. Ensure your medical policy covers you for return emergency flights back to your home country. It is also wise to ensure your insurance covers you for a daily cash payment in the event of your cash, cards and valuables being stolen. Insist on a maximum daily limit and ensure you have a cap on the amount of days you can receive cash. Kidnappers target hostages just to clean out their daily limit on a cash card ATM machine. Fortunately most of these kidnappings take place in Asia and once the money runs dry hostages are generally released. Not always, but frequently.

Another aspect worth considering for business and travel security is deciding which travel agent and travel agency to book your holiday or vacations with. Security is paramount. Travel agents hold much of your personal data. If this data was accessed by organised crime or a terrorist organisation then you may be targeted for kidnap for ransom. These criminal organisations are technology smart and in some cases victims are chosen before they have even left their country of origin. At the risk of sounding obvious your travel agent and/or travel agency should have the finest security data-safes installed in a very secure area of their business premises.

From a personal security perspective it is important to deal with a credible travel agent and/or travel agency. Home based criminals would welcome information which informs them when you and your family members or business associates are away from your home or office for a week or two.

No one escapes the business and travel security leprechaun. An innocent trip backpacking to Australia turned into a nightmare for British backpacker, Jamie Neale in July 2009. Playing a football match in Jakarta could have had serious consequences and resulted in large fatalities for the Manchester United football team, had they stayed in the Ritz-Carlton hotel a day earlier when it was blown up by suicide bombers.

Piracy and hostage taking is on the increase globally, suicide bombings, muggings, child abduction, violent assaults and theft is also increasing in many tourist destinations. I’ve heard more than one security expert attribute this growth to the current economic downturn.

Purchasing top quality security products and services falls under the tactical equipment section of most e-commerce web sites. It is advisable to visit Europe’s largest e-tailer of security products and services.

If this business and travel security seems like a doom and gloom article then please understand it is not. If you take one thing from this article then take this. Organised criminals, terrorists, pirates and kidnappers will always focus on soft targets. If you present as a hard target they will almost always leave you alone and focus on a softer target. They particularly welcome individual targets who live their life in what every security expert calls ‘Condition White.’ This is the concept of an individual not having any security awareness what so ever.

For any business employees or executives travelling overseas you should consider a visit with a security expert prior to booking your trip. The old saying of a little knowledge is dangerous, does not apply in the security industry. Being security aware will get you out of scrapes that softer targets are unable to avoid.

The next consideration after you have decided about the kind of vaporizer that you want to buy is to consider about the power supply of the vaporizer. Some of you might ignore about the use of electricity for the vaporizer device. However, some vaporizers are just too costly in the matter of electricity. If you keep using this kind of device, sooner or later, you will find that your electricity bills will be up high in the sky without you knowing it. Thus, before you buy it, consider about how much watts that the device needs to vaporize the whole room in your house. Do not forget to compare one product with another product too.

]]> http://www.sddymm.com/consideration-in-buying-vaporizer/38/feed 0 http://www.sddymm.com/a-new-era-in-travel/36 http://www.sddymm.com/a-new-era-in-travel/36#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:51:47 +0000 baem http://www.sddymm.com/?p=36 First, I want to get right to the meat and potatoes and show you a very logical opportunity that just makes sense not matter how you slice it. Here are some important facts:

The travel industry is by far the largest industry in the world. It accounts for about 7 trillion dollars a year world wide and about 1.3 trillion in the US alone. In the US that calculates to about 2.4 million dollars a minute or 40 thousand dollars a second. The travel industry is growing 23% faster than the world economy and will continue historical growth for the next 18 to 20 years. This of course is because of that group of people born between 1946 and 19 64 known as the almighty baby boomers. This group has changed every industry they have ever touched and they are entering retirement at the rate of 1 person every 8 seconds for the next 18+ years. When people retire, they want to travel. That is why the industry is expected to double in the next decade. The industry size and growth capacity is enormous. If we took telecom, health and nutrition and financial services, all of which generate billions of dollars in the direct marketing industry, and you combine them, it wouldn’t come even close to the size of the travel industry. It is always a smart move to be positioned in front of a growth industry and there has never been anything of this magnitude in the entire history of American business.

Barry Diller, the owner of Comcast bought Expedia.com for 5.1 billion dollars. Some holding company that I am not familiar with recently bought Orbitz.com for 5.6 billion dollars and Donald Trump has invested I don’t know how many millions building his online travel company from scratch. To me, that is a clue. They know its coming and they want to be in front of it. But the beauty of this opportunity is that those companies can’t compete with us. We are going after the prize of being the largest internet travel company in the world and create 10,000 millionaires inside of 10 years. I know that might sound grandiose, but stay with me because once you understand our business model, it will be very clear as to why it is not only realistic but very probable.

Right now, about 82% of the US population already books their travel online. The travel agency community has shrunk by 200,000 + travel agencies in the last 10 years because everyone is adopting the internet as their travel agent. It’s convenient. That is why Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline etc…have all be trying to brand themselves to grab a piece of the market as this transition occurs from brick and mortar travel agencies to click and order travel agencies. Not only do they want a piece of the existing market, more importantly they want to get in front of what is to come. Expedia.com for example is spending about 5 million dollars a week for marketing. About 80% of the revenue that comes in the door is being reinvested into their branding efforts. But, 20% of a whole lot is still a whole lot. It’s a great business model. But there is one problem; people are booking their travel with faceless corporations and there is no relationship in the equation anymore.

With YTB, you own a full service online travel agency with more extensive features than anyone else. From airline tickets, hotels, all inclusive vacation packages, cruises, golf tee times, Broadway show tickets, sporting events, ski passes, concert tickets, amusement park admissions, travelers insurance, buy foreign currency, just about anything travel and entertainment related and with every major travel provider in the world. We don’t sell something kind of like Carnival, Disney, Sandals, Frontier Airlines, Alamo etc…that is exactly what we sell. As a matter of fact, last year we booked over 10,000 weeks on Carnival Cruiselines making us the #3 booking agent in the world for Carnival. They treat us good!

All we have to do is point people to our website and YTB pays us 60% of the commission. The competition can not compete with this distribution model and here is why: We are bringing relationships back to an industry that the internet has been taking away. The convenience of online booking is still the same; it’s just that people can now put a face to the website. They book their travel as usual. They get to stay in the same hotels, the same all inclusive vacations, the same cruises, the same car rentals and they pay the same price, maybe even a little better. The difference is you. Here is a good example; my Mother will never go to another travel site because I’m her son and since nothing changes except for who gets paid, she books with me. It’s not like the telecom industry where Travelocity or Orbitz is gonna send my Mom a check for $50 bucks if she switches back. And, if one of my buddy’s books their travel with someone else, they can forget calling me the next time they need help moving. This is a perfect business model for the travel industry because over 80% of all vacations are already booked through a recommendation.
Now about YTB and why I have made a life-long commitment to this company: YTB is a 6 year old publicly traded company. They are seeing a 400% growth rate, eclipsing 1 billion dollars in travel bookings this year and have recently made it in the top 50 travel agencies in the world. The industry is taking notice because we came out of nowhere. The first few years was putting it all together. It was just in this last year that we moved into a perfect position to dominate the industry. YTB has also acquired a bank and 3 car dealerships, with many other auto manufactures coming soon. This part of our business goes live on June 1st. Just as travel has migrated to the internet, so are auto sales. When people purchase a vehicle, they usually go to the internet to research it. Because of the internet, many consumers know what the dealer cost is and suggested retail price before they even walk onto the car lot. And some people know more about the details of the car that they want than the sales person does. The dealerships are turning into nothing more than showroom/service centers because of the internet. It’s just heading that way. People are now going to be able to purchase a car, new or used from their local dealerships and you get paid because they were recommended from your website. There is a $500 commission paid for every purchase and we get 60% of that commission. We simply point people to our website and everything is done for us. Just as YTB is in front of the internet travel trend and is quickly and undeniably becoming the largest travel agency in the world, they are doing it with cars as well. There is a whole lot more coming with this company!

One of the things that I was taken back by was the fact that YTB has protected those of us in the field. They are the first company in the history of direct marketing that has filed a bill of rights with the SEC along with other state and federal regulatory agencies that insures our income for life. They can’t change our pay or take it away. If by chance they merge with another company, that company has to honor our income or the merger can not take place. Too many times people have invested years of hard work only to have a company change things up and either decrease or even eliminate their income. With YTB, that can’t happen.

Another thing that they did was issue a 100% no risk written guarantee to earn no less than $6,000 in the first year of following their system or they’ll pay you the difference. So if by some crazy chance you only earned $2500 in your first year of following their system, not only would you already be profitable, YTB would still write you a check for the $3,500 difference.

Right after I went out to St. Louis to see the company, I met up with a friend in Chicago who has been working with this company for close to 3 years. His income that month was a little over $125,000 and growing by at least another $5,000 each month. Now we both know it is not common to hit checks like that but it does happen when people are in the right place at the right time and ready for the opportunity. $125k a month is almost an impressive income but what really got me was that more than $73,000 of that was purely residual. I have seen quite a few checks like that being passed out in direct marketing over the years but I have never seen that kind of ratio. Typically, money like that is mainly derived from one time bonuses.

Every once in a while a phenomenon occurs in the direct marketing industry and there is no doubt that YTB is one of them. The industry has stood up and taken notice. And the interesting thing is that most people are not really aware of what is being done behind the scenes right now. But, it is almost a cliché in this industry to hear about how companies are going to be the next billion dollar giant and how the company owners are great business people with impeccable integrity. I was almost to the point of jumping up and strangling the next hypester who told me that. With YTB, you only need to allow yourself to see it for what it is and the rest of the story unfolds itself.

Now, here is the benefit. By owning an online travel agency, you are engaged in the travel profession. This gives you access to a side of travel that the average consumer never gets to see. You are allowed insider vacation packages that are deeply discounted, courtesy upgrades only available to those in the travel business, not to mention that since you are in the travel business, you get to write off your leisure vacations as well. And, you also get paid 60% of the vendor commission back on your own travel.

So to sum this up:

1. We are in an industry that people are already sold on.

2. We are in the largest industry in the world that is doubling in size.

3. We get to create additional tax write offs.

4. We get to travel like an insider.

5. We have a no risk guarantee to make a profit.

6. We have a bill of rights to protect our income forever.

The total cost is a one time $449.95 and a monthly licensing fee of $49.95 to maintain the hosting and back office functionalities of our travel business. We a have over 300 + people at the home office working for us on a full time basis. There will be close to 1,000 employees by the end of the year. We just point people to our site and YTB does the rest. YTB is also building a 130,000 square foot facility in Greater St. Louis and you are more than welcome to visit the home office. Almost every Tuesday, they have what is called the Red Carpet event. Every week, between 800 to 1200 people fly out to take a look at the company. The day starts with a tour of the facilities and meeting the employees. Then they charter everyone over to the convention center where they lay out a huge buffet lunch. Shortly after everyone eats, they give a presentation on the business model. It is a very dynamic event but the impressive thing is that they don’t hype it up. They give people a very objective look at why this makes sense. I haven’t had one person visit the company and not get involved.

As questions come up, don’t hesitate to call me anytime day or night. I am passionate about this business. We are showing people how to travel a lot better for less money, be able to write it off on their taxes and get paid to do it. It’s pretty much that simple. For those of us who are a little more entrepreneurial, there is a much more significant opportunity available. We are riding a trillion dollar market through an 18 to 20 year growth spurt and then binding it all together for sustained success through relationships. It just makes sense.

We’d used Jet2.com before

I quite like Jet2 – they’re a nice company whose staff we’ve found to be professional and engaging, but whose no frills flights don’t feel like they’ve cut corners.  I wouldn’t call them ‘cheap’ flights in fact, more like economy. Even though, really they’re cheap.
I didn’t realise that Jet2.com offer cheap flights to Spain, until I looked into it – though I suppose I should have thought about it before.  We used them years ago to go on holiday Greece I think and found them perfect for our needs.  So, we booked a flight with them for our flights to Spain and planned the rest of our holiday.
While we didn’t like the hotel we ended up staying in, our flights were perfect – no delays, lovely staff, and a clean, comfortable plane – for what we paid, you really couldn’t ask for more!

Having experience under your belt brings with it a whole new set of advantages. For starters, experience brings increased knowledge of just about everything in life than you had before. You now know to slow down and take the time to enjoy yourself and others important to you – spouse, children, grandchildren, extended family and friends. Moreover, peer pressures lessen, society boundaries seem less rigid, goals become clearer, stability increases, people respect you more and the confidence that comes with reaching a certain age is priceless.

Getting older in number doesn’t have to mean sitting around reminiscing about the “good old days.” The truth is that older doesn’t have to mean boring. In fact, keeping in mind these top five reasons traveling keeps you young will remind you why you should not only plan your next trip, but why becoming a travel addict should be in your future.

1. Breaks up your daily routine

Traveling provides a change of scenery. In today’s world where technology often replaces face-to-face interaction, traveling makes you get outdoors and tune in to humanity. Whether your days are filled with work, parenthood, grocery shopping or all three, a new setting will lend you the freedom you need to recreate yourself. No matter your stage in life, stepping away from your daily life keeps stress from taking over or boredom from creeping in.

2. Relieves your stress

Travel is necessary to our survival. The spontaneity and excitement of travel allows you to put petty frustrations in their rightful place. The physical and mental rejuvenation that accompanies traveling enables you to return to your daily routine with the energy and patience needed to deal with all your responsibilities. Spend your money on travel and prevent the buildup of stress that will make you throw your money away at the doctor’s office.

3. Requires you to be active -physically and mentally

Traveling by its very nature makes you move. Whether you’re zip lining in Costa Rica, walking the streets in Rome or simply lying on the beach in Jamaica, you will be active. Most of us know that physical exercise is good for our general health, but physical exercise is also good for your brain. If you think you’re going to get smarter sitting in front of your computer or watching television, think again. It is said that our brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by acting and interacting with the world. Mental stimulation improves brain function and protects against severe cognitive decline caused by disease. Most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from mental and physical inactivity. In other words, use it or lose it. Why not use it by traveling?

4. Provides education beyond books

Traveling is not mere recreation, but education through experience. Travel captures things books can only describe. A traveler learns that there are numerous ways of thinking and more than one solution to a problem. Travel teaches that not everyone shares your beliefs and that other ways of doing things can work equally well. In issues from child-rearing to politics, travel rids you of the arrogance that comes with everyone believing they’re the best. In essence, traveling the globe makes you a lifelong learner.

5. Brings spiritual health

Travel teaches humility. Travelers learn that all people in the world are basically alike. Language, customs and all exterior differences aside, we all share the basic desires and concerns. Travel makes us care about strangers and become comfortable with the unfamiliar. It makes it impossible to have a disregard for others. We become concerned for and respectful to all people. Ultimately, spiritual health is about finding meaning and purpose in your life and discovering who you truly are. Physical, mental and spiritual health is deeply tangled in a web of cause and effect. Start traveling and instantly bring good health to all three.

Many brides often have a hard time finding the perfect dress for their marriage by the sea. Fortunately, there are some simple rules that you can follow to avoid being trapped in this catastrophic situation.

The first rule is to make sure that the wedding dress is of the right length. Traditional gowns generally extend all the way to the floor and come with a train. Understand that they will not work if you are planning to walk on a sandy beach. If you still want a long dress, all is not lost though. Simple have the dress extend only to your ankles.  This way the dress will not get in the way and it will not get stains from the sand.

It’s even better if you want to wear something a little bit on the shorter side. Since it’s a beach wedding, it is totally acceptable if you want to wear a short dress so that you can flaunt your legs.

Another thing to consider about is the wind factor. Since you are having the ceremony by the sea, you should expect a lot of sea breeze. Therefore, they will definitely affect your hair and the dress. If you are opting for an ankle-length dress, it may make walking a bit difficult if there’s a strong wind. It is also recommended not to have any ruffles and layers on the dress for the same reason as above.

The last tip for your beach wedding dress is to make sure that it is made of thin and light materials. The temperature can get pretty hot in the beach, so the last thing you want to do is to wear something that is very thick that makes you sweat like a pig. Choose a material that will help keep you cool, such as cotton or silk.

Looking for the best beach wedding destination? Check out Thunderbird Poro Point.

Or if you’re a mature traveler or senior who is a slow walker or just wants a slower pace, becoming more informed about disabled travel services and disability travel resources, will lessen the anxiety that often accompanies disabled travelers.

The following travel tips, resources and information for the disabled will help make trips, tours, holidays and vacations a lot easier for you, or for a child with a disability, whether short-term or long-term.

1. Plan your trip well in advance! Do you need to order extra supplements, medications or renew prescriptions, fix eyeglasses or change prescriptions, get a physical, have dental work done, have your wheelchair fixed or tuned up, etc.?

2. If possible, always book your travel through an agency that specializes in helping people with disabilities. This is important because specialized travel agents and tour operators for the disabled are experienced and can save you some awful headaches.

They offer a lot of good tips and a wide range of services for the handicapped traveler. Among other things, they can arrange for a: wheelchair at the airport, wheelchair accessible hotel room, wheelchair rental, lift-equipped accessible van, full van, minivan, RV, handicap scooter, or any other handicap vehicle.

Travel agents for the disabled can help arrange accessible transportation, help plan the best accessible cruise, give cruise line and cruising tips, arrange travel insurance and take care of special needs.

Agents can check with hotels for: inner and outer door widths to accommodate your wheelchair, ADA-approved handicap bath tubs, grab bars, or for roll-in showers. Just tell them your needs.

Travel agents can help you find cheap airfare, cheap tickets, cheap flights, cheap travel auto insurance, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap cruises, cheap vacations and cheap travel of all kinds.

3. Besides taking along your travel agent’s phone number, you’ll also want to take with you the phone numbers for the travel agencies that specialize in disabled travel at your destination, in the event you can’t reach your own agent.

These travel agents may know how to solve problems that come up regarding your hotel, car or van rentals, etc., even if you didn’t order your tickets through them.

4. When traveling to another city, check out the local health and medical associations before you go. For example, get the phone numbers for the local MS chapter if you have MS. These organizations can be great resources.

They usually know what museums, restaurants, theaters & other local facilities are wheelchair accessible and where you can get oxygen, emergency supplies or medical assistance. They may be able to help you with any problems that arise.

5. If you plan to rent a handicap scooter, wheelchair, electric wheelchair, handicap van, full van, mini-van, RV or other vehicle in another city, don’t wait until you get there. Make all the arrangements before you leave on your trip.

Make sure you ask any specifics like, are there tie-downs, ramps, or hoists, etc. Check on what van, RV, car or auto insurance you’ll need before you go.

6. Don’t leave anything to chance. If you can, double-check all the arrangements your travel agent makes. Call the airlines, hotels, scooter, wheelchair, car, RV or van rental companies, medical equipment rental companies, etc., and verify the specifics, especially if you’re traveling in a wheelchair or have any other special needs like oxygen.

This is important if you haven’t used the agent before.

7. If you need oxygen or any other special medical equipment, call airlines and suppliers well in advance of your trip. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start calling them as soon as you know you’re going to be traveling or taking a trip.

Then double-check with your travel agent and the airline at least three to four days before your flight.

8. Arrive early at the airport. It’s better to wait around there than miss your plane. This will eliminate some of the pre-trip anxiety you might feel and make for more leisurely travel. This seems like common knowledge but many people still arrive at the gate just in the nick of time.

With all that’s going on in the world today there are many reasons why you want to allow for more time at the airport.

9. In your airplane carry-on bag keep copies of the prescriptions for your medications and eyeglasses, extra eyeglasses, sunglasses, all your medications and supplements, and a list of your doctor, dentist and other health professionals with their addresses, and phone numbers.

Include your doctor’s fax number for prescriptions in case you lose your medications. Keep duplicate copies of these in your luggage and at home by the telephone. Know where your medical records are kept.

10. When you travel, and for any other time too, if you take medications, learn their names and exactly what they’re for if you don’t know. People come into the emergency room all the time and don’t know what medications they’re taking. You might be surprised to find out that most people say ‘a little yellow pill’ or ‘a white capsule’, etc.

Emergency workers need to know what you’re taking so they don’t give you medication that would interact adversely with it, overdose you or somehow interfere with their treatment and your recovery.

11. If you’re traveling by air, tell the flight attendants when you board, of any medical problem you might encounter on your flight. Note the location of the closest restroom before getting seated. Tell the flight attendant if you think you’ll need assistance getting to it during the flight.

You may need or want an aisle seat for easy access to the restrooms. Discuss seating with your travel agent.

12. If you need someone to travel with you, ask your travel agent for ideas or suggestions. Call the local chapters of medical associations and ask if they can recommend a travel assistant or travel companion to help or accompany you.

There are national companies who offer traveling nurses, traveling companions or travel assistants to accompany disabled travelers or people with serious medical issues.

13. Make sure to take with you: any medical cards, Medicare cards, discount cards, car or auto rental discount cards, auto insurance policy numbers and agent’s phone number, passport, airline tickets, etickets, American Express Travelers Cheques, debit cards, credit cards, and drivers license. Photocopy everything.

Keep photocopies in your luggage and at home by the telephone or someplace where someone has access to it in case you need it.

14. Read everything you can about traveling with a disability. Read disabled travel books, access guides, accessible guidebooks, disability travel articles and travel publications for the disabled traveler. Read the personal travel experiences of wheelchair users and others who have traveled with disabilities. Be informed.