Confess! How many of you have made Hotel Reservations more than six months ago? Well, you are wise!

But for those who have not, it is not too late! There is still time, especially if you use online booking services. If you check out HotelReservations.com, you will realize that you can practically arrange your entire trip online, and at one convenient location. Better yet, you don’t even have to budge from in front of your computer - better save your energy for that fantastic vacation! Just go take a look at the site, if you don’t believe me.

The site is available in multiple languages, which is a bonus if English is not your forte. But more importantly, the site is well laid out and the things that you will need to do are pretty straightforward. For example, if you wanted to book a hotel, you can fill in the form with your destination city, then put in the dates that you want to be there and when you want to leave. You should also put in how many people are traveling and of course, how many rooms you need. The application then throws up a list of options.

This is almost like having someone do a comprehensive research for you. Each result that is returned gives you a short line on the hotel’s location or it’s most interesting characteristic. It gives you information about the place and a map if you want, they are just a click away. Then of course, the price is right there. You simply scroll down the list and pick the one you fancy or the one that fits your budget. Your choice.

You can do the same for your rental car, air tickets and even entire vacation packages. Just a quick note, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate when you want to search for rental cars, air ticket or vacation rentals. The tabs inside the middle box don’t work.

So, stop reading and go start booking your holidays if you have not done so!

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Technorati Tags: online vacation, hotel reservation, car rental, air ticket

When running a small business, many small business owners rely a lot on their credit cards to see them through tight corners. This is actually fine. But there is one thing that you should never do. Never take cash out on your credit card!

Compare loans to get the best interest rates and terms. There are really many other options when you are looking for unsecured loans that are much more viable than using your credit cards. Of course, we all know that when you are looking for homeowner loans, you shop around. Should be no different when you are going for small loans for your small business. Don’t pay huge interests, there are other options!

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Technorati Tags: personal loans, unsecured loans, small business loans

This is really interesting. Just a few months ago, I was speaking with a friend about how lucrative it was selling phone cards. Then, here is this site offering a phone card business all ready to go! Believe it or not, this is surely the coincidence of a lifetime. Or maybe, it’s a message for me.

In the online world, I have seen such turnkey solutions for dating sites, gambling sites, shopping sites even. But this is the first that I have seen for phone cards. Going through their website, it seems like this is really a full-fledged online sales system that allows you to actually create a phone card business. One of the biggest challenges when setting up a phone card sales business is the inventory of phone cards. All the other stuff like the shopping cart system, payment and security are chicken feed compared to the hassle of getting a decent inventory of phone cards to start the business. That problem is solved with this turn-key solution.

Checking out the Frequently Asked Questions, the commissions range from 16 - 41% with the majority falling in the 20% range. Considering my own market research when me and my friend were considering starting this business on our own, those are decent margins. For those who are not aware, phone cards are one of the most popular means of calling overseas. If you think about the highly cosmopolitan US population and the fact that everyone loves to call home; you will realize just how lucrative this market really is.

Technorati Tags: phone cards, calling cards, online store

Some time ago, I reviewed a shopping cart solution that was pretty comprehensive and professional. I liked the fact that it had a free trial where you could actually use the shopping cart for 10 days, which should be enough time for you to figure out if this is a solution for you.

But more importantly, when I re-visited the site, I noticed that they have revamped the look and feel of the site. But the one thing that made me smile was the addition of a Live Sales & Support button! This is fantastic! I do not know if you have ever experienced buying stuff or services online, but one of the biggest headache is always access to support.

In the “real world” that we live in, support is a phone call away; or we take the train and bang on some tables. But online, it is sometimes tough to get a hold of anyone when you need help. Features aside, this one single button says to me that this is a really serious company that is committed to helping its customers.

That, is good enough for me.

Technorati Tags: shopping cart, ecommerce software, shopping cart software, online store

Besides parking your car, what else do you put in your garage? What is it good for? For some, its just another space to clean. For others, it was the start of a multi-million dollar corporation!

This could be you! If you can just upgrade your garage into an office and have a proper garage storage system in place, that little space could be transformed into the first step towards your success.

Many entrepreneurs who just start out spend way too much trying to get a spanky new office. That can come later. While you are starting, the garage could be your ideal choice. It sits outside of your regular living space, thus giving you the feeling of “going to work” and it is near enough not to require excessive time wasted in office commute.

See you at the top Steve!

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Technorati Tags: garage storage, entrepreneur, small business, start up

Sometimes, as an entrepreneur, we fight bravely against all odds. From chasing clients who prefer to work with “bigger” companies to keeping our operations running smoothly. With such a heavy load, sometimes, we get overwhelmed by one of the most basic of needs - cash.

That is where the Internet comes in. It is rather easier to get a cash advance on the Internet than through any other means. Also, as a small business owner, there are times where we might not want the whole world to know that we are taking small loans. We are already struggling with the whole image thing, and such short term, almost anonymous loans can be a great help. This company specializes in payday loans, but the small businesses can certainly make use of any resource that can help.

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Technorati Tags: quick cash, loans, internet loans, cash advance, payday loans

This is a little off-topic for me. But I came across this site that talked about prostate cancer symptoms and I just wanted to share it here.

Few years ago, my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, it was detected really early and he managed to recover fully. He had one relapse which was captured almost immediately during his 6-monthly reviews. Past few years, all have been well. I know that many people do not like to talk about such negative stuff, but as someone who has had a brush with this disease, I would say that all information about it is important.

This link about prostate cancer symptoms is good because it is quite easy to understand. One of the most important line in there is “The early stages of prostate cancer generally show no symptoms.” A full medical check up is important. If you are over 40 years of age and have never done one, do so.

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NOTE: You can also read about Stroke Risk Factors over at my friend’s blog: Stroke Risk Factors

Technorati Tags: prostate cancer, cancer symptoms, prostate cancer symptoms

Somehow, when we get onto the Internet, there seems to be a sudden shift in our mentality. We want it all for free. It’s good to get things free. But sometimes, there are consequences.

When it comes to your business, I don’t believe that scrimping is the way to go. Prudence, yes; scrimping for the sake of soothing your miserly side is really not the wisest option. If you are doing an online business, then a shopping cart becomes a key component of your operations. Do not be misled, not all ecommerce software are created equal. For sure, there are good software out there that are free. But unless you fully appreciate the technology and all it implies, your quest for free software could land you into a situation where you will need to spend a lot more to get it right.

Among all the various pieces of the puzzle, I would suggest that your shopping cart software might be one of the most critical decision. I took a quick look at Ashopcommerce and it seems to be a fairly comprehensive solution for an online store. I particularly liked that they had integration with MYOB and QuickBooks, which most small businesses use.

There is a 10-day free trial option which is quite ideal for you to test out the software. But more importantly, it will allow to put their service to the test. When running a business, prompt response to your questions and quick resolution to your problems should rank really high in your selection criteria. Use the 10 days to find out if the company is responsive. When you are spending money, it is always wise to check.

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Technorati Tags: shopping cart, ecommerce software, shopping cart software, online store

When you are in the Marketing business, sometimes, image is everything. But how can you impress if your office is only large enough for your 2 desks and you need to go on diet just to get to the fax machine?

How about using a professional organisation that can provide high end office rentals as well as a Conference Room Rental for those critical meetings? A conference room with all the facilities could be just the final touch to your winning presentation.

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Technorati Tags: book publishers, books, author, self publish

When you embark on an advertising campaign, many small business owners believe that they can go out and buy their own media and save on the agency costs. Usually, this is only true if there is some mis-communications between the company and the agency. It is quite unthinkable that ad-hoc media buying can be more efficient and effective than professional media buying.

An agency that specializes in media buying is going to have bulk deals, demographics and other information that most other people, who are not insiders, will not have. If you over-spend on media, it is usually a case of poor planning or getting carried away by grand visions. A good agency should be able to advise on the optimal media spend. Cheap media buys usually hide the reasons why they are cheap. Unless you are in the know, it will be hard for you to tell genuine buying opportunities from lame sales tactics.

Seriously, don’t try it on your own.

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Technorati Tags: media buying, advertising, advertising agency

A few years ago, I had the privilege, or perhaps, some might say, the misfortune; of being selected to go out of the country to set up a subsidiary office for my employer. It was almost two years away from my family. I do not know if you have ever experienced this, but I can tell you, it’s not pleasant.

Now, if I could have known about the possibility of getting a picture blanket, that might have made my stint away a little less miserable. Oh well, that was then. Today, you have the opportunity to use this also as an excellent going-away gift for friends and loved ones.

I have an idea! Let them bring one to college of you frowning at them, that way, you can be there too!

Technorati Tags: bedding, personal gifts, photo blanket, picture blanket

I just saw this site, that sells a cool ice maker. Quite normal, since I do a lot of shopping online. But wait! This company has been around since 1936!

Usually, when a company is successful with their sales model or their business practices, they find it very hard to change. It is so very heartening to find a “traditional” company with a long history of business coming online and finding good success. Heck, they even have those “free delivery” and a really cool shopping cart online. With fears of online trading becoming a faint memory of the past, any business who has not yet brought itself online in some way or another is either sleeping, or dead (but they might not know it yet).

OK, I found a cool ice maker, black and sleek.

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Technorati Tags: consumer electronics, electronics, online shopping