7 Reasons NOT to Take Your Laptop on Holiday!

7 Reasons NOT to Take Your Laptop on Holiday!

by: Steve Robson

Heading off on vacation soon?
Then perhaps you’re tempted to take your trusty laptop along for the trip.
After all, you bought it for its mobility, and itกs nice to stay in touch via email with your family and friends back home.
However, just before you start packing, its pays to consider the downside of traveling with a laptop, particularly if you’re planning to go abroad:
1. Weight
A laptop (plus accessories) starts to feel heavy very quickly. And who really needs MORE luggage to carry around?
2. Security risk
To you, itกs a laptop computer. To a thief, itกs a bag of easy money. (About $1000). And that bag is something you have to guard every second of your vacation.
3. Power supply problems
Youกll need a different power adaptor plug for each country you visit. And depending on your laptop power supply cable, you may also need a stepup / stepdown voltage transformer.
4. Connection complications
Youกll need to find a way of connecting to the Internet. If your laptop is suitably equipped and you can find a local hotspot, you can take advantage of wireless Internet access.
Otherwise you’re stuck with dialup modem access, which means a choice between:
using your existing ISPกs local call number in the country you’re visiting (provided your ISP has a local number! AOL and Compuserve generally do.)
making a longdistance telephone call to your regular dialup number back home
signing up with a local ISP (rarely practical in the shortterm)
5. Telephone socket trouble
Different countries have different types of telephone socket. If you’re planning on connecting via dialup access, youกll have to bring a suitable telephone adaptor plug.
Youกll also need a digital signal tester to test for higher voltage digital telephones lines. Otherwise you could end up frying your modem and possibly the motherboard too.
6. Extra insurance cover
Itกs highly unlikely your travel insurance policy extends to laptop computers. Youกll therefore need to arrange separate specialist insurance cover, which isn’t cheap.
7. You’re on holiday!
Do you really want your office with you on vacation? Aren’t you supposed to be getting away from it all?
If you’re beginning to think that traveling with a laptop computer is a major logistical exercise, then you’re right. (Just ask any กroad warriorก!)
However, there IS an alternative:
An Internet Cafe.
Almost every city and large town now has several Internet cafes. To locate one when you’re abroad, just ask your hotel receptionist or a friendly taxi driver.
Youกll also find Internet cafes in airports, railway stations, major hotels, business centers, public libraries, and even onboard cruise ships.
Before you leave on your travels, simply ensure you can access your email via a web browser. (This is known as กwebmailก. Most ISPs offer this option automatically just ask them if you’re unsure.)
Alternatively, set up a free webmail address (at hotmail.com or yahoo.com) for the duration of your trip and give it to anyone who might need to contact you.
With webmail set up, all you have to worry about is remembering your email login and password. Everything else hardware, connectivity, security is somebody elseกs problem.
To summarize:
Unless you have a very good reason for taking your laptop on holiday, youกd be wise to leave the darn thing at home and use an Internet cafe instead.
And who knows maybe your laptop could use a vacation from you!

About The Author

Steve Robson is a successful technical author and contributor to http://HowToBuyALaptop.com For advice on how to buy a cheap laptop, visit: http://howtobuyalaptop.com/cheaplaptops.htm

This article was posted on June 03, 2004

by Steve Robson

Why the Internet is an Entrepreneursก Dream

Why the Internet is an Entrepreneursก Dream

by: Marty Foley

Not long ago, a vacation that entailed travelling across much of the U.S. helped me reflect a bit about my Internet business, and reminded me of the powerful advantages of doing business online. Letกs consider just a few of them…

1) Generate Multiple, SelfSustaining Income Streams

The Internet allows you to generate multiple streams of income that are more or less on autopilot; an advantage which most types of businesses (and jobs) simply don’t offer. While I was on vacation, my online business continued to generate paid orders on autopilot.

2) Internet Businesses are Portable

As I tossed around the possibility of relocating to the beautiful countryside area that I visited on vacation, I was reminded how most people are geographically tied to their jobs.

Unfortunately, where most people live is largely dictated by where they work. And if they don’t live near their jobs, lots of commuting is required, a major headache.

However, if you earn your income online, you have the flexibility of living and working most anywhere that you want, as long as you have Internet access. There aren’t many businesses or jobs that give such freedom to choose where you live.

Since you can operate an online business from home, your commute to work may involve nothing more than a leisurely stroll from your breakfast table to your desktop computer. No traffic hassles, office politics, or related headaches.

3) Low Startup and Overhead Expenses

Low startup and overhead expenses mean low risk. If you try opening a retail store, manufacturing plant or other offline business, chances are youกll need several thousand dollars just to open your doors, let alone pay the monthly bills. Not so with an Internet business, which you can start, build, promote and maintain on a shoestring budget.

My basic business expenses include web hosting, Internet access, and a few odds and ends totalling well under $200 a month, yet my web sites generate sixfigures yearly.

4) Tremendous Marketing Reach

Of course, one of the greatest advantages of the Internet is the ability to reach huge numbers of prospects for our products and services.

And Iกm talking about ethically reaching prospects who are interested in what we have to offer; NOT about sending unsolicited email, or spam, that most of us love to hate.

The Internet is one of the greatest breakthroughs in communication since the printing press, and at the same less expensive and more versatile than virtually any other marketing method.

Estimates on the number of existing Internet users are staggering, not to mention new users who sign on daily.

I could go on and on about the various advantages of an online business, but you get the point. If youกve been thinking about starting your own Internet venture, keep the above advantages in mind. They are just a few of many that make the Internet an entrepreneursก dream.

About The Author

Marty Foley is a successful home business owner and the founder of http://ProfitInfo.com/. His Internet marketing techniques and resources have helped set the standard in ecommerce, and have often been imitated by other famous Internet marketers. They can truly help you succeed online: http://ProfitInfo.com/

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 3, 2002

by Marty Foley

Simple Business Tactics Are Your Key To Success

Simple Business Tactics Are Your Key To Success

by: Cathy Qazalbash

In a world full of complications sometimes we overlook the simple things in life. We are so busy trying to work out our twisted problems that we miss out on the simple secrets to success. The same can be said of our businesses. We get caught up in endless problems when all we really need to do is to step back and see the simple alternatives, that will lead us to success. Sometimes we need to think with the simplicity of a child.
Not so long ago, Summer holidays (vacation) in the USA meant the rebirth of the Lemonade Empire. Enterprising children of about 10 years and up set up their lemonade stands and earned themselves some holiday money. A note to all who do not live in the USA, school children in USA have a 3 month vacation in the summer, allowing them a great deal of free time. This was before the year round schools that have tried to cut down the long summer vacation. The Lemonade era was in full swing in these ขgood old days.ข
The Lemonade King/Queen, who would earn the most money by the end of the vacation, depended on individual factors. Being children they did not have any complicated ขthink tanksก or secret board meetings, they relied on simple business skills and techniques. Let me explain with these few points.
There was a need/market: Hot thirsty people, (most of the USA has hot Summers) A proven hot selling product: Cold Lemonade is the ultimate drink for a hot Summer day. Cheap premises, simple set up and low overhead: A stand with supplies at the curb( side of the road) would not be too expensive.
However there was hot competition, many children on vacation, and this is where simple business tactics came into play. Just 3 examples:
The Price War:
One child was selling Lemonade for 10c Another for 15c A third for 25c
All had simple stands with a white board saying Lemonade 10c/15c/25c. They had stands that stood alone, with no related service.
Location:
Each Lemonade Stand owner vied for the best traffic location, some got lucky others not. All fair in the Lemonade game. Then came:
The Ultimate Marketer: A small girl was selling lemonade for 30c and she was the talk of the neighborhood. She was selling more and charging more, how could that be? Here were her simple secrets.
Her notice did not just say Lemonade 30c. It said ขFreshly Squeezed Lemonade, Made Just For Youข She greeted all her customers personally. She took obvious pride in her wares and stand. Her stand was simply and nicely decorated and spotlessly clean. However she did not stop here. She set up her stand next door to the most popular Hot Dog/snack stand. This vender was well known throughout the neighborhood for his great food and service. He had a great location near many offices on a busy street and he was not just seasonal he was there all year round so everybody knew him. He was the perfect compliment to the little girl’s lemonade stand. Plus he was a friendly fellow and always recommended his customers to have some delicious lemonade with their lunch/snacks. Of course she also returned the favor.
Now we can all learn from the simple business principles that made this small entrepreneur the talk of the town. To recap:
She had the market (thirsty people) The product: Great tasting lemonade She improved her ad copy, her notice was better than her competitors. She treated all her customers well, going out of her way to make them feel comfortable. Added value. Happy customers=repeat customers, good service = word of mouth marketing, a very powerful form of promotion. A clean, attractive and professional stand attracted more customers. Her strong link with a large popular seller helped her to sell more. Because of all these factors and the added value of customer service she could charge premium price.
All these simple business tactics can be applied to your business and not only help you get ahead of the competition but make more money with less fuss. No need for, time consuming think tanks, and board meetings. These simple principles are right under our noses, we just have to apply them. Think with the simplicity of a child and your business will run more smoothly, be more efficient, and ultimately make you more money.

About The Author

Cathy Qazalbash is the Publisher of A1Newsletter

A free newsletter for start up businesses

Helping all who are determined to succeed

She is also a freelance writer/copywriter

http://a1newsletters.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 14, 2004

by Cathy Qazalbash

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connecti

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection Part 1 of 2

by: Karon Thackston

One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. This is something I firmly believe in and have preached for most of my copywriting career. However, all too often, I find people skipping the vital step of making an emotional connection with their customers. That can be a tragic, and costly, mistake.
Thats why I was excited when I had the opportunity to rewrite the homepage copy for a vacation cruise service. While the copy they used previously gave all the details and got them a good number of bookings, it just didnt have what it takes to make me start daydreaming about my next cruise. It didnt but it was about to!
The Problems
The previous copy on the Cruise Vacation Center home page faced a couple of challenges. (You can view the original copy at this link: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/CruiseVacationCenterOriginal.pdf.) The copy was very companyoriented instead of customeroriented. It talked about who Cruise Vacation Center (CVC) is, why the visitor should buy from them, and some wonderful benefits CVC offers its clients including excellent bargain rates and extra discounts. However, all the verbiage was geared toward the company. The customer was left out.
The home page copy also lacked emotion. It was very matteroffact. In addition to making visitors aware of the wonderful prices and deals CVC offered, I wanted to create a vision for the site visitors. I wanted to give them what they needed in order to float off into a daydream about fabulous portsofcall; warm, gentle breezes; and thrilling adventures.
While I was painting a picture of the vacation of a lifetime, I also had to be sure to include a vital fact. CVCs business plan was set up to be most affordable for the customer when s/he booked online. Without sounding rude, I had to do everything in my power to get the site visitor to book their cruise vacation while at the site. This was an extremely important issue and a point that needed to be woven throughout the copy.
Lastly, the page had to uphold Cruise Vacation Centers excellent search engine rankings. They were ranked at the top of several major engines, and the rewritten copy couldnt jeopardize their positioning.
The Solutions
The first step was, without question, to woo the site visitors with delightful fantasies about their next vacation. My goal was to conjure up all sorts of visions in the minds of Cruise Vacation Centers visitors. I wanted the visitors to be dreaming of exotic places with lots of fun things to do, interesting sights to see, and 24/7 access to gourmet meals that rival any fivestar restaurant. I wanted their blood pressure to drop 10 points just from reading about the onboard staff of hundreds who would pamper them with VIP treatment. After reading this copy, I wanted them ready to leave on vacation today! However, I also had to persuade them to book online rather than calling CVCs office.
During the rewrite, I had to carefully plan the use of their primary keyphrase, cruise vacation, so as not to disrupt their most reliable source of business the search engines. After all, there is a delicate balance between pleasing the search engines and appealing to site visitors.
If I leaned too much toward the search engine side of the equation, the conversion ratio of the home page would suffer. In other words, Cruise Vacation Center would get lots of visitors, but few of them would book cruises.
If I leaned too much toward the customer side of the equation, CVCs rankings would plummet, and they would need to find a new way to drive qualified traffic to their site. As is normally the case with SEO copywriting, balance was going to be vital.
In the conclusion to this twopart series, youll see how I handled the rewrite and what the end results of all the work were. Curious to see the new copy? Youll find it on CVCs site: You can see the new copy on CVCs site at http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com.
by Karon Thackston © 2004

http://www.copywritingcourse.com

About The Author

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karons latest ereport How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.
IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:
Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors with The StepbyStep Copywriting Course. Be sure to check out Karons latest ereport How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy), too!

This article was posted on July 30, 2004

by Karon Thackston

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connecti

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection Part 2 of 2

by: Karon Thackston

In part one of this article series we began looking at the Cruise Vacation Center site: a travel site whose copy was sorely lacking in emotional appeal and visual imagry. (You can see the previous version of the copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/CruiseVacationCenterOriginal.pdf.) In the conclusion, youll see how all the rewrite turned out and how exciting the end results have been.
The Rewrite
It took me a while to get started on this copy. Before I began writing, I wanted to really be in the mood. I played around on the vacation search feature of CVCs site and read all about some of the places I have always wanted to go. I took my time and let my imagination run wild while reading about the portsofcall, the activities, and the ships amenities.
When people shop for vacations, they are typically interested in what theyll get first and they worry about the price second. They want to feel and sense the experience of a vacation while reading about it on a website or in a brochure. It sort of falls into the same category as copywriting for brides.
Getting married, for most people anyway, is a limited experience. Its not something you do every day. While a bride may be working on a budget, she still loves to see the $10,000 Donna Karan gowns and imagine herself in one. The same holds true for those planning a vacation.
You usually only go on one vacation/holiday a year. Thats why we dream. Its a limited experience. Something we plan for and look forward to for months on end. So, while a vacation planner may not choose to buy the kingsized, master, grand suite, allinclusive, fivestar vacation trip around the world, s/he sure has fun reading about it and imagining it. Why do you think shows like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous are so popular?
Once Id filled my mind with everything wonderful about cruise vacations, I was ready to tackle the copy.
Keyphrase inclusion was simple on this page. There was just one keyphrase, cruise vacation. I used both the singular and plural forms throughout the text. My challenge with the SEO aspect of the copywriting was to keep the balance.
Normally, when there is just one keyphrase, there is a very high tendency by most people to ram, shove, and squeeze the phrase into every nook and cranny of the copy. I beg you resist that urge! As youll see shortly, SEO copywriting is NOT about forcing keyphrases into every possible slot.
And, of course, there was the matter of letting visitors know that they would get a better bargain and save more on their luxury cruise if they booked online.
Starting at the top, I changed the headline of:
Planning quality discount cruises for you since 1993!
to
Book Your Exotic Cruise Vacation Online and Get RockBottom Prices to the Hottest Destinations
Next, I immediately began to entice the visitor with visions of what s/he could expect from their vacation and from CVC.
Rather than talk about the company directly as the original copy did:
Dreaming of a cruise but don’t want to pay full price? Cruise Vacation Center is one of the nationกs largest cruise agencies.
I started the copy with this:
Just imagine youre walking along the deck of a grand cruise vessel as it gently keeps rhythm with the waves. The sun is on your shoulders and a soothing breeze wafts through your hair.
I continued to build the new copy with phrases like: wander your way through the medieval castles, stunning gardens of the Mediterranean, and oceanfront luau in Hawaii, while intermixing statements including: deep discounts, book securely online, and so on.
All the while, I was dropping reminders to book online for the biggest savings and offering explanations about why that would benefit the visitor.
The calltoaction was designed to reinforce the idea that the customer *could* get more vacation choices for their money with CVC.
You can see the end results for yourself at http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com.
The Results
Its fun to see how these makeovers turn out. What did my client have to say? The response was astonishing and immediate. Weekend sales tripled! Usually around 10 online books over the weekend. Last weekend had 30! [Also], they reindexed and the home page moved up [two positions] for cruise vacation. It has a great leadin on the search page, too.
Man I just love my job!
by Karon Thackston © 2004

http://www.copywritingcourse.com

About The Author

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karons latest ereport How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.
IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:
Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors with The StepbyStep Copywriting Course. Be sure to check out Karons latest ereport How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy), too!

This article was posted on July 30, 2004

by Karon Thackston