World’s Best Beach Getaways

If you’re like most people, you spend your workdays dreaming of lounging on a spotless white beach, gazing out over turquoise waters with a fruity drink in hand and not a care More »

How To Avoid Getting Ripped Off With Your Timeshare

Recent statistics show that timeshare fraud is very prevalent. There are many timeshare schemes popping up their ugly heads as people are desperately trying to sell their properties. Many scams respond to people More »

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Historically, business degrees have been brushed aside in the same group of people who study for a media degree or who chose to study General Studies as a subject at school. In More »

Top tips for business travellers

Travelling for business can be bittersweet. For some, the chance to see new places, even on a limited timetable, is exciting. But for others, particularly those who do it regularly, it can More »

World’s Best Beach Getaways

If you’re like most people, you spend your workdays dreaming of lounging on a spotless white beach, gazing out over turquoise waters with a fruity drink in hand and not a care in the world. So when that vacation time finally rolls around, it’s time to cash in with a beach holiday totally worth all the daydreaming. Here are 5 ideas for that perfect beach getaway:

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Best Beach Resort – Cancun, Mexico

If you’re looking for the five-star treatment at a world-class resort, look no further than the Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun. Look out upon the white sand beaches from a luxurious room complete with touches like pillow menus and in-room aromatherapy. With 8 restaurants and bars, 3 swimming pools (two with swim-up bars), a complete fitness center with personal trainers and plenty of activities, you’ll never find a dull moment staying here.

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Best Beach for All-Around Beauty – Thailand

There’s no doubt about it- the south of Thailand has got some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Imagine the brightest blue sky and waters, fine-grained white sand, lush green coast and peace all around- yes, this is Thailand. As long as you avoid the major party areas like Phuket and Koh Phanang, the islands dotting the south of Thailand are a great bet for some of the most breathtaking beaches you’ll ever see. Try Thailand holidays with Trailfinders for a great jumpstart to your vacation.

Best Beach for Surfing – Gold Coast, Australia

With some of the best beaches and waves in the world, the Gold Coast takes first prize for surfing destinations. The sunny, subtropical climate, laid back culture and great waves year-round make the perfect combination for surfers. Paradise Beach is world famous for its amazing surfing culture, skyline and incredible waves.

Best Beach for Families – Maui, Hawaii

Even in a place like Hawaii where over-the-top luxurious resorts are commonplace, the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui stands out. It’s a great place for kids with its massive water complex of slides, tubes, pools, waterfalls and currents. They’ve got a special program for kids called Camp Grande, where young ones can make Hawaiian crafts, watch movies and make friends while the adults chill out in the 50,000 square foot spa. And the beach itself is drop-dead gorgeous, a perfect place for kids to play and adults to enjoy their holiday.

Best Beach for People Watching – California, USA

Beachtime is a great time to enjoy that wonderful sport of people watching, and there’s hardly a better place to see all kinds of interesting, beautiful and famous people than Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. Park yourself at a beachside cafe or lounger and watch the bikers, inline skaters, surfers and sunbathers all bask in the glamour of L.A. This beach is famous for spotting celebrities so keep your eyes peeled.

How To Avoid Getting Ripped Off With Your Timeshare

Recent statistics show that timeshare fraud is very prevalent. There are many timeshare schemes popping up their ugly heads as people are desperately trying to sell their properties.

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Many scams respond to people who were advertising their property online in a desperate bid to get rid of their timeshare. One such telemarketing scam made millions of dollars by getting unsuspecting sellers to pay them high fees in order to get it sold for them.

Beware of companies asking you for money upfront to cover costs like advertising.

These elaborate scams were very well thought out as once they scammed money from people(by leading them into thinking they would get their timeshare sold), they then set up another scam whereby they contacted the very same people they stole from promising them to pay more fees to “recover” the money already stolen! Double belly buster. And many people unfortunately fell for the second dose.

This is enough to scare anyone into not even thinking of getting involved with an external broker – preferring to do things alone.

However, there is a very reputable company called Right Choice Transfer that is completely above board and specialise in helping sellers to get rid of their timeshare property at the best price. They will take the hard work out of it, so you can relax and wait patiently.

If you are looking to use a company to sell it on for you then please consider the following points before you go ahead:

1. Are they readily available to talk to?

2. They never ask you for a fee upfront.

3. They know all the proper channels to go about advertising your property

4. They provide you with all the testimonials from customers that they have already helped.

If you take the time and correctly research all your options before you go full steam ahead then you will find suitable companies to work on your behalf. Don’t get lazy and become complacent, otherwise it will lead to disaster. Think of your timeshare property as your second home.

If you want to sell your timeshare, then take the time to do things the right way. Getting unstuck from a financial situation like this can change peoples lives, so pay attention or pay the much BIGGER price!

The saying holds true: If you think it costs a lot for a professional to do the work, then wait until you see how much an amateur costs!

How to Start a Construction Business

If you’ve ever seen excavators for sale and thought about starting up your own small construction or general contracting business, now might be the time. Forecasts are predicting that the value of the construction industry will rise steadily over the coming years. There is plenty of need for construction, home improvement and general contracting services, so it’s time to turn your ideas into reality. Here are some tips for bringing your business to life:

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1. Familiarize Yourself with the Basics of Starting a General Business

Before starting to think about the specifics of the construction industry, it’s important to understand the basic steps needed to plan and form any type of business. These include creating a business plan, choosing a location, and determining the legal structure of your business. Will you be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, LLC (limited liability corporation) S corporation, nonprofit or cooperative?

Also, you must register a business name, get a tax ID number and register your business for state and local taxes.

2. Get Licensed, Bonded and Insured

It is absolutely essential for any construction business to have not only the proper business licence, but any other specific licenses that might be required by the industry. For example, you would need different licences for electric, plumbing or gas related work that might come up during construction. You will also need a surety bond and definitely several types of insurance. Think about purchasing general liability insurance, as well as vehicle and property insurance. 

3. Learn About Industry Regulations

The construction industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries, so it’s important to understand how your work will be regulated before you get started. Plenty of resources exist online to help you out.

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4. Find and Hire Labor

As the manager of your new business, you’ll be distributing the work out to workers from four different sources. These include subcontractors, hired employees, labor brokers and independent contractors. Different laws exist when working with each of these different kind of workers, so make sure you’re familiar with these before you get started. For example, taxes, wages and benefits might be different from independent contractors to hired employees. Labor brokers are people you pay to help you find labor, so they will receive a fee directly.

Retiring in Ecuador

Where do you want to spend the rest of your life? Topping all other competitors, Ecuador is recognized by those in the know as the best place to retire abroad. International Living has ranked Ecuador as the world’s best retirement destination for the past five years in a row. The city of Cuenca is an especially attractive place to settle down, but there are other cities and towns around the country that are incredibly expat-friendly. Ecuadorians are very welcoming of foreigners, and enough English is spoken to make it easy to get by without learning Spanish (though why not take the time to do some classes?).

Retiring in Ecuador 1Of course, one of the major draws is the environment and climate. As it’s located right on the equator (hence the country’s name, if you hadn’t figured that out), Ecuador has the best imaginable climate for relaxation. The gorgeous beaches (at many of which where you can rent a two bedroom apartment directly on the water for around $500 a month) are some of the best in Latin America, and the high-altitude interior of the country is temperate and spring-like year-round. This diverse range of environments allows for endless exploration, and the government is committed to protecting the natural beauty of the country.

Retiring in Ecuador 3Culturally, Ecuador offers an exciting and diverse palette. In cities like Cuenca and Quito, or smaller and more intimate towns like Vilcabamba and Cotachachi, you will find friendly people that are welcoming of foreigners and happy to share their lifestyle. The music, dance, food, and traditional practices of Ecuadorians are interesting and fun to engage in.

Retiring in Ecuador 2All of this comes at an incredibly low price tag. International Living says that a couple can live very comfortably on less than $18,000 per year. That includes rent, food, medical expenses, and more. Even on a modest retirement plan, this is manageable for many retirees. It becomes especially easy if you set up a plan with a company like standardlife.ca, which offers mutual funds and other effective savings and investment strategies capable of creating a passive income. Foreign retirees even get extra financial incentives, like 50% discounted flights from the national airline, tickets to entertainment and events, and other things. They can also import household goods duty-free, making the moving process much more manageable. Finally, medical expenses are a fraction of what they are in the United States and other countries, without any sacrifice in quality of treatment or facilities.

These and other reasons have resulted in Ecuador’s status as the best retirement destination in the world. Most people that move there realize that they wish they had done so sooner. There are few places that you can enjoy such high quality of life and such unbelievably modest prices, and living out your golden years here is one of the best choices you can ever make.