5 Tips to Grow Your Business Globally

Entering into Global markets is a great way to organically grow your business. However, many small to mid sized businesses have a hard time, if they even venture to go global at all, entering global markets. Here are 5 tips for businesses looking to expand their business by entering global markets:

1. Revise your pricing strategy to suit local purchasing power.
   I like using this example: Microsoft is having a difficult time getting Mainland Chinese computer users to use their operating system and Office products. Why? Simply, it costs too much for locals to buy Microsoft products. Linux is popular in China simply because it is open-source and an affordable solution for that market. Mainland Chinese purchasing power is very low compared to those in the US or Europe. So, pricing your products and services according to local purchasing power is a must when entering foreign markets.
2. Tailor your product or service offering with the local market in mind.
   Why is Unilever having such success in Asian countries such as India and China? They tailored their products to be affordable for the general consumers who were mostly living in rural areas and were low-income earners. They did this not by offering a super-family size packaging but a smaller or “sachet” size packaging only marketed to these countries and demographics. As a small or medium business you would have more control over whether you can change the way you offer your products simply due to less red tape and top level management to go through thus making it easier to enter global markets.
3. Find a local partner who is on the frontlines.
   Having worked at a multinational company in their Asian headquarters, I’ve seen far too many times where the Directors and CEOs sitting in their offices in the US and UK blindly launch new products in emerging markets (Asia specifically) simply due to media coverage and media hype about the latest and greatest market to be in. Often times than not, not listening to your frontline staff or getting the “real deal” from those on the frontlines in those markets will lead to failure. They know those markets intimately and hear and know about things that may not get reported in international news.
4. Know your local market and regional competitors.
   I remember one case where a business owner who ran a relatively successful online retail cosmetic business in North America and wanted to move that business model into China. The reasons why I believed it was not a feasible business model for that market:
   • There are literally thousands of physical retail shops selling low-cost to brand name cosmetics.
   • ECommerce and credit card usage in China is not popular. Cash still rules commercial transactions.
   • Mainland Chinese women go to Hong Kong to buy name brand products because they know that in Hong Kong the products are authentic.

   So, it’s important to know whether your product, service or business model will be able to compete with local competitors. Ask yourself: “How are locals in these markets presently sourcing these products or services?”

   Speaking of Asia as a region, often times you will need to look at regional competitors as well who may be headquartered in Hong Kong or Singapore but also market into the rest of Asia. So, being aware of regional competitors as well as local competitors is important to determining your place in these markets.

5. Be mindful of the local business culture.
   When you are developing business partnerships with local companies, be mindful of the way they do business in their country. For instance, the Asian region as a whole, consider the concept of “Face” an important concept. In Asian culture, it is not polite to be too direct or give direct rejection or create confrontations. Having cultural sensitivities will go a long way in developing your business partnerships in global markets.

In this age of the Internet and as more countries are being wired in, it’s becoming more feasible for businesses of any size to expand into international markets. So, start growing your business and expanding your reach. If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a good start to going global.

Copyright © 2004-2006. NiceTactics.

Wayne Po, is the Chief NiceTactician of NiceTactics, a new strategy that uses the art of being nice to help boost small to medium sized businesses with their marketing challenges.

Kennel Floors Can Be Bacteria Resistant & Skid Proof

The trend towards upscale kennels is making flooring paramount for good looks and healthful environments. Kennel epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. Now used not only in veterinary operating rooms but also on kennel runways, divider walls and cages these mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hoses and squeegees. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Now they are being used increasingly in kennels with fine skid resistant textured surfaces that are still easy to mop and squeegee clean.

Kennel epoxy floors can be flooded, pressure washed and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to such severe contamination and damage if flood cleansing is used.

New designs in kennels offer beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids. The beauty of kennel epoxy flooring can be enhanced and personalized by using colors. Colored chips, glitter, decorative stains, and artwork and decals can be laminated into these attractive floors. Kennel epoxy flooring is a solid choice when building or remodeling kennel spaces.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/kennel/

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

###

Harvey Chichester is a principal of Durall Industrial Flooring, a company with more than 40 years experience in developing special flow-coatings for industrial and residential floors. Automotive and shopping centers, breweries, food processing plants, manufacturing plants, airplane hangars, car washes, kennels, warehouses, printing plants, residential basements, pool decks, and condominiums are among some of the facilities that he has installed floors in.

Hear Why Girls Should Clean Sexy Toys Every Other Day

Daily washing of sex aids is essential to stop gross transmission or infection. of sexually transmitted infections. Whilst some sexually transmitted infections evaporate once the body fluid the STI lives in dries, other sexually transmitted infections such as Hep B and scabies might often live for weeks or months outside of the host. If you wish to remove the possibility of pregnancy, it is additionally essential to wash off sperm that might well be on the dildo before using near or in the love tunnel. It?s important to store the dong instructions for cleaning the sexy toy and to follow them religiously. If you feel that scrubbing the sexual toy fairly would be too much hard work or unrealistic for you, think about securing a different sensual aid. The data provided just below presents a general overview for disinfecting particular sorts of marital aids and is not really here to replace the sex toy makers instructions. You can always get a bargain with Cheap Dildos.

For basic vibe care, remove any batteries. Use a damp and wet soapy rag to clean your marital aids, usually with anti-bacterial cleaner. Never submerge electrical components under water. Keep double dildos stored in a bag or draw to keep them clean and in a cool, dry place. Double dildos can be outstanding toys to play with so please make sure females are safe and clean with your sessions with dong cleansers.

12m Line Rental 12m Free on a Motorola mobile handset

The E1070 is not the best phone Motorola have ever produced, but it remains worth looking at. With this mobile phone Motorola have produced something which is a bit too basic for the price. Motorola have done a outstanding job on the styling of this handset.

This handset is bluetooth enabled for compatibility with a number of devices. The E1070 supports 2G GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G UMTS 2100. The E1070 has an integrated 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video, flash; secondary VGA video call camera. If you use the Internet on the move, you will be pleased to know a WAP 2.0/xHTML compatible browser is included. A TFT, 256K colors display is fitted to this mobile phone. The battery that comes with the E1070 is a Li-Ion 1130 mAh. In terms of battery cell usage the Motorola E1070 has 4:20 talk time and 230 hours standby charge. Polyphonic, MP3 ring-tones are enabled on the Motorola E1070 on top of which is a vibration alert. The E1070 weighs 129 g, which is OK for a handset in this price bracket. The Motorola E1070 is available in, Black and Silver. Size-wise the Motorola E1070 is quite compact, easily fitting into one pocket. There are also a number of additional features included with the Motorola E1070 such as:

Because of the web it has never been more convenient or more cost effective to buy a mobile phone. Purchasing online can allow you to take advantage of significant cost savings, surprisingly, it is possible to get a Motorola E1070 on a 6 month free line rental deal , which will not cost a cent.

Paris Hilton’s Reputation is SHOT! How’s Yours?

With apologies for the cheap trick of mentioning Paris Hilton to get your attention, coming to grips with the idea you’re about to discover is critically important to your success with search engines!

Because while it’s true that there are many factors that determine how well a page ranks in Google - did you know that one stands out above the rest? It’s link text. (Also known as anchor text?)

So much so, link text can be the deciding factor when chasing top rankings for extremely competitive keywords.

And for sure can’t hurt for lesser search terms.

You see link text creates what’s known as “link reputation”. Have enough links using the same phrase as the link text and Google can’t help but conclude that’s what the page linked to is all about.

Yeah but…how powerful is the link text of inbound links, really?

Well guess what? It’s so powerful you can land top listings for a given keyword phrase without the keyword phrase even appearing anywhere on the page.

Since I can sense your skepticism from here, let me prove it using 6 examples which I was able to dig up in about 15 minutes. Starting with

===> The “website traffic” Mystery

First I did a search for “website traffic” in Google.

When I did the search, (and we both know things can change) this site, http://buytraffic.1st-casinoaffiliateprograms.com, was poised in position #3.

Casino affiliates?

Not necessarily what would come to mind as a site dealing with website traffic now is it?

Yet try as I might, when I searched that page for the term “website traffic” I couldn’t find it. Not even once. But when I went in search of the links to that page however here’s what I did find:

“Buy website traffic - casino traffic -
You can choose to buy website traffic or if you own an
online casino you can buy complete packages including
signups, banner displays and unique visitors. This can
push your website traffic and signups dramatically.”

Huh? See that? That listing’s got “website traffic” in the link text. And a couple more times in the description.

I guess the only possible explanation for the #3 ranking for “website traffic” is the link text. That’s what is
causing that page to rank #3 for that term.

===> Cell Phone

For example two I searched on “cell phone”. This time Sprint PCS came in at #5 out of 5,100,000 listings in Google.

Once again, the term “cell phone” did NOT appear anywhere on their page.

===> Laptop/Laptops Examples

Next I tried “laptop”. The Apple Powerbook listing came in at #4. Yet, and you guessed it, the word “laptop” was no where to be found on that page.

Since I was in the neighborhood, for the fourth example I gave “laptops” a shot. The site <www.discountlaptops.com> was sitting in #4 out of 5,910,000 competing pages when I did that search. Yet once again, the word “laptops” doesn’t show up on that page either.

Of course a check of the backlinks turned this up from the Yahoo Directory:

“Discount Laptops - retailer of new and
refurbished notebook computers.”

Oh and I found the exact same listing in DMOZ. Since it featured “Discount Laptops” as the link text, it’s only natural Google would conclude the page is about what else? Laptops!

===> Jobs

Monster.com currently holds down the #1 spot for the search term “jobs”. Once again, (you beginning to see a trend here?) the word “jobs” does not even appear on that page.

===> Money

Finally I searched on “money”. Perched at #16 was MasterCard’s website. <www.mastercard.com> Here too, the word “money” was not used even once in the visible text.

===> Summing Up This Link Text Stuff

Based on the evidence when it comes to ranking high in Google, saying link text trumps all is surely not too strong of a statement.

In fact it’s absolutely positively true. Focusing on link text is a surefire Google seo tactic. Yes, content counts, but link text counts for more..

Making link text the closest thing to a sure thing you can get.

Simply put, link text, which is used to develop your site’s link reputation, is one of the most powerful seo techniques going. It gives you ranking momentum like nothing else. Use tightly focused link text with links from high PR pages and you’ve got yourself an unstoppable combination.

So are you capitalizing on the power of link text?

Are you constantly getting links with the appropriate link text in them?

If not why not?

Because as I’ve shown you - link text really does trump all.

John Gergye shares more ideas like this in his recently updated eBook “Traffic From Google in 35 Days”. Find out more here: http://www.traffic-test-tube.com/j/tfg35cl.shtml/ Or test your search engine IQ by taking his seo quiz http://www.traffic-test-tube.com/search-engine-quiz.shtml/ and get the free special report “Coming Out On Top”.

Stress Strategy: Flex Your Spiritual Muscles

In his book, Stress Without Distress, Dr. Selye suggests that a person’s interpretation of stress is not dependent solely on an external event, but also depends upon the perception of the event and the meaning he or she assigns it. So, how you look at a situation determines if you will respond to it as threatening or challenging.

It has been discovered that the mind is responsible for the problems we find in our bodies. It is our attitudes that cause our physical problems. We create our own internal stress caused by our beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and reactions to ourselves and the world around us. Because of the way we choose to perceive life, we decide whether we are going to add stress to our lives, or instead, to keep stress at a low level. If we maintain a harmonious attitude and positive outlook, we eliminate much stress that would occur if we were negative and resisted the flow of life.

The Earth could be likened to the ultimate University, where we are here to learn and grow. We add stress to our lives because we are learning. There is a lesson to be learned in every triumph as well as failure. Look for the lessons in your life. Listen to your inner wisdom and let your intuition guide your decisions. The more you are willing to learn, the more stressful your life may become. However, the more willing you are to accept the help that’s available to you, the more help you will receive. The more involved you are in your relationship with Spirit, the smoother and more peaceful will be your journey. The more you can trust, the more you can let go, the more you let God take care of you, the more peace you feel.

Bad things do happen to good people. It is your response to it that matters. In times of change, exercise your spiritual muscles: faith, love, and hope. Your ultimate life assignment is to treat the negative stuff in life like it is a gift. Because the way you choose to see it and deal with it will make it either a divine or disastrous experience. Each of your life moments leads to a way of being. But your life is one continuum and is not defined by one chapter or experience. People who hold on to negative events hold themselves back emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You must let go, find the meaning in the experience, and evolve.

Stress is a factor in everyone’s life. Each burden you carry is an opportunity for spiritual growth—carry yours with grace and dignity. Find the meaning in the moment even in the uncomfortable times. Spend time reflecting alone to find the meaning. You alone have the task of assigning meaning to your life’s moments. While living on the physical plane, your faith and belief will be put to the test, especially under stressful situations.

When we are stressed, we are disconnected from divine source. We have thoughts of “Why me?” “Why now?” Healing begins with letting go of the past that haunts us, forgiving those who have hurt us, and getting in touch with our higher selves. Feeling whole is when our spirit, mind, and body are integrated. Being balanced is when we do and “be” the right amount everyday.

Handle your emotional reactions. Remember that anger is of the past and fear is of the future. By choosing to let go of the past, we can sweep out all the ashes that weigh us down and subtly affect every aspect of our health, our relationships, and our peace of mind. How great it feels to let go! How energizing! And the more we practice the art of letting go of all negativity, the better able we are to devote our thoughts, our time, and our energy to living joyfully in the present, whatever age we happen to be. Your spiritual path is meant to be light and free, not burdened by past memories of events or hurts.

Someone once said, “A grateful mind will eventually attract every great thing.” Developing an attitude of gratitude for what your life is and how it has helped you evolve and learn important lessons is crucial to increasing your energy field. And it is a really easy way to feel good! Presence is being in the now. Develop the ability to accept whatever is before you. Have faith that things will be o.k., no matter how bad it looks. Transform your stress emotions (anger, fear, lack) into peace emotions (love, trust, abundance) by using the power of acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, and higher-level thinking.

You can overcome any physical lack or limitation with spiritual solutions, if you but seek them out and bring them into your awareness.

***This article is adapted from Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management: Your Personal Guide to Living a Balanced Life by Michelle L. Casto

Copyright 2003

About The Author

Michelle L. Casto is Owner of Get Smart! and is a Whole Life Coach who resides in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is the author of the Get Smart! LearningBook Series, books on romantic relationships, career development, and stress management.

Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their lives and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world. Visit virtually: www.getsmartseries.com and www.brightlightcoach.com

coach@getsmartseries.com

10 Excellent Tips on Successfully Planting Your Trees and or Shrubs

These steps are designed for the lower elevations of the desert southwest.

1. Water - This is the biggest problems of all. You will need to water all trees and shrubs on a daily basis for at least the first 2-3 weeks after planting them. 3-5 gallons or water per 5 ga. tree. This is very critical during the summer months.

2. To ensure successful planting do NOT fertilize right after planting your tree or shrub. Use a good root stimulator to stimulate root growth. Do not fertilize during the winter months. Use a good all purpose tree or shrub fertilizer right after the last frost ( usually after march in the southwest ) Water about twice per month during December, January and March. Typically you should fertilize once in the spring, summer and fall.

3. Most southwestern soils lack acid, use a good compost with some acidity to help root development during planting.

4. If you are using a drip system be sure that the emitter is directly over the root ball of the tree or plant. A couple of inches off may result in insuffcient water to your plant. Many plants have gone to “plant heaven” because of this one mistake.

5. Fertilize your tree or shrub with a good all purpose fertilizer anything close to a 16-8-8 analysis will work great. Leaves turning yellow are sometimes a lack of iron in the soil. Add a fertilizer with iron, liquid iron or ironite.

6. Remember most trees and shrubs need about 6 monts to about 1 year before they are established. Once established Almost all plants will require less water.

7. Native plants need as much watering as other plants during the first year. Once established they will usually thrive with much less water. Once a month during winter and about 1 per week during the dry hot summer months.

8. Be sure the root ball on all container plants are intact when planting them. Do NOT expose the roots. The plant will go in extreme shock and may die.

9. Remove and clear any and all weeds and rocks that may be in the area. Weeds will suck out water and nutrients from the soil. Large rocks or debris will hinder root development.

10. Continually check and observe your tree, shrub or plant making sure there are no signs of diseases or insect problems. Insects love new leaf growth. Diseases are usually fungal. Signs are usually wilting, slow growth, leaves turning yellow during the summer months. Not sure what the problem might be? Trim off a branch, limb or leaf and bring it in to your local nursery or greenhouse. They usually have the most knowledgable gardening employees around.

The above tips are generally for the Southwestern United States.

Following the steps above will help ensure a healthy tree shrub or plant for a lifetime of landscaping experience.

You can also read the article online at: http://guzmansgreenhouse.com/successful-planting.htm

Paul Guzman is the manager of Guzman’s Greenhouse and webmaster of http://guzmansgreenhouse.com Visit his site.
You are welcomed to use the article as long as you provide a link back to http://guzmansgreenhouse.com

What Beginners Must Know With Respect to Cyberspace Sports Results Gaming

Combine everybody’s greatest pursuits and you have got is a rage normally known as a sportsbook bets Web location. Seriously, what could feasibly be more resourceful… If you visualize a mix of sports addicts clapping to support their favorite lineup, and ceaselessly lays are calculated accompanying the uproar. Hoping to catch more of the pleasure, on-lookers will usually try to presage who will make it in the forthcoming tournament. In the end, this all eventually evolves into a congenial and friendly tournament called sportsbook bets Web location.

Learn to play all the hottest bet store football sky sports games online now!

Agreed it might well sound quite overwhelming though sportsbook wagering is really only diverting and of forging a bond with fellow sports fanatics. You can wager a any minor amount of wherewithal and still have a extraordinary time. Further to this, here are many tips to get going sportsbook wagering.

If you want to bet, you should search out a sportsbook bets Web location, i.e. a setup which admits sportsbook bets Web location. In the US, you can find no less than four states where to do sportsbook wagering legally, but beyond legality you may go for it anyplace if you locate a bookie and you’re a legal adult. Included in the sports you’ll have a choice of wagering on are professional listed with college class basketball as well as football, professional baseball, professional hockey, listed with betting on both dog and horse racing. Visitors will have the option of placing bets on the whole combined score of a game or fight, in what round a given contestant will go under, and even if a given tossed coin in a game or fight will come down either heads or tails.

The sportsbook company place their trust stats and maths to help you out establish which lineup you judge will make it. There is the spread, in other words point leverage pertaining to the weaker contestor that is expected to go down by X number points. This describes the bookie firm’s calibrated approach of making lays possible for a Sports Book. E. g. a client could choose to risk some money on a side that is expected to go down and and still win the bet if the contestor is beaten by X number of points.

You can get loads of different brands of lays, the straight being the dominating one in sportsbook wagering.

Well, why not give it a runover and have lots of fun all at once… Simply determine that you won’t get overpowered and fritter your total retirement income on a crotchet. After all, you will most likely catch yourself unhappy about it till the end of your days.

Honeymoon Hot Destinations

Ahh, the honeymoon, whether it be a trip to Vegas or a quiet beach hideaway it will always be remembered as one of the best and most important vacations you’ve ever gone on. Here’s the Wedding Wonderful hotlist of great honeymoons.

NORTH AMERICA AND CARRIBBEAN

Las Vegas, Neveda– Las Vegas is like nothing else in this world. The lights, the gambling, the shows, the $4.99 prime rib, you’ll find it all here in Las Vegas like nowhere else. For the couple who enjoys gambling, seeing shows, and the night life this is the perfect trip.

Orlando, Florida– Orlando is not just for kids, Walt Disney World and the newer Universal Studios rank as one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world. Not only does Central Florida have the draw of the theme parks, but also plenty of beaches and other attractions. This is the perfect trip for the couple who enjoys roller coaster fun in the sun.

Niagara Falls, New York/ Canada– Once the classic honeymoon destination, Niagara Falls is still a great choice for couples interested in sightseeing rather than laying on the beach. Both the American and Canadian sides are great, but most of the action, including gambling, occurs on the Canadian side and you have a better view of the falls.

Hawaii– The main destination of choice for today’s honeymooners, Hawaii offers the perfect combination of sightseeing and beach fun. We selected the Big Island of Hawaii for a place on our top ten honeymoon beaches list, but Maui, Oahu, and Molokai are great options too.

New York City– The everything capitol of the world. New York is full of exciting cultural and sightseeing opportunities. Our pick for the most romantic NYC activity? A moonlight horse and buggy ride in Central Park.

Hilton Head, South Carolina– Long known for being a golfing mecca, Hilton Head is quickly developing into one of the biggest northeast honeymoon destinations. The Old South is alive and kicking here both architecturally and in terms of hospitality and the white sand beaches are some of the prettiest you’ll find in this part of the country.

Poconos, Pennsylvania–Nothing screams heart shaped hot tub more than the Poconos. This once premiere honeymoon destination is still a wonderful choice for couples who want to relax and enjoy the great outdoors mountain style.

Puerto Rico– Puerto Rico has long been a hot spot for beach loving couples and buffs of history. San Juan is the oldest US-owned capitol city and the whole island is rich in Spanish culture. Nightlife including dancing and casinos abounds.

The Bahamas– The Bahamas is a string of 700 islands, the most popular of which are located just off the coast of Florida. Nassau, the capitol and any of the beaches on Grand Bahamas Island or Paradise Island are popular with honeymooners. Our Bahamas beach pick? Pink Sands.

Bermuda– The island of Bermuda and it’s infamous “triangle” are located about 500 miles off the coast of North Carolina. This string of 150 islands is famous for it’s pink sand beaches and unique pastel architecture. St. George is the main honeymoon destination.

Caymen Islands– The Caymens are located about 430 miles south of Miami and although these islands have become popular lately, they are much less commercialized than many other Caribbean destinations. This is the perfect trip for the couple who prefers quiet days in the sand and snorkeling to a wild nightlife. Grand Caymen Island is the most popular island.

Jamaica–Jamaica is famous for it’s white sand beaches and waterfalls as well as it’s regee culture. Although it is not quiet as popular as some other Caribbean destinations due to concern about crime this is still a great vacation for those who enjoy a tropical setting. Nergil Jamaica made our list as one of the top ten honeymoon beach sites.

The Virgin Islands– Half US owned and half British owned, the most popular Virgin Island destinations include St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Tortola. St. Thomas and St. Croix, both US owned are huge tourist destinations while St. John and Tortola are popular but less touristy. We picked the island of St. John as one of the ten best honeymoon beaches in the world.

Mexico– The beaches of Mexico are said to be some of the best in the world and like many of the Caribbean islands very snorkeling and SCUBA diving friendly. The most popular honeymoon spots include Acapulco, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. Acapulco made our list of the top ten honeymoon beaches in the world.

EUROPE

Italy– Italy has long been the world center for romance and Italy is generally one of the most popular Europen honeymoon destinations. Want romance? Spoleto, Bellagio, and Todi are recommended by Frommer’s. For historical sites we recommend the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, Pompeii, the Vatican Museums, and the Academy Galley art museum.

France– Whether it’s hitting the beach at the French Rivera or seeing Paris from the Eiffel Tower, France offers a great deal of romance. For history buffs, Chteau de Versailles is said to be the most opulent palace in the world and the Louvre contains some of the world’s most famous artwork. The vineyards of Bordeaux and the French Alps are terrific options for couples looking for a more serene scene.

London, England– London offers the cosmopolitan couple almost everything they could want in a honeymoon destination– culture, history, scenery, and a kicking nightlife. Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the Houses of Parliament are must sees.

Prague, Czech Republic– A piece of the Old World in modern Europe, Prague is an exotic and deeply historical city. This is the place where Mozart lived (the movie Amadeusreally was primarily shot in Prague) and is famous for it’s hundreds of spires. Romantic ideas include visiting the Prague castles and taking your own dinghie for a row at night on the Vltava.

About the Author

Heather Greene is the head writer for Wedding Wonderful, a wedding planning site and online supplies store located at www.weddingwonderful.com. This article orginially appeared on Wedding Wonderful.

There’s No Money in Your Comfort Zone!

A fellow internet radio host recently joined the business mentoring website that I co-own with Alice Seba of InternetBasedMoms.com. Soon after, she sent me an instant message that said, “You and Alice are sure drawing me out of my comfort zone!”

I understood immediately what she meant. In the short period of time since she joined our site, she has completely redesigned her website and stepped up on some of the business tools that she needed to make her business run more smoothly. She was really making great progress. I shot back a quick reply, “There’s no money in your comfort zone!”

That’s a powerful statement! There is no money in our comfort zone!

This reminds me of some of the really unfortunate comments I’ve seen on the WAHM forums and discussion lists. There are Moms who were struggling to make ends meet last year who are still struggling this year. Nothing has changed, they’re doing the same old things and their businesses aren’t bearing anymore fruit than they ever did. Yet they are giving advice to others - bad advice at that.

The golden nugget of advice most often repeated is: “You shouldn’t have to pay for information to grow your business when there is so much available for free.” To hear them tell it, selling information is akin to selling your body! A dirty profession! Well, if it’s true, if there is so much free info - why aren’t they prospering by now?

If you’re determined to keep doing the same things that you’ve always done to promote your business - you really are stuck in a comfort zone. If what you’re doing was going to work, it would have worked by now. It’s time to break out of that box and start trying some tactics you’ve never considered before.

The scary thing about moving outside of your comfort zone is that it usually calls for an investment on your part. Whether that is putting in extra hours or extra dollars, you’re going to have to stretch yourself to acquire a new mindset where your business is concerned.

The first step for Tammy was to ask for constructive criticism of her website. Some of the advice she received make it clear that she needed to loosen up the purse strings and begin to invest in her business in order to see it perform better over the long run. I’m happy to report that she’s taking immediate steps to do so!

What do you need to do to break out of your comfort zone? Do you need to invest some time and money into a learning product? Could you benefit from some business or life coaching? Should you sign up for a class or two to spiff up your skills? Whatever it is - just do it. Yes it will make you feel uncomfortable at first but I promise you it’s worth it.

I know what a challenge this is, I like being comfortable! But being comfortable kept me broke and in debt. I’m glad I decided to step outside my self imposed comfort zone of doing the ’same old-same old’. I walked out into a much wider place of adventurous marketing and business development. I’ve found that that is where the money is - and everything else that we started our businesses for in the first place.

Kelly McCausey hosts Work at Home Moms Talk Radio (http://www.wahmtalkradio.com) and co-owns Mom Masterminds (http://www.mommasterminds.com), a closed door mentoring community for Moms who want to develop a profitable internet based business.