Camping Tents For Sale – Buy at a Discount For the Perfect Budget Vacation

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With the economy in the state that it’s in and recovery being slow to show its face, we are all looking to save money where we can. Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, even if that sounds a little counterintuitive. But think about it, you browse all the camping tents for sale, pick out a good, all-season design and then you can use it to go on a budget vacation for years, but you only pay for it once. It’s a much cheaper solution than going to a resort and it’s definitely a better option than staying home.

Now, thanks to the internet, it is almost impossible to buy something at full price, therefore you have to do a little bit of hunting and find where camping tents for sale are being offered at a discount. But you can rest assured that you will find what you need at a great price.

If you are really strapped for cash then you can opt for use tents for sale as there are plenty of those. Just because something is used doesn’t mean it isn’t in great condition. Tents are built to be sturdy and you will probably be able to get quite a few years use out of a used one, after all, you won’t be using it every day.

You can also save money by making sure that you buy the right tent. In other words, if you are going to be camping in summer, in an area where it rains rarely, then you probably don’t need an all-season tent, which will be quite a bit more expensive than three-season camping tents for sale.

By investing in a good tent, you will be able to enjoy some quality time with your family while also saving quite a few pennies. Just make sure to look for quality, discounted camping tents for sale and you will be a happy camper, pun intended.

Adventures of the Irritated Development Professional

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In my wanderings through the nonprofit sector I have found two important Truths:

  1. Your mission is your greatest asset
  2. Your second greatest asset is your staff

Volunteers, donors and staff want to work with your organizations for two reasons: they love your (secretary, Executive Director, CEO, board member, case worker, etc), and/or they believe in your mission. I don’t believe it is possible for a nonprofit to survive, especially now, without sticking closely to its mission and treating employees with respect and reverence. Capitalizing on these two assets will provide incredible strength and fortitude.

Almost all nonprofit leaders are mission driven. To be quite frank, no one goes into social services and nonprofits because of the great pay. They are there because they want to believe in what they are doing, and the mission of their organization defines that. It makes for incredibly motivated and loyal employees under the right circumstances.

I was discussing these points with a friend who works as a development professional for a rather large nonprofit outside my vicinity. I may be biased, because I know the work my friend is capable of, but her boss is doing a fantastic job of running off any talent she could hire by refusing to recognize the second Truth. Instead, this stubborn ED has refused to capitalize on the talents of her employees, ignores suggestions and ideas (or steals them without giving any credit) and generally acts superior to everyone around her. Subsequently, her staff turnover rate is pretty impressive. Employees will tolerate this insanity because of the first Truth- they love the mission, but only for about 6 months.

While every industry has those bad apples, in the nonprofit world it is especially devastating because it means the nonprofit will suffer in the long run. If the nonprofit suffers, you can bet the beneficiaries of their services will suffer as well. How awful to think the bad decisions of an executive can have such a tangible negative impact on the lives of those in need.

Sometimes I think executives (in general- not just nonprofits) forget that the mark of an outstanding leader is not what he himself has accomplished, but what can be accomplished without him. A good boss should be able to take a vacation and come back to an organization that is humming along as smoothly as before he left. I have seen this elusive situation with my own two eyes, and it was the direct result of positive, supportive and competent leadership coupled with a strong work environment, incredible staff and a fantastic mission. If you were to ask the executive in charge of that organization how he was able to manage such a feat, he would tell you how great his employees are and that he prides himself in finding great talent, deflecting all credit to his staff.

As you read this, I hope you remember two people- your best boss and your worst boss- and what you were able to learn from both situations. Sometimes a bad example can be just as educational as a good one- and it does leave us with interesting stories!

Investing in Restaurants – Pros and Cons of Franchise Investments

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When it comes to investing in restaurants, there are many different ways that you can get involved. Investing in a smaller, family-owned restaurant might prove to have a bigger payoff in the end if you are willing to take the risk. However, investing in a franchise is often considered by people because it is a much safer investment in terms of restaurants. Franchises offer more security because there is a smaller cash capital required for startup, training is provided to owners and employees by the franchising company, and franchises have a reputation that already exists, instead of having to build one like local restaurants do.

The Pros

Franchises are an easy model because there already IS a model in place. Whether you buy into a franchise directly or invest in one that someone else is attempting to open, you can guarantee a better chance at success.

Franchises help train people and allow owners to do things without any guessing, questions, or confusion. This makes a business at least 50-60% more likely to be successful than a business without this support.

Investing in restaurants is usually a risky venture, but franchises offer less risk and better rewards generally speaking. No two investments are the same, but the chances of losing it all are much lower with a franchise investment than a locally-owned investment.

The Cons

Franchises are limited. They have rules, regulations, and ways that things need to be done. Whether you are going to be the owner or just an investor, it can become bothersome to have to run things the way that someone else sees fit.

When you invest in a franchise, you will likely not have as much involvement unless you invest as the owner. Even then, you will have less say in things that happen and how things operate. If you are willing to sacrifice your opinion and creative freedom for a better investment, this isn’t an issue.

Restaurant franchises are different from one owner to the next. Although there is a better chance of long-term success, you can’t depend on every single franchise to stick.

Now that you understand a little more about investing in restaurants, you can weigh the options and see what is right for you. Some people sort out this information and can easily make a decision about investing in restaurants for themselves. Other people might need more time, and might even decide that restaurant stocks are the better option for their investment. For more information on investing in investment opportunities usually or normally not found in the marketplace, click here!

Why to Book Hotels Online and to Use Hotel Price Comparison Websites

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Hotels as tourist accommodation alternatives for travelers and tourist have existed for centuries and will probably continue existing. Staying in a hotel while abroad is not only a privilege but a necessity – it is the only option for the tourists so that’s why so many people take advantage of it and so big money is being invested there and in the travel industry as all in all. There are of course other options as motels, hostels, aparthotels, etc. but the idea of all is the same – to provide short-term accommodation to people who need it.

Nowadays, in this high-tech society, when more and more people tend to use internet for almost everything travel respectively turns into one of the most competitive niches in internet which of course is absolutely normal and inevitable. Lots of people prefer searching for hotels online not only because it is easier and faster but also because the options are a lot more and last but not least – it is often cheaper. Why it is cheaper? Because the competition is fierce and the people have so variable choices that if the hotels and hotel chains do not offer value for money deals – they might lose many clients which will bring to low occupancy rates which they do not want.

Internet conquers the travel industry:

  • The online booking tendency grows with every past day
  • The people prefer reading guest reviews, previewing pictures, reading descriptions, exploring locations, obtaining information…etc.
  • Hotels become more and more connected with internet without having the option to choose.
  • The established online travel accommodation merchants become extremely popular reaching millions of pageviews on a daily basis.

As a result – hotels are forced to negotiate different prices with different merchants. Everything associated with the online travel industry becomes a matter of money, interests and business relations because the websites can afford it as they start controlling.

You have probably booked a hotel online and have a favorite hotel reservations website which you prefer using. It is not bad but you have to keep in mind that it is not a guarantee you are getting the best deals there. There isn’t something like the best hotel reservations site. A given travel website negotiates lowest rates with a given hotel, but another website negotiates lowest rates with another hotel and so on. There is no way to find the best deals in one and the same website.

But there is a solution for that. Here come the hotel price comparison websites – some great and innovative tools that help users to save on hotels by finding the best deals for them. Those sites’ idea is simple but brilliant – they search for availability, find hotels and compare the prices that some of the most established travel accommodation providers offer. It is just as simple as it sounds. Those hotel comparison websites are nothing more than just free helpful tools – no online reservations can be made there nor any private data is being processed. Users just search for availability, compare the hotel prices and when they find a deal that meets their requirements – they click and get redirected to the travel merchant they have chosen. Then they book their hotel in the way they would book it without using the price comparison website but now they know they have found the best deal and they do not pay more than needed. My advice is to use hotel comparison websites without hesitation as you don’t need to pay more when you can pay less. Don’t be fooled by any websites that claim to offer the lowest rates online – there isn’t anything like that! The different websites offer different deals- one better here, another better there.